Note: The
following is an excerpt from the book The Homeopathic
Journey by Todd Rowe MD, published in 2002.
The Call to Adventure
Every age has a kind of universal
genius, which inclines those that live in it to some
particular studies. -John Dryden
Many who choose to study homeopathy are
called. Often they can remember the exact circumstances
when they heard that call. They become impassioned about
their learning and their voyage of discovery. Others
come kicking and screaming. They are hesitant and
uncertain, often skeptical of what they are learning.
Yet, with time and careful study they prove homeopathy
for themselves and become dedicated.
Hearing a call and not following it
creates disease. Following the call permits students to
express themselves deeply. Healing happens to the extent
that learners identify what they love and live that in
their lives. The learning of homeopathy is a life-long
adventure. This adventure often begins with the feeling
that something is lacking in the student¹s life, an
inner sense of emptiness. This is coupled with a desire
to know more and become more. It is an embarking into
the unknown, which is necessary to move out of a place
of safety.
The journey is full of surprises,
unexpected delights and excitement. There are perils
along the way, monsters to be conquered and monsters to
be avoided. Islands of relative calm will be found where
some will stop and go no further. There are guides on
the way, although ultimately one must make the last part
of the journey on their own. Finally, when students have
accomplished their goal, they must return to serve all
of life, with the realization that the journey has just
begun. This chapter and the next attempt to provide a
road map for that journey.
True learning gets to the heart of what
it is to be human. It gives us the capacity to recreate
ourselves, to do what we never could do before and to
change our relationship to the world. Homeopathic
education changes the student, providing new ways of
seeing and perceiving the world. There is a deep need
inside each of us for this kind of learning.
Why Study
Homeopathy?
Just sheer life cannot be said to
have a purpose, because look at all the different
purposes it has all over the place. But each
incarnation, you might say, has a potentiality, and the
mission of life is to live that potentiality. How do you
do it? My answer is 'follow your bliss'. There is
something inside you that knows when you¹re in the
center, that knows when you¹re on the beam or off the
beam. -Joseph Campbell
The reasons to study homeopathy are as
diverse as the individuals who study. However some
common themes emerge when students are asked about what
brought them to homeopathic training.
Holistic
A homeopathic practitioner treats
individuals on all levels of their being. This includes
the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual levels. In
this way, homeopathy has the capacity to get to the root
cause of illness. Good homeopathic practitioners use all
of themselves in their work. Homeopaths take the time to
connect with their patients and homeopathic clients
respond by feeling deeply understood. Many practitioners
are attracted to the slower pace of homeopathy and the
opportunity it affords to spend more time with their
patients.
Intrinsic
Beauty
Homeopathy is a beautiful field of
study. It is a complete healing system within itself. It
is a tremendously rich tapestry that captures the hearts
of those who study it and touches them deeply. It
explores the harmony and resonance that occurs between
individuals and their world. Homeopathy ultimately
involves the study and learning of all life.
Plus Factor
Many practitioners pursue a variety of
forms of healing before learning homeopathy. With each
field of study, they struggle until they can integrate
it before moving on. Yet when they came to homeopathy,
they find it to be boundless. They are unable to fully
encompass the field. They find it to be much more than
what they are and this is accompanied by feelings of
wonderment. In this way homeopathy represents a
"great thing". The poet Rilke once said that
"community is held together by the power of the
grace of great things" (Rilke 1986). It is this
"great thing" around which students, teachers
and administrators gather in their work.
Nurturing the
Spirit
Many homeopaths find homeopathy deeply
satisfying and fulfilling. It captivates their minds,
fires their imagination, holds their hearts and frees
their spirits. In their work, they feel part of a
supportive and nurturing tradition that stems back for
several hundred years.
Need
Presently, the demand for homeopathic
care far exceeds the number of practicing homeopaths in
most areas of the world. This need will only grow over
time as the demand for homeopathic care increases. There
is considerable room for expansion.
It Works
Homeopathy works. Many students come to
homeopathy because they or their family were
successfully treated homeopathically. Many great
homeopaths were converted to homeopathy after successful
homeopathic treatment. This experience can turn a
skeptic into a believer.
Science
Balanced with Art
Homeopathy is both an art and a science.
It has a considerable and growing body of empirical
medical evidence supporting its efficacy (Gray, 2000).
It also requires considerable artistic skills in actual
practice. This art is embodied in a series of qualities,
skills and knowledge necessary for practice (Chapter 3).
Homeopathy uniquely marries both the science and the
mystery, the technology and the humanism.
Popularity
Homeopathy is thought to be the fastest
growing form of alternative medicine in the world today.
It is well represented and popular in countries all
around the world. What attracts many is its low relative
cost. The cost to patients for homeopathic treatment is
generally much less than that of conventional medicine.
Increasingly, its students are finding it to be a solid
and satisfying career choice. Most medically trained
homeopathic practitioners find that they can make an
salary equivalent to their allopathic colleagues in
private practice.
Philosophy
Homeopathy has clear laws and principles
on which it is founded. This is not true of allopathic
or conventional medicine. Unlike traditional science
where 50% of what is held true will eventually be proved
untrue, homeopaths maintain a firm foundation while
continuously adding to their existing body of knowledge.
A main philosophical principle that
attracts students is the non- suppressive nature of
homeopathy. Homeopathy, unlike allopathic medicine, does
not tend to suppress illness deeper into the organism.
It is expected that many diseases of the 21st century
will not respond well to allopathic treatment (e.g.
antibiotic resistant organisms, multiple chemical
sensitivity) but will respond to the many forms of
alternative medicine that are better suited to address
these conditions.
Another fundamental principle of
homeopathy that attracts students is individualization.
Homeopathy does not treat patients as diseases but as
individuals. Classical homeopathy only uses one
medication at a time. The average American is commonly
thought to be taking on average eight allopathic
medications at any given time.
Possibility of
Cure
Much of conventional medicine is
concerned with managing rather than curing disease.
Homeopathy offers the possibility of cure. Many modern
diseases are potentially curable utilizing homeopathic
treatment. Homeopathy also offers treatment for chronic
conditions that are not treatable by traditional
methods.
Lack of Side
Effects
Unlike conventional treatments,
homeopathic medicines do not have the same toxic side
effects. When prescribed correctly, homeopathic
medicines are quite safe and well tolerated by patients.
Second Career
Some individuals choose not to study a
discipline such as homeopathy, feeling that they are too
old to learn. This is not substantiated by clinical
evidence or experience. There are differing and unique
challenges to studying homeopathy for both the young and
the old. Many who choose to embark on the study of
homeopathy do this as a second career. Growth is a never
ending process.
My personal journey into homeopathy
began in my last year of medical school. I was
interested in learning more about alternative medicine
and spent one month studying with a homeopathic
physician in Chicago, Illinois. In his practice, I saw
rapid and highly beneficial responses to acute
illnesses. I also saw remarkable cures of patients with
chronic illnesses, many of which were considered
untreatable by conventional medicine. The experience
transformed my view of health and healing. Most
important, when I found homeopathy I felt like I had
finally come home. As a result, I chose to pursue
homeopathy as a career.
Levels of
Involvement
A little learning is a dangerous
thing.
Drink deep, or taste not the Pielian spring:
There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,
And drinking largely sobers us again.
-Alexander Pope
There are many levels of student
involvement in homeopathy. Students often begin at the
first level and gradually progress from one stage to
another over time. This progression for some is smooth
while others stop at certain stages for years before
progressing on to the next. Others are happy to stay at
one stage and never move on. Some students find it hard
to stop once they embark on their homeopathic journey.
The Appreciator
There are students who contact
homeopathy or begin training and then drop out,
realizing that homeopathy is not right for them. There
can be many reasons for this, but ultimately there
proves to be a lack of resonance between homeopathy and
their nature.
These individuals may develop a deep
appreciation for what homeopathy is, but have no wish to
study it further. Homeopathy can enliven their work and
leave them changed. They may refer friends, family and
patients to homeopathy, embark on homeopathic treatment
themselves or work with someone who does practice
homeopathy.
Casual
Practitioner
This level of practice involves the
casual usage of homeopathy. This can be learned in a few
hours of self study or a weekend course. The usage of
remedies is mostly focused on first aid prescribing.
Examples include the usage of Arnica montana after
trauma or Aconite napellus for shock. This level applies
to both home care and medically licensed practitioners.
In simple home care, the practitioner is generally
treating friends and family. For the medical
practitioner, their work is primarily focused on their
original field of study, but there is a wish to
experiment with homeopathy.
Acute
Practitioner
This level of practice is focused on
acute prescribing. The practitioner can learn this level
of prescribing in a typical 40 hour course or more
serious self study. An example would be using the remedy
Pulsatilla nigrans, Belladonna, Aconitum nappelus, or
Mercurius vivus in the treatment of otitis media (ear
infections).
The home practitioner uses a home remedy
kit to treat friends and family. The medically licensed
practitioner uses remedies to treat simple acute
conditions, while reserving conventional medicine for
more serious conditions, or referring to a more skilled
homeopathic practitioner.
Integrative
Practitioner
This level involves a deeper level of
commitment to homeopathy. The practitioner learns more
³constitutional² prescribing in a 100-250 hour course.
The prescriber learns a limited number of
"constitutional remedies" that can be used in
the treatment of deeper chronic conditions. This
generally cannot be learned by simple self study, but
requires a more intensive training program (whether in a
classroom or by distance learning). An example of
treatment at this stage is the usage of the remedy
Natrum muriaticum in the cure of a patient whose
syndrome of illness includes chronic migraine headaches,
constipation, intermittent herpetic infections, and a
tendency toward depression.
For the non-medically licensed
practitioner, this stage involves integrating
homeopathic practice with their other work. For the
medically licensed practitioner, the third stage
involves the deeper integration of conventional and
homeopathic practice. At times, the practitioner may
elect to pursue one modality of treatment vs. another or
to combine them . The mixing of practices can lead to
confusion for some practitioners. More serious cases
need supervision by an experienced homeopath or should
be referred. The key is always knowing one's limits.
Some practitioners find it very difficult to integrate
their practices and experience a need to move on to the
next level (homeopathic practitioner) as a consequence.
Homeopathic training in naturopathic
schools is at this level. For medical doctors and
osteopathic doctors at this level of involvement, it is
possible to become licensed to practice homeopathy in
certain states (Arizona, Connecticut and Nevada).
Licensure as a homeopathic physician is not required for
a MD/DO to practice homeopathy in other states.
Reimbursement at this stage from insurance companies for
homeopathic treatment is also possible.
Homeopathic
Practitioner
The last level involves a deeper level
of integration and commitment. One¹s identity at this
stage becomes that of a homeopath. The study of
classical homeopathy is every bit as complex as that of
conventional medicine. Practitioners who are serious
about the practice of homeopathy generally require a
minimum of 500 didactic hours, although homeopathy is
more accurately a lifetime of study. Distance learning
courses are insufficient in themselves at this level
without accompanying clinical training. An example of
this level of practice would be the usage of the remedy
Stramonium in the cure of a child with attention deficit
disorder, night terrors, rage attacks and tourette's
disorder.
Practitioners may elect to only practice
homeopathy at this stage or to have a more deeply
integrated practice. Some practitioners choose to
separate their practices to avoid confusion. What
differentiates these practitioners from integrative
practitioners is a much deeper level of commitment to
homeopathy and a well-established identity as a
homeopath.
At this stage, certification becomes
possible. Entering the homeopathic community becomes
increasingly important at this stage. This helps to
become a member of the homeopathic profession and to
avoid isolation.
Choosing a
Program
Everywhere, we learn only from those
whom we love.
-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
There are many homeopathic schools and
programs of study to choose from. Students must choose a
training program that fits both their style of learning
and a faculty with which they are comfortable. Shopping
around and comparing programs can be useful. It is
important to ask the questions necessary to choose the
program that best suits the individual.
Often one of the first decisions is
whether to choose a distance learning program or a
classroom-based program. Many students find that they
learn best in an interactive classroom atmosphere.
Others find that self learning at their own pace works
best. Those who choose a distance learning program and
plan on seriously studying homeopathy, must be aware
that didactic training is not enough. Quality clinical
training is critical to becoming a good homeopath.
Another important dimension in choosing
a training program is the faculty. The student should
choose a program with faculty that they feel comfortable
learning from. There is an ancient saying that ³When
the student is ready, the teacher appears.² The problem
is that the student does not always recognize the
teacher. The best teachers are not necessarily the most
popular. Ideally, a good faculty is one that includes
both good teachers and good practitioners. Early in
training it is much more important to find a good
teacher than a good practitioner. As training
progresses, the reverse becomes true.
Some programs use a single teacher in
their training whereas others use a faculty. With single
teacher programs, it becomes critically important that
the student feel very comfortable with the teacher. With
multiple teachers (faculty), students can learn from a
variety of styles and perspectives. When a single
teacher training program is chosen, it is more important
for the student to attend seminars and other educational
experiences in which they are exposed to new ideas and
styles of learning. This helps to avoid teacher cloning
and ensures that the students develop their own style.
Mentorship is another critical aspect of
training programs, especially for those attending
distance learning programs. Mentorship provides guidance
on the homeopathic journey and helps the students
integrate their learning. Good mentors are teachers that
the student may not necessarily like the best. Good
mentors challenge and push students beyond their
self-defined limits.
For more advanced homeopathic training,
it is not possible for the student to learn homeopathy
on their own. Clinical training provides the vital
bridge between didactic training and actual practice.
Not only do students need clinical training, but it is
also important to have a living teacher who can bring
the teachings of homeopathy into the consciousness of
the times.
It is vital to have both quality
teaching and quality administration for effective
homeopathic learning to occur. One is generally not
sufficient without the other. Awareness of the qualities
of effective homeopathic teaching and of effective
homeopathic administration can serve as a guide.
Certification and licensure of training programs are
often indicators of quality. In North America,
certification of educational institutions is achieved
through the Council for Homeopathic Education.
Adult learners are distinguished by two
important factors. They have both an inherent need for
putting what they learn into practice and a need to be
self directing. It is important to find a program that
meets both needs.
