Homoeopathy is a system for the treatment of illness that is based both on the recognition of patterns within the symptoms of the illness and a wider consideration of how the individual is as a person.   The homoeopathic approach integrates personality type, previous experiences, emotional state, the influence of the environment and other social factors to a greater degree than is usual with 'standard' medical practice.   A German doctor, Samuel Hahnemann, discovered the principle behind homoeopathy in the late 18th century.

He had become disillusioned by the limitations of medical practice as it was then, and he left medicine to study chemistry.   He experimented on himself and found that taking a remedy that was effective in treating an ill person could bring on the signs of illness in a healthy person.   He had stumbled upon the principle of homoeopathy - 'Like cures like'.   He also found that where toxic substances were concerned, when diluted they retained the ability to cause symptoms, thus making them safe to use, and that by diluting time and time again, and by vibrating the solution each time, the diluted substance seemed to actually gain in power!   This observation, although it defies explanation, is still observed in modern homoeopathic practice.

The pioneering work of Hahnemann has been expanded enormously over the past 200 years.   There are now over 2000 recognised homoeopathic remedies and the popularity of homoeopathy as a method of treatment is expanding rapidly.   Living organisms are self-repairing and continuously act to keep their various biological systems functioning.   In illness this self-repair process has been disturbed - usually only for a short period.   In longer-term illnesses the body seems to have greater difficulty in restoring the natural balance.  
Homoeopathic treatment, it is believed, appears to stimulate the self-healing response.   The method of assessment in homoeopathy usually involves a much longer interview than is common in a conventional medical consultation.   Attention is given to the clent's environment and social situation, personal and family medical history, past experiences, how they react mentally, emotionally and physically to their environment, sleep patterns, dreams, grief, anger, food and weather preferences, etc. and these are all taken into consideration in order to discover the susceptibility of the individual and the remedy that can help promote the healing of the whole person.

Brid Hanlon is the homoeopath at Being Sound Holistic Health.

How to get here: