What is Homeopathy?
Homeopathy is a gentle and holistic system of complementary medicine based on one of the laws of nature: ‘like cures like’: a substance capable of causing a symptom can also help to relieve it. This idea was first described by Hippocrates and later developed over 200 years ago by a German doctor named Samuel Hahnemann. He was looking for a safer alternative to the harsh medical practices of his time. He discovered that a substance that can create symptoms in material dose can relieve similar symptoms in energetic dose. Today, it is considered one of the safest forms of medicine available. It is used by over 600 million people around the world and is even integrated into many public healthcare systems.
The Remedies
The remedies we use are prepared from natural substances like plants and minerals. They go through a unique process of serial dilution combined with vigorous shaking known as potentisation. As this process is repeated, the physical substance is diluted to ensure it is completely non-toxic, while its energetic healing properties are increased by succussion. Rather than giving a chemical dose which silences symptoms, the energetic imprint in the remedy acts like a signal to the body, stimulating the body’s own self-regulating and healing response. Like tuning a musical instrument, the remedy aims to prompt the system to respond, adapt, and rebalance itself into a more harmonious state.
A great example of this is coffee. We all know coffee is a stimulant, but when prepared homeopathically, it can help to relieve insomnia. In a similar way, a remedy made from onions can soothe the watery eyes and runny nose of hay fever, just like the symptoms you get when chopping an onion.
“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.”
A Truly Holistic Approach
Homeopathy is all about treating you as a whole person, rather than just focusing on an isolated complaint. It recognises that our mental, emotional, and physical health are inextricably linked. Rather than being something to fear, symptoms of ‘dis-ease’ are viewed as the body’s natural way of adapting and trying to heal.
Our resilience to disease is not only influenced by inherited tendencies, but is also closely affected by our own experiences. Things like daily stress, environmental changes, grief, trauma, and even challenging relationships all trigger complex physiological responses which can change our level of health over time. The healing process begins in the consulting room, where we can explore this. A carefully selected remedy then continues this process through its energetic resonance with your individual symptom picture, supporting both body and mind in moving towards greater balance and health.
Safe, Non-Toxic, and Complementary
Through potentisation, the remedies lose the toxicity of their original substances and gain in energetic potency, so homeopathic medicine is gentle, non-addictive, and unlikely to cause lasting side effects. It can be used alongside conventional medication and as part of a broader complementary approach. It can also offer complementary support following a cancer diagnosis, from the shock of diagnosis and the stages of treatment to side effects, fatigue and ongoing post-treatment support. (See FAQ section for more information about integrative medicine).
