About Homeopathy
by Mary Jo Aloi
This article is part of our 'About' series where we asked practitioners of various healing modalities and therapies the same set of questions to give you some background information, features of the healing modality, health benefits and what you might expect from a session with this type of practitioner.
1. What type of healing modality or therapy do you practice and how would you summarize it?
I practice Classical Homeopathy. Homeopathy is a system of healing which uses the law of similars, the minimum dose and the totality of symptoms to find a remedy suited to each individual case. Its basis is energetic. A well selected homeopathic remedy acts from the deepest level of being to provide information to the individual about where they are stuck. The individual then has what they need to bring about healing themselves. Both health and disease are processes and homeopathy is a stimulus to the organism to move the process in the direction of health and wholeness.
2. Why did you decide to become a practitioner in this field and what do you enjoy most about it?
I decided to become a practitioner because I saw homeopathy work profoundly for my own family; because I was excited and fascinated by the ideas behind homeopathy; and because I just plain love it. I love working with people, I love hearing about who they are and what makes them tick. I love helping them move past what they saw as their limitations physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
3. What is the history or foundation of this therapy/healing modality?
Classical homeopathy was founded by the German physician Samuel Hahnemann in the late 1700s. The idea of the law of similars traces back to at least Paracelsus in Ancient Greece, however it was Hahnemann who recognized that when something cures permanently it does so by the law of similars. Using scientific inquiry, he developed a system based on his observations.
Homeopathy was used widely and with good results in the US during the 19th century. It fell out of popularity due to differences within the homeopathic community and due to the formation of the AMA which attacked homeopathy and discredited it. It was used during the flu epidemic of 1918 with great success. It is more widely used in Europe and India than in the US, although it is regaining popularity as alternatives are embraced here.
4. What are the key features and components of this form of therapy/healing modality?
The key features of classical homeopathy are the law of similars, the totality of the case, and the minimum dose.
A medicine that can create a group of symptoms in a healthy individual is also capable of healing that group of symptoms in illness when appropriately taken. This is called the law of similars or 'like cures like'. A classical homeopath looks for the single remedy that most closely matches the symptom picture they see.
In classical homeopathy, the remedy is chosen based on the whole picture of the person and their way of expressing disease as indicated by the symptoms they experience and those that can be observed by the homeopath. For example, two people with a sore throat in the same outbreak of a virus may each need a different remedy based on how they express the disease. One may have a sore throat with pain on swallowing, pain shooting into the ear and feeling chilly, while the other may have a raw throat that feels better when swallowing, be hot and sweaty and not want any constrictive clothing around the neck. These two individuals require different remedies.
Remedies are generally made from plants, minerals or animals, and go through a special process called trituration and then dilution and succussion to extract the energy or information from a substance. Very low potentcies of remedies contain a very minute amount of the substance itself. Medium and high potencies are thought to contain only the energetic pattern or information from the substance, but no actual substance itself.
While no one has proven how homeopathy works, the fact that it works has been proven by clinical trials.
5. Does this therapy/healing modality cater to the physical body, mind, emotions, spirit, or a combination of these?
Homeopathy affects all levels of being: body, mind, emotions and spirit.
6. When should someone visit this type of practitioner?
Homeopathy is particularly useful for chronic complaints, such as allergies, asthma, digestive disorders, hormonal disorders, skin conditions, infertitlity, etc. It is also very much indicated in cases where mental and emotional difficulties are most at the surface, such as depression, anxiety, hyperactivity, behavior disorders, ADD, autism, etc.
Homeopathy is also useful in acute circumstances, especially where acute symptoms are severe or don't resolve within a few days on their own. It can be used both acutely and preventively in outbreaks of contagious disease.
I would say that any time someone is feeling stuck or limited on any level, a visit or series of visits to a well qualified classical homeopath may help them move through it. Even when there is irreversible physical pathological change in the body, a person can still use homeopathy to heal on other levels and come to peace with their limitation and be the most integrated individual they can be.
7. What can someone expect from a session?
Initial sessions are generally 1.5 to 2 hours long and involve a conversation between the client and the homeopath. The homeopath listens while the client relates as much information as possible about his ailments. The homeopath often has additional questions about the symptoms and experiences of the client. This conversation includes the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual levels of the person.
Follow-up appointments are scheduled about every 4 to 6 weeks. I generally advise prospective clients to commit themselves to an initial appointment and 3 follow up appointments in order to give homeopathy a fair chance to help them. By this time, they should see some improvement.
8. What are the most common outcomes for clients?
One common outcome is an initial slight aggravation of the original symptoms followed by a gradual improvement, first at the level of feeling better within themselves and then as a resolution of symptoms, with the symptoms that appeared most recently being the first to resolve and the oldest symptoms being the last to resolve.
It is also fairly common that some symptoms improve while others remain. This is the reason I recommend commitment to the process of homeopathy. When the first remedy selected is close enough to the resonance of the individual to touch their energy and move it, but not quite similar enough to stimulate it to move freely on its own, the homeopath takes information from how the symptom picture moved and adjusts the remedy accordingly.
Sometimes nothing happens in response to the first remedy and the homeopath gets more information from the client and restudies the case and tries again. Each time, the response or lack of response guides a well observing homeopath more closely to what is happening with the case.
If you have worked with a homeopath for 6 months to a year with no improvement whatsoever then it would be good to request that they get supervision from a more experienced homeopath for your case or to see a different homeopath. Sometimes it happens that the client and homeopath just don't connect well enough with one another to really freely meet and the homeopath cannot get a full enough understanding of the case to help the client. This is one reason I recommend that people interview the homeopath first and make sure they feel comfortable with them.
9. Can you share some success stories from this form of therapy/healing modality?
a) A middle aged woman presented with vague abdominal discomfort as her primary complaint. It soon became clear that she had gall stones. She would get gall bladder attacks at least a few times a month. Her doctors recommended removal as the only option, but she preferred to try alternatives first. She was able to take an acute homeopathic remedy during the attacks which stopped the attacks within a few minutes. Meanwhile, it took about 7 months of 'constitutional' homeopathic consultations and trying several remedies to find one that returned her to her previously healthy condition. She has had no gall bladder attacks for the last 5 years. She also reports that she is much improved on the mental and emotional levels.
b) An 8 year old boy presented with asthma for which he had been medicated for 5 years. He was a sweet little guy, very funny, very theatrical and very prone to destructive outbursts at home when he was angry. After one dose of the appropriate remedy, he improved in his behavior and had no more asthmatic episodes for the next 10 months. His remedy has been repeated 2 times over the last several years when his behavior and physical symptoms begin to return. He is happy and well adjusted and life for his family is much easier.
c) An 87 year old woman dying of liver cancer in the final days of her life was restless, confused and trying to get out of bed. She was attended by hospice care and was being medicated, however she responded to each medication with the opposite result than what was expected. Each time she received medication for the restlessness, it became worse. She was given a homeopathic remedy, and after each dose she settled down and slept for several hours, then woke and was able to interact with her family for a while before becoming restless again. It is truly a blessing to be able to give peace and comfort to the dying without having to sedate them so that they can no longer interact with their loved ones in their final days.
10. Is there anything else that stands out to you about this form of therapy/healing modality that you'd like to share?
Practicing homeopathy is an art and a science. It requires astute intellectual and observational skills and a big heart, creative spirit and an intuitive sense. Like any healing modality, the practitioner should be someone the client feels comfortable and at ease with and has a sense of trust in. Healing proceeds from the whole process: being heard, being understood, being accepted for who you are and being met, both with a remedy and with another human heart. If you are considering entering a relationship with a homeopath as a health care consultant, talk to a few and find one you feel a connection with. Ask them about their training and experience and make sure you understand their policies about how available they will be and how their fee structure works.
Thank you very much to Mary Jo Aloi of California, USA for answering Peaceful Willow's questions about Homeopathy. Mary Jo was drawn to nutrition and natural health after the birth of her first child, which led to using homeopathy with the family before studying it as her new profession. For more information about Mary Jo please visit her website: www.maryjoaloi.com.