"Real things are cured by a process...."

I love telling people that I am a homeopath. I get the full range of responses, from - Wow, that's so cool! To raised eyebrows with polite, 'oh, interesting,' and of course asking my advice about herbs and nutrition of which I am definitely not an expert. If you want to know, my answer to that is moderation.

But there is one misconception I sometimes come across that I feel compelled to clear up because I see it as an assumption that may keep many people from benefitting from homeopathic treatment.

"Don't you have to already be pretty healthy to use homeopathy?"

In short: no.

You can be on death's door, have antibiotic- resistant MRSA, AIDS, cancer, autism, funny pains with no explanation, delusions, nightmares, jealousy, depression... or just curious.

Some people with conditions like I listed above may experience a full cure. This has been documented with autism, depression, anti-biotic resistant infections, and indeed dramatic turn-arounds in AIDS patients (see homeopathyforhealthinafrica.org), as well as thousands of other conditions that have diagnosable names, and many that don't.

Others may experience much improvement, or mild improvement that they were otherwise not finding with other treatment. Still others find that their other treatments- diet, acupuncture, chiropractic, etc...- actually seem to be *more* effective when combined with, or preceded by homeopathic treatment.

I think this assumption may come from the characterization of homeopathy as an energy treatment. Perhaps there is the idea that one's energy must be 'pure' or already in a more 'evolved' state before a remedy can act.  Energy is, and what state it is in does not determine the efficacy of the modality. It does indicate to the practitioner which potency of the remedy is indicated, or which remedies are called for. In very low states of vitality, it may not be appropriate to use homeopathy because the physical body has pathology that is too advanced. In which case, very low potencies and cell salts can be used to palliate and make a patient comfortable. Remedies can be used to ease anxiety and fear when death is near.

But the fundamental principles of homeopathy: like cures like, using a minimum dose, and individualizing treatment- are true and effective no matter the condition, or the starting health of the patient.

Wherever you find yourself this January, 2014, homeopathy can meet you. From 'never well since...(flu, pregnancy, surgery, etc...)' conditions to chronic pains, acute infectious illness, allergies and food intolerances, and so much more, a homeopathic remedy can often bring space and resolution where there was only stagnation. As Richard Grossinger wrote in Planet Medicine:  "Real things are cured finally by a process, not a particular medicine."

If you are curious about how homeopathy may fit into your process, get in touch.

Concentric Healing 2013... an amazing year in review!

It's New Year's Eve. I've never been a big party-girl, so I am perfectly content to sit here on my couch, in front of a glowing fire in the woodstove, at 10:30 pm while the rest of my family is already snug asleep upstairs.

This is perfect, really. We're expecting friends for New Year's Day, and so while I'm roasting acorn squash for a soup and have the stock simmering on the stove, this gives me some time to do a bit of reflection. Earlier this evening after dinner, we read the notes we tucked into our '2013 Memory Jar.' there were about a dozen or so. We lost steam about summertime, and most of them were about a particularly big storm that hit the first week of February. I guess we had some time on our hands to make some memories!

One that I had forgotten was an excited little note that said "Mom launched her website on January 28th!" Wow. I had forgotten about that. I can now recall that push to get content written and pages designed, slogging my way through a process I'd never done before. It felt so exciting to finally stake out my little corner on the web, to hang my shingle in a way that felt so substantial and real... even in cyberspace.

There were no notes about joining Camden Whole Health in March of 2013, a huge step for my little practice, a great opportunity and one that I am grateful for, daily. Though my practice is but a small part of that full office, I love being a part of a place that people in my community recognize and respect.

I also didn't drop a written memory in about my decision to enroll in the Dynamic School for Advanced Homeopathic Studies, but I made that commitment in February, and it came to fruition this past November- and will continue through 2016. I made my first trip to Sweden just before Thanksgiving and tickets are booked for the next class in March- just about 10 weeks away. Studying with Jeremy Sherr through his Dynamis School is a seed that I planted in my little dream garden several years ago. There's something powerful about watching such seeds sprout and grow.

This week I thought back to where my practice was last year, and realized that my patient roster has doubled, and then some. Some patients have moved on, and others continue on, realizing greater and greater benefits of homeopathy with time and consistency.

As I look forward to 2014, I am looking to deepen my understanding of homeopathy and patient care (indeed, there is no bottom to the depths you can understand this medicine). I am leaving behind many pie-in-the-sky plans to offer online classes and videos. I am not launching any new local programs, or dreaming up new and exciting ways to get homeopathy out to the masses.  This year, it's all about patients, and Practice. And patience :)

Wishing you all a peaceful end to 2013, and a loving start to 2014.