Homeopathy at the Cheltenham Holistic Health Centre

Homoeopathy is a scientific system of medicine which naturally stimulates the human organism to heal itself. The patient is seen as an individual who reacts in his own way to the stresses and pulls in his life. Because homoeopathy treats the whole person and not just the symptoms, the therapy is beneficial to all kinds of imbalance and 'dis-ease'on any level, be it mental, physical, or emotional.

Symptoms commonly brought to a homoeopath include: anxiety, depression, shock, grief, children's problems - including behaviour - asthma, eczema, psoriasis, arthritis, migraines and headaches, IBS and general stomach and bowel troubles, eating disorders, recurring infections, low immune resistance, effects from immunisation, effects of trauma including sleep problems and nightmares, women's hormonal imbalances both of the menstrual cycle and the menopause.

Homoeopathic remedies are usually given in tablet form which are easy to take. The dose is infinitesimal, often only one tablet is administered.Since these influence the body's energy rather than its chemical balance, they do not cause side-effects. However their power should not be underestimated and they should be treated with respect.

Remedies are made from various natural substances and prepared in such a way that their 'inner life' is mobilised and their healing power released, a process known as 'potentisation'. Through potentisation the remedy can act directly on the energy-body of the individual and thus correct the imbalance causing disease.

Treatment
The first appointment is 1 hour 40 minutes for an adult; 1 hour 20 minutes for a child and 40 minutes for a baby.

All subsequent appointments are 40 minutes.

During the first appointment the homoeopath needs to find out as much as possible about the patient as an individual. At first this information may seem to have nothing to do with the problem for which the patient is seeking help. But in order for the homoeopath to choose the right remedy to initiate a cure, a whole picture needs to be built up which includes as many facets of the person as possible. These include the food likes and dislikes, the sleep pattern, reactions to weather and temperature, the family history of main illnesses and deaths as well as the personal medical history of the patient.

Also and perhaps most importantly, the homoeopath needs to know the emotional nature of the person, such as what makes him or her happy or sad, anxious or fearful, how she fits into the world around, and the stresses that may be part of day-to-day life and how she feels she copes. The correct homoeopathic remedy can help the patient to regain a sense of balance and well-being and deal with the difficult aspects of life with more serenity.

Frequency and duration
The Homoeopath monitors the healing process by seeing the patient after about 3-4 weeks, depending on the problem.