Finding information about homeopathy is pretty easy these days with the Internet. However, finding a homeopathic doctor can still be a challenge. There is really no standard for homeopaths in the US. Other countries may have standards but this article is going to focus on the US.
1) The homeopathic doctor should have you fill out a health survey. This should be about the same as when you go to a MD doctor office.
2) The homeopathic doctor should ideally have a MD degree. The Certified Classical Homeopath (CCH) credential is the best. Many people have ND degrees but they are not really homeopaths. They specialize in naturopathic medicine. Not to say anyone with a ND degree is not qualified to treat you but if you can find a homeopath with a MD degree that would be ideal. Ask the ND if he specialized in homeopathy training. Check to see if the doctor had come from some of the universities below that specialize in homeopathy.
• Bastyr University in Seattle, Washington
• Hahnemann Medical Clinic in Albany, California
• International Foundation for Homeopathy in Seattle
• National College of Natural Health Sciences in Portland, Oregon
• Ontario College of Naturopathic Medicine in Toronto
3) The homeopathic doctor should tell you what medicine you are taking. Some doctors simply give the clients the medicine to heal them without informing the patient what they are taking. Once the doctor leaves, the patient has no way to resume the therapy. This is done to trap the patient into using their services indefinitely.
4) Check to see the doctor has a website. Most reputable doctors would have a website with testimonials and downloaded forms.
5) The intial meeting should last about 1.5 hours to find out a treatment plan for your conditions. If the initial meeting is too short, you may not be meeting a qualified homeopath to treat you condition.
6) The homeopath should also be prescribing constitutional remedies not just homeopathic remedies for your acute or chronic conditon. Constituional remedies are used to help heal your body and mind back to normal regardless of your condition.
7) Homeopathic doctor should not be telling you to stop your current prescription based medication. This can be dangerous for the patient. Only your own MD doctor should tell you not to take prescription medicine.
8) The homeopath should work closely with your current doctor if the case is chronic. Chronic cases require everyone to work together to find a solution. The homoepath should work closely with your doctor so both may come up with a plan to treat you beneficially.
9) Make sure there are no claims or lawsuits impending against the homeopathic doctor.
10) Use these set of questions before you start treatment below.
Questions to ask the practitioner
• Are you qualified to give medical advice?
• Can you give me examples of patients you’ve treated and what their recovery was like with homeopathy?
• About how long will the initial consultation last?
• How long will I need to continue homeopathy treatments?
• How will I know that a homeopathic remedy is working?
• How often will I need to take a dose of the remedy?
• Will I experience any side effects or worsening of symptoms from taking homeopathy?
• Why is it necessary to spend so much time asking me about so many unrelated aspects of my habits and health?
• How much does a session cost?
• About how many follow-up treatments do you anticipate I’ll need to treat my particular symptoms?
• Is this treatment covered by medical insurance?
Let me know if there are any tips that should be included in the comments section.
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