What is a Homeopath?

About Homeopaths

Homeopathy is a form of alternative medicine developed in 1796. It is based on the doctrine that like cures like. In other words, Homeopathy suggests that a substance that causes certain symptoms in healthy people can cure similar symptoms in sick people.

Another principle of Homeopathy is the belief that only the minimum dosage required to engage the body's natural healing response should be used. In practice, this leads to many Homeopathic remedies having extremely low concentrations of active ingredients in them, sometimes even none of the active ingredients whatsoever. This belief has created controversy in the scientific community about whether treatments are effective or just the placebo effect.

Because Homeopaths approach treatment from a holistic point of view, initial visits to a Homeopath will typically involve extensive information gathering, not just about the symptoms the patient is suffering from, but also a detailed history of the patient's mental, physical, and emotional health.

Homeopaths strive to treat symptoms in combination, instead of by specific disease because many symptoms may be interrelated and it is difficult to isolate the source of a symptom complex. Many Homeopaths treat patients dealing with chronic conditions who have often already consulted with a Medical Doctor and haven't seen significant improvement.

Homeopaths often work in conjunction with Naturopaths, and some Naturopathic Doctors are also licensed Homeopaths.

Useful Resources

Canada

Canadian Society of Homeopaths

Newfoundland and Labrador

New Brunswick