The Consultation Process
What does a consultation look like?
1
First Visit
The first visit usually lasts two hours. It can be done in person or even via the phone, FaceTime or Skype. If it’s an infant or an uncomplicated child, one hour may be enough. During a visit, the patient’s history will be reviewed and an attempt to elicit a full picture of the patient’s symptoms—mental, emotional, and physical will be made.
At your first visit, Sue will go over the paperwork you have completed. Please give yourself plenty of time to complete the form prior to your appointment as it is very detailed and will help Sue get an in-depth picture of your case. Download the form below, print it out, and bring it with you to your appointment. If your appointment will be via phone or internet, please scan the completed form and email it to us at Hope@HopeClinicMN.com
Personalized Wellness Plan
2
After careful review and research, a homeopathic medicine (remedy) will be chosen to match the symptom profile. Your homeopath may prescribe pellets or liquid remedy depending on your individual case. Follow the instruction sheet carefully to ensure the best results.
Store remedies away from sunlight, such as a cupboard or drawer.
Store them away from strong smells, electrical or microwave types of energy.
Keep them dry.
Pellet remedies can last for years if they have been cared for properly.
When dispensing pellets, do not touch them with your hands as you will neutralize them. Use a spoon, the bottle cap or dry bowl to sort out the remedy.
No food or drink in your mouth 15 minutes before and after the remedy.
The body recognizes the remedy when it touches the mucus membranes. Just allow them to dissolve under your tongue.
Only take the amount specified by the homeopath. The amount of one dose will be on the label.
Follow Up Visit
3
Scheduling of a 90 minute follow-up visit in intervals of three-four weeks is typical for the first six months of care. Each follow-up includes time to review what is improving, what stayed the same, and new things that arise. Sue will ask questions and take detailed notes about what you are noticing physically, emotionally, and mentally. Sue may adjust the remedy dosage, move you on to a different remedy or allow the current one to continue working to suit your constitution.
Are homeopathic remedies safe?
When properly administered, the medicines are completely safe for everyone including pregnant women, children, and adults through the senior years. Since remedies dissolve and are registered on the mucous membranes, it’s one of the few things a tiny newborn can process with absolutely no worry about choking and it won’t tax a brand new digestive system. There are no known or suspected contraindications or drug interactions between homeopathic and conventional medications.
“Sometimes after taking a new remedy, your body may experience a healing response we call a Hering’s Law Response. This could take the form of a fever, skin rash or old symptoms reappearing. This means the body is repairing which is different than a ‘side effect’.”
If this occurs, observe what you experience and call 763-537-5555 to set up a phone consult or an appointment to fully understand what is happening.
What is the difference between buying remedies at a health food store and from a professional homeopath?
There’s a huge difference! Homeopathy is fantastic for the traumas that are described in the pamphlets at the health food store. Every household should have a tube of Arnica on hand. But for more long-term problems associated with our general health, (headaches, indigestion, allergies, chronic issues…) you will find more spotty results. This is because these are a part of the unfolding of your constitutional state, not an acute illness or trauma.
We, as practitioners, are a bit conflicted on remedies being available in health food stores. On the one hand, it’s a great way for people to experience the power of homeopathy. On the other hand, we know it will look spotty and unreliable to the public because the deepest acting remedies must be chosen to match each individual’s symptom complex.
This is a discipline that takes years of study to understand the rules that are at play. The reason each remedy label has a symptom on it is the FDA requires each remedy have a description on it. Homeopaths then picked the leading symptom of each remedy to put on the label. This does not mean that is the only remedy for a condition. And it doesn’t mean that remedy will help your presentation of that symptom.
Millions of families treat simple first-aid conditions effectively with the aid of homeopathic self-care books or by attending homeopathic classes. But serious, chronic conditions should always be treated by an experienced homeopathic practitioner.
What are combination remedies?
Some homeopathic products combine several different homeopathic medicines in the hope that one of those will contain the medicine needed for that condition. For example, a combination product for earaches might contain the five most frequently prescribed homeopathic remedies for earaches. These combination remedies can be helpful in a pinch, or if used for simple acute conditions but they do not act the same as classically prescribed homeopathy. It results in confusion because the body wants one gentle leader, not a committee. Combination remedies don’t even come close to the power of a custom fit, constitutional remedy. They can cause problems if they are used for a long time because they are using homeopathic remedies ‘allopathically’. Do NOT use combination remedies for extended periods of time.
Other surprising uses of homeopathic remedies
Many veterinarians use homeopathy in the treatment of animals. (There is no placebo effect with animals, by the way!) Recently, there has been some pioneering work into using homeopathic remedies on agricultural products such as orchards, trees, grain crops, and many more plants. We have seen some incredibly fascinating results in this exciting developing arena. There is hope that we can use homeopathic remedies instead of toxic chemicals on our food. (And no placebo effect with plants either!!)