In a way, getting to know a patient as I am working with them is like an unfolding flower, seeing one layer and then another one. A flower unfolds and opens up, first starting out as a tightly, closed bud, and then slowly or 
quickly opening up to its fullest bloom. A patient does the same thing, starting with the complaint, often something physical, and then going deeper into what is bothering them.
The Layers
It may be that the patient says, “I have this disease, this illness.” And they give a name. “This is what I want to be healed.” This is the first layer. It is factual and very physical. For example:
- Someone has had a fall and bruised their leg. They use the homeopathic remedy Arnica montana to help with the trauma of the fall and the bruising of their leg.
- I person says that have a particular disease or health condition such ADHD, fibromyalgia, asthma, eczema. What homeopathic remedy would you give me? The thinking here is that the person has this, a name of an illness, and wants a medicine for this particular illness.
In the next layer, the person may say they have a particular illness, AND, they will start to talk about very specific symptoms that they are experiencing. These symptoms may not be what are typically listed under the disease name, but are unique to this individual. At this layer the person is starting to tell more about themselves as an individual person, and what bothers them. It is not just the name of the illness. An example:
- A sore throat. The person says that it is on the right side. Very sore. When they swallow it hurts. The sore throat came on suddenly. The pain is throbbing and pulsating. There is a fever. The person feels almost delirious.
At deeper layers, the patient will talk even more about themselves and how they are experiencing what bothers them in their life. They will talk about emotional reactions and responses. They will describe how they experience the pain or the discomfort, and how it affects them. Often, a particular sensation will be described, that is experienced on many levels. They may mention dreams and fears. The homeopath starts to see a thread running through what the patient is saying, that connects the physical, the emotional, and the mental states. This all makes up the whole person. The patient is talking more on an energy level, than a physical one. For instance:
- A woman tells me about the arthritic type pains she experiences in her hands. The pain makes it difficult for her to hold and grasp objects. Cooking, and she does a lot of cooking, and doing household tasks are extremely painful for her. She says the pain feels as if her hands are being squeezed really really tightly. She makes a hand gesture when she is talking about the squeezing. (I watch for hand gestures, recurring hand gestures. They express energy.) Her husband is having business difficulties. She says that she and her husband have been taken advantaged of by other people, people they had trusted. She would like to get back at this people, take revenge on them.
Meeting The Patient Where They Are
Just as a flower unfolds, so does a person. Starting with one layer and then moving to another one, unfolding. Each patient is different. Whatever is the top layer is what is heard, seen, and observed by the homeopath. It is what the patient is experiencing at the time. The homeopath meets the patient where they are, at that layer. One homeopathic remedy may be used and is healing. Other times, a series of homeopathic remedies are used as different layers emerge. It is always meeting the patient where they are.
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I ask you: What do you want to be better? How are you feeling? What is bothering you? How do you experience what is bothering you? This is where we start.
If I can be of help, you can reach me here at this blog or through my website www.homeopathytoheal.com
Homeopathy To Heal 