What exactly do you do in your practice?
It's somewhat difficult for me to describe what I do in my practice since my style is very different from most practitioners, including most homeopaths. Here's a detailed description to give you a good idea of what you could expect if you called me for a consult.......
I meet with clients face to face, or talk over the phone or zoom for 1 - 1.5 hours (2 - 2.5 for initial consults). In that time frame, I collect information about the client's symptoms, both physical and emotional. This means not only collecting details such as "throbbing headache in the right temple area that comes on suddenly at 3pm and is better with ice and worse with jarring noise and light"- it also means attaining a solid feel and understanding of where the client is emotionally at this time in his or her life.
I then use a combination of muscle testing/intuition and my knowledge of homeopathy and mind-body medicine to discern how their physical and emotional symptoms are linked - and basically better understand what's going on with the individual on deeper levels.
My inner research questions include: Why is this person's body-mind system presenting these symptoms? Why these symptoms and why now? Why not three months ago or three years ago? Are these symptoms linked to a supplement this person has been taking or ongoing healing/personal growth work that this individual has been doing? Are they linked to an on-going stress pattern ? If so, why is it surfacing now?
How do these symptoms map to a defense mechanism or body-armor that helps this individual survive? Is there a past trauma or stress imprint involved - if so, what was the nature of that trauma? Is there a fear-based belief involved? What is this individual's inner dialogue like? Are they under attack by an inner dialogue that maps to a past trauma or imprint? What can I recommend to help them release the need for this survival mechanism, unwind the stress imprint/body armor, and/or navigate through the inner dialogue? What is needed to bring their overall system to a deeper level of relief and relaxation?
Are there heavy metals or other toxins involved with these symptoms? If so, what heavy metals are involved and what can I recommend to assist them in that detoxification process? Are there pathogens involved (viral, bacterial, fungal, parasitic)? If so, what type of additional support does their system need to deal with this pathogen? Is this individual progressing towards a particular disease state that they need to be aware of? Is it in this person's highest good to go back to their M.D. for further testing? Is homeopathy really in their highest good right now?
Are there shadow emotions that are needing to be released (suppressed grief, anger, confusion, etc.)? Is it in this person's highest good to map their current symptoms to their past? Do we need to talk about their childhood, etc.? Would this individual benefit from another type of modality (journaling, mind-body release exercises, psychotherapy, energy psychology techniques, affirmations, a book, etc.)?
What homeopathic remedy(ies) does this individual resonate with at this point in time? Every homeopathic remedy maps to a mind-body pattern - which typically maps to its own particular "story", body armor and inner dialogue so by muscle testing the applicable remedy(ies), I gain a great deal of insight into what the individual's symptoms are about.
During the consult, I like to work collaboratively with the individual so as I gather information intuitively, I explain what I'm picking up and ask the individual if it rings true with them. Typically, their feedback prompts more questions and I continue gathering information until we both have a sense of completion that we got what we were after.
Eventually, we come up with some type of treatment plan. For the actual treatment plan, I ask questions such as: How many remedies would be optimal for this person at this point in time? What potencies and dosage recommendations are in the highest good of this individual? What additional information can I provide this person that will assist them in moving through and out of this energetic state?
What type of reaction will this individual most likely have to this remedy(ies) and overall treatment plan? What can I predict in terms of emotional and/or physical detoxification symptoms? How long will it take this individual to go through the healing process involved with this remedy(ies)? What type of progress can I predict from this treatment plan in terms of the resolution of the presenting symptoms? How long, most likely, will it take this individual to resolve the presenting symptom picture?
Is it in this individual's highest good to schedule a follow-up and if so, when should we schedule it? (Typically, for clients that I see on a regular basis, muscle testing indicates a follow-up for the individual about once every four to five weeks.)
Muscle Response Testing - If you're not already familiar with muscle testing, this is a technique that is commonly used in alternative health care, in which the practitioner tests the client's muscle strength in order to obtain information from their body wisdom. The idea is that we each have an innate body wisdom that knows all of the answers to our questions about our healing process, and by tapping into that wisdom, we can get clarity on how to heal.
The technique usually involves the client holding one of their arms out in front of them. The practitioner tries to push the client's arm down while asking their body wisdom a question and the client tries to resist. If the arm goes down (indicating a weak muscle response), this is interpreted as a No answer to the practitioner's question. If the arm remains strong (indicating a strong muscle response), this is interpreted as a Yes answer to the question.
In my practice, I often use muscle response testing to help navigate the homeopathic interview. I may ask "Do I need more information about this particular emotional issue?", or "Do I need more information about your digestive problems before proceeding?" In this way, I am able to hone in on what we need to cover, shorten the interview time and save you money.
I also use muscle response testing to discern the potency of the remedy I recommend for you, the frequency of dosage and number of days you take it. I might also use muscle testing to select a flower essence for you, or to confirm the appropriateness of a particular nutritional supplement, herb, or adjunct therapy.
For individuals that I work with over the phone or zoom, I have the ability to do muscle testing remotely by doing an O-ring test. An O-ring test is another commonly used technique amongst practitioners, especially those that work over the phone or video conferencing. The O-ring method is a much more challenging technique than the arm push method, but for an individual that has a developed intuitive sense, it can be more expedient. It also allows for testing at a distance.
Muscle testing is admittedly a controversial technique in the alternative health care community, as practice styles and philosophies vary widely. I personally have incorporated this technique into my practice only after many years of study, practice and refinement - such that I have reason to believe that the answers I'm getting are accurate and can be trusted. This is not a tool I use lightly, but rather one of the parts of my craft that I take most seriously.
Diet - I routinely use muscle testing to ask whether I need to recommend a diet change. Is there something that this client needs to remove from their diet, or add to their diet? Is there a particular diet approach that would be more optimal for this client than their current approach? Often the individuals I attract are already very informed about diet and know what's best for them, but I am sometimes guided to make a recommendation.
Exercise - I also use muscle testing to routinely ask whether I need to comment on a client's exercise routine. Does this individual need more exercise or less, or a different type of exercise? Is it in their highest good for me to recommend, for example, more cardio, or strength training, or walking, or stretching, or yoga/yoga therapy, or chi gong, or pilates? Again, usually the individuals I attract already know what's best for them, but I am sometimes guided to make a recommendation.
Supplements - Although a cornerstone for many practitioners, I tend to recommend a minimal amount of nutritional supplements. I'm somewhat well versed in western herbology and nutritional supplement products - and I do occasionally recommend these - but I like to stay focused on homeopathy and deeper healing methods. If you're looking for someone who works primarily with herbs and supplements, I'm happy to refer you to one of my colleagues.
For clients that have an inventory of supplements from their work with prior or concurrent practitioners, or from their own research, I'm happy to use muscle testing to assess their supplements. This means asking, for example, - Is it still in this individual's highest good to continue taking this supplement, and if so, what is the optimal dosage for them at this point in time?
Flower Essences - I sometimes also recommend flower essences to support the healing process. Flower essences work similarly to homeopathic remedies - but are usually much more subtle, and therefore more gentle. They can be powerful tools for people who are going through an emotional crisis (e.g. a dark night of the soul) - or people who are stuck in a common life pattern.
Holistic Repatterning (HBLU) - For those that can come in to my office in person, I sometimes offer a holistic repatterning technique called HBLU (Healing Body Level Up). This technique uses muscle testing and a question and answer protocol to zero in on negative imprints and traumas that may be impacting the subconscious mind and contributing to health issues.
Once imprints are identified, I use muscle testing to discern which intervention(s) or therapies might be appropriate. These might include homeopathy, flower essences, or a number of self-help energy repatterning exercises such as the Emotional Freedom Technique. (HBLU proved to be especially useful to a number of people following the 9/11 tragedy.)
Voice Dialogue - Also for those that can come in to my office in person, I sometimes facilitate voice dialogue sessions. (For individuals I work with over the phone I can do a modified version of Voice Dialogue, when appropriate.) Voice dialogue is a type of self-awareness technique based on the Jungian concept that we all have a collection of sub-personalities within our psyche, each with its own feelings, desires, beliefs, etc. Often times chronic health issues are related to the inner conflict amongst different sub-personalities.
As a voice dialogue facilitator, my job is to guide the individual in accessing and giving voice to some of their different sub-personalities - essentially giving each a chance to express their thoughts and feelings without interruption from the other parts of the psyche. This exercise gives the individual a greater awareness of the push and pull within their own psyche, and enables them to embrace parts of themselves which they had previously suppressed. The result is often a more harmonious inner dialogue and the resolution of chronic symptoms. For more information see my write-up on Voice Dialogue.
Referrals - There are number of healing modalities that work synergistically with homeopathy and that you may need to assist you in your healing process. When this is the case, I use muscle testing to discern what additional modality might be beneficial for you.
The modalities that I most often consider include: physical therapy, chiropractic care, massage/body work, acupressure, acupuncture, Chinese herbs, functional medicine, integrative medicine, cranial sacral therapy, psychotherapy, energy psychology techniques (i.e. EMDR - Eye Movement Desensitization and Processing, EFT - Emotional Freedom Technique, NET- Neuro Emotional Technique, etc.) and NAET (Nambudripad Allergy Elimination Technique).