Oxford Natural Health Centre, 3 Church Cowley Road, Oxford OX4 3JR

TUESDAYS Telephone: 01865 715615

The WellBeing Clinic, 1 Windmill Road, Headington OX3 7BL

THURSDAYS Telephone: 01865 751111

Other times by arrangement. You can phone me to make a booking or if you have any questions: Lizzie Austin 01865 794363.

Elizabeth Austin RSHom

Elizabeth Austin RSHom has practised classical homeopathy for over 15 years. She registered with The Society of Homeopaths in 1990, and completed training in transpersonal counselling soon after. She continues to attend many postgraduate seminars in this country and in India. She has been particularly inspired by the depth of understanding gained from her experiences in India with The Bombay School, and the resulting effectiveness of homeopathic treatment using this method.

Homeopathy simply explained

Homeopathy is an effective and scientific system of healing which assists the natural tendency of the body to heal itself. It recognises that all symptoms of ill health are expressions of disharmony within the whole person and that it is the patient who needs treatment not the disease.

As a new patient, these ideas may be new to you, but homeopathy has been established for about 200 years.

What is homeopathy?

In 1796 a German doctor, Samuel Hahnemann, discovered a different approach to the cure of the sick which he called homeopathy (from the Greek words meaning “similar suffering”). Like Hippocrates two thousand years earlier he realised that there were two ways of treating ill health, the way of opposites and the way of similars.

Take for example, a case of insomnia. The way of opposites, (conventional medicine or allopathy), is to treat this by giving a drug to bring on an artificial sleep. This frequently involves the use of large or regular doses of drugs which can sometimes cause side effects or addiction.

The way of similars, the homeopathic way, is to give the patient a minute dose of a substance, such as coffee, which in large doses causes sleeplessness in a healthy person. Perhaps surprisingly this will enable the patient to sleep naturally.

Homeopathic remedies cannot cause side effects and you cannot become addicted to them. This is because only a very minute amount of the active ingredient is used in a specially prepared form. Your homeopath will give you a homeopathic medicine or remedy which matches your symptoms as you experience them. This also takes account of you as a person - your individual characteristics emotionally as well as physically.

How does it work?

Homeopathic remedies work by stimulating the body's own healing power. This stimulus will assist your own system to clear itself of any expressions of imbalance. The aim is to get you to a level of health so that eventually you will need infrequent treatment.

What will your homeopath need to know?

In order to find the right remedy for you as an individual, your homeopath will need to know all about you. A detailed understanding of who you are, along with any complaints and details of how you experience them, is needed to assess your case correctly. So anything you can tell your homeopath that is typical of who you are will help this process. Finding out about your general energy level, your past medical history and the way you live are also important. Anything you say will be treated in the strictest confidence.

Text information taken from the Society of Homeopaths leaflet.

Homeopathy treats many acute and chronic conditions effectively. For example:

• Recurring earache and tonsillitis
• Asthma and hay fever
• Stomach disorders and IBS
• Menstrual or menopausal problems including PMT
• Acute illnesses and viruses
• Headaches or sleeping problems
• Skin disorders including childhood eczema
• Anxiety states and depression

TESTIMONIALS

Mrs P.R. had suffered with insomnia for many years. One month after her homeopathic treatment she said:

"Unbelievable! It's broken the cycle. I am sleeping really deeply now, and I am dreaming again. I'm left with a feeling of wellbeing, positiveness and happiness. And everything else is better also - my digestive symptoms and heat all gone, and my energy is better."

•••

Mrs J.G. was suffering with anxiety, she said:

"When I left after that first meeting, there was a definite ray of light, something through the gloom. With my remedy so carefully chosen, based on her supreme knowledge, instinct and kindness, I began to feel better about myself. Today I can face life with confidence - knowing I can deal with problems that come along. I have become a whole person; the physical, mental and spiritual have blended."