Every year since 2013, the homeopaths in the Pacific NorthWest have gotten together in the spring to share our work. Originally, we formed a professional association in Washington State (called WAHA), but we were soon joined by homeopaths from Oregon. Last year, we changed the name to reflect this reality to the Pacific NorthWest Homeopathy Association (PNWHA), and we were joined by homeopaths from Idaho, too! (See our website: www.pnwha.org)
We usually have 3 events a year to get together around topics that are “alive” for us—we’re homeopaths so we try to listen for the “vital force” amongst us! The Spring Conference, however, is really special because we reflect on cases by local homeopaths. Admittedly, we have some luminaries among us, but most luminous of all is the power of homeopathy to restore a kind of “lighted order” when we work with its principles.
When we get together to share the case of some afflicted soul who has been restored by a good homeopath giving a good remedy, we are encouraged and inspired. Each homeopath who shares a case, shows how they got to the remedy, which helps us all “see” through their eyes and understand the method of seeing they use. We learn from each other.
We noticed early on in our association that many new teachers and methods were arising to help us find a good remedy, the simillimum. This seemed to threaten the profession with divisiveness, so we endeavored to see what united us so we could remain true to the timeless tenets of homeopathy defined by the masters (old and new) to:
- Work with the principle that Likes Cure Likes
- Consider the totality of symptoms
- Select one remedy
- Give the minimum dose
We have discovered from each other and from homeopaths in history and around the world, that there are many ways to find the simillimum, so we have asked practitioners to share what they have learned from new and old methods, keeping the basic principles in mind.
In 2013, our first year, we named the conference: Four Homeopaths, Four Cured Cases, and we heard from:
- Richard Mann, ND, DHANP: An Impulse to Kill with a Knife
- Nancy Mercer, ND, DHANP: Managing Multiple Symptoms with One Remedy over 8 Years
- Lucy Vaughters, CCH, PA-C: Miserable Menstrual Migraines: From Narcotic Dependency to 80% Reduction in Pain with a Single Remedy Determined through the Vital Sensation Method
- Doug Brown, CCH, FNP: How Contemporary Insights Broaden and Deepen an Understanding of a Cured Case
Over the following years, we pondered cases presented to us by:
- Krista Heron, ND, DHANP, who has studied with many teachers, has taught nationally and internationally and has collaborated with Massimo Mangialovori, with whom she has co-authored several books; she helped us understand the milk remedies one year, focusing on a case of Lac-ovis.
- Steven Olsen, ND, DHANP, who studied with Georges Vithoulkas, has taught at the Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine and has done many provings, has authored two volumes on tree remedies, as well as several other books on the science of homeopathy; one year, he took us through his proving of Rosemary along with a cured case.
- Stephen King, ND, DHANP, who was a past president of the IFH (International Foundation for Homeopathy), created the IFH Case Conference and edited and published the conference proceedings from 1989-1995; he went on to study the sensation method and has brought to us several cases that illustrate the power of seeing deeply that is the benefit of this method; one remarkable and memorable case he shared was helped by the Seahorse (Hippocampus kuda)
Michael Baker, ND, DHANP, Lori Johnson, CCH, Barbara Kreemer, ND, DHANP, all brought us interesting cases one year, giving cases of both rare remedies and a rare look at a very common remedy.
Alicia Gonzalez, DHANP, CCH; Patricia Kay, CCH; Judyth Reichenberg-Ullman, MSW, ND, DHANP; Helga Fuller, CCH; Tim Shannon, ND, DHANP; and Karen Allen, CCH; have all contributed cases, each showing how they came to a remedy with a variety of techniques learned from study, practice and what we’ve learned from many teachers we have been privileged to study with, including Lou Klein, Jan Scholten, Rajan Sankaran, Heiner Frei, Divya Chhabra, and Michal Yakir, to name a few.
One year we looked at cases that taught us the power of finding a remedy through what is Strange, Rare and Peculiar, in a person’s presentation. Another year we considered cases that helped us consider the validity of seeing “the kingdom” a remedy might be in based on our perception of the client.
Mostly, there has been respect, curiosity, camaraderie, and encouragement amongst us. Certainly, learning from each other has been of great value to us, as we all strive to become better practitioners. Our members have offered solidarity with each other by continuing to show up and to look for ways to collaborate.
Practicing homeopathy in a culture that is steeped in conventional medicine can be a challenge, but when we see the results of good practice, remedies that made a huge difference in someone’s life, and how someone found a good remedy, we invariably are inspired and committed to our mission to promote excellence in our own homeopathic practice and care.
And we cheer each other on! In that spirit we wish to cheer on other practitioners to get together and share your cases, to keep learning and supporting each other to practice this magnificent system of healing we’ve been given! We enter into a community together…
Community
Create the circle
and step into
the center in unison,
the space that we
tend will hold us all.
Now let life unfurl
here, the lessons
of our past
to guide us onward
into true togetherness.
A trusted and ancient
remedy, our community
rises like a healer would
J. suskin
Feb 2018
