Homeopathy Tips for 11/17/09 The Challenge of New Homeopaths

Most new students of homeopathy want to know that the money and time spent on their education will bring them success. The common questions are, “Will I get a job?, Will I make money?, How much will I make?” etc. These are all very good questions and the real answer is “It depends on you“.

Homeopathy and alternative medicine are the fastest growing segment of health care spending. As more and more people become discouraged by the limitations and failures of our allopathic health care system, they are turning to alternatives that are safe and effective. Homeopathy offers the safest, and when prescribed correctly, the most effective form of medicine on the planet. There is probably no better time in history to become a homeopath and follow that internal call to help others, but this does not come without it’s challenges.

When a person decides to study allopathic medicine there is a system of education that is built into our educational system already. Medical training has become standardized and the allopathic medical system provides for employment through hospitals, doctors offices, clinics, and a host of other government-funded and insurance backed providers for health care. One can be assured that when their education is over there will be a job waiting somewhere that they can begin their career with. One unfortunate part of this for allopathic health care providers is that this education is very expensive and usually is funded by college loans that must be paid back. In the end, unless one becomes very successful early on, the costs of these loans severely impact a persons bottom line earnings for the first 5 to 10 years, as they try to pay off the loan. It is very unfortunate.

When one wants to become a homeopath there are similar challenges but come at usually a much different price. Unfortunately we do not have government backed student loans for homeopathic education and there is not a health care system to plug into upon graduation. So the new homeopath is forced to become a business-person and self-directed from the start. This is foreign for many new students and a concept that does not resonate well with others. It is frightening to think that when their schooling is over they will now have to create their own job as well.

There is the issue of legality of practice for lay homeopaths to consider also. Every country has their own approach to licensing and certification. I cannot comment about other countries other than America. In America the practice of medicine is governed by each state. What ever state that you are living in, you must comply with the laws concerning the practice of medicine or homeopathy. Each state is different. Contacting the attorney generals office in the state you are interested will get you started in finding out more about your local regulations. I have written about this in another article that you can link here.

There are some ways to prepare for this time that will make it much easier if the new homeopath follows a few, simple guidelines in their quest to establish their new career. Here is what I have found to be most helpful;

• Choose a school that provides many live cases so you will be grounded as a homeopath when your studies are complete. This is the ONLY way to get experience and experience is what counts when starting out.
• Be professional; Align yourself with other health care professionals in all fields, not just alternative or homeopathy. Get to know the doctors in your area. There are always a few that see the limitations of their medicine and will be happy to refer. Referrals are your very best source for the success of your business.
• Have confidence; without this you will not succeed. Your client will know this and you yourself will question your own abilities. Again get lot’s of experience.
• Dedicate yourself to your career; This means loving your work and  loving your clients. There will be times when it is easy to become discourage with difficult cases or when business is slow. Don’t give up. Use your idle time to study more and promote homeopathy.
• Define what success is for yourself; It is easy to assume that success means lots of money or fame. But this may not be a quickly attainable. Define for yourself what it means to be successful. Does this mean being in control of your own business?  Being able to control you own schedule? Charge a fair price for your work? Most new homeopaths do not make a lot of money starting out. You should be realistic as you begin your work. Often beginning homeopaths do cases without a fee at all. Getting credibility and experience is more important before you charge for your services, than not having it after you get going. Be patient. Get used to giving.
• Have integrity; This is so important is life and not just being a homeopath. What and how you do your life will reflect into how you are a homeopath. Always act with integrity. Do not recommend something to your client that you are unwilling to do yourself.
• Learn something about basic business; Your work in also your business. Learn about keeping basic books and ledgers. It will be necessary when it comes time to pay the tax-man. Keeping good notes for your client involves keeping good books for your business as well.

Following these simple guidelines is not that difficult. Anyone wanting to become a homeopath should get familiar with these ideas and start to create a mindset that supports all of these challenges when starting out. Get experience. This will be your number one biggest challenge and your greatest asset. When you have seen and worked on hundreds of cases you will be developing your own unique way to doing homeopathy. Being a homeopath is an individual challenge in itself. There is no method or way of doing homeopathy that works for every case. There are as many different cases and ways to approach them as there are people in the world. Approach every case fresh, free from prejudice, like you have never seen a case like this before. This will help you  become a very good homeopath without the need to define your skills by any method. You are the method. This will bring you great freedom, joy and success. Good luck to all new homeopaths!