NESH Alumni Answer Questions about Studying Homeopathy
February 2016 – NESH ND students and alumni were asked the following questions:
Why should I consider studying homeopathy / what will it do for my future ND practice?
What does studying with NESH offer beyond the homeopathy I’ll get or already received as part of my regular ND student curriculum?
Here are the answers we received back from ND’s/ND students within 48 hours:
Ashly Benson ’17 ND Candidate NCNM (NESH Student 2015-2016):
1) I believe homeopathy to be the modality that truly embodies the spirit of Naturopathic medicine. Of all the treatments learned, it is the most non-invasive, low cost, long lasting and whole person treatment I’ve been exposed to.
2) NESH has been one of the greatest uses of my time since entering Naturopathic medical school. Outside of learning the Cycles and Segments approach and materia medica, this class has taught me a new way of looking at patients and people in general. NESH gives you the tools to ask the important questions that get to the heart of the issue for a patient, it teaches you to recognize patterns and helps you to see the different ways in which people interact with their outside world. I always leave a session feeling revitalized and so grateful that I’ve taken this path.
Angelica Gonzales ND – Bend, OR (NCNM ’14 / NESH Student 2013-14)
1) I asked myself this same question when I was in naturopathic school and studying at NESH. I had a lot of uncertainties regarding my use of homeopathy post graduation. Now as a practicing naturopath 1 year out I can say without any doubt classical homeopathy alone accounts for the BEST success rate in the healing of my patients. It’s the single best treatment modality I have at my disposal. It helps with physical, emotional and mental problems/symptoms.
I have some patients I only treat with classical homeopathy and their health has reached such optimal levels by the 4-6 month mark and I have not been able to achieve the same level of success using other naturopathic treatment modalities. I feel confident saying that had I not taken extra homeopathic courses while still a naturopathic student right now I would not be able to practice classical homeopathy to the degree that I have done thus far. By the way I am enrolled in a 2 year course right now for classical homeopathy as well. So I plan to continue learning more about this POWERFUL treatment modality for years to come. It does get easier with time to find my patient’s constitutional remedy.
2) NESH provides a level of understanding that is in my professional opinion unrivaled by any other course or class that I took in school. And I was taught by great classical homeopaths so it definitely was not due to poor teaching or schooling in that arena.
The NESH course helps you UNDERSTAND a remedy not memorize it. This is key to helping find the constitutional remedy. I always use the key concepts that NESH taught me as well as the basic classical homeopathy information given at school when I analyze a case. I could not recommend NESH more.
Bethany Waller ’18 ND Candidate Bastyr (NESH Student 2015-2016):
1) I believe studying homeopathy will greatly empower my future practice. I wanted to be a naturopath to truly change people’s lives and homeopathy does just that. In our current curriculum homeopathy and other constitutional medicines are not being emphasized. This was a major disappointment for me, as constitutional medicine is in the heart of the foundations of naturopathy. These modalities can be essential in hard and complicated cases, as they work on the whole person in a very deep way. Homeopathy is the only thing I have run across in our case studies that can help alleviate hardships associated with congenital disorders and extremely difficult to treat psychological disorders such as autism and work especially well for emotional, spiritual, and even generational traumas. Learning from Drs Herscu and Rothenberg, world renowned experts, allows you to also be sought after in your own practice. There is no doubt in my mind that if you take this course, you will be excited and inspired by the power of homeopathy.
2) NESH allows students to go above and beyond the basic homeopathy curriculum. Dr Herscu and Rothenberg delve into a deeper understanding of not just the science of homeopathy or descriptions of the remedies, but as they explain, it helps us to understand people and why they do what they do. Having a better understanding of different ways people can view the world should be essential to any medical practitioner. I think it is impossible not to fall in love with homeopathy after taking this course. Through the Cycles and Segments approach, we get a better understanding of each remedy, above and beyond most of the traditional materia medicas. On top of the fuller picture of the remedy, we get multiple video examples, years of clinical experience as well as in class patients. We are encouraged to think about the differences in the remedies, comparing and contrasting them in cases which is extremely helpful. Aside from the remedies, you get also get a full picture of the science of homeopathy, from its historical roots to its effects in modern day epidemiology. We are given access to numerous resources and everyone at NESH has been available to answer questions and give guidance. I cannot recommend the program highly enough. I am so grateful for the opportunity to take this course because I know it will help me make a difference in numerous patients’ lives.
Angelica Lemke ND – Santa Monica, CA (Bastyr ‘09 / NESH Student 2005-2007 + 2009-10 clinical classes):
1) I consider homeopathy to be the most effective modality offered within the Naturopathic scope to heal the root of disease holistically. The depth of healing possible with refined homeopathic prescribing goes above and beyond what is possible with ‘green allopathy’. My practice focuses on the homeopathic treatment of children on the autism spectrum. I have helped heal (recover) many cased of ASD, as well as chronic pediatric illnesses with homeopathy alone. Homeopathy is a true art form – it requires both reason and intuition and is the ultimate in treating the individual. Being a skilled homeopath will give more substance to you as a practitioner. Because I focused so much on specializing in homeopathy while at Bastyr – after graduation I was able to build a large successful practice with patients from all over the world who contact me over skype – which also allows me to have a mobile practice. This also allowed my to pay off all my loans (over 200k) in under 5 years!
2) Naturopathic school is amazing in how it offers a core understanding of a breadth of modalities, but it will not help you to develop a specialty. To specialize in homeopathy requires a great deal more study than what you get from school. I did nine homeopathy shifts while in the student clinic and did the NESH classes (but this was still just the beginning of learning homeopathy). NESH offers an excellent foundation in the philosophical underpinnings of homeopathy and an elegant way of learning the polychrest remedies – and Amy and Paul are really dynamic teachers.
April Graham ’17 ND Candidate Bastyr (NESH Student 2015-2016):
1) I am finding that there are some patients that come into primary care shifts at the clinic with chronic conditions that have an underlying mental/emotional component that would be better served with homeopathy than anything else. We can give them other ND treatments, and maybe they will heal, but homeopathy can reach them at a deeper level. You can always refer to a homeopath, but what better person to take their case than their PCP? You know their physical ailments and often, their mental/emotional ailments. NESH will give you the confidence to take their case and put the pieces together, and repertorize quickly in office. I have seen some amazing results with homeopathy and highly recommend that you take this course so that you are confident in this modality.
2) The ND curriculum gives you the basics on keynotes, case taking, repertorizing, and follow up. NESH goes into much more detail and teaches you how to do this systematically and efficiently. It is such a great opportunity to see the patients that come in and watch Dr. Paul and Dr. Amy take their case. Once you see a remedy picture, you don’t forget it. From the ND curriculum, I would have one idea of a remedy and then when I saw a person who needed that remedy in NESH, it was often different than I had expected. Additionally, Dr. Paul and Dr. Amy are full of clinical pearls and wisdom, and have a way of teaching so that it sticks with you.
Laura Steinman ’17 ND Candidate NCNM (NESH Student 2015-2016):
1) It will make you a much better listener, problem solver, and all around better Doctor. The skills homeopathy emphasizes can reach far beyond case taking and finding a remedy, they are useful in every area of patient care, and life in general. The observation, listening skills, and questioning skills are extremely useful to me. Homeopathy itself is incredible and profound, and if you can apply it skillfully, you will be an incredible resource to your patients, who have often exhausted their options in the conventional medical world.
2) Speaking as an NCNM student, I really enjoyed learning about remedies that fall outside of the most popular polychrest remedies. Dr. Herscu’s take, from his experience, on some of these more uncommon remedies will surely make me a better homeopath. Dr. Rothenberg compliments this perfectly by providing very tangible remedy pictures of the more common remedies, thus giving us a truly “full” picture of the scope of remedy pictures we might see walk in to our office.
Blake Myers ND – Medford, OR (Bastyr ’14 / NESH Student 2013-2014 + 2015 clinical classes)
1) As Naturopathic Doctors, we are educated in how to think about, assess, and treat disease from many different perspectives. One of the primary ways we do this is through treating weakened or affected body systems to promote healing. We also address foundational components – the determinates of health. If we only do these, we are already doing more than a great majority of the primary practitioners in this country. However, a foundational aspect of what it means to be a ND is missing from the above. This is the ability to stimulate the body’s inherent healing mechanisms through means other than providing foundations or strengthening weakened systems. Homeopathy is one of the primary means through which we can gently stimulate healing responses in our patients through carefully applied remedies. Homeopathy, used in conjunction with the other aspects of our great medicine, create a healing environment unparalleled by any other general practitioners in this country.
Studying homeopathy will also give insight into how to view the human organism as a true totality. In the past, many called this way of understanding Vitalism. Regardless of the label given, homeopathy is one of the most individualized medicines in the world and provides an invaluable insight into the nature of health and disease, regardless of the therapies being used.
2) NESH provides a simple and effective method for case taking, analyzing, and the understanding of remedies. NESH quite simply makes you a more reliable prescriber and it has personally helped me to more adequately bring homeopathy into the primary care role.
Far beyond homeopathy however, the insights of Dr. Herscu with regards to health and disease, their nature, and judging appropriate therapies, etc. are tools that every practitioner should understand, whether practicing homeopathy or not. Every time I study with Paul Herscu, I come away feeling like I better understand the human condition. And that is the key. We’re not just homeopaths. We’re complete physicians. A complete physician should know how health/disease/wellness function at a foundational level in the human organism. In doing so, the complete physician knows what the best therapy is and when to use it. NESH provides me with this understanding on a deeper and deeper level every time I participate.
Chelsea Miskell Eilts ‘19 ND Candidate NCNM (NESH Student 2015-2016):
1) I chose to study homeopathy, because this modality offers access to aspects of health that may not be easily shifted by other means. I have seen miraculous shifts occur in many people with this non-invasive and affordable medicine. The interviewing process allows a practitioner to gain clarity about the manifesting patterns of illness, as well as the roots of such patterns. With this information, many naturopathic interventions may be more effectively employed; including homeopathy, botanicals, nutrition, behavioral modification, work around neurolinguistics and perceptual frameworks, etc.
2) My homeopathic curriculum prior to NESH has been terrific, yet there are many things that I have gained from attending NESH that I may not have gotten elsewhere. I highly value learning about the non-verbal aspects of taking a case and how to determine the cycles of reactivity that may manifest as illness. Understanding remedies according to Cycles and Segments is extremely helpful and has helped me arrive at a correct prescription many times. And, as a side note, I have yet to attend another course in homeopathy that is as engaging and interesting as this one has been! Thanks!
Jenna Biollo ’17 ND Candidate Bastyr (NESH Student 2015-2016):
1) I believe that every Naturopath needs some kind of constitutional medicine to complement their practice, whether it be Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda, or Homeopathy – as a lot of patients have more going on than just a physical manifestation of disease. I personally chose homeopathy as my form of constitutional medicine, as this was a kind of medicine that really resonated with me. I can see even from being a new student clinician in our teaching clinic, how many patients need this!
2) I am a 3rd year ND student at Bastyr, and I began my studies with NESH in my 2nd year of school – this was the perfect time to start, as we just started our homeopathy curriculum in 2nd year at Bastyr. NESH allowed me to really get to know the remedies in a much deeper way in additional to what I learned in my ND school curriculum, where there were the obvious limitations like time. In our ND program, much of the reading and learning about remedies was on our own in preparation for quizzes and case discussions. Without the foundation of really knowing the remedies, I often felt lost. I LOVED learning from Amy and Paul, who are true experts in the field and are so passionate about what they do. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to learn from Amy and Paul!
Radha Sinha ND/MSAOM Candidate ’16 Bastyr (NESH 2015-2016)
1) I decided to invest and study homeopathy as I see it as a deep medicine. Homeopathy allows you to really see a person entirely and not just define the condition they suffer from by symptoms or specific pathology. Homeopathy gets to the root cause when the right remedy is found!
2) I believe NESH has been a great adjunct to my ND curriculum to teach me to find a remedy in a systematic way. In school we are taught to prescribe mostly on keynotes and use homeopathy for acute cases. NESH has not only taught me a great way to approach on case taking based on a person’s constitution but it has allowed me fine tune my skills on evaluating the whole person and how he/she lives in this world. As a future ND, we strive to treat the person and not just the symptoms he/she suffers from and NESH has given me a more organized and systematic way to find the right remedy. I think this is a great skill to have because it trains us to approach a myriad of symptoms and place them in a way that will make sense and point to the right remedy for the person.
Chian-Yi Liu ND – University Place, WA (Bastyr ’15 / NESH Student 2013-2014):
1) Homeopathy is one of the modalities that lies deep in naturopathic medicine. It’s a philosophy of how we see disease process within each individual or as a population. Many of our other modalities are great to support our patients and are “evidence-based” but they don’t always work as the evidence suggests :), yet homeopathy brings us a closer look at how individuals respond to the same stress differently.
2) I learned a lot from the basic classes from ND program with our great teachers, yet Paul and Amy deepened my knowledge towards every aspects of patient care, even when I don’t use homeopathy. When I do, it’s sometimes surprising how I will learn the remedy in a complete way and it makes more sense then just memorizing the materia medica. I appreciated the opportunity to learn from them.
Kitt Guaraldi ND – Portland, OR (NCNM ‘11 / NESH Student 2005-2009):
1) I appreciate so much that I studied homeopathy. It helps me understand the variances between different people with the same disease or pathology in a way that is non-judgmental and can help with individualizing treatment plans. Why do some people only have complaints on the right side of their body? Why do two people with strep throat present differently – one cold and one hot, one unable to drink or eat and one craving crunchy foods? Why does one person intolerant to dairy have intractable constipation and one have very loose stools? Homeopathy helps answer these questions while allowing for people to be unique individuals in their common complaints.
Homeopathy can help in a more chronic or constitutional state to move aside someone’s barrier to treatment – ease their obstinate “no” to everything you suggest, or help with their energy so they are able to do one more thing that will help feed forward to better health overall.
Homeopathy is profoundly helpful for acutes too, helping to mitigate symptoms instead of another treatment plan or while an herbal or nutritional or other therapy is undertaken.
2) NESH is a sensible, easy-to-grasp way to study homeopathy not otherwise taught in medical school. It offers a foundational methodology to understand different remedies and how to perform an intake in a way that ultimately provides the information needed to arrive at an effective remedy. I love that it, more so than any other homeopathy tactic, helps a practitioner group symptoms into categories, therefore really and truly taking the whole person into account when seeking a remedy or treatment for a person. Besides that, Amy and Paul are extremely gifted teachers bringing current events, jokes, personal anecdotes and other aspects of naturopathic medicine into their classes, helping round out the naturopathic and/or homeopathy student. They draw connections that might otherwise be lost in the dense and informational medical school curriculum. It’s a great way to spend a few weekends and end up completely inspired to pursue a career in wellness medicine!
Taylor Seier ND – BC, Canada (Boucher ’14 / NESH 2015-2016)
1) Homeopathy is a staple of naturopathic practice. Refining and learning how to apply this skill in an effective manner not only serves to increase your rates of homeopathic treatment success, but also integrates appropriate condition management to determine if a patient is on a path to recovery or further disease through suppressive means.
2) NESH provides a foundation for assessing a patients condition in general and to determine the path of healing that is required for success. Knowing a rhythm of an illness allows not only prevention of future disease, but also treatments that are more specific and appropriate rather than palliation and suppression.
George Hudson ND, MS – Folsom, CA (Bastyr ’12 / NESH 2010-2011)
1) I could probably write pages on this…The most obvious reason for studying homeopathy is because you plan to use it in your practice. That was my intention when I graduated approximately four years ago. Unfortunately, the type of practice I started in for my first two years did not afford opportunity for comprehensive intake, or follow up beyond 30 days. For context, I was basically working in a short-term, partial hospital program, mental health intensive setting. Although I did not prescribe frequently, the homeopathic perspective (particularly thinking form a Cycles and Segments perspective) provided me with a comprehensive and deep appreciation of how patients interacted with, and reacted to their, environment. These insights into triggering stresses and characteristic patterns of reaction (or strain) provided a framework for integrated behavioral, lifestyle, nutritional, and counseling services. In short, the homeopathic perspective taught through NESH provides a whole person model for understanding and appreciating the individuality of the patient during illness. The process of investigation may not only lead to a remedy, but can help identify obstacles to cure, weaknesses in the foundations of health, and areas of vulnerability, as well as the patient’s current level of vitality. All of these are areas for Naturopathic treatment.
2) Due to resource limitations (and other reasons), many of the ND schools have reduced their homeopathic curriculum. The NESH course provides reinforcement of fundamental homeopathic training, and adds the depth that is needed for successful homeopathic practice. But, perhaps more important from a Naturopathic perspective, the framework of understanding illness through the Stress and Strain model, along with Cycles and Segments, helps students and practitioners see and treat individuals in their suffering. Although I often evaluate patient disturbances through a hormonal or neurotransmitter perspective, the concepts and strategies presented in the NESH program are a more holistic lens through which to assess patients. The model, the philosophy, and the practical tools I have gained have improved the consistency of my homeopathic prescribing and have helped me significantly with case management more broadly, as noted in my comments above.
And some combined their answers to both questions all together:
Lori Raymond ND – Norwich, CT (UB ’15 / NESH Student 2013-2016):
“My advice for an ND student that is considering studying homeopathy is that it is useful in both practice and in preparing for boards. Studying with NESH has help make homeopathy more a practical tool in my practice. I found Cycles and Segments helps give each remedy a personality and help me understand the remedy, rather than just memorizing a bunch of keynotes. I also found NESH prepared me more for how to become more efficient and capable at interviewing and case taking.
I found myself more confident taking boards due to my studies at NESH – not only did I know more about homeopathy, but Paul was a great resource preparing for the exam.
The more I study homeopathy the more I witness how profound a remedy can be. While Paul and Amy spend the bulk of their time teaching directly about homeopathy, they also bring a lot of focus of how to blend homeopathy into a naturopathic practice.”
Anne Van Couvering ND LMT – Sag Harbor, NY (NCNM ’12 / NESH Student 2015-2016):
“I am just finishing the NESH class with Paul and Amy – I think it’s some of the best education I have EVER had, not just in homeopathy, but on naturopathic medicine, practice management, patient care, etc. That said, the homeopathy education is superlative – I feel so much more confident with being able to find a remedy and repertorize, knowledge of small remedies, pattern recognition for polychrests, understanding how to dose, when to redose, how to evaluate for follow up, how to repertorize while patients are in front of you, etc. etc. – in all, a far more in depth and supported understanding of HOW to do homeopathy in practice. I am SO happy that I took this course, I feel that it has made me a much better doctor. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!”
Cheri King ND – Boulder, CO (NCNM ‘10 / NESH Student 2008-09)
“I use homeopathy every single day in my practice. I have never seen an herb or a supplement be as powerful at healing as homeopathy. Not that herbs and supplements are not important, but the power of energy medicine continues to amaze me. The more you can learn about this powerful modality, the better doctor you will be. The more you can learn about this powerful modality, you will suppress your patients less and heal them more!
I would also love to repeat the NESH class if the time works into my schedule.”
Jeanne Fuqua ND, LAc – W. Hartford, CT (UB ’03 / NESH Student 2009-2013 + 2011-13, 2015 clinical classes)
“Before I took this course, I read a testimonial from a previous NESH student. The person said that this course, and studying with Paul and Amy made them a better doctor, and human being. I took the course (twice!) and found no exaggeration in that statement. Indeed I became a better homeopath, but I also became a better doctor. My skills, improved. Skills in homeopathic medicine yes, but also skills not so easily taught to us in school. I learned to be a better listener. I learned to think more broadly for my patients. I learned to be more compassionate. Homeopathy taught me to let go of some of my judgments (that I didn’t know I had) and really see the patient as they are. By the incredible conversations with brilliant minds in the classes, I have many more resources to offer my patients. I am a better teacher to my patients. I have a more complete understanding of the holism of homeopathy, and of humans, and can apply that to my life and my patients’ lives. I did not learn that in homeopathy classes in naturopathic medical school. I learned nuances of patient care from Amy and Paul, that come from their thirty years of practice. Their school, and my time in it remain a highlight of my educational experiences. I very frequently share information with patients that came out of those classes – homeopathic and other. I am grateful to Paul for is his encouragement to be more responsible in how I practice so as not to unnecessarily stress the medical system of our country. Something I hadn’t even considered before. He taught that, but then Paul and Amy, possibly without even realizing it, gave practical steps in how to do that – how to give excellent care to patients and to be responsible to the medical system, our patients and the world.”
Anne McClenon ND – Plymouth, MA (Bastyr ’93 / NESH 2014-2016)
I am so pleased with how the NESH course is helping me in my practice.
I started at Bastyr with a love of herbs and wasn’t really interested in homeopathy. Then I saw miracles occur and wanted to learn more about it. I took the NESH course when I was just graduating in the early 1990’s (before NESH was teaching the Cycles & Segments approach). It was immensely helpful in giving me a greater understanding of homeopathy to use in my practice. While I got a good understanding in the curriculum at Bastyr – there is so much more to know! With the course under my belt, I hit the ground running in my practice as soon as I got my license.
I am just completing the NESH course again this year. Having memorized a lot of remedies (and not memorized a lot more!), I am deeply appreciative of the Cycles and Segments approach that I have received from the course. The course provides a great overview and a deeper understanding of so many more remedies. I am delighted at the depth of understanding that I have gotten after years of practice. After each class, I come to my practice with a deepened skill that makes it easier to get great results.
I wish homeopathy had been taught this way before. The organizing principles of the way Amy and Paul teach is both very helpful in learning a vast amount of knowledge more easily but, most importantly, it allows me to get better results in my practice. Less work and more effective!!
I have the highest regard for both the knowledge that Amy and Paul have and ALSO for their abilities as teachers. I have only the highest recommendation for this class.
You can also read additional comments we’ve received over the years from other ND NESH alumni.