Homeopathy Tips for 11/18/08 Patient or Client
In the profession of being a homeopath we engage our services, usually with an exchange of money. Often we call this business a practice. It holds by definition but also there are other definitions that I prefer. I do not want to refer to my profession as a practice. I have trained and done my “practice” and now am a professional engaged with my clients. They pay me for rendering a professional service of homeopathy. They do not want me practicing on them. This would not be fair if I were still learning yet calling myself a professional. Not that I will ever stop learning homeopathy but I prefer to call my professional work just that… a professional work or business.
When I engage in my business I refer to everyone who engages me for my professional services a client. This is what they are. It brings with it a certain responsibility on their part as well as my own. I try to never refer to the client as patient. By definition to be patient is “to bear pain or trials without complaint. Showing self control.” I know of no person who is suffering that wants to be patient. Everyone wants to heal and put suffering away as quickly as possible. To refer to my client as patient would ask them to release the responsibility of their healing to the provider of professional services (homeopath). I want my client to be as actively participating in their healing as I am in the engaged in my profession.
I realize that this may seem a little trivial and just a play on words. But the human mind is very smart and knows all word associations. I prefer to let the mind of my client know that I recognize that they have engaged my services to help them heal. I realize that I am not the healer but the facilitator of a very precious process that happens for the client. I take this very seriously. It is my responsibility since they have entered into a contract with me for my professional services that we each have a role to play. This engages them to assume more responsibility for their healing and ultimately I am just a part of the most incredible process that happens to living organisms.
So contemplate what this means for you as a homeopath. What seems like innocent ways of referring to someone who has trusted their process to you may not serve them very well. You will do them great respect to honor yourself by recognizing your professional business and them by respecting their wanting to engage in your services by calling them your client. Don’t practice on them or expect them to be patient. Good luck on the transition.
Thank you.
I had an experience today of a household requiring a particular remedy. If you have had similar experiences, please could you share with us the (dare I say it?) “practice” of prescribing for an institution or organisation rather than for an individual.
Hi Debbie,
Yes there are times that the genus epidemicus can be for a houshold rather than a larger population of people. Thanks for the comment. I will address the topic in a future Homeopathy Tips.
Robert
Your point of view is “politically” very correct!I loved your considerations. But, as a “lazy” pacient, I want the doctor to do the whole work for me and heal me at the same time,on the other hand, as a doctor, in treating my pacients I would embrace your point of view, still,I don’t think that I will ever stop “practicing” on my pacients, with care, with humbleness, sometimes with fears through the night,but,in the end, nevertheless “practicing”.
Hello Bogolea,
I am not presuming to “know it all” and that learning is over once becoming a professional homeopath. Far from it. As you well know homeopathy is a lifetime of learning. But giving any remedy must be done with confidence. If not then in fact we are practicing and I do not know of anyone who pays me for my services who wants me to be practicing on them. They want to be treated with care and confidence. It is a mindset that should be carried by every homeopath wanting to promote himself and the profession of homeopathy.
Thanks for your comments,
Robert Field
thanks!
dear sir,
i m satisfied on ur homeo tips because more many peculiar subject matter of system of treatment is found for well diagnosis of the diseases immediately. so i m too much satisfied of ur article readed about two times after received articles.
thanks.
regards,
yours,
DR NEKIB UA YAMANEH
ASSAM INDIA
Thank you for this bulls-eye definition of the terms that are mis-used in the field of natural medicine. I have referred to the people I work with as clients since I am not an M.D., and now feel happy I use the term. I appreciate these tips that are sent every week.
dear, i realy thanks to u. this aticle becausethe people are not same thinking .i use these term. in life . thanks alot
Dear sir,
One of my friend is a Pharmacist in Allopathy and is Diploma in Pharmacy. He wants to be a Homeopath through distance learning. Is there any course? Please advice. Thanx a lot
Jameelkahn,
Yes, Resonance School of Homeopathy has a distance learning online course based on clinical studies. Registration is easy at http://www.resonanceschoolofhomeopathy.com.
Robert Field
Respect robert
Our aim for patient to cure quickly and
permanently according to homoeopathic principle in the philosophy. we learn a great
new knowlege of from the patient . we only
learn materia medica the sign and symptom and
same sign and symptom practically learn in the
clinic from patient. two kind of doctors one
is professional who unerstand and knowlege of
homoeopathic other one is buniness to earn the money. we earn the money from our professional
to study and stress to cure the patient quickly.
I agreed with your topic is very
interesting for Professional doctor.
Hi Robert,
this has been itching me for ages.I neither like patient or client. One is too clinical the other sounds as if I am selling something. Far to business like for me.maybe we should all put our heads together and create a better word. xxxxxx
Hi Ginni,
I would love this. Client does seem a little business like but I have found no better word yet. In a Thesaurus I have, other words for client are; customer, patron, regular, habitue, buyer, purchaser, shopper, consumer, user, and patient. None seem any more pertinent to the subject at hand. Please share any of your research. I’m still looking too.
Robert Field
ur tips are very usefull.Pls. tell me tip to choose homeo remedy in short time.Because todays all are very busy & cant give more time for long interview and we cant afford to give one to tow hour to one patient in busy clinic.Pls.give any short-cut way to choose remedy.
Thanks a lot
Hello Dr Arshad
I too work in a very busy clinic and can be forced to do a case with linited time. I have found that when the case is clear enough Vega Rozenbergs boxes come in very handy. They are a way of using his rubrics as simple indicators (if used correctly) to finding the remedy. Sometimes they can be very useful with just 2 very good ideas or themes that best describe the energy of the case. I teach them at Resonance School of Homeopathy with his permission. Also good knowlege of Materia Medica and finding remedies with the organ or system affinity is very helpful.
Good luck,
Robert Field
Appreciate the topic. Here is another viewpoint. In Ohio massage therapy is licensed by the medical board. Those who have a license are told to use the term “patient” rather than “client” to define themselves as medical professionls as opposed to questionable “entertainment” massagers.I like Ginni’s proposal that we create a new term that connotes professionalism and places responsibility for health upon the shoulders of the person seeking improved health.
Thanks Robert for providing your articles and this wonderful forum.
I find the tips very useful.