Studying
at the School of Homeopathy is like stepping into another world. You
leave the mad pace of life behind and enter a welcome haven of
tranquility. Here the tutors are there to support you on your journey
with such faith in you that you cannot fail to achieve your potential.
Good
schooling should give the student a knowledge-base, founded on others'
wisdom and experience. Another objective, which might appear
contradictory, is developing the confidence to venture alone and
develop one's own ideas.
The School of
Homeopathy, very skillfully, manages to achieve both these targets.
This is a difficult challenge: none of the (quite a few) institutions
for higher education in which I've studied managed to rise to it.
There are a few factors that make the School of Homeopathy such a success:
- Solid basis of homeopathic philosophy enables the student to always know where his feet are
- Wide range of teachers gives a wide range of styles and wisdom
- And,
most important, the school has so much confidence in the ability of the
student to succeed, that, as a student, you are inevitably empowered by
this autonomy.
What
I also like is the spiritual aspect of the school. Homeopathy can be
practiced in many forms, and there are ways to make it easy and
practical. But practical solutions will be limited to treating
practical problems. With the kind of learning we got here homeopathy
can be a real transformative power in patients' lives.
It's been wonderful four years - I couldn't hope for a better school to learn homeopathy in.
I
came to homeopathy through my daughter's deteriorating health right
after birth due to mis-diagnosis and subsequent mis-treatment by the
paediatrician on duty at the hospital at the time.
She
was in neonatal care for four days and given antibiotics for an
infection she didn't have. When we got home she had diarrhoea, thrush
and weight loss and none of the regular doctors could effect any
improvement.
After unsuccessful visits to
the regular doctors, we finally saw a homeopath and right away things
improved. Thereafter I was 'hooked' to find out more and understand how
homeopathy worked. One of the main reasons I started studying
homeopathy, is that I feel very strongly about having the ability to
help my family and not have to depend on mainstream health care again.
I
was born and raised in Hong Kong (German parentage), and have lived in
Europe and South America, before settling in Toronto now. I worked for
16 years in numerous varying jobs, before settling and having a
daughter, having been famous amongst my friends for changing jobs the
whole time, with mixed results.
Most of the
jobs were related to marketing/projects in the hotel business and
towards the end working as a PA for presidents of multi national
(usually German) companies in Hong Kong. None really satisfied me, in
part because I'd lose interest or lose the respect for my superiors.
Originally
I was always interested in both philosophy as well as anything to do
with natural laws, but since I didn't want to stay in Germany (where I
went to school most of the time but did not get on with the educational
system), I decided to take up work in the hotel business to get me
abroad.
Learning to be a homeopath finally
combines all my interests. In particular it gives me great satisfaction
and a sense of not being helpless regarding the care of both my own and
my family's health (and that of others in the future).
The
way public health in general is going, I believe there will be a great
and urgent need for homeopaths and other holistic practitioners and I
can only hope to qualify ASAP!
Alternative
Training and the Devon School were recommended to me by a friend and
homeopath while living in Italy. I checked the webpage and read the
brochures and didn't really bother much about searching for others. The
set-up of the school and Misha's reputation assured me.
The
flexibility that the school gives is a major relief, especially with
the upheavals of living and moving to various different
countries/continents. The tutor has always been nothing but supportive
throughout and the school's international programme caters well for
that.
What I do greatly miss is connecting
with other homeopathically minded people on a more regular basis. I
have found the yearly summer camp at Uffculme to be a great boost every
time and the chat room sessions very useful in 'combating' the relative
isolation you feel at times studying all on your own.
I
would mention that the personal touch and involvement of all the
Norlands is a great feature and something I believe most students agree
on - it is one of the great advantages of the school.
When
I started out with my diploma in hand, I was unsure that I could put
what I had learnt into practice. I so much wanted to be the best
practitioner! But I soon found that what I had been taught at the
School of Homeopathy held me steady and guided me. I realised that the
education and the spirit which informed it was special. I had received
a vision of what healing could achieve at the highest level and I was
and am passing this on, helping people live at their full potential.
This healing is more than just treating symptoms, it is inspirational
and it has become an everyday part of my life.
I
have thought about the School a lot. Many times I have closed my eyes
and felt very grateful for the spacious minded and spiritual nurture
and encouragement that I experienced! When I first went to the Mumbai
seminar in 2000, although I very much felt like a novice when it came
to experience, I was also aware that these 'ground breaking' ideas
Sankaran was expounding, were very new to most yet had been given to us
and nurtured in our training. My interest in alternative healing had
been kindled in my teens but really caught fire after the first
Buddhist retreat I did. I remembering leaving Dharamsala with the need
to find some 'shop front' that I could use, that people would feel
comfortable to walk through and I might be able to help people with. As
I tend not to believe in coincidences, this motivation ultimately lead
to your shop front, your particular embrace of homoeopathy and the
spirit behind your teachings. I later met students from many different
colleges and realised how unique the School's style is and how grateful
I am that I developed my own style under its influence. Every patient
gives me an insight into humanity, into suffering, into our commonality
as humans and into my own nature, prejudices, sensitivities and blind
spots. This makes it a very alive and dynamic practice, I must say!
When
I first started practicing, my wish was to be able to help at least one
person with their 'health'; now I have been able to help many, many
people, continually strengthening my weak spots and acknowledging my
strengths, and generally not beating myself up so much for not being
perfect. Thank you Misha, and all, for all the inspiration and pointers
on this most incredible trek!
I
am lucky that my home is in the city of Chiang Mai in the north of
Thailand. It is a very special place, here you get to meet and know a
lot of eccentric people. Otherwise I would not have heard of homeopathy
because it is very new in Thailand.
In fact,
there are so few homeopaths in Thailand that I have to see a homeopath
in Hong Kong, where I was born, and some friends I have convinced of
its power get treatment when they visit the USA.
I
discovered homeopathy after a recommendation from my dog trainer, and
became so fascinated I decided to find out more. Now I am really hoping
that one day I can practice because it's such an amazing healing art
that surely everyone would be benefited.
The
course is ideal for me as I can fit it in with the other things in my
life. As well as my studies, I am juggling running a business, which
designs and produces wearable art using antique fabric and accessories
and a full time job as a mum to two lovely yorkies.
I
began my career in hotel management, working in Hong Kong, Thailand and
Cambodia. I also studied in the UK at the University of Bath, where I
finished my MBA.
Later I moved into
marketing, and then into the kitchen supply business, eventually
getting the job of chief executive officer of the biggest industrial
kitchen supply, design and manufacturing group in Asia, where I stayed
for three years until my boss, who was also from Hong Kong, was killed
in a car accident at the age of 48.
That was
a wake-up call for me because at that time I was flying around a lot. I
decided to quit my high profile job and move to Chiang Mai to try out a
new business idea. I haven't looked back since.
I
enjoy my studies and really appreciate all the help from the school.
Without a peer group, it takes a lot of discipline to sit down and get
on with the study. When I was searching around, I compared the
curriculum in great detail with other schools and found that Devon
provided the most comprehensive one.
It was
the right choice for me. The response is very quick to any questions.
Even though I'm half a world away, I know that should I need any
support, I'll get it for sure and timely. Most importantly for me is
that Devon is teaching classical homeopathy. In my opinion, any other
way of 'practising' homeopathy is a deviation from the Organon.
I
came to homoeopathy after a friend suggested I seek alternative
assistance for our son, James, who was stricken with an autistic-like
disability as a result of vaccinational encephalitis. Through that
first seminar, I knew instinctually that homoeopathy would be the path
through which we would find the help which we so desperately sought.
After
the MMR vaccine, our James went from a totally normal 18-month-old, to
complete deafness in both ears (as evaluated medically by a brain stem
test), banging his head on his crib, and a nearly complete stoppage of
all cognitive/language development. Through homoeopathic treatment,
Jamie's hearing has been completely restored, language has increased,
and he has been able to function in his world without the use of any
allopathic medications. He is far from "cured", but we continue to move
forward.
Prior to devoting myself entirely
to homoeopathic practise, I was a professional musician, having
performed as a vocal soloist, orchestral/chamber music violist, and
pianist throughout New England. As a teenager, I taught violin and
viola lessons to younger students, and continued on with that practise
until I began having children and took on more professional musical
"gigs". I still play professionally upon occasion, and play daily for
the sheer joy of it. I was also involved in the allopathic side of
things through my experiences in nursing, but have found homoeopathy to
be of such deeper and more lasting benefit that practising anything
else seemed quite inadequate.
I am the
mother of three children - Betsy, Jamie, and Becca, (aged 20, 17, and
14) and the therapeutic foster mother of a two-year-old little girl
with multiple medical and developmental issues. I have been married to
my husband, John, for 21 years, and he has been so supportive of my
studies!
Currently I am nearing the
finishing point in my homoeopathic studies with the School of
Homoeopathy, and am taking cases under clinical supervision with the
school, readying myself for independent practice.
I
have learnt such a great deal about myself through this study, finding
that the pursuit of homeopathic practise is, in and of itself, a
journey into one's own soul. As we strive to understand another's pain
and disease, we are brought face to face with our own imbalances, and
we are reminded - what needs to be cured? I have been so grateful for
the growth that has taken place within me as a result of my studies
with the school, both emotionally and professionally.
The
courses have been thorough, detailed, and grounded in the solid
foundations of classical homoeopathy. As one winds one's way through
the course, the question: "will I ever be able to do this work, and do
it well?" inevitably comes. I have come to realise that I have been
well prepared by the school for the challenges of practice. The solid
foundation of skills that I have received from the school allow me to
feel very comfortable in any circumstances in which I have found
myself.
And I found the Pathology and
Disease course wonderful. I really enjoyed the challenges with which
Dr. Gascoigne provided me. I answered the first unit as written, and
then Dr. Gascoigne changed the demands and format of the last three
units, to allow for more thought and challenge, and I revelled in this!
His incredible knowledge, experience, and ability to put me to task so
increased my zeal for the subject that I was really quite saddened when
it was all over! I hope to continue on with my association with Dr.
Gascoigne as I enter into practice, and feel that I have a wonderful
resource available to me.
From
the moment I enrolled on the course I never looked back. I have never
been so sure about anything in my life. The course is fabulous, I am
thoroughly enjoying myself. It is certainly intensive and very
challenging, but also very rewarding from both an intellectual and a
personal standpoint. I feel that I am on a wondrous journey of
discovery which is affecting me in ways that I would never have thought
possible. It is changing the way that I think and feel about the world
around me and how I react towards my loved ones. I believe that I am
becoming a better person through this. Not only am I learning to
becoming a homeopath, but also learning lots about life, about patience
and understanding, about the whole of humanity.
My
journey began when I found homeopathy through the poor state of health
of my daughter, who was unable to shake off the simplest cold without
having serious complications. This culminated in her being airlifted
off the island in a helicopter at just four years old with a very
serious case of pneumonia (in the middle of August and a heat wave
here) to spend the next 15 days on an intravenous drip of antibiotics
and an oxygen mask.
My mother mentioned to
me that she had recently met an English homeopath in Crete at a social
event, so I called on the chance that she might be able help us. Well,
what can I say- she has been our saviour! Since starting constitutional
treatment, my daughter has not taken so much as an aspirin in the last
three and a half years and she can only be described as being
positively bursting with health these days. I was so impressed that all
the family proceeded to have (successful) treatment. I became
fascinated with how this amazing change had come about in our health,
so started to read (and read and read) about homeopathy.
I
realized that what I really wanted to do was to study and become a
practitioner, that this was what had been missing for so long in my
life, but how? It seemed to be a Herculean task to achieve when one
lives in the middle of the Aegean Sea! I started to trawl the internet
for whatever was available and wrote to nearly every homeopathic school
in the UK and in Greece to try to find a way. When I found the
excellent website of the School, I was thrilled.
I
knew I had finally found what I was looking for. I am positively
storming the course, having started it in September 2004. I find myself
so motivated that I work many hours a day on my studies. I have to say
that it can be very lonely, as I don't really have anyone to chat to
about homeopathy. I really look forward to the chat room sessions, as
they are great chance to get a bit of contact. I went to the UK summer
school this June which was a wonderful experience. Misha is such a
special person and it was a pleasure and an honour to be able to spend
this time with him. I will be attending the International Summer School
next May and can hardly wait!
I'd
never heard of homeopathy before I came across it on the internet while
I was looking for inspiration for a career change. I googled a few
words like 'alternative medicine' and 'therapy' and 'holistic' and
found homoeopathy. I read up on it and it seemed like the perfect area
to go into and so I went in!
I signed up for
the correspondence course and it took my life solidly in the direction
it had naturally been heading in for years. I initially trained in TV,
Radio & Film after leaving school in my native Dublin but after
taking a break for a few years where I worked in a variety of jobs, I
decided that the TV, radio and film world wasn't for me. I ran into a
friend who was studying to become a yoga teacher and I suddenly
realised that I could go into that world. Previously, it had seemed
closed to me like an esoteric kind of thing - stupid, I know.
I
spent three years studying the first year of the course which was ideal
as I could fit it in with my life and full time work. I joined the
attendance course in 2003.
The difference
between the two is that the correspondence course fitted in with my
life, whereas my life is fitted in with the attendance course. While on
the correspondence course, I went from bartender to office worker,
trained in karate and t'ai ch'i, took up yoga, moved in with my now
fiance, did a computer course, and moved to London.
I
learned a lot about myself due to it being up to me whether I study or
not that day. The key thing about the correspondence course for me was
that there were no deadlines for homework, so I had the time to explore
the intriguing questions that inevitably come up when learning an art
such as this.
These included questions from
my friends and others about homoeopathy that I wanted to answer. I was
glad to have been given the time allowed by the correspondence course
so that I could have a life while I learned about homoeopathy, so that
I could explore the subject and the remedies while also doing homework
and so that I could begin to fit it in and know whether I wanted to
sacrifice more for it by going to the attendance course.
I
think the school is great for personal development in that a lot of the
homework and classes are challenging to your thoughts and philosophies
as well as to your personal strength and self-confidence. Students are
encouraged to develop self-confidence in problem solving and
decision-making so that when they are on their own, they are
comfortable and confident about finding things out, solving problems
and looking for peer support where necessary.
I
am really excited about finally being able to study Homeopathy and I
absolutely love your thorough high-level professional course. I love
everything about it - firstly the flexibility of study years, which for
my lifestyle is essential, but then the top quality recommended books,
the clear, concise study manual, the outstanding audio CDs are so
appreciated. I am so impressed by the way you have perfected your
correspondence course. I have taken various correspondence courses and
not one has ever matched your quality, I really thank you for the
service you are providing to humanity through this course. I love my
studies, I wish I were able to dedicate my time to them full-time.
However, that is not possible right now. I am not sure at what speed I
will be able to work through the course, it all depends on so many
factors. There are times we are busier than others, and I am
perfectionist by nature, so I really would rather go a little slower
but acquire a thorough knowledge.
What I
found most difficult with the course initially was setting up a system
for studying each remedy. There is such a wealth of information in all
the superlative books, I was overwhelmed and incredibly impressed by
all the work each author had done in the field in order to accumulate
so much knowledge. However, each remedy became easier as I decided upon
the categories I would focus on, and no doubt I will be modifying and
perfecting my system throughout the course. So the first remedies took
real long, but by the fourth and fifth ones I speeded up considerably.
I loved the philosophy part of homeopathy, I find it really fascinating
and quite awe-inspiring. The more I study homeopathy, the more I love
it. I feel real passionate about it really and am enthused to help many
people with it in the future.
I would highly recommend your course to anyone interested in Homeopathy. It is outstanding in every way.
So
really thank you Amanda and all the great work you guys are doing
through your school in England. You can know that's it so appreciated
from this end and I'm sure by so many others. There is nothing to beat
high quality training and yours is of the highest.
Thank
you for giving me a life changing, beautiful experience. As I talk to
more and more people (graduates and current students of other
colleges), I realise what a wonderful experience the School was. I talk
to so many who are angry and dissatisfied with their colleges. And I
tell them how much I loved mine! I tell them how it was more than a
college, how it changed and nurtured me in ways that are sometimes
difficult to describe. Not only did I receive the best homeopathic
education, one that is actually world renowned, but I received
something that changed my life in the best way possible. One of the
best things was how you gently fostered a group spirit among us ?? even
when some of us (like me) resisted that approach. I remember in the
early years saying to someone, "I'm only here to learn homeopathy!"
Boy, was I wrong! I was here to learn much more about life and love.
Well you know!
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