Integrative Practice, Principles and Research
This timely, compelling, and useful book offers a comprehensive look at the integration of homeopathy and mental health care. Twenty-three leading healthcare professionals from around the world unite in a diverse collection of provocative, grounded and visionary, and clinically relevant chapters that offer the student, professional, and non-professional alike a clear and inspiring guide to the healing power and potential of homeopathy in mental health care.
Endorsements:
At last a phenomenal anthology which should dispel forever the ignorance of those who refuse to accept the fact that homeopathy is effective! The bibliography of excellent studies on homeopathy alone makes this book a must for every health professional. More importantly, it demonstrates what my Professor of Medicine, Dr Eugene A Stead Jr, called "A REAL doctor". - C Norman Shealy, MD, PhD, President Holos Institutes of Health
The book is remarkable because it places homeopathy within the context of the current mental health system at precisely the point where it is needed. Reading this text makes it clear that homeopathy is an emerging medical science that holds tremendous potential for widespread application in the field of mental health. This work places the topic of homeopathy squarely in the middle of current mainstream medical research and clarifies what an integrative and balanced approach to mental health would look like. I highly recommend this work to my homeopathic, integrative and allopathic medical colleagues. - Roger Morrison, MD, Hahnemann Medical Clinic.
This excellent book should interest all health care practitioners - even those with no interest in homeopathy. The careful yet pithy description of research into the benefits (and failings) of allopathic treatment of mental disorders provides ample food for thought. The book goes on to outline the general (and impressive) literature on homeopathy in randomized studies. But the heart of this important work lies in the insightful, comprehensive and truly integrative chapters by van der Zee, Johannes, Shalts, Bell, and others. Every chapter is worthy of study. The balanced approach taken by the authors and editors is reminiscent of the excellent earlier work of Dr. van der Zee - Miasms in Labour. I give this book my highest recommendation. - Ronald D. Whitmont, MD, New York Medical College.
It's about time an excellent and truly integrative textbook like this was published. I have books on homeopathic psychology and some good material with homeopathic cases on mental disorders, but nothing at all that compares to this new book. This book goes way beyond the usual books of strictly homeopathic philosophy, case taking, rubrics and cases and does a marvellous job of weaving together conventional and homeopathic concepts, approaches, and strategies to mental health care, including spirituality, personal transformation, and quality of life, not just pathology. It even includes immediately useful original research published nowhere else, guidelines for future research, and also a nice chapter on ethics. It is loaded with practical guidelines, lots of cases, and exciting new ideas that make integration and communication across professional boundaries possible. You'd have to buy dozens of books for what you can find in this single anthology. This one book has some of the most highly regarded, well known, experienced, and well published experts from around the globe weighing in on the importance of this integration for mental health care now and into the future. Most contributing authors are doctorate holders in other areas of health and medicine. I think this book will set a new trend for the homeopathic professional literature, and will be practically useful as a reference for students and professionals in homeopathy, mental health, and integrative medicine. - Review Amazon.com. Lisa Reeves, USA.
A beautifully presented book which contains thought provoking and well-considered essays on many of the key issues when working with patients with mental health issues. From remedy selections and specific cases to philosophy, the Organon, ethical issues and working with patients on psychotropic medication, I would recommend this book to any homeopath working with adults or children with mental health issues. The book also makes some interesting suggestions for the future direction of homeopathy in relation to personal development, counselling and other areas. Homeopathic books can be quite expensive. This is one of the best value books I have bought. Very few, if any, homeopaths would be disappointed on reading it. In addition, it will stimulate discussion and further debate on some key areas within both the mental health arena and the homeopathic world as a whole. It is sure to be of interest to other health practitioners who support integrated care and should not be considered as merely for the practising homeopath but for a far wider audience. The book contains something for everyone. - Review for Amazon.co.uk - Sarah Carter, UK.
Reprinted with the permission of The Homeopathic Links Journal, Volume 23, Spring 2010. Reviewed by Ronald D Whitmont, MD USA.
Johannes' and van der Zee's compilation entitled "Homeopathy and Mental Health Care" is an impressive and well researched text. What marks the difference in this work is the effort that has been made to locate the benefits of homeopathy within the evidence base of current medical and scientific knowledge. The authors of this book have explored the use of homeopathy in mental illness within the context of the current global crisis in mental health care. These chapters clearly and concisely delineate the remarkable achievements of homeopathy in stark contrast to the current, ailing system of medicine.
The book brings together evidence supporting the advantages of homeopathy while demonstrating how it can be integrated into mainstream psychological approaches. The book is remarkable because it places homeopathy within the context of the current mental health system at precisely the point where it is needed. This is indeed a scholarly work that should be widely read both by homeopaths and integrative practitioners alike. The book helps bridge the gap between practitioners of somatically based therapeutics with those who practice only psychologically based therapies.
This book will allow homeopathic practitioners to gain tremendous insight into the mainstream context of what they do, while integrative and allopathic practitioners stand to gain from the scholarly, evidence-based presentation of homeopathy as it relates to the care and treatment of mental and psychological conditions.
The sections dealing with research in homeopathy are remarkable for careful citations and well-referenced information on the current state-of-the-art of ongoing homeopathic medical research.
Homeopathy is discussed frankly and coherently. Reading this text makes it clear that homeopathy is an emerging medical science that holds tremendous potential for widespread application in the field of mental health. This work places the topic of homeopathy squarely in the middle of current mainstream medical research and clarifies the position that an integrative and balanced approach to mental health would look like. The book forces us to go beyond our current addiction to psychotropic medications and to consider therapies that may cure rather than palliate. The text is consistently well-referenced, bridging some of the most current scientific data with homeopathic methodology and treatment. This book should act as a template for future books on the benefits of homeopathy in a vast array of medical conditions.
The 23 contributing authors from 11 different countries to this anthology are: Hannah Albert, Philip Bailey, Iris Bell&Mary Koithan, Daniel Benor, Seema Bhat, Manish Bhatia, Kate Chatfield & Joy Duxbury.Jane Tara Cic-chetti, Jane Ferris, Christopher Johannes, Corina Guethlin & Harald Walach, Peter Morrell, Joseph Rozencwajg, Kenneth Silves-tri, Edward Shalts, Traian Stanciulescu, lan Townsend, Judyth Reichenberg-Ullman & Robert Ullman and Harry van der Zee.
I highly recommend this work to my homeopathic, integrative and allopathic medical colleagues.
Reprinted with the permission of The ARH, from 'Homeopathy in Practice' Journal, Autumn 2010 edition. Reviewed by Elizabeth Adalian.
When I first saw this book's title I thought how timely it was when there is so much denigration of homeopathy in the public sphere. The book includes contributions from over twenty different 'leading healthcare professionals' - most of whom are homeopaths. Familiar names include Philip Bailey, Jane Tara Cicchetti, Peter Morrell, Ian Townsend, Judyth Reichenberg-Ullman and Robert Ullman, and Harry van der Zee. The book recognises that Hahnemann was the true pioneer of psychiatry with his advice to treat the mentally ill in 'gentle and humane' ways.
However, upon reading I soon realised that targeting 'the student, professional and nonprofessional' all at the same time is a very ambitious and unrealistic aim. I think this could only work if there were separate chapters for each category of readership. The presentation of the book means that at times it goes above the head of the 'non-professional' and, at other times, it preaches to an already converted readership. There is no cohesion between the different authors so, for example, on one page there is an explanation of Edward Whitmont's rather esoteric work and then, directly on the next page, there is an entry about modern meditative provings. This is bound to baffle any reader new to homeopathy, and one might even say it would appear to go 'from the sublime to the ridiculous' in their eyes.
No book on mental health would be complete without reference to Edward Whitmont. He is quoted as mentioning the validity of homeopathy for releasing traumas which occur during the very important pre-verbal period - not only in the sense of 'accessing' them - but also 'releasing' them. (There are few - if any other forms of medicine - which can provide a vent for trauma occurring during this very impressionable period in a child's life.) His eloquence is illustrated by the comment 'illnesses are mechanisms for disrupting stultifying patterns'.
I like the way the editors have included paragraphs of the Organon to explain Hahnemann's thinking in the individual chapter's related subject matter. Interestingly, for supporting cases when stopping allopathic drugs, Rhus Tox is recommended as the most effective
remedy for withdrawal symptoms rather than the more favoured Avena sativa, Arsenicum album, Bryonia, Chamomilla, and Nux vomica The authors here are generous to the idea of combining homeopathy with conventional medication and do not adopt an overly militant homeopathic approach. In this context Peter Morell, in his chapter, speaks of homeopathy viewing 'mental illness' within the wider holistic concept of patient symptom totality. He links this conceptualising with early vitalist medical systems such as those of Paracelsus and Van Helmont.
In their chapter, Judyth Reichenberg-Ullman and Robert Ullman focus on children with behavioural and learning problems. They
explain why and how homeopathy is appropriate for these children (it occurs to me, not least to prevent a progression into full-blown mental illness later in life), emphasising the essentials for a precise approach.
Harry van der Zee recommends dealing with collective trauma as you would with epidemics (collective infectious diseases). He categorises situations into collective trauma as, for example, exposure to a tsunami (something that occurs to a large group of people at the same time), or incest which, although an individual experience, echoes in the subconscious memory of many people through the generations, he believes.
Edward Shalts writes about the wholesale use of psychotropic medicine for psychiatric illness and quotes some interesting homeopathic cases where - unusually - in his
experience, mainstream drugs have not been used Towards the end of the book a page is devoted to applying Fred Luskin's nine steps for forgiveness'. This is useful, but I'm not sure who of the target readership could embrace this advice.
To validate the use of homeopathy in mental illness, Kenneth Silvestri refers to the anthropologist Paul Byers who has explained the bodily and mind systems as 'a watch in many parts when displayed on a table. This showed little resemblance to a timepiece. Yet, when put together, it could either tell the 'correct' or the 'wrong' time.' 'Being in touch with this', he continues, 'can help in understanding possible avenues of change and the resources to sustain that direction.'
Hannah Albert's chapter contains a good review of miasms, and touches on the views of such innovative homeopaths as Lou Klein, Jan Scholten and Rajan Sankaran. Applying her understanding of miasms, she places emphasis on homeopathy's ability to address generations of healing in one lifetime. Later on, matridonal remedies are mentioned - another concept which I believe the 'non-professional' reader might struggle with.
The chapter I enjoyed the most is by Dr Joseph Rozencwajg, who applies the principles of Chinese medicine to homeopathy to link the mental state with the corresponding physical organ; this chapter also includes information about tongue and pulse diagnosis. Jane A Ferris speaks of jump-starting the psychotherapeutic process with combined homeopathic treatment. The final chapter, on bio-photonics -the new science of biology and laser technology - is interesting, but far too specialised for a book of this nature.
I'd conclude by saying that, due to that lack of cohesion running through the text I mentioned, the sum of the very interesting parts does not equal a 'holistic totality' in tackling the issue of mental health care.
