Loving Natural Medicine

From Natalie I., Perth, Australia

My decision to study homeopathy is based on a progression of events in my life that have propelled me towards the area of natural medicine. I was first exposed to alternative medicine as a teenager when my parents sought Traditional Chinese Medicine to improve long-standing symptoms. They preferred to try a more natural approach to healing after years of conventional medical methods which proved to be ineffective. After regular sessions with the practitioner, I could see a significant improvement in both parents' overall state of wellbeing, and they expressed feeling a renewed sense of vitality. I was curious to learn more about natural medicine and its healing potential so I visited the practitioner's office as well for a first-hand look. As a result, I became open-minded about this area which was new and fascinating to me, and the culture of holistic healing that was beginning to proliferate at home laid the groundwork for my beliefs in this area.  

Over the years, I have continued to try and educate myself on natural approaches to restoring and maintaining health, particularly through nutrition and fitness. Daily physical activity and a health-conscious diet are fixed characteristics of my adult lifestyle. I can personally attest to the benefits I've gained from changes I've made in order to lead a more “natural” way of life, and encourage other family members and friends to think about this area. While I'm no expert in the field of natural medicine, I've been extremely passionate about natural approaches to health for many years; to be able to facilitate health at the practitioner level would mean having greater potential to assist clients to transform their health which I believe is the singlemost important asset we have as individuals.

My graduate school experience piqued my interest even further. By this stage in my life, I was engaging in critical literature on Big Pharma and the broader modern medical paradigm. One professor in particular revolutionized the way I understood conventional medicine, especially concerning the definition of illness. His work inspired me to continue to research this topic throughout my studies which I later developed into a thesis publication. Throughout my research, one of the prevalent criticisms that resonated with me is how (in traditional medicine) symptoms and disease are generally treated in isolation rather than being conceptualized within the context of the whole person. This idea prompted me to investigate natural medicine further and led me to the philosophy of homeopathy.

After graduation, I gained employment at Health Canada as a Communications Officer within the Corporate Services Branch. This area manages the infrastructure and resources that are required by clients such as Health Canada’s scientists, researchers and other healthcare professionals to conduct their work. It was tremendously gratifying to support the personnel responsible for carrying out the critical work for maintaining and improving health across the country. In early 2012, I relocated to Australia where I work in the areas of Public Relations and Corporate Social Responsibility.  Part of my portfolio involved managing the company's sponsorship programme which prioritizes large-scale community projects and initiatives, especially in the area of health. For some time now, I've felt that it was time to progress my capability by taking on a front-line role to assist others with their health and well-being. After much research, I feel that a career in homeopathy is best aligned with my values, experiences and personal qualities.

In future, my goal is to merge my communications background and my proficiency in homeopathy to connect a network of natural therapists; practitioners; educators and; patients for knowledge exchange through social media (such as blogs and discussion boards), and publish articles to generate further awareness on homeopathy and alternative medicine in general.