Student Journeys into Homeopathy

David Feakes

Homeopathy 4-year Course

Studying homeopathy can fit around an existing career and busy lifestyle, while opening up an entirely new professional direction.

For me, the flexibility of the home-study course made it possible to train without giving up my career or spending weekends travelling to college. Four years later, I had my practitioner’s diploma, and I now work part-time in a clinic. The course has made a HUGE difference in my life and opened up a passion that I continue to explore through my work and writing.

I took an interesting route into homeopathy. I was already a nurse and now work in adult and child protection, and at the time I was working full-time while studying for a Master’s degree in health and social care. I then secured a place at the Interfaith Seminary for their two-year course. It was around this time that someone suggested I should consider becoming a homeopath, so I decided to look into it carefully. I also experienced homeopathic treatment myself, which made me feel well for the first time since having chemotherapy as a four-year-old.

I discovered the home-study course at The School of Homeopathy and it suited me perfectly. Because I travel a lot with my work, I didn’t want to spend my weekends travelling to and from a college. The flexibility meant I could study at my own pace and fit my learning around my existing commitments. I also found that the philosophy and nature of the course encouraged me to develop personally as well as professionally.

I never looked back. Four years later, I had my practitioner’s diploma and now work part-time in a clinic. I love it so much that I spend much of my free time writing about homeopathy whenever I can. I knew from early on that I was in it for the long term, so I made the most of every opportunity to deepen my knowledge. I attended two international summer schools, completed lots of CPD and spent time sitting in on cases to gain as much practical experience as possible.

The course has given me some incredibly memorable experiences. A true test of my knowledge came a couple of years ago when I arrived home early and discovered that my partner was showing all the signs of a heart attack. I gave him Carbo veg – the ‘corpse reviver’ – and got him to hospital. We later discovered that one of his coronary arteries was 99% occluded. I believe the remedy helped give him enough time to receive the emergency medical treatment he needed, including an operation and stent. We always take that remedy with us on holiday now.

I particularly enjoyed the in-depth case analysis using the Four Elements. For me, one of the biggest light-bulb moments came during the ‘Pathology & Disease Course for Homeopaths’. It brought all my learning together and helped me make the important shift from thinking like a nurse to thinking like a homeopath. Having an external supervisor for my own cases was another wonderful experience and allowed me to expand my knowledge enormously through practice.

The course has also influenced my life in unexpected ways. My background had given me a very academic approach to learning, but I loved being encouraged to explore my creative side. My tutors were incredibly supportive, and I particularly enjoyed being able to submit work in more creative formats, including poetry. I also loved receiving the course file with its School logo and little ribbon tie, along with all the textbooks. They became something tangible and valuable that I could keep, return to and refer to whenever I needed them.

Even in my day job, I now find my homeopathy training useful when working with patients who use homeopathy and arrive with lists of remedies prescribed by their homeopath. More importantly, studying homeopathy has changed the way I understand myself. One of the things I learned through my own experience was that it is OK to cry. As a four-year-old with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, we were told not to cry but to wave and smile at our parents when visiting time ended. I now understand the importance of being able to acknowledge and release genuine emotions and feelings.

So, if you’re considering studying homeopathy, I would absolutely encourage you to set off on your own learning journey – particularly if you are sceptical about homeopathy or already work in conventional healthcare. You’ll be encouraged to become the best homeopath you can be, while receiving excellent support from tutors and supervisors along the way.