Your First Homeopathy Consultation

A first appointment with a homeopath is different from a short check-up. It is long, it is detailed and it is mostly you talking. Knowing what to expect makes it easier to get the most out of it.

How long it takes

For a long-standing or recurring concern, a first consultation commonly runs around an hour and a half. Follow-up appointments are shorter, often about forty-five minutes.

What you will be asked

• What is troubling you, in as much detail as you can give, including what makes it better or worse.
• Other changes you have noticed since it began: mood, worries, sleep, dreams, appetite, thirst, how warm or cold you feel.
• Your own health history and that of your close family, sometimes back to grandparents.
• Any medicines or supplements you take. Always tell the practitioner everything you are taking.

The aim is an overview of you as a person, not only of the symptom you came in with.

What happens after you leave

The practitioner picks out the symptoms that are most individual to you and checks them against reference books. Repertories index the symptoms recorded in provings, and the materia medica describes each remedy in depth. Today much of this is done with software, but it can still take time, so after a first visit for a long-standing issue the remedy is sometimes sent or collected a little later. For a short-term complaint the choice is simpler and a remedy is often given on the day.

How many appointments?

There is no fixed number. Short-term problems and injuries are usually quick to assess. For long-standing concerns, some practitioners use a rough rule of thumb of about one appointment for every year the problem has been there, but every case is different.

Other medicines

Practitioners generally do not ask people to stop prescribed medicines suddenly. Any change to prescribed medicines is something to agree with the prescriber who knows your case.

Preparing

• Jot down your symptoms and when they happen before you go.
• Bring a list of what you take.
• Between appointments, keep short notes on changes in sleep, digestion, mood and energy; they are useful at the next visit.

If you would like a first conversation before committing to anything, you can book a free consultation with us.

Also see How to Choose a Homeopathic Remedy and How to Tell if a Remedy Is Working.

Need help choosing?

Try the remedy finder or book a free consultation. Our dosage page explains how to take the remedies we sell.

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Traditional homeopathic use, education only, not a substitute for medical care. Speak to your doctor or practitioner.