Abstract

Homeopathy is the second major form of medicine in the world, used by an estimated 500 million people (Fisher, 2006; Schmukler, 2009) and included in the National Health Service in several countries, such as France, Mexico and Denmark. A comprehensive analysis of research evidence to date on the effectiveness, safety, and cost of homeopathy commissioned by the Swiss health authorities and published in a 2011 report upheld it as a valid, effective and important addition to conventional health care. (World Health Organization, 2011a; 2011b), Mental health related issues comprise nearly a quarter or more of the global burden of disease. Homeopathic treatment in mental health care has been increasing, in step with these rising trends, as well as in response to global calls for the right to health and free access to greater treatment options (UN Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights). In countries and cultures where access to conventional mental health care is either not available, scarce, unaffordable or culturally inappropriate, homeopathy has played an important role, providing treatment to millions. In countries where psychotherapy is accepted, there are also many who are unhappy because the focus is often on medications to dull symptoms rather than to resolve the underlying issues. In this article we examine elements suggesting homeopathy may inherently contribute to the humanistically allied psychotherapeutic process, particularly with relation to the person-centered approach. Illustrative vignettes drawn from Ferris (2008) doctoral investigation of the lived experience of psychotherapists working with patients given homeopathic remedies suggests the possibility of fruitful integration and collaboration. Our discussion considers the benefits that homeopathy offers in its ability to effect positive outcomes, the shared features of the homeopathic and psychotherapeutic treatment processes, the core ingredients of a homeopathic counseling approach, the holistic role of homeopathy in recognizing the somatic intelligence in integrated mind-body healing, and its benefits in advancing the psychotherapeutic process.