Homeopathic Assessment

The first consultation in homeopathy, also known as the initial homeopathic assessment, lasts about two hours for chronic complaints and as long as needed in the case of acute complaints. It is the beginning of an often fascinating journey of healing and self-discovery. A well-performed initial assessment provides the homeopath a solid foundation to guide the patient through this journey. We will look for details of your current illness considering other aspects of your health as your medical history, diet, lifestyle and personality.

The Dr Alvarez begins by listening to the details of the patient’s ailments as well as anything else that the patient feels is relevant to the case. In addition to eliciting objective symptoms relating to these complaints, he, through the use of many open-ended questions, encourages the patient to describe his or her exact experience of the illness or discomfort in progressively greater clarity, depth, and detail. The aim of this interview process is for the Dr Alvarez to perceive the inner state of the patient, a single state that best points to the correct single prescription. This inner state is expressed through mind and body but is deeper than both. Although in everyday life many of us remain unaware of it, it is constantly expressed in the way we speak and interact with others, in what we choose to do in our spare time, in how we dress, and (often most clearly) in the content of our dreams.

This elaborate interview process, when competently guided, inevitably leads to a holistic view of the patient’s state, and to a perspective that ties together seemingly disparate phenomena into a unified story and portrait of the illness at hand.