FREE HOMEOPATHY CLINICS
Free homeopathy clinics do good deeds by offering no- or low-cost care to the economically disadvantaged.To gain perspective, read a few comments from CCHs who provide free-clinic care. Let their experiences inspire you to find your own ways to demonstrate the power of homeopathy!
Loretta Buttehorn, CCH:
"
The best part about operating a community program, especially for seriously impaired and mostly homeless people, is the ability to give them even a single dose of a remedy which might move them toward health and greater functionality. The success stories are heartwarming and inspiring… and short lived, as we have no capacity for long term follow up. Our philosophy is we offer what we can, which we do...An addicted woman goes into treatment and stabilizes beautifully after craving reduction and then constitutional care; a homeless teen stabilizes and accepts a residential place to be off the streets; a man known for his violence in the neighborhood reduces hostility enough to be welcome in the shelter."
"If you are thinking of offering a clinic in your community, Do It! Remember Hahnemann and Melanie, when living in Paris, treated the wealthy in the mornings and the poor in the afternoons. I wonder if they too were unable to track their success with a poor and scattered population but had an occasional heartwarming story to keep them going."
Melinda McGee, CCH:
"
Free Clinics are never free. Individuals who access a free clinic have had to pay a high price in life to get to have “free” services. Over my years of offering the option of homeopathy to people in distressed circumstances in the San Francisco Bay Area, it became clear that many have suffered head injuries and most were victims of some form of child abuse, verbal, physical, or sexual abuse and often all three."
"What can homeopathy offer?…first and foremost…judgmental free listening. Then, an appropriate remedy, usually starting with Arnica and Aconite, and case specific head injury remedies. Healing takes time and the homeopath is only part of a team to aid people to move in a direction toward health, family and home. Why do we do this? Because homeopathy can offer a path to wholeness."
Kathleen Scheible, CCH:
"I'm very excited that
Mary Johnston, CCH,
and I are beginning a new free homeopathy clinic at a non-profit services center in San Francisco's Excelsior district. This clinic and a free clinic I began in Bernal Heights in 2011 both offer homeopathy to the underserved in community centers where they already go for other kinds of services. The Bernal Clinic is 100% pro bono, and at the new clinic at Community Well center, Mary and I are paid for our time by a grant they received from the city of San Francisco's soda tax."
"Both clinics take walk-ins on a first come, first served basis, and at the new clinic we also offer online-pre-scheduling for half of the slots. Extending our homeopathic services beyond private practice is tremendously impactful to our communities, and I know it has been for me as a homeopath and community member. Often practicing in different environments and meeting people more where they are gets us out of our comfort zone in good ways."
Denise Straiges, CCH:
“In 2015, I was contacted by a major medical system in NYC interested in providing homeopathy, alongside traditional allopathic care, in its outreach clinics. Of course, my answer was, 'When do I start?' At first, the plan was to treat acutes, but it soon became apparent that there were very few acutes and our plan would have to change. This meant that full, complex cases needed to be taken, analyzed and prescribed on—in twenty minutes or less!"
"This also meant that more highly skilled clinicians would be required for this work, so we’ve got the main medical doc at the clinic already in her third year of training to become a homeopath! Most of the clients are homeless and living on the street or in shelters. Because the clinic is situated adjacent to a soup kitchen, we see the same clients regularly and are able to provide the continuity of care necessary in managing these types of cases. Working in this clinic has been, and continues to be, one of the highlights of my professional career.”
Cristina Garelli Vitale, CCH:
"
Wanda Smith-Schick, CCH
,
and I have been working with the homeless, veterans, and other underserved populations for the past 10+ years. For the past couple of years, we also volunteered for Integrative Healers Action Network (IHAN) in the first response aide to the California Fires survivors."
"Through our non-profit organization, Homeopathy Institute of the Pacific (HIP), w
e support the physical, cognitive and emotional health of veterans and other economically marginalized people through free and low cost community clinics.
We specialize in Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI), Post Traumatic Stress (PTS) and many other conditions such as: Addictions, Anxiety, Depression, Pain, Post Concussion Syndrome, Sexual Assault, Headaches, Migraines, Diabetes, High Blood Pressure and Arthritis.
Our mission is to provide affordable care for everyone, a sliding scale is available; no one is refused due to lack of funds."
