The California Homeopath
Journal of the California Homeopathic Medical Society

I think there are two main challenges facing homeopathy today – the education of competent practitioners who can practice the art of homeopathy and secondly, the recognition of homeopathy as a distinct profession. There is obviously a connection between these two concerns. To ask people to make the commitment to study homeopathy without being legally recognized as a homeopath at the end is not easy. The current reality is that there are precious few people who are training to be homeopaths. It is not satisfying for people to practice homeopathy under another license in which homeopathy is not truly recognized, or without a license and existing in the twilight of the law, however good a homeopath the person may be.

Therefore, one option is for homeopathy to become licensed as other professions have and carve its own position in the pie of medical therapies. However, that is easier said than done, and the particular history of homeopathy being practiced by physicians within current medical licensure creates a unique challenge for that goal.

Also, the history of medical licensure brings up a number of questions.  The fact is that licensure creates an exclusive right to practice for those who are licensed.  It is not legal for non-licensed practitioners to practice any licensed therapy.  The standards that determine licensure are mandated by the state with the enforcement of these standards under state jurisdiction.  The question has to be asked whether we want homeopathy to go down that route.

By Richard Pitt

Richard Pitt | Homeopath and Educator

Richard has been practicing and teaching homeopathy in San Francisco since 1995.  He orginally trained in England and has been practicing homeopathy since 1984.  He is former Director of the Pacific Academy of Homeopathy in San Francisco and also teaches at many other schools in the United States and Canada.  He is a founding board member and past president of the Council for Homeopathic Certification, which has established professional certification for the homeopathic profession in North America.  He is in private practice in San Francisco.