Reflections on a Homeopathic Life
by Avghi Constantinides
I started my practice in 1995, and since then I have continued my homeopathic education every year with at least 2-3 conferences per year, plus teaching, which helps keep me on track and up to date. I feel that if one does not continue to learn one can become static, which is never a good thing in the health care field. I believe it is essential to keep current with the advances in the homeopathic community, not only for myself, and my patients, but also for the LASH students.
In the school I attended, I received a great homeopathic education, but it ended there. There was no guidance with how to start a practice or keep it going, and most of all how to develop clients. Over the years I have attended many marketing and “how to grow a practice” workshops. I have also read many books on this topic. I feel it is imperative to keep current on the ever-evolving methods of promoting my businesses.
Louis Klein and I decided to start a school in Los Angeles in 2003. I would never have done this without him, because I felt I did not have much experience at that time. We wanted to start a school that a had a solid foundation in homeopathy. We were determined to keep the school focused exclusively on homeopathy to ensure that each student would receive an exceptional homeopathic education. Knowing what was missing from my homeopathic education and relying on Louis Klein’s experience and knowledge, I created a 3-year curriculum with a Mentorship program that starts in 1st year and expands each year and an Internship Clinic starting in the 2nd year and continues to the 3rd year. I realized that what was lacking from my homeopathic education was hands-on learning within the classroom, Clinic and Mentoring. All these issues, Lou and I thought were important to include in the curriculum.
Today our school’s curriculum is so fantastic that I wish I had gone to the Los Angeles School of Homeopathy myself! Kate Ormenyi is our Dean of Curriculum and a core faculty teacher and today our curriculum is full and rich with the program that we have put together. Having dedicated core teachers, each year we invite 1-2 guest lecturers to broaden our student’s experience and expose them to various styles of homeopathic prescribing.
Running a 3-year program is not easy. When the school expanded in 2008 I took a step back from teaching just to make sure the administration of the school was running smoothly. It is a lot of work and is done from a place of love and passion for homeopathy. Having a passion for something is not enough to keep a business growing and I have learned over the years to develop a solid and viable business model that keeps the school on a steady path to producing well rounded, educated homeopaths.
Los Angeles School of Homeopathy has many diverse students, we are very proud to be educating women and men from a myriad of international backgrounds. Our students cover the globe, from Iran, Germany, France, India, Mexico, Armenia, Russia, South and North America. The fact that people of so many different nationalities come to Los Angeles School of Homeopathy for their homeopathic education, shows me that the future of homeopathy will be in good, well-trained hands around the world.
Knowing that these international students have learned not only their native language and English, but homeopathic language as well, points to their steadfast commitment to acquire this knowledge and take it to the communities they will serve.
The deep feelings of pride and satisfaction that affect me every June when we graduate another class are more than enough reward for me. I always seem to tear up during graduation, and these tears are tears of joy knowing these students are well prepared after three years of hard work to start a practice of their own.
There is always a sense of accomplishment with each class to see these adults start in their first year and grow and expand into wonderful homeopaths. These students are the next generation of homeopaths. I am thrilled when we get very young students into our program as it shows me that homeopathy has most definitely been kept alive through the years and is still inspiring new generations of dedicated people. In our third-year classes we talk a lot about how to start a professional practice, how to get a business license, how to create a business model that suits everyone’s ideas and needs, how to get insurance, and how to develop clients. This helps the students transition from a student homeopath into a practicing homeopath. Graduates leave the school with marketing ideas, and a basic knowledge of how to run and keep a practice. Here at LASH, we feel that educating the public and our clients is crucial to the promotion and growth of homeopathy.
Each year the classes ebb and flow in size. We have noticed when there is a down turn in the economy our class size increases. I think this has a lot to do with loss of jobs, feeling unsatisfied in the jobs people are currently in or wanting to do something better in their lives, like helping others.
I have chosen to practice 3 days a week. This seems to work well for me. In this way, I can give each patient the special attention they need without feeling over whelmed or over worked. One big observation I have made over the years is about customer service. I have gotten many new patients because they were unhappy about the customer service they had received from their last homeopath. The biggest complaint I have heard over the years is that their homeopath does not get back to them in a timely manner. This is never a difficult thing for me to do, especially via email, which I find is my best mode of communication. Keeping in contact with your patients is essential for a healthy and thriving practice. Whether you are a director of a school, a teacher or a practicing homeopath, make sure you have balance in your life. In the last 2-years many schools have closed, either from being poorly managed or overextending themselves. It's a tricky balance to find, but in the long run this does hurt our profession. If you do decide to practice homeopathy, please make sure you do it in a professional manner. It does make a difference to your patients and to your colleagues in the homeopathic community that you act in a professional manner always.
Avghi Constantinides D.Hom HMC CCH RS Hom MA
