It was my middle child, Sam who outed me as a professional homeopath. It happened during his class assembly in front of the entire school and a bunch of other year 3 parents. Their topic was “All about me” and they’d been learning about the human body, relationships and family trees. The whole class was on stage - some children spoke about their hobbies, others showed off their self-portraits. But Sam had chosen to talk about his family. This is when he announced my vital stats. “My mum is from Yorkshire. She likes cappuccinos and she is a homeopath”. And just like that, it was official.
That was six years ago, but it was the moment I started to re-emerge as an individual after almost ten years of motherhood. Ten years of glorious, exhausting, life-affirming, all-consuming motherhood. I’d birthed, breastfed and attachment-parented three babies who, all of a sudden, had grown up and were firmly ensconced in the school system. So where did this leave me? I was no longer defined primarily by the baby attached to me, but once again for being me - my Yorkshire roots, my love of coffee and my profession. It was my seven year old son who helped reboot this.
I am aware that lots of mothers go through a similar transition. Many of us choose to pause or scale back our careers for a few years so we can be the primary carer for our young children. We devote our very existence to their wellbeing. And whilst this is done without regret or resentment, I have talked time and time again with other mothers who emerge from the baby and pre-school years similarly unsure of how to reclaim that other part of themselves, how to redefine themselves as an individual with an identity beyond their motherhood.
In my previous roles, I had campaigned for human rights, peace and the environment and I remained committed to a natural and ethical approach to life. But starting a family had forced me to rethink my career path as I wanted to be around for my three boys. Homeopathy had always been alluring, and I knew from personal experience that it could make a real difference to health and well-being. Here was my calling.
Homeopathy is a natural, safe and gentle system of medicine that is designed to work holistically for each unique individual. Remedies stimulate the body’s own healing mechanism to restore the entire system to health and harmony and many people use them to help with childhood illnesses, asthma, eczema, IBS and depression, to name a few. It is based on the principle of like cures like – a substance that can cause symptoms in a healthy person can be used to cure the same symptoms when taken in homeopathic form.
For those unacquainted with it, homeopathy is often misunderstood, sometimes even maligned. Yet it is estimated that over 200 million people around the world use and trust homeopathy on a regular basis. That’s a lot of people making it their healthcare choice. Six million of them are in the UK and include the likes of David Beckham, Jude Law, Emma Watson, and even members of the Royal family.
For me, homeopathy has been particularly important during times of personal transition. Life is full of changes, both physical and emotional, and homeopathic medicine has helped me ride these sometimes challenging times. It has helped me navigate teenage and university years as I transitioned into adulthood, supported my changing body through three pregnancies and helped me deal with emotional trauma. It continues to be the healthcare of choice for me and my family and it is a genuine joy to work professionally, supporting others in their journey towards health and harmony.
Sam said it for me six years ago, but I too am very proud to say:
I am from Yorkshire. I like cappuccinos. And I am a homeopath!
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