Homeopathy: The Basics
Whether you're curious to learn more about homeopathy or ready to add essential tools to your toolkit—you're in the right place. Our approach empowers people with easy‑to‑use tools so you can feel confident caring for yourself and your family, naturally.
Hi! I’m Em, a naturopath and homeopath passionate about supporting people in gentle, powerful, and evidence-informed ways. I have been using homeopathy my whole life (thanks to my mum), and I can vouch for homeopathy being a life-long journey of learning! However, for the most part, it thankfully doesn’t have to be complicated, which is part of its power and appeal. My mission is to share the basics of Homeopathy so that you can comfortably and confidently use it at home. Homeopathy is such an incredible system of medicine that has soooo many applications, ie acute / chronic, physical / emotional, inter-generational, detoxification (another post), fertility (another post) and homeoprophalaxis (also another post!)
Here, we’re diving into Homeopathy— the basics: what it is, how it works, and why it can be such a transformative tool for healing.
Whether you're completely new to homeopathy or have dabbled a bit before, this talk will give you a clear, grounded overview of this time-tested system of medicine.
Why Choose Homeopathy?
Homeopathy is a gentle, yet powerful system that supports the body's innate ability to heal. Rooted in the principle of "like cures like.” It stimulates your vital force, so the cells in your body and the energetics involved, can be given the right “message” or stimuli to mount an appropriate response. It has been coined “liquid acupuncture”.
It is safe, suitable and effective for all ages, conditions (including pregnancy and breastfeeding - but please contact your homeopath), and is non-toxic, cost-effective and able to used alongside other therapies, medications etc with no contraindications (again - please consult your practitioner).
Brief History of Homeopathy
Homeopathy was founded by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, a German physician, in the late 1700s. At the time, conventional medicine often did more harm than good—think bloodletting, toxic doses of mercury, and other aggressive treatments. Hahnemann was frustrated with this, and during his translation of a medical text, he tested a theory: that cinchona bark, which was used to treat malaria, could actually cause malaria-like symptoms in a healthy person. This led to his core principle: ‘like cures like.’ From there, homeopathy was born.
By the 1800s and early 1900s, homeopathy spread across Europe, India, the UK, and the USA. In fact, many of the first hospitals in the U.S. were homeopathic! Today, it’s widely used in countries like India, France, Germany, Brazil, and is steadily growing in popularity around the world—including here in Australia. Homeopathy is actually making a huge come-back in Australia, it is a very exciting time to be a homeopathic student and practitioner!
Core Principles of Homeopathy
Like Cures Like
A substance that can cause symptoms in a healthy person can treat similar symptoms in a sick person.
Example: Coffee (Coffea) can cause sleeplessness in some people—so a homeopathic remedy made from coffee can help with insomnia where the mind is racing.The Minimum Dose
Remedies are highly diluted and prepared through a process called potentisation. The goal is to stimulate the body’s innate healing response—not suppress symptoms.The Vital Force
Homeopathy works by supporting the body’s own life force or self-regulating intelligence. It’s a holistic system—meaning we treat the whole person, not just isolated symptoms.Individualisation
Two people with the same condition may need different remedies, depending on their unique expression of symptoms—mentally, emotionally, and physically.Hering’s Law of Cure
Healing happens in a predictable direction:From above downward
From inside out
From most vital to least vital organs
And in reverse order of appearance
Common Acute Remedies & Their Personalities
These are ones I reach for often in clinic and home first-aid kits:
Arnica montana
The go-to for bruises, trauma, falls, and physical shock.
"I’m fine, don’t touch me!" even when clearly injured.
Useful post-surgery, dental work, childbirth.
Arsenicum album
Restlessness, anxiety about health, perfectionist energy.
Worse at night, chilly, wants warmth.
Useful in food poisoning, stomach bugs, or flu with exhaustion and fear.
Nux vomica
Type A, driven, easily irritated, overworked, sensitive to stimulants.
Great for hangovers, digestive upsets, or nervous system overload.
Often worse in the morning, chilly, needs control.
Sepia
Hormonal remedy. A go-to for burnout in women—especially mothers.
Indifferent, flat, snappy, wants to escape.
PMS, menopausal issues, prolapse, pelvic heaviness.
Chamomilla
Famous for teething babies!
Oversensitive, irritable, inconsolable. One cheek red, the other pale.
Wants to be carried—then screams again. “Impossible to please.”
Aconite
First remedy after sudden shock, fright, or panic.
Also for early stages of fever or flu—especially after cold wind.
Restless, fearful, thinks they’ll die.
Coffea cruda
Insomnia from an overactive mind—can’t switch off, full of ideas.
Sensitive to pain, sound, light.
Can follow emotional excitement—positive or negative.
Allium cepa
Made from red onion.
Burning watery eyes, streaming nose, lots of sneezing—classic hay fever or cold.
Nose runs like a tap; better in open air, worse in warm rooms.
How Remedies Are Made
Homeopathic remedies are made from plants, minerals, and other natural substances.
Through a process of serial dilution and succussion (vigorous shaking), they become more potent energetically—even while containing less of the original substance.
They’re available in potencies like 6X, 30C, 200C, etc.
Safety and Use at Home
Homeopathy is safe, gentle, non-toxic, and can be used alongside conventional medicine.
It's commonly used for acute ailments (colds, fevers, teething, injuries) and also chronic conditions when prescribed by a qualified practitioner.
Always match the remedy to the person, not just the symptom.
When to Seek Professional Support
For complex, chronic, or emotional conditions, working with a homeopath ensures deep, individualised care.
I support patients through hormonal imbalance, fatigue, digestive issues, stress, children’s health, fertility, postpartum, and more.
We look at the whole person—and the right remedy can often feel like a key unlocking the system.
Closing Thoughts + Invitation
Homeopathy is both an art and a science. It respects the body’s wisdom, works with nature—not against it—and offers profound results when used well.
If this has sparked your curiosity, I’d love to invite you to learn more. You can explore my online resources, book an acute consultation, or join me for workshops on using homeopathy for families, first aid, and women’s health.
Thank you for being here—and I hope you leave feeling empowered and inspired by this beautiful system of healing.
To learn more and have a handy Homeopathy Handbook at home to support your home prescribing and to help choose remedies for a variety of different conditions : https://yinandtonicnaturalmedicine.com.au/shop/p/yin-and-tonic-homeopathy-handbook-2024
For remedies and first aid kits: https://yinandtonicnaturalmedicine.com.au/shop/homeopathy
For workshops, keep an eye out on social media : https://www.instagram.com/yin_and_tonic_natural_medicine/ and sign up for my newsletter!