An Interview with Karen Allen (S3037)
Aug 25, 2018
Today's episode is an hour and some change of unparalleled value - an interview with Karen Allen, senior practitioner and so much more….
I pulled the quote out there at the top of the show because I felt like Karen put into words what so many of us feel at some point in our lives as we become deeper and deeper embedded in homeopathy.
But it’s not only Karen’s words that are engaging here, it’s how she says it. Karen speaks like a story teller… and I was rapt with attention as she shared her experiences.
You will be engaged and drawn in, I promise. But you also might want to pull out a piece of paper and a pen, to take notes. After this interview, I felt like i left with as many chunks to chew on and additional resources to follow up on, and solid tips for practice, as if I had been at an all day seminar.
There are a number of ways that you may have heard of Karen Allen, or crossed paths with her, including here, because I brought up Karen Allen in my episodes on doing a practice inventory. (Episode 28) I quoted from an article Karen wrote for Homeopathy Today magazine, where she talks about how case audits are a regular part of her practice and have helped her to hone in on what was not working for her clients, and ultimately led her to more successful strategies.
Karen is a senior practitioner, with 24+ years of practice in the US. currently in San Francisco, working primarily with clients in endocrine and reproductive health issues.
Karen was a Bastyr University adjunct faculty member, teaching homeopathy (2001 – 2007), and is now a faculty member at Phoenix Institute of Herbal Medicine and Acupuncture.
She presents at conferences nationally and internationally, and has authored two widely used homeopathic textbooks, including A Tutorial and Workbook for the Homeopathic Repertory, which is where I first came across her name, when I used it to study for my certification exam.
She is a past president of the Council for Homeopathic Certification, and a former education director for Homeopaths Without Borders where she developed their training curriculum for the 'Homeopathe Communitaire' program. She is a past board member for the Integrative Health Policy Consortium, an advisory body that provides guidance for legislators and government regulators on health policy. She currently serves on the Consortium's national committees for biofield and for integrative pain management.
Finally, though probably not ultimately, Karen offers several courses born from her clinical and research experience. They are available to homeopaths anywhere in the world through her website. Courses are practical and focused on solid homeopathic skills for managing issues and cases such as chronic fatigue, anemia, diabetes, PCOS, organ therapeutics, menopause, and more. She also offers a rare and much needed course to help homeopaths build a solid practice, entitled ‘From Start Up to Stellar’ The airing of this episode coincides with the publication of Karen’s fall course offerings, so be sure to check out her website karenallenhomeopathy.com
You can also find the article Karen wrote about Eizayaga’s work, which has deeply influenced her work here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ku13APDFBTDMOWXT-oN6LbKxzVM-XM9uKAcisr1jiAI/edit?usp=sharing
Before I transitioned to my interview with Karen, I wanted to find something from the archives, as I am wont to do. Not only because I love it, and I love to anchor the words of our colleagues today with the words of our colleagues past, but because Karen herself has delved into the archives and much of her work has been shaped by the hours engrossed in old journals at the San Francisco Medial Library.
I looked for something that would meet the spirit of what Karen shared about her journey.
This is an excerpt from
What am i (P. Brown)
Read before the annual meeting of the international hahnemannian association, atlantic city, n.j. , july, 1923.
"In these days of extreme unrest, tense nerves, civic, religious social, medical and domestic chaos, scepticism, and egoism, is it not well for us occasionally to stop-and ask ourselves the question, "what am I?".
In these days of vain grasping for specifies, short cuts to health, therapeutic nihilism, sectional bigotry and disfavor, is it not well for us, a body of recognized physicians, to stop and ponder over these questions a little, to ask ourselves the question, "what are we?".
When I was a lad, in the old Nutmeg State, Connecticut, we used to sing a song: "I have a work which no other can do".
If I am a unit in this vast universe, with a specific mission to perform, which no other can do; so long as I perform my duty faithfully, "what am I ?”.
…
I am proud to say that I believe in and am trying to unfold and develop the principles of medicine as laid down by Samuel Hahnemann, because my experience causes me to feel sure that those principles are true. I believe in the efficacy of homoeopathy and if my results are unsatisfactory, the fault is mine, not in the principles of homoeopathy. The foundation of homoeopathy is grounded upon definite principles. A Hindu legend portrays a father, asking his son to bring him fruit of the tree and break it open. "What is there?" the father asks. "Some small seeds," the son replies. "Break open the seeds and what do you find?" queried the father, to which the son replied: "I find nothing!".
The wise parent said: "Where you see nothing, there dwells a mighty tree!"
This ancient fable contains most important lesson for us all:- The invisible but dynamic philosophy of homoeopathy…..
If Hahnemann and his loyal followers were present today, I feel sure that that they would each and all say to us:
"When we have to do with an art,the end of which is
the saving of human life,
And neglect to make ourselves masters of this art, is a crime".
"Will to can always, what you ought to do,
For right is right, and right the day must win".
What Am I?
I am a homoeopathic physician!."
Enjoy the interview with Karen!~