Homeopathy for Birth Trauma
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For me this is a brilliant book with wonderful, in depth cases about birth trauma healing and vividly demonstrating its profound effects upon life. I know a lot about this subject, as I wrote a book partly on this, yet I learnt a lot more from Homeopathy for Birth Trauma. The theory Harry van der Zee gives, inspired by Stanislav Grof, and directly linked to The Organon, is demonstrated by a wide variety of fascinating birth trauma case studies. This is homeopathy at its best, cutting edge and rooted in great cases from this millennium that we can easily relate to.
Peter Chappell FSHom
This very well researched, beautifully written book is suitably documented with several case studies which establish the idea that the birth process could provide very useful clues for a patient's state. It gives us impetus to test the idea in our practice so that we can find yet one more area where we can look for or confirm the remedy.
Rajan Sankaran MD
ISBN | 9789080710351 |
---|---|
Author | Harry van der Zee |
Type | Paperback |
Language | English |
Publication Date | 2007-09-03 |
Pages | 158 |
Publisher | Homeolinks |
Review | This book review is reprinted from Spring 2008, 26:4 edition, with permission from The Homeopath. Reviewed by Barbara Geraghty The title of this book could suggest an emergency manual for use in the delivery suite, but this is a further exploration of van der Zee's theories which appear in his book Miasms in Labour (2000). Harry van der Zee is a homeopathic doctor who has practised and taught in the Netherlands for twenty years. He is also a publisher and editor of Homeopathic Links and has recently founded the Amma Resonance Healing Foundation. The book begins with a brief summary of his theories on miasms in labour, possibly challenging for those who unfamiliar with homeopathic or miasmatic theory. He presents a miasmatic theory for our time and explores in detail how the analysis of the birth process can lead to new insights into the nature and purpose of miasms and how each stage of the birthing process relates to a particular miasm, also summarised at the end of this book. Homeopathy for Birth Trauma gives greater emphasis to how the same miasmatic information can be used to give an insight into the patient's state, helping with case analysis and the subsequent choice of homeopathic remedy. The author's theories are based on his own experience, expertise, and on diverse sources, and include psychoanalyst Carl Gustav Jung, psychiatrist Stanislav Grof, obstetrician Michel Odent and shaman Eileen Naumann. Cases with brief analyses and remedy pictures are particularly useful to homeopaths, featuring remedies poorly represented in the repertories. The contents are persuasive and elegant also pleasing to the eye and the layout is logical and easy to follow. A bullet point summary closes each chapter. Each case analysis is headed by an image of an open oyster revealing a pearl, and three pearls head each chapter summary, there are other unique design features. The reader is encouraged to consider all stages of the birthing process and their meaning for each individual, for mankind and life on the planet. This book should be of interest to homeopaths, gynaecologists, midwives, birth Doulas, maternity nurses and parents. Readers from all backgrounds will enjoy the book. This book review is reprinted from Volume 21, Spring 2008 edition, with permission from Homeopathic Links. Reviewed by Francis Treuherz, United Kingdom Writing a review of a book written and published by the editor of this journal could signal the approach of my nemesis, But I have to say it is a great and innovative work. The lesson of this book is the necessity to enquire, in as much detail as possible, about the state of the mother in pregnancy and labour, and the patient in utero and during the birth for every patient we encounter. This book is not what I expected from the title; it is not a book for midwives or homeopaths in attendance at a birth, but it will be a book of great value to all practising homeopaths. While the author is clear about the contribution of his own spiritual approach to life, this book will be accessible to readers of any religion or none. The many detailed cases mention about 85 remedies, they are about patients who suffered before and during their birth and are presented with amazing insights. An example case: an enthusiastic young woman who is both exhilarated, exhausted and isolated, fearful with nightmares, has a nose-bleed during the consultation. The state of the mother during birth is analysed, she thought the foetus had died, and this points to a prescription of Crocus sativa. I am already reconsidering some of my own failed prescriptions. The cases are narrated with wide-ranging references from the many cultures of homeopathy and beyond: plant families, periodic tables, the lifestyles of animals, close repertory work, Jungian symbolic themes, Greek myths, a quotation from Virgil, even medical diagnoses! Harry van der Zee shows himself to be a polymath. His earlier work Miasms in Labour (2000) is reprised, and forms the basis of further analysis of miasms. After reading this book there can be no doubt about the value of the concept of miasm as a heuristic device for helping to find the simillimum. The book has been designed with more concern for aesthetics than is usual. Some pages have a blurred grey background of the colour picture on the cover, others are just grey. Large parts of the text are italic on grey - de gustibus - I found these hard to read. The cases are themed, and after each there are pearls of wisdom, the lessons learned from this theme. The process is signalled with icons of a closed oyster for the case, an opened oyster for the analysis, and finally the pearls of wisdom. There is a complete bibliography and an index of remedies. So you will find here a great leap forward in our philosophy and methodology, presented with care and love, with a practical approach to case analysis, and a deep understanding of human nature in birth and creation. |
Review
This book review is reprinted from Spring 2008, 26:4 edition, with permission from The Homeopath.
Reviewed by Barbara Geraghty
The title of this book could suggest an emergency manual for use in the delivery suite, but this is a further exploration of van der Zee's theories which appear in his book Miasms in Labour (2000). Harry van der Zee is a homeopathic doctor who has practised and taught in the Netherlands for twenty years. He is also a publisher and editor of Homeopathic Links and has recently founded the Amma Resonance Healing Foundation.
The book begins with a brief summary of his theories on miasms in labour, possibly challenging for those who unfamiliar with homeopathic or miasmatic theory. He presents a miasmatic theory for our time and explores in detail how the analysis of the birth process can lead to new insights into the nature and purpose of miasms and how each stage of the birthing process relates to a particular miasm, also summarised at the end of this book. Homeopathy for Birth Trauma gives greater emphasis to how the same miasmatic information can be used to give an insight into the patient's state, helping with case analysis and the subsequent choice of homeopathic remedy. The author's theories are based on his own experience, expertise, and on diverse sources, and include psychoanalyst Carl Gustav Jung, psychiatrist Stanislav Grof, obstetrician Michel Odent and shaman Eileen Naumann.
Cases with brief analyses and remedy pictures are particularly useful to homeopaths, featuring remedies poorly represented in the repertories. The contents are persuasive and elegant also pleasing to the eye and the layout is logical and easy to follow. A bullet point summary closes each chapter. Each case analysis is headed by an image of an open oyster revealing a pearl, and three pearls head each chapter summary, there are other unique design features.
The reader is encouraged to consider all stages of the birthing process and their meaning for each individual, for mankind and life on the planet. This book should be of interest to homeopaths, gynaecologists, midwives, birth Doulas, maternity nurses and parents. Readers from all backgrounds will enjoy the book.
This book review is reprinted from Volume 21, Spring 2008 edition, with permission from Homeopathic Links.
Reviewed by Francis Treuherz, United Kingdom
Writing a review of a book written and published by the editor of this journal could signal the approach of my nemesis, But I have to say it is a great and innovative work.
The lesson of this book is the necessity to enquire, in as much detail as possible, about the state of the mother in pregnancy and labour, and the patient in utero and during the birth for every patient we encounter. This book is not what I expected from the title; it is not a book for midwives or homeopaths in attendance at a birth, but it will be a book of great value to all practising homeopaths. While the author is clear about the contribution of his own spiritual approach to life, this book will be accessible to readers of any religion or none.
The many detailed cases mention about 85 remedies, they are about patients who suffered before and during their birth and are presented with amazing insights. An example case: an enthusiastic young woman who is both exhilarated, exhausted and isolated, fearful with nightmares, has a nose-bleed during the consultation. The state of the mother during birth is analysed, she thought the foetus had died, and this points to a prescription of Crocus sativa. I am already reconsidering some of my own failed prescriptions. The cases are narrated with wide-ranging references from the many cultures of homeopathy and beyond: plant families, periodic tables, the lifestyles of animals, close repertory work, Jungian symbolic themes, Greek myths, a quotation from Virgil, even medical diagnoses! Harry van der Zee shows himself to be a polymath.
His earlier work Miasms in Labour (2000) is reprised, and forms the basis of further analysis of miasms. After reading this book there can be no doubt about the value of the concept of miasm as a heuristic device for helping to find the simillimum.
The book has been designed with more concern for aesthetics than is usual. Some pages have a blurred grey background of the colour picture on the cover, others are just grey. Large parts of the text are italic on grey - de gustibus - I found these hard to read. The cases are themed, and after each there are pearls of wisdom, the lessons learned from this theme. The process is signalled with icons of a closed oyster for the case, an opened oyster for the analysis, and finally the pearls of wisdom. There is a complete bibliography and an index of remedies. So you will find here a great leap forward in our philosophy and methodology, presented with care and love, with a practical approach to case analysis, and a deep understanding of human nature in birth and creation.