Course Author: Elaine Watson

Life is indeed a rich tapestry woven from the many strands of one’s life experiences. As I ponder how I came to write this course I realise that it is the product of many adventures, not just the teaching of Biology or Anatomy and Physiology or the practising of homeopathy alone but that it is the product of a person who has worn many hats and probably discarded none! (How very sulphuric!)

My academic path has been an interesting one starting with a Zoology degree, specialising in marine biology, from the University of St Andrews. This was followed by a spell of Official Secrets in Soil Research in Aberdeen and a Master’s degree in Soil Microbiology from the University of Aberdeen. Four years of delving into rotting fruit and vegetables and mountains of oil seed rape in the Applied Biology Dept at Cambridge University was followed by about four hundred years of child rearing which has to be the most instructive (and delightful) pastime to date.

A peaceful interlude was then spent working as a freelance copy editor for many publishing houses before moving to Wales and training as a homeopath at The British School of Homeopathy (BSH). I realised then what an important system of medicine homeopathy is and was delighted to find myself teaching the Anatomy and Physiology course to mainly bewildered students. A Certificate in Education ( in homeopathy) was a great bonus provided by BSH and allowed me to explore different ways of teaching and learning. Over the past 15 years I have been teaching the four year Medical Sciences course and also working as a tutor for Alternative Training Courses. I have been practising homeopathy here in Caerphilly and Cardiff for 13 years and I have a particular interest in the health of children. For the past 5 years I have worked with a group of homeopaths treating the children of Chernobyl which has been very interesting and rewarding.

I remember reading something like “Intelligence isn’t knowing things, its knowing where to find them ” and this has been my maxim for teaching and the driving force behind writing this course. Knowing where to find things depends on being familiar enough with the “things”. I also think “being familiar” involves getting to know things in a gentle, colourful and unthreatening way so that you put them somewhere memorable. Hence this course has many different approaches to trying to get familiar with the difficult subject matter in the hope that the homeopaths of the future (you!) can access this valuable material with ease. If I can succeed in this aim then my tapestry will be interwoven with gold!

http://www.elainewatsonhomeopath.co.uk/