Dear collegues,
I am currently in my final year of my classical homeopathy course in London, U.K. I'm working on a small research project on the subject of 'shame' and how we encounter and deal with this as homeopaths when we meet it in our patients. I am interested in collecting the views and reflective thoughts of homeopaths on this subject, and in particular in relation to the 12 questions that I have listed below. If this is a subject that you have come across or if it particularly interests you, I'd be really interested in hearing from you.
Can I invite those interested people to send me your comments on the 12 questions below, along with the reference information - you can email me directly on my personal email addresss through this site I think. Your comments could be very wide ranging or very specific. I am also interested in references to examples if it is appropriate or possible to do this (no names of course).
- With very grateful thanks, and in anticipation of some interesting experiences to learn from!
Barbara R.

In your experience, ...
1. how do you think individuals are affected by shame and how does it show itself?

2. what sorts of effects does shame have on people's physical and emotional health?

3. how do patients with shame related issues tend to present themselves in consultations?

4. what sorts of techniques / coping behvaiours / compensatory behaviours do patients with shame related issues draw upon to enable them to get on with their lives and cope with their feelings of shame?

5. what other kinds of emotional, behavioural or physical health problems do you come across in patients with shame issues?

6. what kinds of personal support networks do patients with shame issues tend to have?

7. what sorts of referrals or additional support might you recommend for such patients?

8. are there specific case management issues raised for you by patients with shame issues? What are these?

9. what sorts of approaches to treating patients with shame issues have particularly worked in your practice?

10. what sorts of personal issues are raised for homeopaths who work with patients with shame related issues?

11. in the light of these reflections and your experience, how would you define 'shame'?

12. again, in the light of these reflections and your experience, how important a role does the 'emotion' of shame play in homeopathic practice?

Thank you! Please also send me the following information with your comments:
- your name (or a name by which I can refer to you)
- your location (town, city and country where you practice)
- number of years in practice
- your type of practice (e.g. 'busy urban', 'hospital', 'private' etc)