Gryffindor vs Slytherin: Classical and Non-Classical Homeopathy in the Treatment of Complex Paediatric Cases
When we talk about homeopathy - especially in the treatment of sensitive or complex children - it’s easy to get drawn into debates about methods. Classical homeopathy. Non-classical homeopathy. One remedy. Several. Mixtures. Protocols. Detoxes. Constitutions.
Parents often ask, “What type of homeopathy is the most successful in treating children with [this diagnosis]?” It’s a completely understandable question - when you are trying to help your child, you need reassurance that you’re making the right choices.
But the truth is that healing, and especially healing with a holistic system of medicine like homeopathy, is hard to put into numbers. Full recovery is difficult to define. Healing often unfolds slowly, in layers, and children’s journeys are rarely linear. Families often use multiple therapies at once, making it hard to know which piece shifted what. And when things go well, families often move forward quietly, making follow-up difficult.
While it’s important that both practitioners and parents bring their own experiences to the table, debates about methods can sometimes create more confusion than clarity.
The classical vs non-classical conversation can feel especially charged. We live in a time where polarisation touches many areas of life - right vs left, conventional vs alternative medicine, structured schooling vs unschooling. It’s easy for homeopathy to be drawn into that same tension: two sides, two ways, each defending their ground.
I believe that when the focus becomes choosing sides, something really vital can get lost. And this made me wonder: what if the key to healing with homeopathy lies somewhere else entirely?
What Is Classical Homeopathy?
Classical homeopathy by definition is very simple: one remedy, chosen based on the totality of symptoms, taken at a certain point in time. This remedy is then given a generous amount of space before prescribing another (sometimes weeks, sometimes months). This is based on the belief that introducing a second remedy during this timeframe could confuse or disrupt the healing response of the first remedy.
Amongst clients who are new to classical homeopathy, there is sometimes a mistaken belief that classical homeopathy means that every person has one lifelong “constitutional” remedy that, once found, will solve all future health challenges. In reality, this isn’t how most cases unfold in practice. Healing with homeopathy is usually a process of working through layers - prescribing for the active state the person is currently in, allowing that layer to shift, and adjusting remedy and potency as new pictures and patterns emerge. It’s not about finding one perfect match for a lifetime. It’s about staying attentive to the evolving needs of the case, prescription by prescription.
It’s also important to note that even within classical homeopathy, there is a wide range of methods. Some classical homeopaths would never prescribe sarcodes or isopathic remedies; others do. Some work with a variety of potencies, others use low potencies exclusively, while some use only high potencies. Some prescribe a new remedy every month; others ask clients to wait several months between prescriptions. Some homeopaths sometimes mix methods while still considering themselves classical (even though they are probably only 90% classical), while others hold firmly to a single interpretation of Hahnemann’s teachings 100% of the time.
Overall, classical homeopathy is a great way of prescribing: it’s a simple, step-by-step, deeply considerate approach that can cause immense shifts in our client’s lives. But sometimes it can feel a bit too slow - or simply not enough - raising the question: in some cases, is there more that can be done?
What Is Non-Classical (or Integrative/Practical) Homeopathy?
Non-classical, integrative, or practical homeopathy is an umbrella term for a myriad of different approaches that more often than not remain grounded in classical training but offer more variation in how remedies are used. The main intention is still the same: to support the body’s natural ability to heal with the least amount of remedies possible. But it's also trying to answer that sometimes burning question: is there more that can be done?
The underlying belief in this style of practice is that when remedies are well chosen and timed with awareness, the body is capable of receiving different kinds of support within the same phase. That remedies can not ‘’cancel each other out’’ as easily as it’s believed by classical homeopaths, and that some remedies, when taken in the appropriate potency and sequence, can even be supportive of one another.
In a complex paediatric case, a non-classical homeopath may begin with a totality remedy and then, depending on how the case unfolds, introduce others in a mindful sequence - perhaps a couple of detox remedies, a blend to support acute symptoms, another remedy to help make bedtime easier, or any additional tools like low-potency tissue salts, bowel nosodes, organ supporting remedies, flower essences or homeobotanicals. These are not scattergun prescriptions. Each addition is made with care, in response to what is actively emerging, and with careful deliberation. Just like classical homeopathy, non-classical homeopathy requires attentiveness, restraint, and trust in the body's ability to respond in its own time and way.
At this point, it’s important to remember that homeopathic remedies don’t heal - they initiate healing. They offer a signal to the body, a gentle little nudge that awakens the system’s own intelligence. Once that response begins, the body does the rest. According to non-classical homeopaths, when we follow the client’s symptoms closely and prescribe with care, remedies can be given in sequence without disrupting healing processes.
Even in this flexible approach, the goal is still simplicity. The ideal is always to return to the clearest expression of homeopathy: a single, well-matched remedy. Even when multiple remedies are used, the principle remains the same: use the fewest number of remedies, at the lowest effective repetition. As clients heal, they seem to need less and less remedies in less and less repetition, and eventually, no remedies at all (which is the most ideal situation of all) - at least until another big shift in their life happens! (During which it’s completely normal to ask for a homeopath’s help again, and not something we should ever see as a failure. We all get stuck in the rut sometimes, and a little ‘’energetic nudge’’ can go a long way.)
What We Need to Be Careful With: Protocol Prescribing
I personally identify as a non-classical or integrative homeopath. Like most homeopaths today, I was trained at a classical homeopathy school, but only about 60-70% of my prescriptions are truly classical. Additionally, alongside homeopathy, I also like to work with flower essences, different body and energy work practices, meditation and nutrition. While working in a more integrative way is an important part of my practice, there are some trends that I definitely avoid, one of which is stand-alone protocol prescribing.
Most non-classical homeopaths use protocols in their practice, but not as a stand alone treatment. It seems to me that it’s only those who haven’t gone through a fully accredited homeopathic training that seem to offer these - after all, protocols can easily be copied over from books and then sold to clients who are new to homeopathy. The problem with these stand-alone protocols - such as giving a sequence of remedies for detoxing a particular substance, or a set series of remedies for a diagnosis - is that they were only ever intended to be used alongside individualised totality prescriptions. The wonderful homeopaths who wrote these protocols spent many years in clinical practice and research to create the protocols as helpful tools to go into the non-classical homeopaths toolbox - to go alongside or alternate with totality prescriptions - but never to replace these altogether! Homeopathic treatment should always include careful deliberation of finding the right remedies to fit the totality of the individual symptoms of the client. When we lose sight of this, we lose the heart of homeopathy, and risk losing our patients’ trust altogether.
When protocols are used to treat complex, chronic cases without individualisation, we may risk pushing the system in a direction it isn’t ready for, or missing what’s truly asking to be addressed. This might be fine when we talk about a relatively healthy adult with a singular health issue - but not in the treatment of complex children, whose cases often require deep listening, nuance, and adaptability.
Mixes (combining several remedies into one formula) are also something that the well-trained homeopath tends to be mindful about. These can again be helpful as a small part of the treatment, or in acute situations when symptoms are intense and rapidly changing - but when used entirely on their own, they can become problematic. Single remedies generally give a clearer signal to the body. When we use a mixture, the body might not pick up on the signal as effectively, and aggravation is also more likely to happen. It also becomes harder to know which remedy triggered which response, making it difficult to repeat the effective remedy for chronic concerns later.
If It’s Not About Gryffindor or Slytherin… Then What Is It Really About?
The polarisation between classical and non-classical homeopathy isn’t new - it has been present since the early 1900s. But instead of softening, the divide sometimes seems to be growing wider. Over the past few months, I've often found myself growing weary of the ongoing debate - because ever since I began my homeopathic journey in 2013, I’ve seen both approaches work with my own two eyes. I know incredible classical homeopaths and equally incredible non-classical ones, and both can help complex children.
Lately, the whole debate started to feel a bit like Gryffindor versus Slytherin - two strong houses, each with its own values, both capable of great things. But what about those who don’t quite fit into either? Those who, after graduating, realise that life isn't about houses, that we can all do a good job as adults, as parents, and as professionals, just in different ways?
That’s when I started thinking about the third way - something closer to Dumbledore’s kind of magic. Not a method, but a mindset. A deeper wisdom that considers the possibility that there might not be one right way of practice. A reminder that no one really has all the answers, and that healing, like magic, often works in ways we can’t fully explain.
The third way honours the value in both classical and non-classical homeopathy. I’ve personally seen both approaches lead to beautiful, lasting change. And I’ve seen both approaches fail - when a homeopath wasn’t ready for the case in front of them, when adults weren’t able or willing to engage with their own healing work, or when the relationship between practitioner and client wasn’t strong enough to carry the process. Sometimes, obstacles to cure went unnoticed - like environmental stressors, unresolved traumas, or other hidden factors.
Some of the most meaningful shifts I’ve witnessed in complex paediatric cases haven’t come from a “perfect” classical or non-classical prescription - but from holding space, tracking patterns over time, staying present to the subtle unfolding of healing, and moving at the pace that’s right for the child and their family. In this third way of working, remedies and methodologies still matter - but they’re not everything. At the heart of the process is the relationship itself - between practitioner, child, and family.
The Heart of the Healing Path
Sometimes, discussions about methodologies do more than inform - they create confusion, doubt, even paralysis. Parents often don’t know what kind of homeopath they should be looking for, what credentials actually matter, or which questions to ask. Practitioners rarely list their methodologies clearly on their websites, and personal recommendation or intuition can easily be drowned out by worry over choosing the “right” method. It’s all very understandable - and also, very overwhelming.
My proposal is that we try to shift our focus from strict methodologies, and instead look at the whole therapeutic journey. Methods are only part of the picture. It’s the therapeutic relationship - the steady connection between practitioner, child, and family - that often carries the work forward; especially when the road feels difficult.
Many families seeking homeopathic help are desperate for healing - they need it fast, they need it now, and often, they need it guaranteed. This urgency is completely understandable, especially when symptoms are severe, or when finances are tight. But the truth is: healing that is deeply rooted (sometimes touching on issues that are embedded in our epigenetics) is rarely resolved with just a few prescriptions.
Most children do feel at least a little bit better after each well-chosen remedy. Sometimes the change is striking and immediate - symptoms fade overnight, long-standing struggles begin to dissolve rapidly. These are moments we all hope for, and they do happen. But other times, healing unfolds more quietly. A prescription may not seem to move much on the surface, even though subtle shifts are happening underneath - in energy levels, emotional resilience, or a growing sense of groundedness and stability. It might only come clear weeks later that something essential has shifted. Both kinds of healing are real, and both are valuable parts of the healing process.
It’s also important to recognise that healing is rarely the work of remedies alone. Often, the most profound changes happen when homeopathy gently opens a door - and alongside it, a child begins to sleep a little more deeply, a parent chooses to slow down, there is a subtle shift in the environment, or a new spiritual or therapeutic practice begins. Through it all, it is the therapeutic relationship - the ongoing, reliable support between practitioner, child, and family - that holds space for healing to unfold. When methods feel confusing or progress feels slow, it’s that relationship, built on trust, attentiveness, and care, that becomes the most important.
Does this mean it’s the practitioner who heals the child? No, that is not what I’m saying. The practitioner doesn’t heal, and neither do the remedies. Healing arises through relationship - the relationship between the child and their own body, between the family and their own inner wisdom, and between everyone involved in the process of care. The practitioner’s role is to listen, to witness, and to offer the right support at the right moment - not to force healing into being, but to help create the conditions where healing becomes possible. The remedies act as gentle triggers. But it is the child’s own energy field, the family’s own deep love and resilience, that does the real work.
When the right relationships are in place - within the body, within the family, and within the therapeutic space - the unfolding of healing can begin. Sometimes quickly, sometimes quietly. But always from within (how my meditation teacher would say: from the centre to the periphery).
Choosing a Homeopath: Trusting Skill, Intuition, and Connection
Therapeutic relationships, like all relationships, can feel delicate. They take time to build, and they rely on clear communication, openness, and mutual respect. Doubts are natural, especially at the beginning - and yet real healing often needs time and patience to unfold! For parents of complex or sensitive children, finding this balance can be especially difficult. When you are carrying the weight of urgent symptoms, financial pressures, and deep hopes for your child's healing, it’s completely understandable to want fast results. It’s also understandable to feel cautious - to wonder whether you’re investing your precious time, energy, and resources in the right place. Striking the right balance between trust and discernment is not easy - it is an ongoing process.
It’s normal to move between hope and doubt as the journey unfolds. Feelings of frustration, uncertainty, or disillusionment can arise. What matters is not just how you meet these feelings, but how your practitioner helps you meet them - with steadiness, openness, and a willingness to adapt? A strong therapeutic relationship leaves room for questions and change - without losing trust!
If, after steady follow-ups over a reasonable period of time, you don’t feel that enough has shifted, it may be time to pause and reflect. You might ask yourself:
Do I feel heard, safe, and respected during our interactions?
Am I able to reach out to my homeopath with questions when I feel doubtful or confused - and receive support in return?
Is the practitioner adapting to what’s happening, or does the treatment feel stuck or rigid?
Do I feel that we are working together, with curiosity, attentiveness, and mutual trust?
Am I able to trust their professional guidance, while staying connected to my own intuition about my child’s needs?
Does the emotional and financial investment still feel worthwhile - or is it beginning to feel heavy or unclear?
If the answer to most of these questions is “no,” it may be worth reconsidering your next steps. Healing asks for commitment, but it also asks for genuine partnership. You deserve to work with someone who is a good fit for you and your child, and who is willing to adapt and move forward with you.
If you haven’t yet tried homeopathy - or if you’re looking for a new practitioner after a pause - I recommend scheduling a few discovery calls. These are usually free of charge and obligation, and they offer a great opportunity to see whether you feel a solid sense of connection and “chemistry” with a homeopath. A good discovery call isn’t about finding a perfect system; it’s about finding someone you feel able to work with - someone grounded, present, and responsive.
If you tend to trust people through clear treatment plans, logical steps and a systematic way of measuring progress, that’s completely valid too. In this case, you might want to ask:
How do you structure treatment plans?
How do you track progress over time?
How do you decide when to adjust remedies or approaches?
What happens if there’s an acute flare?
How do we navigate doubts or slower periods of healing?
How flexible is the approach if our needs change along the way?
A practitioner who is the right fit will be able to meet you where you are - offering both intuitive support and structured thinking, in a way that feels clear and steady for you and your child.
In the end, methodologies do matter - and it's important to feel free to ask about them. But you don’t need to have an in-depth understanding of homeopathy to find a good homeopath. That responsibility belongs to your practitioner. Your role is to choose someone you can trust - someone who communicates clearly, adapts thoughtfully, and supports real shifts in your child’s health and wellbeing.
Healing with homeopathy isn’t about choosing sides, becoming an expert, or chasing the perfect method. It’s about finding the practitioner that feels right for you and your child - and staying with them for as long as it feels supportive of your journey.
