Faith is something that is often confused with religion – to me, faith is a belief in the greater good for something, someone or all.

When we are told of the fantastic benefits of a the latest wonder cream or the wonder drug we believe. When we are told great news be it a truth or a falsehood we feel good, uplifted and happy.

I am writing about the effects of the ‘Placebo’ as I feel it has been banded about as a bad thing, especially in holistic medicine and therapies. Many devalue the benefits of Homeopathy, Acupuncture, Bowen among many more, by suggesting that it is the effect of ‘believing’ a treatment will work that makes the person feel better… the problem with that is? Throw away comments that, for example homeopathy doesn’t work, is born from ignorance in my opinion or even the blinkered view that an individual simply does not want to accept they may be wrong. Why is it people can not accept that the mind can actually heal the body, why do people also underestimate the phenomenal ability the human body has if it is tapped into. I have mentioned in other posts that the easiest way to discredit is to say the therapies discussed are ‘new age rubbish’ or ‘mambo jumbo’ I tend to base all my opinions on my own work and based on scientific research.

How fickle is society when we hear messages about reaching financial or career goals with slogans of ‘In order to succeed we have to first believe’, yet it is not adapted to holistic healing.

There have even been studies that showed certain antidepressants did not work unless the patient KNEW they were taking it. Placebo is attached to most things in life, after all for things to be believed there has to be a level of conscience acceptance.

Prayer, meditation, healing, the human touch, positive words, homeopathy, everything we do has an element of placebo the positive belief that will result in the good, after all the body achieves what the mind believes.

Placebo comes from the Latin word meaning ‘I will please’ so how can this be a negative thing? Nocebo is the negative, meaning ‘I shall harm’.

Over many years and hundreds of clients I have treated I can honestly, hand on heart say, those who are more open to believe in the treatment and have trust in me as their therapist have the best outcome in their well-being, physically, mentally and emotionally. Those who are guarded, closed and cynical are less likely to improve.

Look at the huge following of ‘The Secret’ – the awareness in the power of the positive thought, a belief that good things will happen – Placebo. It is not the dirty word the medical world would make us believe it to be, after all, if you think about it, who loses out if alternative therapies gain – the billion pound drug company corporations!

Instead of using the placebo as a negative act (nocebo) look on it at a psychological tool that acts as a vehicle for alternative treatments to cause benefit and well-being to the mind, body and soul!

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”

– Martin Luther King, Jr. –

‘We are twice armed if we are armed with faith”

– Plato –