Welcome to the International Register
We would like to extend a warm welcome to the practitioners in the USA who have recently registered and are receiving the Bulletin for the first time. And by the time the next issue is ready in January 1998 we hope to be welcoming the first registered practitioners to be trained in Spain, the Netherlands and Brazil.
This is the first of a new style of practitioner Bulletin that reflects the fact that the register is now truly international. The cover pages of the new Bulletin are produced here at the Centre and go to all practitioners all over the world. In some countries, where the Bach International Education Programme is well-established, there are local offices that will add loose pages inside the main cover. These pages will include topics of local interest pertaining to that particular country. The local office for the UK is of course the Bach Centre itself, and practitioners not currently served by a local office will continue to receive the local UK pages.
The Bulletin is for all practitioners to use to communicate with each other: please send us your comments, ideas and features and we will do our best to include them. Keep in touch!
New certificate and Code of Practice
The three-tier Bach International Education Programme, which is organised by Nelsons and approved by the Bach Centre, has been running in the USA and Spain for over a year. This year all three courses have been run in Brazil, in the Netherlands, and in Canada, and the programme has been launched in New Zealand, Sweden, Denmark, France and Japan.
In order to address the needs of practitioners internationally, we have revised the Code of Practice and redesigned the certificate. A great deal of thought and effort has gone into making sure that the wording is internationally acceptable, and at the same time retains the spirit of the Code, which is to ensure that Dr. Bach’s principles and intentions are maintained.
Through the Code new practitioners are invited to join us in upholding the simplicity and completeness of Dr. Bach’s work. The International Register is thereby made up of people from all over the world who share this commitment.
To accompany the new Code of Practice, there is a newly designed certificate of registration. Like the Code, this will be issued to all new and existing practitioners over the next twelve months. A new Personal Identification Number will go along with this, which will identify you by the date of your registration and the country where you trained.
Existing practitioners who registered before 24th September 1997 will be sent the new replacement certificate and Code of Practice when you renew your registration. If you are anxious to receive your new certificate before then, just write to Stefan Ball at the usual address.
At a women’s group somewhere in England
by Judy Condie
There they were, four deep, sitting in a semi-circle around a solitary Bach practitioner, waiting eagerly to be impressed by something called ‘back flowers’.
Bert from next door had delivered the urn and turned it on for the ladies’ tea break later. The photos of the grandchildren were put down and my leaflets picked up, followed by the gentle hum of, “I need this and this” and “Peg could do with this one” and the usual one, “I think I need the lot”.
“Julie has been kind enough to come and visit us tonight to tell us all about the … how do you pronounce it dear?”
“Bach, and my name is Judy. I bet you’ve found something you need already,” I started lightly, “probably all of them!”
Gentle chuckles all round. Ice broken and I continued to tell them all about the remedies trying to keep it in line with their age group. Their own children with young families, retirement and, briefly, bereavement. I spoke about the way our emotions are the same whatever the age and situation (good time to mention the war!) and I dropped in a few heart warming stories to keep their interest and eyelids alive.
At this point I was drowned out by an over-keen pianist in the hall next door, until someone eased themselves up and shut the door. I continued to say how we are all entitled to look after ourselves and although we all need our G.P. they don’t always have time to consider our emotions, (much mumbling and nodding of blue rinses). I noticed a few closed eyes so I gave them another gripping story about a ten year old I had treated very successfully and, along with the coffee and biscuits, this kept the blood sugar up right through the questions and answers.
For my finale, I asked if anyone’s daughter or daughter-in-law was expecting. This led nicely onto the benefits of the crisis ‘rescue’ formula at this time and caused great excitement and several promises to visit the local health shop in the morning! Out came the grandchildren photos again and the gentle hum rose to a dull roar. I was very honoured to pick out the winning raffle ticket, only to be covered in coffee by the surprised recipient who never, ever won anything.
My fee was slipped into the back of my hand like some illegal substance and then I was approached by three ladies who had obviously been in close conference all evening.
“Do you have a sister called Dr. Smithers?”
“No,” I replied. I wondered who on earth Dr. Smithers was.
“Well, the three of us here really think you look like her.”
I asked who Dr. Smithers was and found that she was their local G.P. No doubt she will be asked similar questions soon as they didn’t seem convinced by my negative answer.
“Let’s all give Julie a nice round of applause shall we, ladies?” called out the team leader. This was followed by a rousing echo of, “Lovely dear, well done,” and “Very interesting.”
A nice group of people … but I have to admit I did chuckle most of the way home.
Success story
In her story Judy mentions a ten year old girl she treated recently. She has kindly given us details of that story which deserves to be told. It goes to show just how quickly and easily children can respond to the remedies, given the chance:
The other day I had a text book case concerning a ten year old girl. Her mother came into the health shop where I work and practise, fed up with the doctor’s response to her daughter’s constant tummy ache and did we have an alternative.
I asked if her daughter was quite sensitive and she started saying how nervous she gets with the slightest thing and how her schoolwork suffers because she has no confidence, and that she often has headaches as well. She also said she was quite moody, very up and down. I asked if she was indecisive and her mother raised her eyes upwards and told me that she has spent the last few weeks making her mind up about whether to go on a school trip or not. It was driving her mad.
After a brief introduction to the Bach remedies she decided to buy a bottle of Rescue(TM) Remedy. I was itching to put together a mixture for her but she was very sceptical. However, I knew she needed others so in the end she left with a mixture of Rescue, Larch, Mimulus, Aspen, Scleranthus and Gentian.
Two days later, her mum came back with a bunch of flowers for me, saying how her daughter had changed overnight. After two doses that evening she had slept well and the next day had come down saying that she didn’t have any tummy ache and that she had made a decision about the school trip! And her teacher had come out at the end of the day and asked her mother what had happened as she had been really good at her schoolwork that day…
In the next issue…
- Heather Simpson on treating animals
- A new competition
… and much, much more!
Thank you to everyone who has submitted articles or written to us with information to share. Please keep it coming – we enjoy hearing from you and what you have to say is always of interest to fellow practitioners.
Animal book
Judy Howard and Stefan Ball at the Centre are writing a book about the use of the remedies for animals, including wild, domestic and farm animals, selection and dosage and more.
We know there are several of you who do a lot of work with or have a special interest in animals, and we would be delighted to hear from anyone who has an interesting story to tell or some useful information which would help us put together a thorough, informative and accurate book.
Please write to or fax Judy or Stefan at the Bach Centre. We can also be reached by e-mail.
Home study courses
The Bach Centre has always maintained that for a general introduction to the remedies the books provide all the information needed to learn how to use the remedies successfully.
Nevertheless we are occasionally asked to recommend correspondence courses offered by other colleges. Most of those we have seen claim to train people to be ‘practitioners’, and offer some form of award – a diploma or other qualification.
They can be very expensive and provide far less information than a book costing just a few pounds. Also, the accuracy of the information given is dependent on the knowledge of whoever is offering the course. Those we have seen have not convinced us of their worth even for training beginners.
We don’t recognise any such practitioner qualifications offered by correspondence, but the general public may not know the difference, leaving people open to exploitation and creating anxiety, frustration and disappointment for clients and would-be practitioners alike.
Our advice to people who want to be practitioners is to look for good-quality classroom-based courses where you will have the opportunity to practise your listening skills and learn how to help other people select remedies.
For those who just want to learn the remedies for home use, the books still offer the easiest and cheapest introduction to the remedies. And of course there is free ‘learning support’ from the Bach Centre – all people have to do is ask.
Making remedies
We continue to hear occasional comments from people who should know better, saying that the remedies are no longer made in the time-honoured way. A picture speaks a thousand words, or so they say, so here is a picture of Rock Rose being made using the sun method.
Change of address
Please remember to tell us if you are moving. We don’t want to lose you!
This archive material has been edited to remove some out-of-date advice and information.