If you are a qualified homeopath, deciding which - if any – professional organisation to register with can be difficult. To help you make this important decision we have put together the following list of 10 Questions and Answers, which we hope will provide you with all the information you need to make an informed choice about joining the Alliance of Registered Homeopaths (ARH).

If you are a student of homeopathy, or an interested member of the public, we hope that these questions and answers will give you an insight into how ARH works and what it represents.

Please note that the term ‘Members’ in these questions and answers is used to refer to Registered Members. Visit our Student Membership or Friends of ARH pages for more information on these two membership categories.

1. Why do I need to join a professional organisation?

By joining a professional organisation, you:

• receive support from your organisation and its Members, so you are less isolated in your practice
• keep up-to-date with developments in your field
• demonstrate to the public that you practise homeopathy responsibly and professionally
• have the opportunity to influence the future of homeopathy.

2. Why should I choose ARH?

Because:

• We do not simply tell our Members what we think is good for them - we ask for their input. We listen to our Members’ views, and we act on them.
• We do not tell our Members which type of homeopathy they should practise. We recognise that there are a number of different prescribing methodologies and we believe that each should be judged on its own merits.
• We are committed to supporting and encouraging our Members to grow and develop as practitioners.
• We invite our Members to participate in shaping the future of our profession. We feel that this is the most constructive way to ensure the long-term prospects of homeopathy.
• We represent our Members’ best interests as homeopaths, both nationally and within the European Community.
• We support research and publications that push back the boundaries of our knowledge and understanding of homeopathy.
• We offer excellent value for money.

3. What benefits do I get from joining ARH?

As a Member of the Alliance of Registered Homeopaths, you will:

• be recognised as a Registered Homeopath
• be entitled to use the letters MARH after your name
• have an entry in the ARH annual Register
• be eligible to take out ARH professional indemnity insurance (Download insurance form - pdf)
• be able to keep up-to-date with news and developments in the field of homeopathy, via our publications and on our website
• receive our quarterly journal, Homeopathy in Practice
• be eligible for reduced prices for ARH conferences and seminars
• receive discounts on ARH books
• have the support and backing of a dedicated professional organisation.

4. How do I join ARH?

ARH is a UK-based registering organisation. Any qualified homeopath, whether newly graduated from a college of homeopathy, or already established in practice in the UK or abroad, is welcome to apply to register for ARH membership.

ARH has developed a portfolio-based registration process for qualified homeopaths, which sets out to:

• explore your readiness to practise
• consider your long-term plans for increasing your knowledge, skills competence and understanding
• support and resolve any concerns you may have about practising homeopathy
• meet your individual needs as a practitioner.

Further details, along with our Registration Pack, can be found on our Registered Membership page.

5. What does the annual ARH membership fee cover?

Members’ subscriptions are used to pay for:

• administration
• insurance
• publications
• publicity
• membership of the European Council for Classical Homeopathy (ECCH)
• expenses of Directors and members of working groups
• research and development, and dissemination of findings.

6. Can I pay my subscription in instalments?

Yes. Membership fees can be paid in instalments by monthly standing order.

7. Is professional indemnity insurance compulsory?

Yes. All ARH Members must hold professional indemnity insurance. They can either take up the insurance offered as part of the ARH subscription package, or they can arrange their own insurance. Members who organise their own insurance pay just the ARH subscription fee, and must show us evidence that their own policy is current.
Download ARH insurance details

8. I understand ARH is a relatively new organisation. How do I know that it will not make the same mistakes as some other organisations have in the past?

ARH was founded in 2001, and its Constitution and Articles of Association of ARH are one and the same document. This means the document is legally binding. In it, we undertake to give all our Members a voice in determining the future policies of ARH. We are run according to democratic principles, and commit ourselves to:

• listening to our Members’ needs and concerns
• acting openly and transparently
• deciding policy according to the will of the majority of our Members
• keeping our Members informed about all matters relating to their profession.

9. How does ARH see the future of homeopathy in the UK?

• We want our profession to take its rightful role in furthering the health of everyone who chooses to use homeopathy.
• We see the homeopathic profession continuing to move towards unification. As a result, it will be able to lobby more effectively at government level.
• We think the future of homeopathy is best secured by involving our Members in the process of moving towards self-regulation, so that we retain the autonomy of our profession. This aim can only succeed if we are as inclusive as possible and act with the consensus of the majority of our Members.
• We want to see a regulatory process in place that reflects the diversity of homeopathic practice, ensuring that we can offer our patients the very best, safe and effective healthcare.
• Evidence-based practice will be an invaluable tool in helping to advance the status of homeopathy in primary healthcare. We feel it is important that ARH contributes to the evidence base in homeopathy.

10. Convinced?

We invite you to join us, and to participate in the process of determining the future of this most amazing system of healthcare.

If you have any further queries, please email us or phone us on 01825 714506

Join ARH and become part of a team promoting homeopathy - healthy medicine.