President ’ s Report
Peter Berryman | ATMS President
Over the last forty years , the only specialist homeopath besides myself to be elected to the position of ATMS President was Alan Jones . Alan was one of the five founders of ATMS , along with Dorothy Hall , Roy Hand , Garnet Skinner , and Christine Berle , who inaugurated this professional association of natural medicine practitioners in Sydney on the seventh of September , 1984 .
And now , after seven years , my term as President has come to an end . We have had past ATMS Presidents who were multi-modality practitioners , though specialist practitioners have also held the office : Dorothy Hall , a herbal medicine practitioner ; massage therapists Catherine McEwan , Sandi Rogers and Maggie Sands ; an acupuncturist , Bill Pearson ; and naturopaths Betty Tannous , and now Christine Pope . Representing multiple natural medicine modalities is one of the major strengths of ATMS . I am so grateful to have been originally trained in several natural medicine modalities . It enabled me to choose to master one of these – homeopathy .
Since graduating as a naturopath in 1985 , I have specialised in practising homeopathy . I certainly retain my box of generalised naturopathic “ tricks of the trade ” to dip into when necessary , though the better a homeopath I have become over the years , the less I ’ ve needed adjunctive modalities to deal with those particularly challenging clients I regularly meet . This is why I have had to teach myself pragmatic techniques that I was never taught at college , or anywhere else over the last 38 years of my continuing professional education . I have qualifications from graduating from five universities and three colleges in my commitment to being a life-long learner , equivalent to around 14 years of full-time tertiary education .
This is also why authors write introductions to their books acknowledging their debt to their patients , as clinical practice , not academic training , is the coal face of learning . I may joke about how my imaginary friend , “ Doctor Desperation ”, taught me more about prescribing for challenging clients than any teacher , mentor or supervisor ever did . This is why I have also thoroughly enjoyed passing on what I have learnt to students in both formal teaching institutions in Australia and New Zealand , and informally , for example , during the last fourteen seasons volunteering to work and supervise students at the free homeopathic clinic at the Woodford Folk Festival in Queensland , sponsored by ATMS for the last three seasons . Offering something novel here , some interesting insight over there , has endowed my classroom and the clinical training for my students with passion and fun . My mantra has been , if I ’ m not having any fun here today , you probably aren ’ t either , so let ’ s try and see the lighter side of some of these often grave scenarios clamouring for our attention .
I have always had a particular interest in supporting the healing journey of those clients who have struggled to find answers and genuine help , as this was my original inspiration to choose a career in natural medicine as a teenager . Being the best physician I can be is all that I have ever aspired to do in my professional life . And I have been self-funded all along the way too , with many and varied part-time and vacation jobs to pay my way through many years of study and training . The well-trodden path of hard work has brought me to where I am today , with no regrets .
I HAVE ALWAYS HAD A PARTICULAR INTEREST IN SUPPORTING THE HEALING JOURNEY OF THOSE CLIENTS WHO HAVE STRUGGLED TO FIND ANSWERS AND GENUINE HELP , AS THIS WAS MY ORIGINAL INSPIRATION TO CHOOSE A CAREER IN NATURAL MEDICINE AS A TEENAGER . BEING THE BEST PHYSICIAN I CAN BE IS ALL THAT I HAVE EVER ASPIRED TO DO IN MY PROFESSIONAL LIFE .
I would like to acknowledge some of the most important teachers I have had the privilege of studying with . Some of you may also know them , such as Garth Walker and Ken King at the NSW College of Natural Therapies ; Alan
JATMS | Autumn 2024 | 5