What Psychologists Should Know About Homeopathy, Nutrition, and Botanical Medicine

Although the field of clinical psychology has strived to build a foundation of evidence-based therapies, patients with psychological disorders have increasingly sought out natural alternatives to prescription drugs and sometimes to psychotherapy, with many of these treatments failing to meet the American Psychological Association's standards for being "efficacious" or "possibly efficacious" at present. Data show that between 36 to 42% of Americans use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) each year, most commonly for depression, anxiety, headaches, and pain disorders, all problems treated by psychologists. This paper reviews 3 traditions to which many Americans are turning to help with their mental health needs-homeopathy, botanical medicine, and nutrition-and describes what psychologists should know about these disciplines. After considering each tradition's foundations, published literature about its efficacy or lack thereof, and potentials for drug-natural product interactions, the author recommends minimal educational standards in CAM for psychologists in general, and especially for psychopharmacological prescribers.