EILEEN McShane has been offering people an alternative to traditional medicine for 32 years. The 59-year-old, who lives in Western Esplanade with her partner Ken Simpson, says she is constantly learning about new therapies. She has even been asked to cure chocolate cravings. But does homeopathy really work? Julia Collins tries to find out...

What does an alternative therapist do?

I deal with people's emotional and physical problems. I apply the best of the techniques that I have, such as hypnosis or acu-pressure. I have learned how to do "tapping" on patients as they release their emotions.

What is tapping?

It is actually called Emotional Freedom Technique or EFT. I tap on acupuncture points instead of putting needles in. It is just so wonderful, I can see miracles happen with it. It is like an emotional acupuncture except I tap on the energy instead.

How did you get involved with homeopathy?

I was ill and mainstream medicine wasn't working for me. I was just getting sicker and was in constant pain. I had two little boys and I wasn't strong enough to look after them. I hadn't walked up stairs in 18 months, it was like constant fatigue syndrome.

A homeopath gave me a remedy and after that I felt so much better so I decided to learn more about it and went to college and got the qualifications.

A recent report by the Science and Technology Select Committee said homeopathy works no better than placebo and NHS funding for alternative medicine should be scrapped. Is that right?

Homeopathy as an industry earns so much money that the drug companies have taken fright and instigated a smear campaign against it because the money is being taken away from them.

If, as they claim, it doesn't work then what's the problem? Why do they even care about it? It's not a placebo because it has worked for the past 200 years - and it works on babies and animals and they don't know what a placebo is.

People should be allowed to have free will and buy whatever medicine suits them best.

You've just written a book. What's it about?

It's called A Gateway to Harmony, Health and Happiness and it has 31 different techniques to help relieve stress and get rid of emotional blocks.

There are case studies of how each technique has helped each person.

I hurt my shoulder while treating a patient seven months ago and that stopped me from working so I used the time to write the book.

So people can teach themselves how to carry out the techniques?

Yes, I've even taught my grandchildren how to do tapping. I've also persuaded all my clients to give me their unused teddies and I'm sewing ribbons on them to show where all the tapping points are for stress.

I'm going to take them to hospitals where they can be used to teach children how to do EFT. You can use that technique for giving up smoking, chocolate, dieting, lack of spontaneity, self-sabotage and whatever else is going on in your life.

My party-piece is to put people off chocolate if they ask me to.

What other techniques do you use?

Kinesiology, the Bowen Technique, ortho-bionomy and neuro-linguistic programming are just some of them. I discuss the patient's problems with them and choose whichever treatments will work best for them.

It could be just one treatment or a combination of therapies. I also give free EFT sessions in the Whitstable Umbrella Centre on Thursdays.

I love it because it gives me the chance to give a little bit back. I won't retire until I'm 90 because I just want to help people for as long as possible.

How long have you lived in Herne Bay?

I moved here with Ken eight years ago. We visited the town, walked along the seafront and saw a handwritten For Sale sign which led to a house which was completely hidden from the road by bushes.

We put in an offer for the place straight away and moved in weeks later. The first thing we did was cut down the bushes so we could see the amazing view.

What do you like about the town?

It's been easy to make friends here because people are so lovely. I love it that it still quite an old-fashioned seaside town with lots of small shops. I also love the fact that Herne Bay has more rainbows than anywhere else in the country (Really? Ed). There was one stretching from the sea to our garden on the day we moved in.

Is there anything you would change about it?

I would love the pier to be rebuilt, I think it would attract so many more visitors. I also wish that dog-walkers would clear up after their dogs properly. We see so many along here and they leave dog mess on the pavements.

What's your favourite book?

I love Terry Pratchett because he makes me laugh. He was such a good author for my son to move on to after books like Lord of the Rings.

Who would you invite to a dinner party?

I'd invite the scientist Albert Einstein. It was him who said that everything is energy and I spend so much of my time working with energies that I totally understand him. I'd also invite Terry Pratchett, Dame Judi Dench and Penelope Keith.

* A Gateway to Harmony, Health and Happiness by Eileen McShane costs £23 from Eileen now or from Amazon shortly. To order a copy call 01227 366411.