Shamanic work is very different from psychotherapy and counselling sessions, as it taps into other dimensions of reality (what is called non-ordinary reality) by using altered states of consciousness. Here, the Spirit world is contacted to access insight, guidance and healing.
Shamanic sessions might help to overcome blockages, resolve imbalances and shift patterns that lie outside daily consciousness.
They can:
- bring healing and resources to address difficult life situations, such as traumas, loss, physical/health concerns, relationships’ struggles etc.
- promote the exploration and integration of issues that have a collective and/or transgenerational origin.
- nourish, expand and support the interaction with and collaboration between different nature systems and/or with beings that live outside the human or physical realms.
During the initial session, we will discuss your needs, motivations and intentions for starting this kind of work. We will also discuss if and how we can work together. You are very welcome to ask any question you may have and share your impressions.
Sessions last 1 to 2 hours depending on initial agreement. They can be scheduled on a regular basis or as a one-off.
Shamanism is one of the most ancient spiritual practices in the world, probably about 15,000 years old. It is rooted in animism, with evidence of ancient rituals being practiced already 300,000 years ago.
Animism considers the world and the whole of reality – visible and invisible – as alive, animated, and interconnected. Through this worldview, humankind is just one part of the web of what we call ‘reality’.
From a shamanic perspective, each ‘reality’ around ‘ordinary reality’ has its own way of existing and manifesting, and can be accessed through altered states of consciousness. It is in this way that the shamanic practitioner contacts and communicates with the Spirit world and interacts with it in order to support and bring healing to the client.
Shamanic work and healing operate through a reciprocal interaction and trusting relationship with Spirit.
It is based on an intention formulated by the client.
The shamanic practitioner enters a trance state (or altered state of consciousness) using a drum, rattle and/or song, and ‘travels’ outside ordinary reality to find help, guidance and support from the Spirit world for the client. Once the practitioner returns from the journey, what has been seen, heard, found or offered in the Spirit world is shared with the client and integrated within the client’s consciousness.
Rituals and prayers are part of shamanic sessions, as is the use of the drum, rattles and songs.
I was introduced to shamanism as I was learning channeling, having always felt, since a young age, that I could tap into unexplained types of ‘knowing’ coming from a ‘higher source’. I started studying energy healing and channeling with Ruth White (a healer, medium and psychotherapist) and her discarnate guide Gildas in 2005. With them I learnt to open up, listen to and develop my natural gifts and skills for over 10 years.
In parallel, I was drawn to shamanism more specifically, which I’ve been studying and practicing for over 15 years, resonating deeply with Native American and Celtic traditions, as well as Siberian practices.
I am grateful to Christa MacKinnon, Shenoah Taylor, Leo Rutherford and Dawn Russell for showing me so many valuable avenues to discover, strengthen and develop my own work with Spirit.
I am also deeply grateful to Annie Spencer, Daan Van Kampenhout and Céline Baron for their guidance, wisdom and experience with The Wheel of the Four Directions/Medicine Wheel, the use of systemic rituals and ceremonies in and with Nature.
There are many traditions and styles in shamanism. My own practice and application of shamanic ideas is grounded in what I have learnt and experienced myself in the unfolding of my relationship with my own Guides and Spirit helpers, as well as what I’ve been taught and shown by my Earth-based teachers.
Some shamanic practices use hallucinogens to access altered states of consciousness and to communicate with Spirit. My way of working includes only the drum, rattle/s and song. While working with me it is therefore important that you understand and agree that the use of hallucinogenic substances before, during and after the sessions is not compatible with my way of practising.
Please notice that shamanic sessions are not a substitute for psychological interventions. They are also not a substitute for medical treatments. However, they can be a very useful complement to them.
Shamanic work is also not suitable if you suffer from an enduring mental illness, or if you are in severe distress.