What is a Shaman?
A shaman is a mediator between the worlds. You might be asking yourself, what other worlds are there besides the one we are living in right now? Well, that is a very good question, and one that is key in understanding the shamanic perspective. Shamans honor both the physical world in which we currently exist, and they also honor that there is an unseen energy world that is just as real to them as your front door. What the heck is this “energy world”? Well, have you ever walked into a room full of people and immediately had a sense of ease/comfort, or the opposite, a sense of such discomfort it makes you want to run away? Have you ever been to a concert, seen a piece of art, gone to a dance performance and could just completely feel the essence of the artist’s message? These are examples of ways in which we experience the energetic world. There is a way we experience the world without relying on only physical objects and people, but rather we rely on an intangible, body felt sense that we experience. This is the energetic world giving us information! Shamans not only accept this other reality, they have also dedicated their life to understanding how to navigate and utilize the energetic world in order to support our physical world in thriving. Shamans serve as a bridge between these worlds, bringing knowledge and energetic power to us, helping us thrive, helping us heal, and supporting us in manifesting our dreams.
My Approach to Healing
My approach to healing is rooted in the shamanic perspective of the universe. I believe that anyone can perceive and explore the energy world. We are all invited. My purpose is in helping those of you who are courageous enough to want to change the very energetic code of your being. In every session, I offer an invitation to take a journey with me to create an evolving sense of who you are and how you can exist in the world. I invite you to become a part of the infinite that is already within you and around you.
Shamanic Ritual and Practices
|
The first modality is, of course, ancient shamanic practice. When using shamanic ritual in a healing session, I first collaborate with you to understand where you feel out of balance or blocked in your life. You may desire change in multiple areas of life ranging from love, relationships, money, bad habits/addiction, physical health, career, passion, confidence, creativity, etc. Once we have decided on an area(s) of focus, I call on my guides and healing energies of the universe to aid me in tracking the flow of energy in and around the body. I use this universal guidance along with ancient ritual to release, shift, enhance and balance energy. This process frees and empowers you to embrace and create the life that you seek.
|
Body-Based Psychotherapy
|
Dance/Movement Therapy
As a dance/movement therapist, I offer a unique approach to healing and growth. The body holds wisdom that is essential to truly understanding both your deepest pain and your strongest capacities. Because of this, I incorporate somatic awareness and expressive body movement into my sessions. Most of us intuitively know that the body holds truth when words can lie. In fact, most of us already acknowledge the wisdom of the body on a daily basis. For example, when we ask our loved ones how they are doing, and they respond ¨fine¨ with downcast eyes and a closed off stance, don’t we intuitively know that they are most likely not ¨fine¨? Of course! In my practice, I attune to my client’s body movements (or lack thereof) and use this information as a guide for healing intervention.
|
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
I have completed Level One Training in IFS, taught to me by Dr. Richard Schwartz, the founder of the model. IFS views a person as having a core Self that is capable of freely loving and living. Access to ¨Self¨ can be blocked by other parts of you that form in order to protect you in response to different life events. In this non-pathologizing model, the most seemingly destructive parts of you (such as the part of you that binge drinks, for example) have a misguided intention to try to help you, even if the action itself is harmful. IFS provides a means of understanding and changing these patterns, as well as healing the parts of you that are in pain, so you can exist in your natural and intended Self state. |
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (SP)
I have completed Level One training in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy focused on traumatic memory, survival defenses and affect dysregulation. SP is a body-based way of integrating the disturbing body felt responses of PTSD. SP also provides a means of understanding how your body is a resource that can help you regulate anxiety and emotions, as well as how your body is a resource that provides important information regarding your safety in relationships and in the world. Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, like dance/movement therapy, operates from the notion that the body and mind are linked, so when there is a disconnect between what the body is experiencing and what is registering in the mind, you are more vulnerable to distress and illness. |
