Shamanic counseling involves the use of Shamanic journeying to gain insight and experience healing.

 

Shamanic journeying is a personal development and healing technique that has been used in many cultures around the world for millenia.  It is a method of entering an altered state of consciousness, much like a waking dream, in which one sees visions and interacts with the beings one sees.  It is a technique that can be used by the practioners of any religion, and is not, in and of itself, a religion.

Some people view Shamanic journeying as a way to access the wisdom of their own unconscious.  Others get the sense they are actually in touch with another level of reality.  My feeling is that as long as the journeying is helpful, it doesn't matter which of these views one takes.

Shamanic journeying can be used as an effective adjunct to psychotherapy.  I can journey on behalf of someone to seek insight into particular questions or can teach others to journey to do the same.  There are also ways to utilize Shamanic Journeying to come to a sense of resolution with people in one's life who have died.  I am also able to do a "Power retrieval" journey to help people get in touch with a sense of personal power, self-protection and efficacy.

I have been practicing Shamanic journeying since 1994.  I have found it a helpful adjunct to therapy for some clients, who report it gives them significant insights and an increased feeling of confidence and well being.  However, not all the clients who consult with me are interested in pursuing Shamanic journeying as a part of their therapy.  The decision about whether or not to explore this modality is up to the client.