INDIVIDUAL
HEALING SESSIONS
(including long distance healings)
APPRENTICESHIPS
(the long programs)
WORKSHOPS
(the shorter programs)
EUGENE OREGON DRUMMING & HEALING CIRCLE
Alida
Birch
PO Box 21416
Eugene OR 97402
541-686-1610
Many people have had intuitions, hunches, or moments of connection to
spirit that were very empowering and perhaps life changing. For most,
these moments seem to happen primarily at random and could not be depended
on consistently. However, a method exists to create a consistent and safe
way to access spirit which many are using as a positive healing force
for recovery. This method is shamanic counseling, a spiritual form of
counseling that follows the methods of shamanism. Shamanism is an ancient
strategy for contacting and utilizing an ordinarily hidden reality to
acquire knowledge and healing for one’s self and others. Shamanic
counseling is a system developed to help clients solve life problems and
become personally empowered.
THE SHAMANIC JOURNEY
Central to shamanic counseling is the shamanic journey, a method of directly
contacting the spirits practiced by people all over the world for more
than 40,000 years. The client learns how to journey into non-ordinary
reality (a parallel universe invisible to ordinary reality) to get direct
spiritual guidance. A steady beat from a percussion instrument (such as
a drum) is used to achieve an altered state. The client then journeys
into non-ordinary reality with a question and makes contact with helping
animals and teachers who offer healing, wisdom, and advice. Answers to
these questions often form the basis for significant movement with issues
in the client’s life. The answers come directly from the client’s
own spirit helpers and can therefore provide uncanny insights and unique
solutions to problems along with a powerful motivation to take action.
THE ROLE OF THE COUNSELOR
This method of shamanic counseling was developed by Michael Harner, author
of The Way of the Shaman and director of the Foundation for Shamanic Studies.
In this form of shamanic counseling, the role of the counselor is to teach
the client how to communicate with his or her spirit helpers in non-ordinary
reality. The counselor encourages and supports the client in learning
how to journey effectively. The counselor focuses on teaching the method
and answering questions about journeying. The spirit helpers provide the
answers. Clients are taught how to develop clear questions and to interpret
the answers they receive.
By empowering the client to obtain answers directly from the spirit helpers,
this method differs from other spiritual techniques in which the practitioner
"channels" answers for the client, performs shamanic journeys
on the client’s behalf, or uses specific native rituals. Shamanic
counseling avoids fostering dependency on the counselor. Many clients
become skilled enough in the technique to successfully practice on their
own after four or five sessions, although some clients choose to work
with the counselor for more sessions to keep momentum and focus.
Shamanic counseling does not conflict nor is it incompatible with psychological
counseling. Psychotherapists and clients who have experienced this system
have noted that shamanic counseling speeds up the personal growth and
healing process.
Shamanic counseling is a powerful, transformative method that has stood
the test of time. Its experiential nature involves the whole person, making
it a very effective tool in healing.
This is an article Alida Birch co-authored with Leia Hart in 1992. It
was published in Healing Currents magazine that year. Copyright ©
1997 by Alida Birch.
NOTE: Animal helpers frequently find magical and comforting ways to work
with us that can absolutely convince us of the validity of their words.
Go to
Case Studies for one client's experience
of Shamanic Counseling and how she benefited.