Shamanic healing can often follow a different model of process than clients are used to. Many find the way I work, though common to shamanic practitioners, a different experience for them than they’ve had with other types of practitioners previously. Therefore, a few words about the process that I engage in.
First, I like to briefly communicate with potential clients about the general situation that brings them to seek shamanic healing and/or other services before we settle on a course of action. If it is a situation I feel the work that I do can assist with, we move to the next step.
It is at this stage that the work truly begins. The next step in the process is for me to do an initial shamanic journey to have a consultation on the client’s behalf with my Helping Spirits on how we might best be of service to assist them in their unique situation. As shamanic healing takes place on the spiritual level, and in the realm of spirit, it makes sense that consulting the Helping Spirits would be the proper course of action in determining what is most needed. During this initial journey the spirits will direct me as to what techniques and often in what order would best assist the individual client in their healing process. All my clients are unique, so it is only logical that their healing journeys will be as well. After this initial work is performed, I will then communicate with the client the spirits’ suggestions. From that point, future sessions can be scheduled as needed.
While there are rare occasions that goals can be accomplished in a single session, it is more often the case that it will take at least a few sessions, spaced over a period of time, in order to address a client’s needs. Healing is a process, and a healing journey facilitated by shamanic healing methods is no different. Proper time must be allowed for integration and development in order for progress and healing to take place.
There is a longstanding historical tradition that shaman’s do not present a schedule of monetary fees corresponding to their services. The practitioner, in truth, does not even know if they will be able to take on helping a specific client until the initial consultation journey with their Helping Spirits. As mentioned earlier, it is their guidance that will inform the practitioner as to if they can be of assistance in a specific case for a specific client.
However, proper service etiquette provides that the client does have the responsibility to offer a gift to the shamanic practitioner who has put forth an immense amount of energy, time, training, and effort along with their deep relationships with the Helping Spirits in order to assist the client. While both monetary and non-monetary gifts are appreciated… please respect the practitioner when they discuss the desired arrangement for exchange.
