*Full disclosure: some of these questions may not be “frequent.” But I would ask them, have asked them, or have been asked them.

Which process should I choose?

You do NOT need to know which technique you need to book an appointment. That is part of my job to help you figure out. I practice applied shamanism, applied shamanic counseling, depth hypnosis, and suggestion hypnosis. We can shift techniques based on what has come to the surface for you.

The technique used is determined by both the issue and your own preference. To get out a weed, we can use a hoe or a trowel. What do you feel more comfortable holding? But moving a yard of mulch with a trowel is not using the best tool. Some techniques require more depth of discussion than others. The first session may entirely be a discussion of your life. This in and of itself is very therapeutic.

Some general guidelines though:

“I’M SO ANGRY!!” - Depth Hypnosis

“I want to figure out my life purpose.” - Applied Shamanic Counseling

“Something is wrong, I don’t know what it is, and I don’t really want to talk about it much.” - Applied Shamanism

I can’t be hypnotized.

Okay. (This statement/implied question actually meets the “frequently” criterion.) People who say that are still able to use Depth Hypnosis. Depth Hypnosis is not stage hypnosis. It is not the Dolores Cannon method. Depth Hypnosis helps you achieve a relaxed state in which you allow your subconscious to come to the surface. You will be aware and in control of yourself the whole time. At no time would I be able to tell you to cluck like a chicken and have you do it.

Is Shamanism a religion?

Not exactly. It is a framework and way of interacting with the universe. The religions it arises out of are animistic, which is the concept that everything in the universe, by its very nature, is infused with spirit. “God is in everything.” Everything is interdependent. We influence and are influenced by everything else. It hurts us when something is out of balance.

What is Shamanism?

It is a way of interacting with the universe. In the past, a shaman would be the one in a society to help maintain balance for people: spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional. This included, by necessity, by definition, balance with others and the natural environment. In Applied Shamanism or Depth Hypnosis, my job as a shamanic practitioner is to help you in your own relationship with yourself and the rest of the universe. I can help you learn to do the work yourself, using this framework for you to look at your own personal truth and to find your connection with the universe/god/the divine, to foster that connection, and to provide healing and comfort and refuge and expansion.

Are you culturally appropriating an indigenous tradition?

No. Michael Harner was an anthropologist who studied indigenous cultures and learned about commonalities among them regarding the framework and techniques for interacting with the universe/spirit world. He created Core Shamanism, a distillation of this research, and founded the Center for Shamanic Studies, which is now the Foundation for Shamanic Studies. In this lineage, my teacher, Isa Gucciardi, who studied with Michael Harner, founded the Foundation of the Sacred Stream, where I study. Sandra Ingerman was also a student of Michael Harner. I have studied Sandra’s work, read her books, watched her interviews, podcasts and video courses.

You keep talking about “helping spirits.” Why? What is that?

I hold space for you to find connection with your own inner guidance, which many people conceive of as helping spirits. I use processes, questions, techniques to help you access this inner guidance for healing and direction. This is the part of you that knows you best, has your best interest at heart, and knows how to provide the healing and teaching you need. Different people may experience it in different ways: as a saint, a guardian angel, the wolf spirit, a star, a god, or the higher self. It may feel external to you or internal. In many religious and spiritual frameworks, this is ultimately all from the same source.

My teacher Isa writes: “Like our fingerprints, our connection to this inner guidance is unique to each of us. Some people think of it as a connection to their higher self or some other aspect of the psyche. Others feel that a higher power from their spiritual tradition is what grounds them. And still others consider their inner wisdom to be a facet of their imagination. There is no right or wrong way to connect with this form of transcendent help. It is not a belief system; it is simply a place of peace within us.” (Gucciardi, Isa, Coming to Peace: Resolving Conflict Within Ourselves and Others, San Francisco, Sacred Stream Publishing, 2016, p31)

Why are you called Middle World Healing?

The framework of shamanism generally agreed upon is that we live in ordinary reality in the middle world. There also exists a non-ordinary reality with upper, middle, and lower worlds. (The upper world does not equate with heaven and the lower world is neither hell nor hades.) We do our true work for this lifetime here, in the middle world: in ordinary reality.

How does this work over video chat?

Well, quantum physics could explain how a lot of all of these techniques work, and honestly, having this work over video chat is possibly the least woowoo thing about it. It would be nice to be in person with everyone, but video chat makes it more accessible. All of my classes with the Foundation of the Sacred Steam were over video chat (so I didn’t have to move to the San Francisco Bay area for a couple years). The presence of the practitioners and the power of the techniques come through.

We finished my process in an hour. You said it would take an hour and a half.

When we finish the process, if you have extra time blocked off, journal, put your feet in the grass, do yoga stretches, meditate, or listen to instrumental music or drumming or silence while you just breathe. That will be more beneficial for you than filling another 15 to 30 minutes with talking, I promise. We will talk enough for you to work through the process. But excess talking can be distracting. These processes can be intense. Be gentle with yourself and give yourself spaciousness.