A Client-Led Journey Through Body, Psyche, and Spirit
Somatic Shamanism is a therapeutic approach that integrates three powerful modalities: somatic work (focusing), parts work, and shamanic practice. What makes it unique is that it’s entirely person-centred – the process unfolds based on what arises for you in each session, not from a predetermined script.
You’re not required to believe in anything specific. You don’t need to identify as spiritual. The work meets you exactly where you are.
The Three Elements
Somatic Work
Focusing
We begin with your body. Not your thoughts about your body, but the actual sensations, feelings, and felt sense that live in your physical experience.
Trauma and emotional patterns don’t just live in our minds – they’re stored in the body. That tightness in your chest when you feel anxious. The heaviness in your limbs when you’re depressed. The knot in your stomach before a difficult conversation. These aren’t just symptoms – they’re doorways to deeper understanding.
Through focusing, you learn to attend to these sensations with curiosity rather than judgement. Often, when we give space to what the body is holding, it begins to speak – not in words, but in images, memories, emotions, or simply shifts in sensation.
This is where healing that talk therapy alone can’t reach becomes possible.
Parts Work
We all have different parts of ourselves – the inner critic who tells you you’re not good enough, the protector who keeps you from taking risks, the people-pleaser who can’t say no, the angry part you try to hide, the wounded child who still hurts from past experiences.
These parts developed for good reasons. They were trying to help you survive, cope, or stay safe. But sometimes the strategies that protected us as children no longer serve us as adults.
In our sessions, rather than fighting against or trying to eliminate these parts, we work with them. We listen to what they’re trying to protect. We honour their intention. And gradually, we help them find new roles that serve you better.
You don’t need to understand parts work intellectually to benefit from it. The process is experiential – you’ll feel it as we work together.
Shamanic Practice
This is the element that sometimes feels most unfamiliar or raises questions. Let me be clear about what it is and what it isn’t.
What it isn’t:
- You don’t need to “believe in” shamanism
- I’m not claiming to be a traditional indigenous shaman
- There’s no performance or ritual unless it emerges naturally from your process
- You’re never asked to do anything that feels uncomfortable or foreign to you
What it is: Shamanic practice, in this context, means accessing the transpersonal realm – the place beyond your everyday conscious mind where deeper wisdom, healing, and connection live. Some people experience this as connecting with spirit guides, power animals, or ancestors. Others experience it simply as accessing a deeper part of their own knowing.
The shamanic elements only emerge if and when they’re helpful for your specific process. Many clients work primarily with somatic sensations and parts work and never explicitly enter shamanic space. Others find that shamanic journeying opens doors that other methods haven’t.
The key is: you’re always leading. Nothing happens without your consent and readiness.
How It Actually Works in Practice
Because this work is entirely client-led and responsive to what emerges, no two sessions look exactly the same. But here’s a general sense of how we work together:
We start where you are You might come to the session with something specific you want to explore – a situation causing stress, a pattern you notice repeating, a physical symptom. Or you might simply arrive open to whatever needs support that day. Both approaches work beautifully.
We drop into the body After a brief conversation, I guide you through a gentle meditation to help you ground and begin tuning into your physical sensations. This isn’t forced relaxation – it’s an invitation to notice what’s actually there.
We follow what arises From here, the session unfolds organically. Sometimes we stay with a body sensation and let it reveal what it’s holding. Sometimes a part of you emerges that wants to be heard. Sometimes an image or memory surfaces. Sometimes you naturally drop into a deeper state where healing happens on its own.
My role is to guide you, hold safe space, and help you navigate whatever comes up – without pushing you towards any particular experience or outcome.
We integrate together Sessions often involve altered states of consciousness (not unlike deep meditation), so we always take time at the end to come back gently, talk through what happened, and help you make sense of the experience.
What Makes This Different from Traditional Therapy?
It’s not just talking about your experiences – you’re working with them directly through your body and felt sense.
It goes beyond cognitive understanding – healing happens at the level where trauma and tension is actually stored, not just where we think about it.
It includes the spiritual dimension – if that’s meaningful to you. If it’s not, the work is still profoundly effective through the somatic and parts work alone.
It’s slower and deeper – sessions are 1.5 hours, not 50 minutes, because this work needs space to unfold.
You’re the expert on your own experience – I’m a guide and facilitator, but you access your own wisdom and healing capacity.
Is This Right for Me?
This work is for you if:
- You’re ready to commit to long-term healing, not quick fixes
- You’re willing to feel uncomfortable as part of the process
- You’re open to working with your body, not just your mind
- You sense there’s something deeper than what traditional therapy has reached
This work may not be right for you (at least not yet) if:
- You’re looking for advice or someone to tell you what to do
- You want symptom management without addressing root causes
- You’re not ready to feel what you’ve been avoiding
- You need crisis intervention (this is deep work, not emergency support)
Testimonial
“Working with Emma has accelerated my self-understanding and healing process faster than any other therapeutic approach I’ve tried. She is exceptionally skilled at holding safe space for me to explore my inner landscape, and her expertise in somatic IFS and shamanic practices has given me profound insights into my subconscious. I’ve learnt many things about myself that purely cognitive approaches hadn’t revealed.
The meditative component keeps me grounded and present while allowing me to access a state where imagination and intuition reveal deeper truths. Each session is unique and a pleasant surprise where we organically explore what arises in the moment. Sometimes deeper elements are discussed, other times she intuitively recognises when I need extended silence to fully be with a part of myself. Her ability to read what I need and guide me through both the verbal processing and the shamanic elements of the work shows her deep understanding of the healing process.
Over time, these sessions have helped me build a foundation of compassionate awareness, self-trust, and confidence within myself that I can access in daily life. Emma’s gift is creating a space where deep healing unfolds organically. I’m so grateful to have found her!”
Common Questions
Do I need to be able to visualise or journey? No. I used to think I couldn’t journey because I don’t have strong visual capacity, and I’ve learned that’s not necessary. Journeying can happen through sensation, knowing, emotion, or subtle felt sense.
What if the shamanic stuff feels too “out there” for me? That’s completely fine. We’ll work with what feels right for you. Many clients work primarily with somatic and parts work and find it deeply transformative.
What if I feel scared or resistant? Is this work safe? That’s completely normal and welcome. Often parts of you will arise that feel uncertain, protective, or scared of going deeper. We always meet these parts where they are – there’s no forcing or coercing. These protective parts usually have good reasons for their caution, and honouring them is part of the healing process. We work at your pace, within your window of tolerance. You’re always leading – if something feels too much, we slow down or shift approach.
How long does this process take? Healing isn’t linear, and there’s no fixed timeline. I recommend fortnightly sessions, and most clients work with me for months to years, not weeks. This is about lasting transformation, not quick fixes.
Can I do this online? Does it work as well as in-person? Yes – all my sessions are currently conducted via Zoom, and the work is just as effective online as in-person. In fact, being in your own safe, comfortable space (many clients work from their bed!) often supports the depth of this work. You’re in familiar surroundings where you can fully relax, and there’s no need to “pull yourself together” to drive home afterwards. The somatic and shamanic elements translate beautifully to online sessions – your body is still your body, wherever you are.
Ready to Explore Further?
If this resonates and you’re curious whether Somatic Shamanism might be right for you, I offer a free 30-minute consultation where we can talk about what you’re experiencing and whether this approach feels like a good fit.
[Email me to Book Your Free Consultation]
Or if you have questions, feel free to email me at emma@soundoursouls.co.uk.