Soul Retrieval FAQ
Soul Retrieval online and In Person
Most people are aware that unprocessed trauma can become a trigger. Part of the psyche walls itself off as a form of protection from overwhelm.
Did you know the same thing happens on an energetic level? Soul loss and soul retrieval is practiced in traditional communities all over the world. Nearly every ancient culture has a form of soul retrieval to heal community members who experience a shocking or harmful event.
What is soul retrieval?
A soul retrieval is an ancient shamanic practice that exists in just about every shamanic culture ever studied, from South America, to Africa, to Celtic traditions. It involves recovering lost essence, energy, or “soul parts” that have dislodged due to trauma.
This soul loss doesn’t mean you’re separated from that soul essence. It’s more like part of your energy is stuck in a state of fear, sadness, hurt, or other difficult emotions. It moves further away from the core Self as a way to cope without becoming overwhelmed. - An energetic version of what that mind does.
You can think of this as a kind of archetypal wounded child part of yourself that is still hiding under the meta[phirc bed. It’s still connected to you, but it’s not contributing.
Because it is not integrated into the whole Self, the soul part is drawing off vital life force that can cause a person to feel tired, uncertain of themselves, lackluster about life, or even fearful.
Symptoms of Soul Loss
Nervousness and anxiety
Saddness or depression
Fatigue
Inability to fully feel (feeling numb or disconnected from feelings)
Feeling bored or needing extremes to be able to feel something
A sense of purposelessness or feeling adrift in life
Never feeling fulfilled, like something is always missing
How does soul retrieval work?
Traditionally, a shamanic practitioner uses a trance state to enter the spirit world and connect with their spirit helpers. With the help of their guides, the shaman journeys to find and recover the soul part. The lost energy is then integrated back into the client’s body, often through blowing, singing, or tapping. The client is generally an inactive participant, letting the shaman do the work, then listening to a description of what the shaman experienced.
Bringing the soul essence back into the integrated whole is like having your full self back. It is a powerful part of healing and stepping into your authentic self.
A Modern Soul Retrieval Process
Typically, in most cultures, a soul retrieval was done within three days of a disturbing event. However, most people today are years, or even decades, away from the trauma. It can be disorienting and unsettling to recover and integrate a soul part that is so far in age from the current person. The soul part can bring back challenging feelings and memories. The soul part may feel disoriented and therefore escape again to feel safe.
It’s important to recognize this essential difference between modern soul retrieval and those done in the context of a shamanic community, much closer in time to the actual soul loss.
Today, more time and work are needed for the soul part to become reacquainted with the current adult. Healing time is needed for the energy to feel safe to come home into the whole and to heal before that happens.
While soul reveal is, in itself, a healing practice, when many years have passed between the energy loss and the present, it is essential to spend extra time healing the energy before the integration.
Involving You In the Process
HypnoShamanic Healing: an interactive process guided journey with the shaman.
You experience the journey first-person! Integrating clinical hypnosis into the process, you release the emotional triggers while including emotional healing in the spiritual healing process. The process is done in two parts, with a week in between, to leave time for continuous healing practice before integration. This way, the energy being integrated is not a wounded child, but healthy energy ready to contribute joy, curiosity, strength, and resilience!
The HypnoShamanic soul retrieval process is done in tandem with the client. Using hypnosis, you’ll be guided to relax, release, and reframe the disturbing emotions.
Rather than integrating the soul energy right away, we take it to a healing place where your power animal or guide will aid the release of fear, hurt, and other difficult feelings.
During this healing time, you’ll have homework to visit your soul part and let them get to know the current you.
In our second session, about a week later, we’ll use hypnosis and the element of Fire to release anything left that needs to heal. We will both have work to do during the integration so you have a fuller experience of the process.
Next, we visit the Healing Waters to soothe the way for your reclaimed, integrated soul essence to spread out and feel at home.
Lastly, we celebrate! You’ll invite the energy of friends, family, loved ones, and spirit helpers to join you in a celebration of your own soul’s homecoming.
This joyful process solidifies your powerful healing.
What are the benefits of soul retrieval?
Each person is unique in how they feel after a soul retrieval. Some people feel a big difference right away, while others experience a subtle, yet powerful impact over time.
Benefits of soul retrieval healing
No longer triggered by the traumatic event
Feel more whole and authentically yourself
Confidence in being yourself around others
Able to trust the moment and be present
More energy, motivation, and passion
Able to connect and trust others
Underlying feeling of calm and peace
Less reactive and more accepting
Experience less anxiety and fear
Experience less depression
What should I expect from a HypnoShamanic Soul Retrieval session?
These sessions last about 1.5 to 2 hours each. We start with creating an intention statement to set a clear trajectory for your healing.
Once we have an intention statement, we’ll begin hypnosis. This is a state of relaxation and focus. We’ll call your spirit helpers to support the healing process.
You’ll have time to spend with a power animal or spirit guide, allowing that connection to become clear. You can come back to this connection for help and healing on your own in the future.
You will feel guided and supported by me and your guide throughout the process. We’ll use clinical hypnosis to explore and release old emotional triggers and shamanic practice to reclaim your lost energy.
Who can benefit from soul retrieval?
Everyone has experienced soul loss. It’s a way of coping and can be caused by “capital-T trauma” or “lower case-t trauma.” A simple snide comment can cause some of us to shut down emotionally, and our soul essence to split off.
Anyone willing to explore emotional and spiritual healing at the deepest levels can benefit from a soul retrieval.
My unique HypnoShamanic Healing process brings you fully into the experience for holistic healing.
How to prepare for a soul retrieval session
Because this healing process is based on an intention, wanting to heal a specific aspect of yourself and your life, it’s a good idea to know what aspect that is.
This may be something like healing a block in becoming more emotionally connected to people. Maybe you want to gain confidence in being your true, authentic self. It could be to release anxiety or sadness related to a specific relationship or trauma.
Having a sense of what you’d like to improve is a great starting point for a soul retrieval process. But don’t worry, I’ll walk you through the process of creating a clear intention.
A curious mind and an authentic willingness to explore and grow are great mindsets to have when starting this powerful healing process.
How many soul parts are missing?
It is common for people to have more than one soul part missing. A single soul retrieval may bring back a few soul parts at once, depending on how many are connected to the intention. For example, someone may feel numbed out and want to reconnect to their emotions. There may be two or three experiences in their life that contributed to their emotional shutdown. All of these soul parts may come home during the process.
Most modern shamanic practitioners do not integrate more than three soul parts in a single integration. The idea is to take time to become accustomed to those parts before doing any more.
How often should one undergo a soul retrieval session?
As a general rule of thumb, most modern soul retrievals are spaced out about six months to a year apart. You want time to truly experience yourself with the newly integrated energy before exploring more healing. At times, a single soul retrieval can be enough. It may create such a strong, integrated whole Self that any energy left unintegrated is pulled back home, like a magnet that’s been turned on and is attracting its own energy home.