International Journal of Transpersonal Studies Volume 31 | Issue 2 Article 9 7-1-2012 Shamans as Healers, Counselors, and Psychotherapists Stanley Krippner Saybrook University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.ciis.edu/ijts-transpersonalstudies Part of the Anthropology Commons, Philosophy Commons, Psychology Commons, and the Religion Commons Recommended Citation Krippner, S. (2012). Krippner, S. (2012). Shamans as healers, counselors, and psychotherapists. International Journal of Transpersonal Studies, 31(2), 72–79.. International Journal of Transpersonal Studies, 31 (2). http://dx.doi.org/10.24972/ijts.2012.31.2.72 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License. This Special Topic Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals and Newsletters at Digital Commons @ CIIS. It has been accepted for inclusion in International Journal of Transpersonal Studies by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ CIIS. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. Shamans as Healers, Counselors, and Psychotherapists Stanley Krippner 1 Saybrook University San Francisco, CA, USA Shamanic models of healing, counseling, and psychotherapy differ from Western models in that they emphasize closeness to the natural world as well as to one’s body and life’s spiritual dimensions. Shamanic practices reflect the ideals of harmony and knowledge. In shamanism, there is no division between “mind” and “body,” hence what Westerners refer to as “mental illness” is seen as part of the total client being treated by a shaman, a perspective that often includes the client’s family, community, and the world of “spirits.” Keywords: expectation, models, shamans, shamanism, world view hamans can be defined as socially sanctioned a past life and those resulting from activities during the practitioners who purport to voluntarily regulate client’s present incarnation.