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Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some answers to some frequently asked questions.

What is reiki?
Reiki is life force energy that flows through all living things. Reiki is a form of energy healing that helps to balance out the energetic imbalances in living this. It is posited that energetic imbalances are what cause illness and disease.

What is shamanic reiki?
Shamanic reiki is reiki, with shamanic tools added, such as: rattles, drums, feathers, stones. They are used because they are believed to help balance energetic imbalances quicker. 
Shamanic reiki also has unique interventions like soul retrievals, with help support trauma healing.
It actually has a lot of similarities to somatic experiencing, emotional freedom technique, and EMDR.


What is shamanism?
Shamanism is essentially the practice and study of people who use properties of nature to help heal people.

Is shamanism demonic or pagan?
In and of itself, no. Shamanism and reiki are nondenominational. It is often confused with the practice of magic/magick.

What If I don't want shamanic reiki in my therapy?
Totally fine! It's not a mandate at all. Simply let your therapist know you're not interested :)

I'm Christian. I don't know how I feel about this.
Totally fair. Our practice is based out of New Mexico and there's a lot of interest in shamanism there. That's the reason we started incorporating it and blending the two.
We will NEVER force you to do anything you don't want to (that is unethical). I promise all of our therapists are perfectly capable of holding space for you and your Christian faith. Simply let them know and keep them aware of your preferences.


I'm pagan. Can you hold space for me?
Absolutely. And, clinicians will always ask supervisors questions if they have any doubts, so please always keep them informed of your concerns, needs, etc.

Why does spirituality even matter? And, why in therapy?
It matters because it is a part of the human system, whether or not someone has a belief system.

I feel spiritually lost. Can you help me?
Yes; so long as you are willing to have your clinician or practitioner walk alongside you and to be honest, they can help you navigate your way back to a sense of meaning and wholeness.

Why do you even offer shamanic reiki/shamanic healing?
We offer it and train our clinicians in it because we find it helps therapists attune to the client's somatic experiences of trauma more effectively. And, it helps to intervene more effectively.

What if I don't have trauma? Can I still be seen?
Absolutely. We work with most mental health diagnoses.

Do you have anyone who specializes in neurodivergence and autism?
Yes; Brittany is our main specialist but Mage and Leigh are also rehearsed in working with this population.

Do you all work with Borderline Personality Disorder? (BPD)
Absolutely! :) All clinicians can.

What about narcissistic abuse?
All clinicians are trained to work with the survivors.
In regard to perpetrators, Mary Beth has the most training.


What about domestic violence/interpersonal violence?
Mary Beth has the most training and experience in this, working with, both, survivors and perpetrators.  And, all providers have training in working with survivors.

What does normal therapy look like?
It looks like starting off with an intake, where you get asked about your current experiences that led you to therapy, overall health, and maybe some key traumas that led you here, to seeking therapy.
Then, treatment focuses on building a secure attachment with your therapist and working on different interventions and modalities, as they become appropriate.


I'm part of the LGBTQ+ community. Who is equipped to work with me?
All of our providers are equipped to work with you. We all have an ethical obligation to be able to work with all populations, regardless or race, socioeconomic status, gender, sexual orientation, faith, etc.

I'm conservative and I feel like I don't have space in the world to be myself. Can you really hold space for me without judging?
Absolutely.

I'm a conspiracy theorist/realist. Can you hold space for me without judging?
Absolutely.

What if I'm interested in clinical supervision?
Please reach out by phone or email.

Does online therapy really work?
Yes; for most people. It's essentially a video chat that's HIPAA compliant.

I've tried other therapies before. What makes you different?
We are trauma-informed, meaning we are extensively trained in how to assess for trauma and how to help intervene in ways that cause the least amount of harm possible. If you are willing to make some life changes or explore them, your clinician is also willing to support you through this process.

What does it meant to be trauma-informed?
It means clinicians receive ongoing training and support from supervisors regarding all things trauma. Clinicians are also supported through their own experiences of trauma so they can better support clients through theirs. It means we have policies and office spaces that are as trauma-friendly as possible.

Can an intern really support me if they're only a student?
Absolutely. Research shows the relationship is what most matters in therapy. So, whether or not you "vibe" with your therapist is what most matters. Interns receive at least one hour a week of supervision, like anyone else in the practice.

What does it mean that you have a holistic approach/integrative health approach?
It means we acknowledge the body keeps the score and that trauma affects many systems. It means clinicians are getting trained and supervised so that they are able to educate clients more about ways in which trauma manifests in the body and ways that can help support overall health and wellbeing, as well as trauma healing.
It means we look at the full medicine wheel (or, bio-psycho-social-spiritual approach) when considering trauma recovery work. 
All our providers are starting to get ongoing training on themes of: frequency medicine, herbs, nutrition, Chinese medicine, meridians, chakras, accupressure points, functional medicine, and root cause medicine so they may be informed in helping support their clients working actively on trauma recovery.


A lot of your therapists are young and I'm old. How can they help me if they don't have my life experience?
Ultimately, if you don't feel comfortable, please honor that. However, if you're open to exploring it, we can assure you their supervisors have a lot of wisdom and life experience and have worked with people of all ages. Simply keep an open line of communication and express your needs and concerns to your clinician.

You have a lot of white people practicing shamanism. Explain that.
Firstly, they can't help that they were born white, of course. Also, most of them identify a lot with their Celtic ancestry. They somehow found their way to Love Is Healing and made a commitment to help people every day, to explore their biases, and to take accountability for themselves. We hope that helps.

Does shamanic healing really work?
Most people who have experienced it would say so. In our experience it has been about 99.9% of people who report benefiting from it. Those who report they do not tend to come in feeling really skeptical and closed off, which doesn't allow them to be fully present in their sessions, which doesn't allow them to receive the full benefits.
However, shamanic healing helps bring the brain into a theta state and a delta state, which allows for tapping into the subconscious. Generally speaking it will help address unconscious or subconscious memories and feelings that have been causing the person distress.


I want to try a healing session but I'm Christian so I'm scared.
Again, ultimately, please listen to your intuition. We always encourage you to never force yourself to do something you're not ready to do, as that is self-abuse. However, please know you are welcome to bring a Bible, rosary, or to pray during the session. Please also know you can always stop the session at any time, with or without reason.
That's all a part of being trauma-informed :)


Does insurance cover reiki and shamanic services?
It does not. If you are wanting a healing session, it must be private pay. However, all therapists are trained in shamanic reiki and can incorporate some of the mindfulness meditations into your regular therapy sessions, as clinically appropriate.

Is it true all your clinicians are receiving DBT training?
Yes :)

Thanks for reading! :)

We hope this helped!
Please always feel free to reach out!

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