Articles by Robin Cathleen Coale

Sacred Healing and Sacred Space: Shamanism and Psychotherapy in Practice

Published in the journal Alternative and Complementary Therapies, Volume: 21 Issue 6: December 2015

Sacred space is an essential part of the foundation for an effective counseling and healing session practice. It allows clients to feel safe, welcomed, comfortable, and nurtured. I view my role as a facilitator, conduit, and channel for transformation and healing.

There are several components to creating sacred space. The first is making sure the space I which you conduct your business is energetically clear. This means that the space is physically and energetically clean and that there is no residue of other people’s energies in the space. There are a number of ways in which a space can be cleared. There are smudges comprised of different natural materials, which can be burned to cleanse and purify the space. Some cultures use sound to clear spaces, through the use of bells, rattles, drums, or the voice. Salt in an excellent clearing and protecting agent. Small ceramic or crystal bowls of salt water placed in the corners of a healing space can absorb negative energies and help keep a room energetically clean. Sprinkling salt outside your healing space also offers an additional measure of protection.

Although everyone has the ability to sense energies, not all people are able to see or identify them. Every place has an energy, an energetic quality, or even an energetic imprint. For example, you may have gone somewhere—a restaurant, bar, spa, or medical center; or a place in nature—and, in these places, had a feeling of well-being. However, the opposite might also have been true; you might have felt discomfort, agitated, slightly ill, or very uncomfortable. When this happened, you were most likely feeling or sensing the energetic imprint of that location at the time. We all carry our own energy. We each have a core energetic imprint, and we also possess the energy of the moment or the day, based upon whatever has been happening in our lives and our attitudes toward those events.

Have you ever asked someone how he or she was and the person said “fine”, but you could feel that the person was not doing well. Through your own sensing you were experiencing that person’s true energy. When people experience a therapy session or shamanic healing, there is an expectation that they receive healing. It’s not unusual for them to energetically leave behind some of the emotions that they were experiencing and released, including anger, pain, heartache, resentment, bitterness, sorrow, and regret.

Where does that energy go? Because everything in the universe is made of energy, it has to move and cannot be destroyed; however, it can be shifted or transmuted. Emotions are a form of energy and, often, when my clients leave my office, they also leave some of their energetic residue there. It is my sacred responsibility to make sure that this energy is transmuted immediately so that the room is pristine, clean, and clear for the next client session. It is not unusual for my clients to release emotional toxins in the process of healing, and this energy moves from their bodies into the office space.

For example, I had an appointment for body work with a well-known and respected alternative doctor. When I stepped into his office for my session, I immediately sensed a great deal of toxicity in his room and told him that I could not enter his office. He told me that his previous client did a lot of releasing and that he had not cleared the space. Because I am sensitive and conscious of feeling energy, I knew I could not go inside until the energy was cleared. I waited while the doctor cleared the space so I could enter. (I also cleared his space from the waiting room.) How often are you cognizant of your own healing space? Do you take the time to make sure that your previous client’s or patient’s energies do not remain in the room?

A key part of my work with clients is sacred preparation for each session. I work throughout the day to make sure that I am free and clear of any energies that are not my own. If I happen to pick up any unwanted energies, I use a variety of techniques to clear myself energetically, including smudging, working with light, sound, and other energies.

Creating an environment of safety is also a strong component of facilitating sacred space for clients. I always schedule appointments 30 minutes apart so that clients do not run the risk of running into each other before or after a session. Confidentiality is of the utmost importance, and scheduling this way allows for times when clients arrive early or when I run over time.

I create beauty and comfort in my office, and the natural light that shines in from the large window in my office is uplifting to my clients. I always make sure to offer clients a hot cup of tea or water to sip during their sessions. I have sacred objects in my office that are connected to my relationship with Spirit. These objects hold their own sources of power and healing and contribute to the positive energy of the room. I have an altar in my office; this altar honors the benevolent and compassionate allies who assist me in my work. The altar has many sacred object upon it, including feathers; representations of great beings from Christian, Buddhist, and Hindu religions; depictions of goddesses; rosaries; an ancestral photograph; crystals; and candles. I also have several rattles and drums that hold their own unique powers.

Prayer and intention are a key part of creating sacred space. Before I work with a client, I pray to all the spiritual allies who assist me in my work, including ancestors, power allies, spiritual teachers, nature spirits, saints, and angels. From the moment a client makes an appointment with me, I hold the intention to be the clear and open channel for whatever healing that client’s body and soul will allow. Oftentimes, a new client arrives and, within the first two minutes of talking, the client begins to cry and tells me that he or she does not know why. I believe that client is already feeling the effects of the healing energies present in the room and that the process of releasing is beginning.

Creating sacred space allows clients to access deeper parts of themselves, release trauma, gain greater insights, and have profound healing. Sacred space also offers the opportunity to see between the worlds and allows me to see and feel the energies and the helping spirits in the room.

Published in the journal Alternative and Complementary Therapies, Volume: 21 Issue 6: December 2015
www.liebertpub.com/act

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Robin Cathleen Coale, MA, LPC
shaman healer seer
Sacred Shamanic Healing
robincathleencoale@gmail.com

Disclosure Statement: The material presented on this website is intended for informational and educational purposes only, and in no way is meant to substitute for individualized health care or treatment, or mental or behavioral health care therapy provided in person by a qualified professional. Shamanism is an ancient form of spiritual healing and is not intended as a substitute for medical or mental or behavioral health care. No claim to diagnose, treat or cure any disease, ailment or otherwise provide mental, physical, or behavioral health care is guaranteed, promised or implied by Robin Cathleen Coale, MA, LPC by this website. The information and testimonials contained in this website do not constitute a guarantee, commitment, promise or warranty of any result, outcome, or healing of any individual receiving shamanic healing. By reading and/or browsing through this website, you have agreed to this disclaimer.