Talk Therapy and Energy Healing
Although those in need of counseling date back to ancient Greece (or further), it wasn’t until the 1950’s that psychotherapy became popular and accepted. It allowed people to find relief from their mental anguish. Those in need of help would sit in an office or lie on a couch while the therapist took notes and asked thought-provoking questions.
My first experience with this type of traditional therapy was in 1972. I was 12. I sat in front of a man behind a huge wooden desk while he wrote on a pad of paper. I remember thinking,” I’m not crazy.” Rebellious, yes, sick of being told what to do and how to act sure, but definitely not crazy.
There has always been a societal stigma against seeking help from a counselor or therapist. I had it in my 12-year-old mind that I must be nuts if I went to see a psychologist. Through my parents’ eyes, I was acting nuts, but in my mind, I was trying to survive.
From 1986-2005, I experienced many different modalities of therapy, seeking relief from the trauma I had experienced.
Learn more about my life story. Watch an interview I did with AOP Podcast
I tried Self-Help programs, Counselors, Inner child work, Behavioral Therapy, EMDR, Drama Therapy, Reiki, and more.
Every therapist I went to see helped me uncover a bit more of myself and helped me come to understand my life better, but… I never truly felt different. I still struggled with low self-esteem, lack of confidence, and didn’t feel comfortable in my own skin.
That is until 2006.
In 2006, I became introduced to Shaman energy healing, and my whole life changed.
For the first time in my life, the heavy energy I had carried with me lifted. It’s hard to describe, but each time I had a healing, my spirit lightened. The first Soul Retrieval I received allowed me a newfound confidence. It was as if the fog in my brain lifted, and I could see myself for the first time.
I could see how I was still giving my power away. I became more in touch with myself and could feel when my boundaries were being crossed. I instinctively knew how to speak up for myself like never before. There was an energy inside of me that was growing, and I could viscerally feel it. After just two Shaman energy healings, I became inspired to learn more. So, I began studying with Dr. Alberto Villoldo and the Four Winds Society.
My healer was a woman in Chile named Marcela Lobos. She had taken classes with Dr. Vilolldo and encouraged me to go on their next Sacred journey to Peru. While there, I connected deeply with Mother Earth, Pachamama and could hear the mountains whispering in the winds. I saw my past in a whole new light and began to forgive those who had hurt me. I was awake and listening with new ears connecting with the animal kingdom to the calling of the earth. It was incredible. My Soul was finally healing. It was crazy how much I began to change. It took three years of study, growth, and experiences in the Andes and Amazon jungle before I was truly in touch with myself, but it happened.
Through my spiritual awakening, I began to evolve. I trusted myself more, and my intuition grew. I was finally able to control the negative inner voice that had dominated my decision-making for so long. I was able to speak up for myself more, and I stopped worrying about what others thought of me.
Slowly my practice evolved, and I opened my home as the Orange County Healing Center in 2009 and began leading people on Spiritual journeys to Peru and other sacred sites around the world. Many of these places connect to the 7 Chakras of the planet.
“I love assisting my clients in their spiritual growth and still recommend other types of talk therapy.”
There are many different modalities of healing the Mind, Body, and Spirit. Traditional therapies can include Psychotherapy, Regression Therapy, Art Therapy, and Counseling. In contrast, a more holistic approach could be Energy Psychology (EP), Mindfulness, Reiki, and Shamanism. It is essential to research and identify which best suits your personality. My feeling is if one could do therapy in conjunction with energy medicine, that person would grow leaps and bounds in a short time.
Anyone seeking enlightenment or to improve their emotional wellbeing must be willing to face their fears and change the dark narratives that define their lives. If you find yourself saying, “That’s just how I am” or “I can never change,” I am telling you it is possible to explore a new narrative.
By creating a practice using rituals and metaphors for your life, you will be able to let go and breathe. I invite you to create an opening, a window, a door, anything allowing you to explore different ways of being and weave a new tapestry for your life. See your life from a bird’s eye view and ground into who you truly are.
If you feel you are ready to embark upon a new way of being, I highly recommend seeking out a trained professional you think and feel you can trust. An energy medicine practitioner, a therapist (or both) will provide you with tools to assist in releasing what no longer serves you.
The Shaman’s path is for those willing to face their fears and walk in their truth. We must be willing to dig deep and trust like never before.
~Shaman Isabella
Sept. 2021
Helpful Resources & References
- Read more on the History of Psychotherapy via Psych Central
- Learn more about the 7 Chakras of the Planet
