QUESTION: What exactly is "shamanic healing?"

ANSWER: Here is one view. Shamanic healing is any form of healing in which the real objective is to heal spiritual relationships. The shamanic universe is a spiritual one, in the sense that everything is a spirit, including the universe itself, and everything is in some kind of relationship. Problems arise when two or more spirits get out of harmony. Because everything is related, two "idea spirits" in disharmony (i.e., conflicting ideas) can induce disharmony in one or more "body spirits" (i.e., body organs or functions), and vice versa. By healing the relationships (resolving conflicts) between ideas or body parts, harmony is restored for all concerned.

Although shamans are usually associated with dramatic ritual or trance techniques, in actuality they use whatever works. Common sense advice, herbs and medicine, massage and other physical interventions, psychotherapy and hypnotherapy - all these and more can be part of the shaman's repertoire, in addition to dramatic ritual and trance.