Shamanic healing is a potent, ancient practice; it is not, however, safe in the way a standardized, regulated medical procedure is. Its safety is almost entirely dependent on the skill, integrity, and psychological stability of the shamanic healer, as well as the preparedness of the client.
The practice directly engages with the deep psyche and spirit. When performed by a well-trained, ethical adept, it can be a profound and transformative tool for healing. When performed by an untrained, unethical, or unhealed individual, it carries significant risks.
Primary Risk: The Practitioner
The single most important variable in the safety of shamanic healing is the practitioner themselves. The practice is a technology, and the practitioner is the technician. A poor technician can be dangerous.
Training and Ethics
A qualified shamanic practitioner will have a clear lineage, extensive training, and a strong set of ethics. They will be able to explain their training, who they learned from, and what their boundaries are. They will never mix healing with romantic advances, will have clear policies on consent, and will operate with integrity.
The Wounded Healer vs. The Unhealed
The archetype of the shaman is the wounded healer—one who has faced their own crisis or “spiritual dismemberment” and returned with power and wisdom. The danger is the unhealed practitioner. This is an individual still in the midst of their own trauma or psychological instability, who may project their own ego, needs, and unresolved issues onto the client. This is the greatest risk in any form of spiritual healing.
Psychological and Emotional Risks
Shamanic practice is designed to interact with the deep roots of suffering. This is its function, and this is also its primary psychological risk.
Surfacing Suppressed Trauma
Techniques like soul retrieval are intended to find and heal parts of the self that fragmented during suppressed trauma. This means the practice can, and often does, bring painful memories and intense, unprocessed emotions to the surface. This is a necessary part of the healing, but it is a risk. If this surfacing happens too quickly, or without a safe “container” and support, it can overwhelm the client’s nervous system and lead to re-traumatization.
Integration Necessity
A safe shamanic session does not end when the drumming stops. The most important work is integration—the process of helping the client make sense of their experience and incorporate the healing into their daily life. An unsafe practitioner will offer a powerful “one and done” experience with no follow-up, leaving the client destabilized and alone to process the resurfaced emotions. A safe practitioner will either provide integration support or insist that the client has a therapist to help them.
Medical and Physical Safety
There are firm boundaries that must be respected between this spiritual practice and conventional medicine.
Shamanism as a Complementary Therapy
Shamanic healing is a complementary therapy. It is meant to be used alongside and in support of conventional medical and psychological care, not as a replacement. An ethical practitioner will never tell you to stop taking your medication, to cancel a surgery, or to fire your doctor. Any “healer” who gives this advice is dangerous, unethical, and should be avoided.
Known Contraindications (Psychosis)
Shamanic journeying is a practice of intentionally dissolving the boundaries of ordinary reality. For a person with a stable ego structure, this is a healing act. For someone in an active state of psychosis or with a history of schizophrenia, this is extremely dangerous. It can trigger a psychotic break and worsen the condition. A safe practitioner will screen for these contraindications.
Spiritual Risks and Misconceptions
Many newcomers fear “dark spirits” or “demonic” possession. In my experience as a spiritual healer, the real spiritual risk is almost always the practitioner’s own unmanaged shadow. The risk is not an external demon; it is the practitioner’s own unhealed ego, greed, or need for control.
Another risk is “spiritual inflation” or becoming “ungrounded,” where a person (either client or practitioner) becomes grandiose or disconnected from ordinary life. A good practitioner is deeply grounded and emphasizes the importance of living in this world, not escaping it.
Red Flags of an Unsafe Practitioner
A safe and ethical shamanic practitioner will be grounded, humble, and clear. Be wary of any individual who:
- Makes Grandiose Guarantees: “I can cure your cancer” or “I am the only one who can heal you.”
- Gives Medical Advice: “You must stop your antidepressants.”
- Has Poor Boundaries: Is overly familiar, makes romantic or sexual advances, or creates a relationship of dependency.
- Displays a “Messiah Complex”: Focuses on their own “power,” their lineage, or how “special” they are.
- Provides No Integration: Offers no follow-up support or plan to help you process the experience.
- Pressures You: Uses fear tactics (e.g., “You have a dark entity I must remove”) to pressure you into a session.
