Healing from Abuse with Shamanism: Reclaiming the Lost Pieces of the Soul

 Healing from Abuse with Shamanism: Reclaiming the Lost Pieces of the Soul

When Ella (not her real name) first came to me, she was living in survival mode. Her life had been shaped by years of abuse—first in her childhood and later in a toxic relationship that had left her emotionally fractured. She described feeling disconnected from herself, numb to joy, and unsure if she would ever truly heal.

“I feel like I’ve lost parts of myself,” she said during our first session.

Ella’s words struck a deep chord because, in shamanic terms, this loss is precisely what happens when we experience trauma. Abuse can fragment the soul, leaving pieces of it behind as a survival mechanism. My work with Ella would be about helping her retrieve those lost parts and reclaim her sense of wholeness.

The First Step: Restoring Safety

Before we could go deeper, it was essential to create a foundation of safety. Abuse leaves behind a trail of hypervigilance and mistrust, so our initial work focused on grounding Ella in the present moment.

Through breathwork and guided meditation, I taught her techniques to calm her nervous system and anchor herself when old memories or triggers surfaced. These tools became her daily practices, helping her regain a sense of control over her body and mind.

Soul Retrieval: Reclaiming What Was Lost

A few sessions in, I introduced Ella to the practice of soul retrieval—a shamanic healing technique that addresses the fragmentation caused by trauma. During a guided journey, I entered the spirit world on Ella’s behalf, asking her spirit guides to show me the parts of her soul that had been left behind.

What I found were pieces of Ella’s essence trapped in moments of profound pain: a little girl silenced by fear, a teenager shamed for speaking her truth, and a young woman desperate for love but sacrificing her boundaries to find it.

In ceremony, we called those parts back to her, welcoming them with compassion and reassurance. Ella described feeling a deep shift after this session—a sense of being more “herself” than she had in years.

Releasing the Energetic Imprints of Abuse

Trauma doesn’t just live in the mind; it leaves energetic imprints in the body. To release these, we incorporated bodywork, sound healing, and rituals with natural elements.

• Fire Ceremony: Ella wrote down the beliefs and patterns she had inherited from her abusers—the lies that told her she was unworthy, unlovable, or powerless. As the flames consumed her words, she felt a release, as though she was burning away the chains that had held her.

• Earth Ritual: We buried symbols of her pain—a broken bracelet from her childhood and a piece of fabric that reminded her of her ex-partner. As we offered these to the earth, Ella asked for the strength to grow beyond the scars they had left.

Finding the Inner Healer

Over the course of a year, Ella began to transform. Her voice grew stronger, her boundaries clearer, and her ability to trust herself deeper. Through our work, she came to see herself not as a victim of her past but as the author of her future.

One of the most profound moments came when Ella described a dream she had during our sessions. In it, she saw herself as a child, standing in a field of wildflowers. In the dream, she embraced her younger self, whispering, “You’re safe now. I’ve got you.”

This moment symbolized a profound turning point: Ella had become her own healer.

The Bigger Lesson

Healing from abuse is not about erasing the past but about integrating it into a story of resilience and strength. Shamanic healing offers a way to address the deep wounds that traditional methods often can’t touch—healing not just the mind but the soul.

For Ella, the process was about reclaiming what had been taken from her: her voice, her power, and her sense of self-worth. She didn’t just survive—she found a way to thrive.

If you’ve experienced abuse, know that healing is possible. It’s a journey, one that requires courage and patience, but with the right tools and support, you can reclaim the lost pieces of yourself and step into a life of empowerment and joy.

~Shanti Freedom Das