Shamanic Healing

One of the most common and universal techniques a shaman  employs is retrieval of a lost soul part. Soul loss occurs when we  experience trauma, shock, pain or loss. A part of the soul, an essence,  leaves the body as a natural defense mechanism to avoid the pain of a  particular situation. 
Symptoms of soul loss  include chronic depression, disassociation, addictions, illness,  prolonged grief, PTSD, memory gaps, and disconnection with the body.  Causes for soul loss can include physical, emotional, and sexual abuse,  the death of a loved one, including a pet, loss of job, financial loss,  childbirth, divorce or separation, hospitalization, surgery, any kind of  abuse, illness, accidents, natural disasters and war. The shaman's job  is to find the lost soul part/parts and return it to the client.  

Another major technique in shamanic healing work is  extraction. Extraction involves removing a spiritual intrusion. Just as  there can be infections in ordinary reality, so there can be spiritual  intrusions. We don't mean that "evil" spirits have entered. It's more  like termites in a wooden house. If you've got termites in your house,  you wouldn't say those termites are evil, you'd say, "I'd just like to  get them out of the house." In this same way the shaman works to remove  things that interfere with the health of the body, such as spiritual  intrusions, and extract them. This is not done through journeying. It's  done through working here in the Middle World in an altered state of  consciousness.  
Symptoms may include  localized pain, sudden anger, depression, and suicidal thoughts.  Misplaced energy in its most extreme form would include possession and  the shaman's job is to remove the possessing spirit from the client.  

Shamans believe that each of us  has a spirit guardian whose job it is to protect and empower us. These  guardians may take the form of an animal and help us with power,  protection, energy, and vitality. Each animal has great wisdom and  brings specific gifts, talents, strengths and purpose in helping an  individual. Power animals choose people; shamans don't make the  selection. The shaman brings back to the client his/her power animal and  shares with the client what gifts this spiritual ally brings to that  individual to help him/her. 

Symptoms of power  loss can be similar to the symptoms of soul loss and can include:  chronic illness, chronic misfortune, long-term victimization, long-term  depression, and suicidal ideation.

The word 'psychopomp' is derived from Greek and means 'leader of  souls.' The shaman assists a person who has died to cross over to the  Light. For a variety of reasons, some individuals remain earthbound  after death instead of crossing over into the Light. Some situations  which cause an individual's spirit to remain on earth after death  include, a sudden and unexpected death, a deep attachment to a person or  family or a strong desire to complete some remaining unfinished  business. A shaman's job is to help that individual soul move out of  this dimension upon death, and take it to the Light.