In a world where ancient traditions meet modern therapeutic techniques, Christine Holt has carved out a unique path, founding the transformative practice of Somatic Shamanism. This practice merges ancient wisdom—rooted in Shamanic, Taoist, and Yoga traditions—with contemporary psychotherapeutic modalities like Integral Eye Movement, Internal Family Systems, Somatic Experiencing, Polyvagal Theory, and Compassionate Inquiry. Christine’s approach offers individuals and groups a sacred space for deep emotional, mental, and spiritual healing. Christine believes that the healing process should empower individuals, guiding them to connect deeply with their inner wisdom. “Once you’ve experienced it and know it in your body, you can never ‘not know’ it again,” she says. Through Somatic Shamanism, she offers a pathway where traditional and contemporary practices converge, inviting people to experience healing that truly lasts. Join Mystic Mag and read more.
What inspired you to create the Somatic Shamanism practice, and how does it differ from traditional shamanic or therapeutic approaches?
Well, that’s an interesting question, as I never actually set out to create Somatic Shamanism, it just sort of happened. Basically, I was working as a Shamanic Practitioner and for many reasons I didn’t think the work was as effective as it could be. So, I started to experiment with some of the powerful practices that I had learnt along the way. This included Taoism, Yoga and various body centered therapies that I’d used to great effect in my own healing. After many years of practice, I realized I had stumbled on a therapeutic model that worked very well, as my clients began to show real improvement and my practice got very busy, so I knew that this was something special. I thought…I need to give a name to this…and so Somatic Shamanism came into being.
As regards to how it differs from other shamanic and therapeutic approaches, the traditional shamanic model is often a practitioner journeying for a client and telling them what happened. For me, this model is too far removed from the client’s own experience and so my way of using shamanism is to allow the client to have their own shamanic experience supported by my guidance. Other therapeutic approaches often rely on talking as the primary mode of intervention. Talking is a part of Somatic Shamanism, but it goes much deeper than that, and is a process that allows rapid access to the unconscious.
Can you describe the process of guiding individuals through Somatic Shamanism?
My sessions last an hour and a half and for the first half hour we talk, and I very much adhere to the Person-Centred Counselling techniques used by Carl Rogers. After this I lead the client through a brief Yoga Nidra meditation to take them out of their head and into the body and then we explore the issue from the Dantian (known as the ‘elixir field’ or the main energy centre in the body) taken from my Taoist training. As the client runs the issue through this centre, I encourage them to observe any felt sense or sensations that may appear in the body. I then use a number of body centred techniques to access parts of self that have something to say about the issue, and so begins the internal dialogue between the parts and the Self energy of the client. Shamanic healing techniques are used as we start to bring healing and balance to the parts and the client gains fresh knowledge as to what was playing out in their unconscious.
It may sound complicated but to the client it’s seamless, insightful and very healing. Anytime we access our body’s wisdom in this way, we get huge benefits.
What type of services do you offer?
I offer one-to-one client work, teach courses online such as Somatic Shamanism Practitioner Training and numerous short courses including An Introduction to Shamanism, Ancestral Healing (starting Nov 2024), and An Introduction to Somatic Therapies. I also provide retreats and ceremonies on the Wirral, UK with my good friend Anne Archer at Home – Anne Archer Holistic Health
Integral Eye Movement and Internal Family Systems are often considered clinical techniques. How do you integrate these modalities into a shamanic context to facilitate deep healing?
Both IEMT and IFS are brilliant models, and they can easily be integrated into the Shamanic context. For instance, Richard Schwartz who founded IFS was familiar with Shamanism and some of the techniques he uses are very shamanic, i.e. when a part of self unburdens itself using one of the four elements. Schwartz has shown in his work, and I have seen in my practice, that Shamanism and IFS can blend very well together.
IEMT is a similar practice to one I learnt during my training in Shamanism that uses eye movements in a technique called ‘recapitulation’ where we are able to erase the emotional charge that is associated with traumatic memories. I have learned so many brilliant healing techniques over the last 30 years that it made sense for me to blend them into one model that works exceptionally well.
In your experience, what role does the body’s somatic memory play in the healing process, and how does your approach help individuals release stored trauma?
In the somatic therapy world, it is common knowledge that the body holds the memory of everything that happens to us. Another way to view this is that the body is the unconscious. What has been forgotten or repressed from our conscious awareness is often still held within the body. My Yoga training taught me this over several years of intense practice. As we move into the asanas (yoga postures) and stay there long enough, you’re interoceptive awareness is fully on the part being stimulated by the posture, and you’ll often notice memories, emotions and other indicators of past issues start to arise in your consciousness. For me this is the body’s way of telling us what needs to be released and healed. Somatic Shamanism is another way that we can gain access to this knowledge. The client is taken to places where stored trauma or upset is held, and in a gentle way, and at the pace of the client, we are able to bring resolution and healing.
As someone who bridges ancient spiritual practices with modern therapeutic techniques, how do you stay grounded and maintain your own balance amidst facilitating profound healing experiences for others?
After spending 35 years working on myself, I am fully aware of my own needs and see this as foundational for the work I do. I take my dog to the woods first thing in the morning and do my Taoist practices there. I play tennis with my oldest friend Jackie twice a week, I cook good food for me and my husband each evening, and we love to watch MAFS together! I love the work I do, I continue to attend training and learn new skills, I practice yoga, I laugh a lot and try not to take myself too seriously. I am aware of what brings me balance. When I am happy and healthy, I can then be there for others.
I feel fulfilled in my life and that keeps me grounded.
