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18AJournalofContemporaryShamanismVOLUME7ISSUE1SPRING2014ThinkingaboutitIrealizedthatnewlydiagnosedcancerpatientswhenenteringthehealthsystemmustfeelasimilarvulnerabilitytowhatIhadfeltinatotallyunknownculture.Thehealth-caresystemisadifferentworld.Hereitdoesntmatterwhoyouhavebeenbeforewhatyouknoworwhatvaluesyouhave.Hereyouareapatient.Youhavetoadapt.Youhavetounderstandadifferentlanguageadifferentbehaviorandmeetdifferentexpectationsinordertosuccess-fullyaccommodateandgetallthatyouneedtoregainyourhealth.SoIsaidyestotheofferandmyjourneyinmedicalhealthcarebegan.Ifoundmyselfinoneofthemosthierar-chicalofinstitutions-ahospitalanditwasabigchallengeforme.ButatthispointofmylifeIhadmuchexperiencebehindmeandIalsohadmyspirithelpers.Ihadtoadapttomanythings.Fixedtimeschedulesrulesandregula-tionsandnomenclaturestonamebutafew.ButmostofallIhadtofindtheinterfacetoconnecttoaformofhealingthatwasstillmostlybasedonabiologicalmedicalapproach.Iwascalledapsycho-oncologistandmytaskwastoworkouthowtherapycouldworkinoncologyandthenimplementit.Withinmonthsitbecameclearthatthistaskwasnotonlyrelevantinthismedicaldepartmentbutalsonation-wideandsowithafewcolleaguesweestablishedtheHungarianAssociationforPsycho-oncology.Wehavebeenworkinghardtogainrecognitionforpsycho-oncologyandtomakepsycholog-icalintervention-andthusthehealingofthesoul-anequallyimportantpartintreatmentofcancer.Iworkedoutaholisticprogramforpsychosocialrehabilitationwhichregardspatientsasphysicalandspiritualbeings.ThenewprogramreceivedthenameFirebirdfollowedbytheestablishmentofFirebirdFoundation.Themanage-mentofSt.LaszloHospitalappreciatedthenewapproachandweweregivenaseparatepavilionwithintheterritoryofthehospitaltolaunchtheproject.Wemovedinin2009andsincethenFirebirdhasbeenflying.SohowdoyouworkwithpatientsWhatistheprogramFirebirdoffershelpforpatientsandtheirrelativesalike.Theprogramstartswithafirstinterviewsimilartoanexploratorydiscussion.Thepatienttalksabouthimselftellsmewhatbroughthimherewhatmakeshimanxiousandwhatobstaclesanddifficultieshehastoface.Healsotalksaboutchangesthathavehappenedinhislifesincethediagnoseshowhislifewasbeforecancerandwhatmakeshisadaptationtohisnewsituationdifficult.Initssettingitissimilartoashaman-icguidancesession.Attheendoftheinterviewwelookbacktoourdiscussiontogetherandidentifywhathascometothesurface.Wediscusswhatthebestinterventioncouldbe.Withcanceritisimportantforthehelptoarrivequickly.Thereforewedonthavewaitinglists.Weoffershort-term5-6sessionsdynamicpsychotherapybutinpracticethepatientisreceivinghelpaslongassheneedsit.Weoftenhavecouplestherapyandfamilyconsul-tationaswell.IfthepatientcomestoseemeandweagreeonpsychotherapyinthebeginningIdontknowwhetherornotshamaniccounselingwillbeintroduced.Ineverworkwithoutmyspirithelpers.TheyarealwaysaroundandoftenwhenIamstuckIaskfortheiradvice.Shamanicpracticeisaveryintimateinnerwork.UsuallyIoffertheoptionofshamaniccounselingtothosewhomIdontregardascapableofusingverbaltherapy.Orwhenitisdifficultforsomeonetocon-necttotheirfeelingsorwhensomebodyseeshimselfandhislifeperfectlyeventhoughheisnotfunctioningwell.Thesewallsarehardtobreak.OntheseoccasionsIoffertointroduceanewmethodshamaniccounseling-andwestarttotalkaboutit.Itisveryimportantthatitisexplainedinawaythatsuitsthepersonsintellectandknowledge.Sometimesevenintroduc-inganotioncangiverisetoresistance.Thosewhocontactmeareseekingapsychotherapistnotashamanichealersointroducingshamanismcanonlyhappenwhenatrustingrelationshiphasbeendeveloped.AtacertainpointofourtherapeuticworkImaystarttofeelintuitivelythatshamanismneedstobeintroducedinorderforthepatienttostrengthenandopentoaprocesswithwhichhecanmove.HowInameshamanictermshighlydependsontheperson.Ireceivealotofguidancefrommyspirithelpersinthisregard.Iputallmyattentiontothepersonandoftenthewordsmostsuitabletothesituationappearbythemselves.Icanusedifferenttermstodescribethesamethingindifferentsituations.ForexampleImaysayshewillcomeacrossspirithelpersorinnerguidesorherinnerpowersinthejourneys.Icantsaythesamethingtoeveryonebecausesomewillshyawayorsimplydeclareitnonsense.HowdoshamanismandmodernmedicinerelateIbelievethatwhatusedtobetheshamanstaskinancienttimesisnowthecombinedtaskofthemedicaldoc-torthepriestandthepsychologist.Itisunfortunatethatthehealingprocessissofragmented.Includingpsychotherapyinthetreatmentofphysicaldiseasesisagreatleapforwardinthehealingprocesstosaynothingofthespiritualdimen-sionIfthiswerealwaysthecasepatientscouldbereceivinghealingforallaspectsthebodymindandspirit.Ioftenexperi-encetheadvantageofhavingboththepsychologicalandthespiritualdomainsaccessibletome.ButIalsoexperiencethedisadvantageofnothavingenoughknowledgeaboutthephysicalbody.Iendeavortolearnmoreaboutthebodyabouttheimpactofmedicalcancertreat-mentandthenatureofcanceritself.Ithinkthatthemorelevelsonwhichyoucanconnecttothepatientthebetteryourchancesaretounderstandwhatishappeningandthehigheryourchancesaretointerveneinahealingway.TheshamanicpracticethatIamdoingisnotaboutmakingthepatientbelievethatIamabletohealhimthatIholdthepowerandknowledgetodo