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20AJournalofContemporaryShamanismVOLUME7ISSUE1SPRING2014providingsupportinhershamanicwork.Thehummingbirdflutteredaroundherhelpinghertoseetheessenceofmatters.AfterthepoweranimalretrievaloftheHummingbirdshewasabletojourneyandhadverypowerfulexperiencesreceivingbothteachingsandhelp.Shealsomadejourneystoaskforthepowertoreceivehealingandaboutrelatingtotheworldaroundher.DuringthisperiodIalsodidtwosoulretrievalsforher.Theintegrationofoneofthelostsoul-partswhichwasapowerfulstrongandindependentlittlegirlwashard.ButonajourneytoaskWhatcanIdotomakeyouhappytheybondedandLizaisnowcomingtofeelthatsheisreadyforsomedeepchangesinherlife.Latershejourneyedtohergreat-great-grandmotherintheupperworldtoaskWhatismytaskinlifeTheresultofthisjourneyisthatsheisnowworkingtowardacareerchangemovingfrommathematicsandprogram-mingtowardthehelpingprofessions.Thishasbeensomeveryintensiveworkyouhavebeendoing.WhereisshewithitnowLizahasbeensymptom-freefortwoyears.Thankstoshamaniccounselinghertherapyworkhasdeepenedandshehascommittedherselftorebuildandmaintainherhealthyself.Herabusivestressfullongtermrelationshipwithapartnerended.Herrelationshipwithhercontrollingandstrictmotherisslowlyresolving.Lizafeelsreadyforanewrelationship.Hertrustinlifeisgettingwhereitisoccurringdailywewerestillhopingforsomesortofsupernaturalpowertointervene.SometimesitdoesyettodayIknowthatwithamalignantdiseasestrugglingforlifeandrecog-nizingthemomentwhenitistimetochangeareequallyimportant.Sometimesoneslifecannotbeprolongedanymore.Birthanddeathareinseparablefromeachother.Theyarepartofthesamecycle.Maybeitisourseparationfromthenaturalworldthathaspushedtheacceptanceofthissimplenaturallawsofaraway.Consciouslylivingthroughthisnaturalprocesshoweverisanopportuni-tyforfulfillment.AndwonderfulthingscanhappenonthewayMiracleshappeninmanyforms.WhataboutmiraclesRecognizingmiraclesrequiresconsciouspresenceawarenessmaturityandasortofwisdom.Afewdaysagoapatientcametoseeme.Shehadunder-goneanoperationandchemoandwascurrentlyreceivingradiotherapy.Shehadnosymptomsandhadabrilliantprognosisforahealthyfuture.Butshecametoseemeitwasbecauseshewasconstantlyanxiousaboutwhetherornotshewasreallyhealthy.Shewasconstantlypreoccupiedaboutwhenshewasgoingtodie.ShecouldntbehappythatshewasingoodhealthnowandacceptthatwhatevertheamountoftimeisleftsheisgoodnowThisheightenedstressandanxietystatethatshefoundherselfinisoftenevokedbythetraumacausedbythedisease.Wecouldcallitaformofpost-traumaticstressdisorder.Thisstatehadcausedacompletelossofpowerinthispatient.Shewasunabletostayinthepresentbecauseofherfearsofthefuturewhichhavetheirrootsinthepast.Inhercaseshamaniccounselingcouldbeagreathelptomoveforwardtoseethemiracleofherpresentsituation.Shecouldre-connecttoherownpowersbringherfearsundercontrolandlearntotrustagainintheopportunitiesthatlifeisofferingtoher.HaveyoueverworkedwithaclientwhofoundshamaniccounselingdifficultLizaisa36yearoldmathemati-ciantheeldestofthreesisters.Shewasdiagnosedwithbreastcancerandatthestartofourtherapyshehadundergonechemo-andradiotherapytreatments.Imetherononeofourassertivenesstrain-ingsandlatersheappliedforindividualpsychotherapy.Shewantedtoworkmoresothatshecouldfullyanddefinitivelyhealfromthebreastcancer.InitiallyonthesurfacewemadegoodprogresswithJungiantherapy.Butsoonitbecameclearthattheproblemsthatwereseem-inglyunderstoodandprocesseddidnotvanish.Shegainedmuchunderstandingyettheseinsightswereneverincorpo-ratedtherewasnorealtransformationandnobehavioralchange.Theprocesswasstuck.Lizasawwhatwashappeningbutshewassodeeplyattachedtotheproblemsthattheinsightsgainedintheprocess-ingcouldnotenablehertoletthemgo.ThiswasthemomentwhenIofferedshamaniccounselingtoher.Weproceededslowly.Releasingcon-trolandexperiencinganalteredstateofconsciousnessfrightenedher.Shedidnotdothejourneysshereceivedforhome-workandshewouldalwaysfindexcuses.Herstrongreligiousattitudemadeitdifficultforhertoembraceshamaniccosmologyandworkingwiththespirits.Itwasdifficultforhertosurrendertothesoundofthedrum.Abreakthroughcamefinallywithapoweranimalshereceivedfrommefor