FROM PSYCHOTHERAPISTS THAT HAVE COMPLETED YEAR 1:
“I have attended this beautiful course in 2022. This course gave me important insights of my personal blockages and strengths. This deep understanding is fundamental not only in my private life but most importantly in my work as therapist and yoga teacher. The usage of different techniques helped me to go beyond the rational, analytical mindset and to deep dive into an embodied understanding. This cathartic experience brought me to feel and see the themes still present in my and my clients’ life. I have also gained new ways on how to work with personal blockages and recurring themes that might come up in the therapy room. Gerry and Geraldine’ s facilitation has been excellent. I felt supported, challenged and held. I would recommend this course to any of my fellow therapists who are looking to learn more about themselves and to bring a deeper insight in their work.“
-Stefania, Dublin
“During my studies to be a psychotherapist, the one feature of my studies that I felt was lacking was the area of Spirituality. I am an emotional and Spiritual person and was disappointed not to encounter Spirituality in my therapeutic studies.”
“I found Geraldine and Gerry’s Shamanic course to fill that missing Spiritual gap. Having undertaken the course and having brought the many learnt aspects of the course into my therapy room, many of my clients have found this immensely beneficial. In fact, some of my clients had a great interest in Shamanism, which I was unaware of, and were delighted that I was undergoing this course. Therefore, this course has enhanced my therapeutic relationship with my clients, and in doing so greatly enriched my client’s well-being. Many felt their sense of shame of having an interest in Shamanism was now gone. Other clients expressed a keen interest in what I was learning. I now feel that I have equipped myself greatly in supporting my clients on their Spiritual journey of discovering Self. I am looking forward to what I will encounter and learn as I head into the second year of the course.”
“Geraldine and Gerry present the course in a very open, safe, and friendly manner. Their passion for the subject is infectious. I would highly recommend this course to any other psychotherapist who has an interest in the Spiritual and Sacred characteristics of the therapeutic world.”
-Dermot, Dublin
“From Shamanism to Psychotherapy and Back Again” by Siân Williams
I always felt like I had an innate calling to nature and a kinship with the wisdom of spirit and the unseen so in 2016 I began to explore this through Shamanism. I worked with some Shamans and read lots of books, I learned about myself and the knowledge of the land. It was inspiring but something didn’t quite sit right. It felt like something was missing.
So in 2017, I began studying to be a Psychotherapist. It was hard work with lots of learning, personal growth and discovery which I loved yet something was still missing. Talk therapy needed some other component. Something to welcome in the deep knowledge of the body and of the unseen. Surely there must be a marriage of these two elements – Shamanism and Psychotherapy?
At an event around this time, I met Gerry, I was immediately drawn to his openness and laughter. But then thought no more about it, until June 2021 when I was very fortunate to start working with Gerry on a one-to-one basis. At the beginning of one session, Gerry seemed very excited so I asked him what was going on. His face lit up and he began to tell me about The Shamanic and Psychotherapeutic Academy he and Geraldine were setting up. A spark deep within my soul was ignited and I thought this is it, this is what I have been searching for.
I attended the one-day introduction “Emergence of the Inner Shaman” to meet Geraldine and to make sure that what I was feeling was correct before I committed to further training. I was blown away by the warmth, energy and kindness of Geraldine. I knew this was where I was met to be and told Gerry halfway through the day to sign me up for Year 1: “Journey to Becoming the Shaman” and Year 2: “Embodying the Shaman”.
So far I have completed three weekends on my Journey to Becoming the Shaman and it has changed my life. The weekends align with the Celtic calendar this knowledge alone allowed me to bring new insight and wisdom to my clients about what could be awakened or given away at various points in the year. Gerry and Geraldine bring together a wealth of wisdom from the land, the directions and from spirit as well as links between Shamanism and Psychotherapy. They have taken a fresh approach to ancient teachings and made them accessible to those who decide to walk this path with them. They provided ongoing support for things that arose after the weekends. The experiences I had with Gerry and Geraldine are hard to put into words but I know it has given me more understanding in my work with clients, I feel that I have developed a deep connection with the wisdom of my ancestors and spirit guides which I now bring into my client work, it is amazing the changes that take place when we listen to that little voice, Gerry and Geraldine helped me to foster this, therefore, they have also helped my clients.
Also as a Psychotherapist, continual personal development is very important and these residential weekends account for 16 hours of CPD points, which is an added bonus to all the deep learning that took place so far and one less thing to worry about to ensure we are providing the best support to our clients.
I am looking forward to year two and the continued learning. I have recommended Gerry and Geraldine to clients and therapists alike as I feel there is no better place to welcome home to the innate wisdom of spirit and soul.
FROM YEAR 1 PARTICIPANTS (GENERAL PUBLIC)
“I attended the Journey to Becoming a Shaman weekends with Gerry and Geraldine. I really loved just everything about it. I felt tapped into a spiritual connection I was yearning for. Something I knew existed but didn’t know how to find it until now. Gerry and Geraldine are authentic teachers and bring a very special energy that’s lovely to be around. Shamanism feels right to me. It feels connected to something more than just the here and now. It feels good to know we are supported by spirit and our guides and can ask for support when we need it. Thank you for a wonderful experience Gerry and Geraldine.“
-Sharon, Dublin
“I began my spiritual journey a number of years ago with the introduction to Reiki, subsequently training to be a Reiki practitioner. Towards the end of my training I felt a strong pull towards shamanism, not understanding what it meant or entailed. I attended a shamanic ceremony out of curiosity and for the first time in my life felt like I was coming home.
A couple of years later I ended up working one on one with Gerry to help me overcome years of emotional and psychological abuse, domestic violence and sexual assault. The same way a cut or scratch can leave a mark, hurt or wound on our skin, trauma can leave us with marks, hurts and wounds not only deep within our soul but within our energetic or light body. By working with Gerry at a shamanic level I have been able to start healing these wounds and gain the most phenomenal insight into myself. I finally find myself moving forward in my life in a way that I couldn’t before, despite years of counselling and self-development.
By undertaking the Journey to Becoming the Shaman, I have become more aware of myself and where I sit in the world. My connection to self, to others, to nature and to the divine has deepened to a level I never thought possible, and for the first time in my life I feel like I understand the true meaning of life, the journey of life and my own journey within. My understanding of how to hold sacred space for others, treat and deal with trauma has increased exponentially and I look forward to applying this knowledge as a holistic therapist to my clients.
The course is an excellent grounding for anyone looking to deepen their connection with shamanism. Gerry and Geraldine are phenomenal teachers, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience to the course and hold a truly beautiful and safe space for all participants. I found that the mix of teacher and participant backgrounds on the course brought a depth of maturity and wisdom to the course when I have seldom encountered. I would highly recommend this course to anyone, irrespective of whether they intend to use the teachings therapeutically. Thank you Gerry and Geraldine.”
-Clare, Dublin
FROM INTRODUCTORY DAY PARTICIPANTS
“On Saturday I attended the Shamanic introductory day with Geraldine and Gerry, what a phenomenal experience. Geraldine and Gerry are knowledgeable, wise, approachable and warm hearted. If was easy to see the passion they share for the work they do. I would highly recommend this days workshop it’s truly inspirational.“
-Sian, Dublin
“On Sunday I attended the Shamanic introductory day with Geraldine and Gerry, It was a wonderful experience and a little like coming home. I connected deeply with their teachings and look forward to learning more. They are both kind and beautiful people who clearing embody what they are teaching.”
-Introductory Day Participant
FROM GERRY’S CLIENTS
“I am working as a Psychotherapist and I have engaged in many forms of healing and personal growth both prior to and since graduating as a therapist. I choose to attend Gerry for shamanic and psychotherapeutic healing. Having immersed myself in this shamanic work, I underwent radical change. My experience of the shamanic and psychotherapy journey was what I can only describe as transcendental in that I felt held by a beautiful presence which enabled me to reconnect in gentle but healing ways to memories, experience and traumas long since buried from childhood and by revisiting but not reliving the pains of my past, I was able to deeply reconnect to the hurt parts within my body which I held but had not released. By contacting and releasing those old wounds I was enabled through this beautiful process to reclaim those lost childhood parts of myself and reintegrate them to make me feel more whole once more. It was a totally cathartic experience and one I would totally recommend.“
-Steff, Dublin
“I have attended traditional psychotherapy for many years and although I got huge awareness and healing from the therapy, I still felt a void, an emptiness deep within me at a cellular level of my being. At first, I was hesitant even skeptical about attending for a session, but from the moment I entered into the clinic, I felt a sense of love, a compassion within the space that I have not experienced before, but many times since. In my healing session I was able to let go of the deep longing for connection from others and give it to myself. By embarking on shamanic upper world journeys I experience a sense of extreme love and acceptance form my Higher self and obtained wisdom on the paths to take forward in my life. Embarking on this therapeutic journey has been a huge turning point in my life.“
-Gary, Kildare
“The breakthrough for me was when I took a therapeutic journey to meet my younger self. I became aware that when my husband died, I did not have the time to grieve. I was frantically rushing around calling the ambulance, the emergency services, I called my husband’s family, my own family and still had to care for my two young children. As I engaged deeper in the shamanic journey, I recognized that experience of numbness was the bodies way to cope with the shock of this trauma and I went into automatic pilot. However, it came at a cost because the very thing that made me, me, my very essence, had left me too and did not return right up to the day I went for the healing.“
“In the healing, I was taken on a shamanic visualization were I could connect with and say goodbye to my husband, the love of my life. In return, I was enabled to connect with and have compassion for my younger self. As I engaged in this process, I experienced a concern and a kindness towards her, for what she went through alone. For me, this healing work was more than therapy. It gave me my life back because I was finally able retrieve that stuck, numb part of me still living in that hotel room, still stuck in that experience. Furthermore, I was able to see the real deep love I had for my husband and the compassion I could show for myself. My life is on an upward curve now, and because I like myself more, I think others like me more too.”
-Gwen, Cavan
FROM GERALDINE’S CLIENTS
“For me Geraldine is like a warm, gentle, healing and empowering breeze that surrounds you while you are in her company. Magic is guaranteed in the sacred space that she opens with respect and truth from her heart. I simply love her.”
-Noemi
“Hi Geraldine, how are you hope you are well. I am doing great just wanted to thank you again for the past week. I’ve seen positive changes. Firstly, my digestive system has improved a lot. No more bloating or gas trapped in my stomach. Secondly, a mood change – I feel happier, joy, more open, not shy. And also, for the first time in my life I can feel the energy move freely, spinning, aligning from my root, sacral, solar plexus, to my heart chakras. When I sit down or lay down its unbelievable, it’s great. The only small issue is my throat chakra. I can feel energy move around my neck, I can feel a heat and discomfort on the right side of my neck. I think because the energy is not moving freely, spinning and aligning in my throat. Perhaps there is energy work to do on this chakra, like balancing and aligning. And my the third eye and crown chakras are okay. I feel they are connected, the energy moves freely. Overall, I would say I give myself 9 out 10. Also, for the first time in my life since last week I started meditating daily as a beginner. Well this is my review after the session. God bless you. Thank you.”
-Warren, Dublin
“I loved Geraldine’s gentle touch and powerful results in clearing and grounding. And the way Geraldine calls all the elements with due respect and love. True Shamanism.”
–Dragana, Italy
The Shamanic and Psychotherapeutic Academy 