Next Steps in Therapeutic Shamanism:

The Online Courses

After completing the college’s First-Step course, these courses are the next step for those who wish to explore therapeutic shamanism and animism further. The courses focus on exploring the shamanic Lower-World practices in detail, developing a deep connection with Lower-World Guides (including Human, Animal Plant and Stone ones) and finding our own true and authentic Lower-World Soul - the person we are truly meant to be. In doing so, as well as being potentially profoundly healing and life-changing, the courses also help people develop a shamanic practice that is both deeply rooted and grounded.

Like the First-Step course, the Next-Steps courses are usually arranged into one or two online sessions a week, with exercises to practice at home. Courses vary in length, depending on the topic being covered. They run at various times of the year, and are repeated on a regular basis. They can be taken in any order.

The courses are:

Next-Steps 1: Exploring the Lower-World: Hollowing-Out, Human Guides, and the Transformation Practices.

Next-Steps 2: More Explorations in the Lower-World: Extractions, De-possessions, Disentangling, Expansions and Just Being.

Next-Steps 3: The Animal, Plant, Standing and Stone People: How to Be Human and Work With the Other-Than-Human.

Next-Steps 4: Finding Your True Soul: Coming Back to Life.

Upcoming Courses (2021 dates):

Next-Steps 1: Exploring the Lower-World: Hollowing-Out, Human Guides, and the Transformation Practices. Four Saturday meetings: January 9, 16, 23, 30. 4pm start (UK time). Each meeting is between 3½ to 4 hours long. Cost is £100. There will be two tutors at each session, with Paul Francis, Chris Holt, Jayne Birkett, and Marie Edwards all contributing to the teaching. For more details or to book, contact Chris on chrisgibbons01@hotmail.com

Next-Steps 2: More Explorations in the Lower-World: Extractions, De-possessions, Disentangling, Expansions and Just Being.  Four Saturday meetings: February 6, 13, 20, 27. 4pm start (UK time). Each meeting is between 3½ to 4 hours long. Cost is £100. There will be two tutors at each session, with Paul Francis, Chris Holt, Jayne Birkett, and Marie Edwards all contributing to the teaching.For more details or to book, contact Marie on marielouiseedwards@hotmail.com

Next-Steps 3: The Animal, Plant, Standing and Stone People: How to Be Human and Work With the Other-Than-Human. Five Saturday meetings: June 5, 12, 19, 26, July 3. 4pm start (UK time). Each meeting is between 3½ to 4 hours long. Cost is £125. There will be two tutors at each session, with Paul Francis, Chris Holt, Jayne Birkett, and Marie Edwards all contributing to the teaching. For more details or to book, contact Chris on chrisgibbons01@hotmail.com

Next-Steps 4: Finding Your True Soul: Coming Back to Life. Four Saturday meetings: July 10, 17, 24, 31. 4pm start (UK time). Each meeting is between 3½ to 4 hours long. Cost is £100. There will be two tutors at each session, with Paul Francis, Chris Holt, Jayne Birkett, and Marie Edwards all contributing to the teaching. For more details or to book, contact Jayne on jaynebirkett@sky.com

Next-Steps 1: Exploring the Lower-World: Hollowing-Out, Human Guides, and the Transformation Practices. Four Sunday morning meetings: Jun 6, 13, 20, 27. 10am start (UK time). Each meeting is between 3½ to 4 hours long. Cost is £100. There will be two tutors at each session, with Paul Francis, Chris Holt, Jayne Birkett, and Marie Edwards all contributing to the teaching. For more details or to book, contact Marie on marielouiseedwards@hotmail.com

Next-Steps 2: More Explorations in the Lower-World: Extractions, De-possessions, Disentangling, Expansions and Just Being.  Four Sunday morning meetings: Aug 1, 8. 15, 22. 10am start (UK time). Each meeting is between 3½ to 4 hours long. Cost is £100. There will be two tutors at each session, with Paul Francis, Chris Holt, Jayne Birkett, and Marie Edwards all contributing to the teaching.For more details or to book, contact Chris on chrisgibbons01@hotmail.com

Next-Steps 3: The Animal, Plant, Standing and Stone People: How to Be Human and Work With the Other-Than-Human. Five Sunday meetings: Oct 3, 10, 17, 24, 31. 10am start (UK time). Each meeting is between 3½ to 4 hours long. Cost is £125. There will be two tutors at each session, with Paul Francis, Chris Holt, Jayne Birkett, and Marie Edwards all contributing to the teaching. For more details or to book, contact Jayne on jaynebirkett@sky.com

Next-Steps 4: Finding Your True Soul: Coming Back to Life. Four Saturday meetings: Nov 6, 13, 20, 27. 4pm start (UK time). Each meeting is between 3½ to 4 hours long. Cost is £100. There will be two tutors at each session, with Paul Francis, Chris Holt, Jayne Birkett, and Marie Edwards all contributing to the teaching. For more details or to book, contact Chris on chrisgibbons01@hotmail.com

To be kept informed about new Next-Step courses, please sign up for the newsletter here.

Entry Requirements. To be accepted on the Next-Step courses you must have done the college’s First-Step course first. We regularly get enquiries from people who have trained in shamanism elsewhere and who want to skip the First-Steps course. From experience however, we have found that this is not a good idea, no matter how much prior experience people have. There are three main reasons for this:

1. Our First-Steps course contains skills and information that are not part of other shamanic trainings.
2. There are many very different approaches to shamanism. Because of this, we find that in order to understand Therapeutic Shamanism, people with prior experience almost always need to go back to basics and learn afresh. This is not a process that can be skipped.
3. We teach Therapeutic Shamanism, with an emphasis not only on the spiritual side of the work, but the psychological and emotional aspects too. Consequently, to feel safe enough to work at this depth, students need to take time to see whether we feel like the right tutors for them. Likewise, as tutors we need to take time to see whether we feel people are right for this work, before accepting students on to the deeper courses.

If you haven’t done a First-Steps course yet, you can find the details of upcoming courses here.

The Further-Steps Courses

Return to the Courses Overview