This training is for those who already have a ritual healing practice who wish to broaden or deepen their scope of practice in several forms of spirit-mediated healing work: psychopomp facilitation, soul-part retrieval, energy body clearing, energy bind unraveling, and compassionate spirit release. Participants will be introduced to these practices in a progressive series developing technique, relationships with the healing spirits who facilitate the work, relational cosmologies, and confidence while working within the cohort. Each technique will be introduced in a three-day core training followed by a variable number of intervening practicums.
These methods comprise a core set of methods that support the receiver’s personal sovereignty, freedom, authenticity, and creative resourcing. This skill set enables practitioners to work with some of the more complex situations that can arise in a ritual healing practice, and situations that require relational witnessing and accountability. Over the course of this training, participants will develop their personal ritual containers to allow for greater capacity, resourcing, and flow within the healing process. Practitioner self-care and practice ethics are emphasized.
The foundation of this program is relationship building with the spirit people who can do this work and attunement to their wisdom and great compassion. Those spirits will be our co-teachers for the training, bringing in their unique perspectives and guidance as we explore the rich terrain of the healing wisdom of the cosmos to restore right-relationship with ourselves, each other, and our other-than-human kin.
Module 1: Ritual Container Development and Self-Care
The External Container – A practitioner’s ritual container includes ritual boundaries, relationship with protective spirits, energetic resources, as well as functional elements that enable the work to happen with more ease and efficiency. The strength of your ritual container determines your capacity as a practitioner. In this module participants will work with refining and expanding their ritual healing containers in preparation for the work ahead. Ritual containment is a theme that will be returned to over the course of the training.
The Internal Container – Ritual healing can be a path of spiritual initiation for clients as well as practitioners. Who we are has direct bearing on what we can do. Over the course of this training we will explore how the practitioner’s relationship with the work, personal cosmology, and state of consciousness influences what happens in the ritual healing context. Participants will be introduced to ways to increase core strength, clarity of perception, and personal and ancestral alignment.
Self Care – For a practice to be healthy and sustainable practitioners need to maintain boundaries and have a regimen of self-care. This training will included methods, perspectives, and processes for strengthening personal boundaries and developing self-care regimens.
Module 2: Psychopomp Facilitation
The term “psychpomp” is a Greek term meaning a “conductor of souls”. The term is used more broadly in ritual healing practices to refer to any situation in which a spirit transitions to another place or dimension of consciousness by crossing a threshold. This applies to deceased humans or other formerly corporeal beings who have not crossed the threshold of death, as well as non-corporeal spirits who need assistance relocating to their home dimension or location. Psychopomp work is the foundation of compassionate depossession and a common element of curse unraveling and soul-part retrieval. Practitioners will form relationships with the spirits who specialize in the psychopomp role and will be inducted into the practice of facilitating this sacred work.
Module 3: Soul-Part Retrieval, Energy Body Work, and Sound Healing
Sometimes in the course of life we can become dissociated from aspects of ourselves often due to factors such as trauma, dysfunctional and abusive family of origin patterns, accidents, and substance abuse. This state is called soul-part loss as those aspects of ourselves, in this context called soul parts, are experienced as missing from present life. Symptoms of soul-part loss include lack of vitality, creativity, personal empowerment, and sense of self. Soul-part loss can also contribute to patterns of addiction and some illnesses. The soul-part retrieval process helps re-associate the client with these aspects of self, making the qualities of the soul parts available for reintegration. Practitioners will learn how to return a client’s essential energy to them and clear non-self energy from the physical and energetic bodies. Practitioners will also be introduced to methods of using sound for these purposes.
Module 4: Binding Influences: Curses, Soul Contracts, Thought-forms, and Ancestral Themes
Energy binds are persistent energy constructs that can have positive or negative effects on our lives depending on their intended effects and match with current circumstances. Energy binds act as curses when they generate negative conditions. Energy binds in the mental body lead to repeated thought patterns called thought-forms. Curses and thought-forms are common factors contributing to limiting conditions in life such as bad luck, illnesses, dysfunctional and recurring family patterns, and lack of personal power. Past life or ancestral vows, oaths, contracts, and beliefs can also be factors that limit personal freedom, well-being, and abundance. Participants will learn a process for unraveling such patterns.
Module 5: Compassionate Spirit Release
Overshadowing is a state in which a person’s experience is influenced by another conscious being who is sharing their physical and energetic space. Overshadowing can be intentional or unintentional and can be the result of trauma, soul-part loss, soul history and ancestral karma, insufficient boundaries with our kindred dead, and incidental circumstances. Overshadowing is a natural, if often undesirable, occurrence that can lead to or be a factor in a number of issues including some chronic illnesses and physical pain, addictions, obsessions, depression, anxiety, identity confusion, and suicidal ideation. Spirit release, when indicated, can be the most effective component of a treatment, helping to resolve issues that are resistant to other forms of healing work. Participants will learn the method of compassionate spirit release developed by Betsy Bergstrom (called compassionate depossession). This method is a humane therapy that benefits both the clients and overshadowing spirits, working in harmony with the structure and principles of natural order.
Closing Weekend:
During the closing weekend we discuss topics concerning practice management and what it means to have a spirit-led practice (and life). We will engage the teaching spirits in final topics oriented to help with the integration of the training.
Applicants should have the following prerequisites:
This is an advanced training. To participate you should already have some form of ritual healing practice (a healing practice that involves relationships with helping spirits or ancestors) and an ethos of tending to your personal healing and self-development. You must have at least two years of experience working with clients.
Ancestral Lineage Healing – Participants are encouraged to have completed the healing of at least two of their own ancestral lineages in the Ancestral Lineage Healing process developed by Daniel Foor. This is a recommendation and not currently a requirement. As this work can take some time to complete, it is recommended that applicants start this process a few months in advance of applying. There are online classes and practitioner options available through ancestralmedicine.org. I also offer these sessions as well as prerecorded video support for working solo. We will be working with the ancestors periodically and knowledge of this process is useful in the context of this training.
We will be doing drum/rattle journeys to connect with helping spirits and engage some components of the work. It is useful to know how to do these in advance, or be confident in another form of connection to new spirit allies. Have a rattle to use for journeying in your space. A moderate sound that is not too harsh or too soft – or one that has a range – is recommended. We will be using rattles for energy clearing, soul-part retrieval, and for energy bind unraveling.
This work can take maturity and mettle. Participants should be in stable and reasonably good mental health. Check with your helping spirits and ancestors as to whether this training is in alignment with your highest good, health, and well-being at this time. If you have chronic health issues check with your helping spirits and ancestors about how that might interact with the training and how you might best manage your health should you participate.
In summary:
- You have at least two years of experience seeing clients in a form of healing work that includes relationships with helping spirits.
- You are able to make connections to spirit allies, either through a journey process or alternative method.
- You tend to your personal healing needs.
- You are in stable and reasonably good mental health.
- Your helping spirits and ancestors say this is a good time to take this training.
Additional Considerations for Applicants:
Participants may find that personal content for healing comes up during the training. While some of this can be addressed in cohort exchanges, participants should not rely on the training to get their personal work addressed. Participants will be expected to get additional assistance outside of the training should the need arise.
Participants must be willing to receive the work themselves as cohort members will practice with each other as part of the training. Having personal healing experiences in these domains will deepen the participants’ relationships with the work and give them first-hand experience of what it is like to receive the work they will be offering.
This is a path of personal and professional development. Participants must be willing to receive constructive feedback and engage in personal reflection.
We will be not be working within the archetypes of the rescuer or heroic healer. This work is about about aligning with and getting movement within natural processes, it is not combative or heroic. The warrior aspect of this work is channeled into the ability of practitioners to stay centered and steadfast in alignment with intention.
As practitioners we will cultivate a state of compassionate neutrality. We work only with the most wise and compassionate spirits to facilitate healing for the benefit of all beings.
Participants will be developing relationships with compassionate helping spirits both within and outside their ancestral cosmologies. In psychopomp and depossession work in particular, knowing psychopomp spirits from different places in the world increases the range of people who can be assisted and is an important aspect of this work.
This course is designed to be taken in full and in the order presented. If you already have a background in any one of these areas it is always possible to go deeper with the work. The teaching spirits will work with everyone’s personal growth edges.
As this is a small group training and space is limited, if you register it is with the good faith intention to prioritize and complete the entire training.
2025 Schedule:
All three-day core training intensives are from 9:00am – 4:00pm Pacific Time. All practicum are from 1:00pm – 5:00pm/6:00pm Pacific Time.
Module 1: Ritual Containment and Self-Care
Core Training: January 10 – 12
Practicums:
January 24
February 7
February 21
Module 2: Psychopomp Training
Core Training: March 7 – 9
Practicums:
March 21
March 28
April 11
April 18
Module 3: Soul-Part/Essence Retrieval and Energy Body Clearing
Core Training: May 2 – 4
Practicums:
May 16
May 23
June 6
June 13
Module 4: Pattern Unraveling: Curses, Contracts, Thought-forms, and Ancestral Themes
Core Training: July 11 – 13
Practicums:
July 25
August 1
August 15
August 29
Module 5: Compassionate Depossession
Core Training: September 12 – 14
Practicums:
September 26
October 3
October 10
October 17
October 24
November 7
November 21
Closing Weekend
December 5 – 7
Attendance Policy
This training is experiential and not just about following procedures and learning information. Attendance is required for all core trainings and practicum except in the event of illness, emergencies, and major life events. Participants are expected to otherwise plan around the scheduled dates. Practicum often contain additional training elements and deepening of connection with the healing spirits, they are not just extra practice. Substantial absences may result in an inability to complete the program. In this event how to proceed will be considered on a case by case basis.
Participants are expected to be mindful of the energy needed for the meetings, which can include practice session exchanges with cohort members, and to do their best to show up as fully as possible. This can mean not over-extending prior to an event and treating them as you would time dedicated to clients.
Recordings are not guaranteed and are provided only for review; they are not a substitute for attendance. Recordings are non-downloadable and are available for a limited time. Participants are expected to take notes rather than rely on recordings for information retention.
Financial Policy and Exchange
Rate: $5500 USD – this includes all three-day trainings, practicum, and two one-hour private mentoring sessions with Maris. There are no discounted rates for this training aside from those offered below.
Early registration discount if registered by November 1, 2024: $200 USD. After November 1st there will be a $200 discount for payment in full.
Payment plan: Participants can make five payments of $1100. The first payment is due upon registration (early bird discount can be applied). Payment 2 is due by March 1, Payment 3 by May 1, Payment 4 by July 1, Payment 5 by September 1. Participants are responsible for tracking their payments and paying on time. There will be a $50 fee for late payments.
Registration deadline: December 1, 2024. After this date registrations are still accepted up to the class limit. For cancellations after this date a refund will be issued minus $500 of the original payment which will serve as a nonrefundable or transferable deposit.
Class Limit: About 10 participants
I love all of Maris’ classes, and the training is a delicious deepening— beautifully paced and rich with teachings woven masterfully together with experiential drop ins. One of the hallmarks of all of Maris’ courses is her generous sharing of wisdom gained over many years working as a medium and a Spirit Mediated Healer. Together with her own dedicated inner work her teachings are anchored in the compassionate wisdom approach that reminds and inspires us to ever refine our own perception and understanding towards what is. This is a grounded, empowered container from which we learn and grow in our connection with world of the spirit. I highly recommend her courses and her training to all who want an authentic and highly integritous approach to spirit work.
The advanced practitioner training with Maris has been truly valuable in deepening my skills as a healer. Although I had previous training in most of the areas, the depth of wisdom and skill that Maris holds has brought me to a whole new level of capacity in my practice. While I generally dislike trainings on zoom, Maris creatively works with that platform to make it enjoyable and accessible. Maris has a wonderful combination of humility, clarity, respect and good boundaries which make for a very well-tended learning environment. I highly recommend this training to anyone wishing to expand and deepen their healing abilities.