Roots

Traditional mentoring of the young is an informal, common practice within older, more intact cultures. It is carried out by people in a community, perhaps within an extended family, to help young people gain the skills they might need on their life path. It can be about people passing on their knowledge and skills to those who might follow in their footsteps, yet not always so.

This kind of relationship can be seen as being as equally vital to the healthy development of a young person as parenting. The phrase “it takes a village to raise a child” indicates the importance of the wider community in raising children into healthy adults. However, within our modern culture, mentoring of the young in these ways is rare and often unsupported.

The lack of mentoring of the young can be keenly felt by adults who haven’t experienced it themselves. As more people enter therapy to work on parenting their inner child, the need for mentoring, for holding and guidance by a wider community, is becoming apparent.

To become a healthy adult we need community support and healthy connections with others. We benefit from situating ourselves within a context of ancestral traditions, of finding our place within a long heritage. As many of us live in societies which are disconnected from their ancestral heritage, finding our way to re-build some of the essential blocks of a healthy community is essential for the well-being of us all.

Branches

During shamanic healing, what can arise within a session can take time to process and integrate, and people often benefit from extra holding during this time. For instance, a newly retrieved soul part may be challenging to hear and feel, never-mind welcome home and integrate. It can be a huge process and take time, more than a session of shamanic healing can allow for.

Indeed, much of the healing work happens outside of the sessions, in terms of processing all that has arisen and enabling the deep work to land, to gain the insights and potential for deep growth and healing. Integration is the final step – what happens when we understand and fully accept what has arisen, and when we feel whole and embodied.

Its at this stage that mentoring can help you to process what arises within healing sessions, enabling integration to occur more swiftly by being able to talk about what you are going through and feeling supported and held. It can also be offered as a stand-alone practice, helping you to work through a specific life change or healing crisis or supporting you whilst you dive into shadow work, healing ancestral and/ or life patterns.  

Mentoring can help you re-discover yourself and help you feel heard and seen as a whole person. It is lighter than traditional talking therapy, focusing less on analysis and more on everyday matters. Yet its often in the everyday matters that important themes emerge.

Mentoring is person centred and designed on an individual basis. We can work to a rough plan or to what arises during each session, based on what is going on for you at the time. I offer support based on my skills and interests and from my life experience so mentoring might include spiritual and shamanic coaching, life and spirit-path coaching, working through issues arising during your healing journey, elements of eco-therapy and offering support in living within a challenging world.

In terms of supporting you in your spiritual or shamanic practice, this could offer a space for discussion of your shamanic journeys and dreams, helping you to interpret these and other signs from the spirit world.

In the mentoring sessions I offer, I ask questions and offer invitations more than give guidance. I don’t offer shamanic healing, journeying or the in-depth training required to become a shamanic practitioner as that is offered as a specific apprenticeship.

Fruit

The nature of mentoring requires a commitment, to enable us to dive into the issues that you bring. Most people come once a month, but I am also available more regularly for short periods of time should this feel appropriate to help you navigate specific issues. In all instances, mentoring is offered for a minimum of 6 months.

Mentoring is usually offered online and includes 1 hour of support a month plus occasional support and holding offered in between via email. During the session I will offer questions and invitations for the month and some of these can then be explored/ held via email throughout the month. Though please note the email offer is for occasional support.

Mentoring is also possible in person for those who are local to me in Devon. In these sessions we will usually meet at the coast, wood or moor to enable nature connection whilst diving into the issues that may be present for you. These are charged at £75 for an hour and a half and you can book this via the ecotherapy option.

In either instance, it best to email me at samara@rewildingthesoul.org before booking, to check I have availability and to discuss what you may want to focus the mentoring sessions on.