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A photograph of Josephine Sheppard in a contemplative state near hot springs, during a nature hike in New Mexico. This image is located on her website linked to learn more about Josephine, at www.josephinesheppard.com.

More About
Josephine Sheppard
Ph.D., NHC, CRMT, CHTP, TICC, CMT, CR

Who is Josephine Sheppard?

 

Josephine Sheppard is the Founder and Owner of Therapies by Josephine (formerly Integrative Therapies & Consulting), an expanding private practice that provides online and in-person services, products, and programs. She is a strong believer in an integrative lifestyle where spirituality, mental, physical, and emotional health, and wellness are a conscious means – not an occasional method used to overcome difficulties and perceived obstacles.

 

She has worked in the health and wellness industry, human services, hospitality, and nursing and personal care services. She’s attained numerous certifications from Massage Therapy, Reflexology, Reiki Master-Teacher, and Jin Shin Acupressure that may be found listed on her website, along with having a Diploma in Fitness and Nutrition, Natural Health Consulting, and a Doctorate in Religious Counseling.

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Josephine has written and published online content articles from 2005 - 2011 at Associated Content (Yahoo Contributor in 2011) related, but not limited to communication skills, mental health, health and wellness, self-help, and alternative therapies. Yahoo Content closed publications in July 2014.
Her articles were written and published in Healing Garden Journal (Magazine) in print and available archived online for May/June 2004, May/June 2005, and March/April 2005. She had a self-development book published through Balboa Press, a division of Hay House Publications, in 2018, titled HSP - Empathic and Empowered: Expanding My Perspective.

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She is a regular practitioner of introspection, spiritual journeying, mindfulness, and meditation, and is a continual student of life. Josephine has had three near-death experiences (NDEs), various spiritually transformative life experiences (STEs), and as mentioned above, a clear memory of being nonphysical consciousness before her birth into this lifetime. She may be considered one who walks a Shamanic path and works with contemporary shamanism principles, with similarities to Filipino practitioners. Josephine is a Society for Shamanic Practices - Shamanism Without Borders member.

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Josephine began the journey of self-realization and development in 1991. The beginning of her self-employment career in private practice began on September 30, 1994. Her business evolved in its services and methodologies over time into an integrative approach beginning in 1998. In 2019, her business was rebranded into the "Live in AAWE™" Approach - an acronym for living in the art of wellbeing every day, in some way, and opted to simplify the context in 2024 to Therapies by Josephine. Josephine has innately implemented her natural abilities as an empath, practitioner of shamanism, and intuitiveness in working with her clients, friends, and family because it is part of what defines her as a person and individual.

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She is culturally diverse and brings real-life experience into her practice. She has worked with highly sensitive individuals - both men and women, LGBTQ and heterosexual individuals. Josephine has facilitated Native American women's sober living group sessions and worked with individuals of various philosophical and religious backgrounds.

Photograph of Josephine Sheppard, Self-development author, and owner of Integrative Therapies & Consulting.

Her spiritual principles and practices are deeply interwoven in the application of her services, alongside her personal and professional experience. They may be considered a reflection of both, her Omnist approach to the various belief systems and philosophies. As well as some of the rich cultural heritage and spiritual practices identified as the practice of contemporary-style shamanism that may be inspired through her ancestors related to the blend of her ethnic and racial background, and spiritual heritage revealed in dreams, visions, the akashic records, and shamanic journeying.

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As a side note, the services provided by Josephine (Therapies by Josephine), be it shamanic practices or spiritual counsel, holistic or somatic approach to healing, are the evaluation and consented manipulation (balancing, healing, attuning) of the human energy field, using the client's or practitioner's energy field to effect a change in the client’s energy field and  thereby, the overall mental, emotional, physical, or spiritual health.

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More about Josephine's background in Contemporary Shamanism: â€‹Josephine has a rich cultural heritage and spiritual practices that some have associated with the blend of her ethnic and racial background. She may be considered one who walks a shamanic path and works with contemporary shamanism principles, with similarities to Filipino practitioners. Josephine is a Society for Shamanic Practice - Shamanism Without Borders member.

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Similar to Filipino indigenous communities (she is over 42% indigenous Filipino), and the communities healers/spiritual practitioners, Josephine is a person who has similar training and may also know about various healing therapies such as working with herbs, spirit guides, massage or manipulation of the body, and relaying messages from the spirit world or the Great Spirit.​

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Additionally, similar to Spanish community healers (her heritage shows over 11% non-indigenous Filipino comprised of Spanish and Chinese), she is a practitioner with an individualized approach to healing for mind, body, and spirit that may be comprised of the knowledge of working with herbs, food as medicine, prayer, holy (blessed) water or oil, smoke (smudging), massage and pressure point techniques, energy 'surgery' (moving perceived 'stuck' energy patterns from the energy field of the patient), or spiritual 'cleansing', which may be compared to energy center and auric cleansing, attunement, and balancing.

 

We may see some similarities in modern psychology where the suffering or "dis-ease" is frequently associated with past trauma that causes fragmenting of the perceived self due to unconscious patterns repeating until identified and the neuro-system being reset, traditional shamanism is various cultures believed similarly, but called it retrieving the soul or aspects of the soul or spirit.

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Her approach is similar to some of the traditional understandings of practice. However, having respect for the cultures, she has mindfully acknowledged that her experience and ongoing training have been through a myriad of venues and various mentors, not through traditional apprenticeship within an Indigenous tribal environment.

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For Josephine, it has been answering an inner calling and recognizing the reality of spirits, accessing a non-ordinary reality through altered states of consciousness, establishing contact with spiritual helpers, utilizing techniques like the "shamanic journey" to interact with the spirit world, and understanding the existence of two realities: the ordinary (physical world or reality) and the non-ordinary (spiritual realm, non-physical reality, and energetic aspects of all that is), while respecting the interconnectedness of all living things.

 

Her first encounter with the knowing of the non-ordinary or non-physical reality is being conscious of the creation of her spiritual 'self' (consciousness) prior to being born into this lifetime. Josephine experienced her first vision of the needs and prayers of others, that she later saw as a reminder of the layers to our collective consciousness, was at the age of four. Her sense of inner connection and communing with nature, Mother Earth, Father Sky, the Thunder Beings, and the Standing People (trees) began between the ages of three and four, which came as a sensation of 'all my relation (relatives)' - knowing of ones individual expression as an extension of Source, and at the same time, connectedness with the 'ancient ones' (sky, wind, fire, air, rocks, the earth, elements, wildlife, plant life) that prepared the way for our (humanity) coming. It is described as a feeling of unconditional love, deep reverence, ancient wisdom (grandparent wisdom and love) and pure joy. 

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She has been called a shaman, or woman on a "medicine path" by a native elder, medicine man, and curandera (Spanish medicine woman/healer), but doesn't call herself a shaman in the ancient or traditional sense. With her blend of experience, and education - formal and informal training, in modern society, she considers her approach and knowledge as contemporary-style shamanism where she has reached for the core of what she is, following her inner guidance, answering her path and calling, having found healing and wisdom by connecting to her own spirits and the spirits that live in all that is.

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Josephine has been an ordained Nondenominational Minister since October 2019, through the Universal Life Church (ULC), headquartered in Seattle, Washington. Her mission as a Minister through ULC is to encourage and support individual choice in spiritual practice and expression, religious freedom, and peaceful coexistence of faith traditions. Josephine's belief in treating others as we wish to be treated (being fair, kind, and just); and everyone having the freedom to practice whatever religion or philosophy resonates with them - as long as their actions do not infringe upon the rights or freedoms of others and are lawful, aligned well with the mission and tenants' that ULC is based upon. As an ordained Minister, she may legally perform blessings, weddings, memorials, etc. - "granted all the rights and privileges afforded to clergy members of other faiths." To obtain Ministerial or Pastoral Care services through Josephine, please use the contact form below for inquiries. To understand the legal status of ULC, click here. To learn more about the difference between a traditional licensed therapist, and a spiritual and shamanic counselor, click here, to view our FAQs. To view a recorded sermon or messages given by Josephine, click here.

Josephine and Contemporary Shamanism

Josephine's Training, Education, Certifications

  • Doctorate in Philosophy, Cum Laude, in Religious Counseling (2006)

  • Diploma with Highest Honors as Natural Health Consultant (2000)

  • Pure Reiki and Usui Shiki Ryoho Reiki Level I, II, III

  • Certification as Level III Reiki Master Practitioner and Teacher (2005)

  • High Touch(R) Jin Shin Acupressure Level I, II, III

  • Level I Craniosacral Therapy

  • Certification as Level III High Touch(R) Acupressure Practitioner (1994)

  • Certification as a Case-Study Reflexologist and Practitioner (2000)

  • Trauma-Informed Coach Certification (2023)

  • Certification in 900 hours of Practical Nursing (1986)

  • Foundation of Acupuncture Meridians, Theory, and Practice 

  • Diploma for Fitness & Nutrition Program (1999)

  • Certification in Hospice Clinical Volunteer Services (2012)

  • Case Management of diverse backgrounds and diagnosis'

  • Certification in Psychic Development (2019)

  • Certification in 600 hours as a Therapeutic Massage Therapist (2003)

  • NeuroAffective Touch®: A Somatic Toolkit for Healing Emotional & Relational Trauma (2023) 

  • Trauma & Memory: Somatic Experiencing® Skills to Help Clients Get Unstuck and Restore Their Lives (2023)

  • Self-Actualization and Enlightenment Program levels I & II, Advanced I, II, & III through Masters level (1991 - 1994), which included the following:

    • Chakra/Aura - (Biofield) Energy centers and fields, Cleansing, and Balancing

    • Raya Yoga Trained - Inner Peace, Divine Consciousness Meditation Technique

    • Kriya Yoga Trained - Controlled Breathwork-Meditation Technique

    • Mantra Yoga Trained - Transformation of Mind, Body, and Spirit through repetitive vocal sound

    • Kundalini Healing Yoga Trained - Moving and balancing (biofield) energy field and centers through breathwork, movement, mantra, and exercise (Bioenergetics)

    • Remote Healing, Viewing, and Projection

    • Study of Yoga, Self-Realization Fellowship, Laying on of Hands-Energy Healing Modality and Practice, Leading Group sessions, self-application, and conducting individualized sessions, Sufism, Zen Meditation, Mysticism, Edgar Cayce studies, and study of the Energy systems (chakras, aura, expanding energy fields, and meridians)

    • Channeling of spirit, higher self, guides, Past life readings, Akashic Records

    • Universal laws, Dream Interpretation, Reincarnation, and Karma

    • Trained in Mindfulness and Creative Visualization - the practice of presence and cognitive process of purposeful mental imagery

Memberships, Affiliations, Coverage

  • Member of the Energy Medicine Professional Association (EMPA)

  • Practitioner Coverage through the Energy Medicine Professional Association Liability Program

  • Member of the Society for Shamanic Practices - Shamanism Without Borders

  • Lifetime Member of the Herbal Healer Academy, Inc.

  • Member of the Detroit Theosophical Society

  • Former Prayer Chaplain through Renaissance Unity Church

  • Former Member of the MI. Counseling Assoc., Spiritual Counselors Division

  • Member of the High Touch(R) Practitioner Network

"Josephine is a gifted healer and mentor. I took the Soul-Wise sessions [now primarily considered an aspect of Shamanic Journeying and Energy Center Attunement] from her and found these sessions to be inspirational.

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Josephine is a gentle guide that led me to experience my soul's essence. It was a very special moment for me when I felt the light around me and the peace it brought.

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I highly recommend Josephine for spiritual guidance and look forward to taking more time with her in the future."  - Pat D.       

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