Healing trauma by calling yourself home
Have you ever felt like part of you was missing? Like something within you got left behind—buried, frozen, or forgotten?
That sensation isn’t just metaphorical. In many Indigenous and spiritual traditions, it’s known as soul loss—and the process of healing it is called soul retrieval.
This sacred practice acknowledges something psychology is just beginning to fully embrace: that trauma can cause parts of the psyche to fragment—and healing often means calling those parts home.
What Is Soul Retrieval?
Soul retrieval is a shamanic practice that helps recover and reintegrate lost pieces of the self that became fragmented during traumatic experiences.
In trauma psychology, we might call this dissociation—a protective mechanism where the mind distances itself from overwhelming emotions or events. Spiritually, we see this as a part of the soul leaving the body or going into hiding because it wasn’t safe to stay present.
These “lost” fragments can carry:
- Unexpressed grief or fear
- Suppressed gifts or creative energy
- Inner children stuck in a moment of wounding
- Aspects of identity or purpose that were abandoned
You might not consciously remember the moment of loss—but your body, your dreams, and your emotional patterns do.
How Fragmentation Happens
Soul loss doesn’t only happen during major traumas like abuse, neglect, or violence. It can also occur through:
- Emotional abandonment
- Rejection or bullying
- Medical trauma
- Heartbreak or betrayal
- Spiritual crisis (hello, been there!)
Think of it like this: when something painful happens and you don’t have the tools or support to process it, a part of you “freezes” in that moment—waiting for safety, waiting to be seen.
Soul retrieval is the process of returning to that moment with love, support, and presence—and bringing that part of you back into wholeness.
How I Guide Soul Retrieval with Psychology in Mind
In my work, I blend shamanic journeying with inner child therapy, trauma-informed care, and compassionate dialogue. We journey gently into the subconscious (or the “Lower World,” in shamanic terms) to meet the part of you that has been missing.
I hold space as you:
- Reconnect with the lost part (often visualized as a child, animal, or symbolic image)
- Listen to what it needs
- Offer safety, compassion, and reintegration
- Anchor it back into the body through breath, movement, or ritual
This isn’t about “fixing” you—because you’re not broken. It’s about remembering. Re-membering. Bringing the scattered pieces of your soul back into relationship with one another.
Signs You Might Need a Soul Retrieval
- A sense of emptiness or disconnection from self
- Feeling “stuck” in the past or repeating emotional patterns
- Sudden mood shifts, brain fog, or numbing
- A loss of passion, purpose, or personal power
- Unexplained grief, fatigue, or sadness that doesn’t quite make sense
I always remind people: you are not too sensitive. You are not too broken. Your soul has simply been trying to protect you in the best way it knows how. And now it’s time to bring those pieces home.
The Magic of Wholeness
After a soul retrieval, people often report feeling lighter, clearer, more “here.” Sometimes the change is subtle—a sense of peace or reconnection. Sometimes it’s huge—creative energy returns, old patterns dissolve, or relationships shift.
The integration process is just as important as the retrieval itself. That part of you needs time to feel safe, welcomed, and believed. This is where psychology and spirituality merge beautifully—where we get to love our inner parts not just as wounds, but as sacred teachers.
The Invitation
You don’t have to keep walking through life feeling incomplete.
You don’t have to carry that emptiness forever.
You can remember who you were before the world told you who to be.
Soul retrieval is not about going back in time—it’s about bringing your past selves forward, into the light of now. You are worthy of your own return.
Intuitive Souls 