As Maestra Grace Sesma puts is:

"It is a holistic approach to wellness that has been used in the Americas for hundreds of years. In Mexico, it is also known as Mexican Traditional Medicine, "medicina del campo," and traditional folk medicine.

Curanderismo is a natural and powerful way to treat ailments from back pain to depression, and helping remove obstacles to stable employment, and other problems of a spiritual nature. Combining the use of prayer, medicinal plants, raw eggs, floral waters (and other sacred tools), spiritual cleansing (known as limpias), massage, and ceremony can bring about internal and external balance. Limpias can be performed by the curandera, either with or without hands-on healing -- also known as hand doctoring in U.S. and Canada.

Curanderismo is often considered to be a syncretic system of healing. Depending on a curandera’s religious, cultural, and/or tribal background (if any), it may, or may not, also have Catholic, Sephardic, African, and/or magico-religious influences (this is why some consider it Mestizo rather than solely Native or European medicine). In some instances, curanderas may be referred to as "mujer de conocimiento" (woman of knowledge) or if trained in traditional Native ways, "mujer de medicina" (medicine woman) -- the same applies to male practitioners or curanderos. Each curandera/o/x has a distinctive practice that is usually learned within the context of her family, community, or tribe.

In this healing cultural tradition, it is believed that disease is caused by social, psychological, physical, environmental, and spiritual factors; a disharmony of body, mind, and spirit. Today it continues to be used by people from all walks of life: health care professionals, physicians, educators, students, and homemakers, as an adjunct to conventional medical interventions."

—©2004, Grace Alvarez Sesma, Cultural Practitioner and founder of Curanderismo, the Healing Art of Mexico

On the Taino side of my cultural heritage I am known as a behike (medicine practitioner).  Before colonization Native American cultures already had rich terms to describe medicine people. Behike is a term still used today, as is the term introduced by the spanish colonizers "curendero". Throughout the Americas you'll find practitioners go by "curandero", "chaman", native terms,  and use a number of corresponding titles. What I DO NOT go by is "shaman/chaman". I have great respect for this term - and for a myriad of reasons that I'll address in a future blog - this is a term that I try to avoid. I'll use "shamanic practitioner" but not "shaman". Yes, there's a differance! Stay tuned for the blog.

What kind of behike/curandera are you Claudia? 

I'm a yerbera, espiritualista, huesera, and "music therapist" but in the indigenous sense (click here for more on drumming).

Wellness seekers may experience the huesera in a shamanic healing treatment, RomiRomi treatment, and TCM Western Remedial Massage. As you might have read in the Botanica page, this is an animistic practice. The power of yerbas is celebrated and honored here. At this time, I am not offering any master plant medicine, so you'll have to shop around if you're seeking an Ayahuasca ceremony. Your shamamic healing treatment may include medicine music. Sometimes we don't need another person to perform any kind of energy work on us, sometimes plants, fungi, and vibration can individually do all the work! As an early intervention specialist working with blind and deaf babies and children, I've witnessed how the power of vibration works wonders!

Visit The Playground/Events page to find upcoming ecstatic dance and drum circle events!

Traditional diagnoses and those described in curanderismo often overlap. For example, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; American Psychiatric Association, 2013) and curanderismo both describe diagnoses such as depression (melarchico), posttraumatic stress disorder or emotional shock (susto), and mood disorders or nerves/nervous stomach (latido or munia; Salazar & Levin, 2013; Zacharias, 2006). Another psychological illness treated by curanderismo that co-occurs with traditional diagnoses includes billis (also known as bile or suppressed anger).

According to Salazar and Levin (2013), curanderismo is used to treat not only psychological disorders but also with general medical disorders such as empacho

(intestinal obstruction), mal aire (bad air or exposure to cold wind), and mollera caida (fallen fontanel).

Curanderismo goes beyond traditional diagnosis, however, in that it also treats illnesses that fall into the supernatural category. For example, curanderismo treats disorders such as enoco (festering wounds caused by another), mal ojo (evil eye or envy, jealously, strong admiration by another), and maleficio (witchcraft; Salazar & Levin, 2013; Zacharias, 2006). These supernatural disorders may cause confusion between clients and counselors if awareness of curanderismo, its rituals, and beliefs are misunderstood.

source:  Scholarly Article: Cultural Awareness: Understanding Curanderismo

Theoretically, shamanic healing is for everyone, even your pets! Healing is for everyone! There seems to be SO MANY modalities out there, that the trial-and-error process can be overwheling. Figuring out what's compatible with you takes time, and I deeply encourage you to embrace the journey.

This type of service (in this particular practice) is for the souls who are prepared for deep transformation.  It's different to other healing services offered like reiki, as example, in that my style of reiki is commonly requested for pain (physical, mental, spiritual) management whereas  shamanic healing, although also employed for pain management, is designed to be an intensive life-transforming treatment.

Who is this NOT for?

It's not for the faint of heart! We'll start there. I'm a Death Doula and I help people die in a literal and metaphorical death.  

How do you know you're prepared? I can usually get a feel in an initial platica (consultation) if you're a good fit for this service or if a different one would benefit you more, but I find that there are many seekers whom feel ready for authentic and profound metamorphosis are ready or are nearly there. Alternatively, there are those whom are very confident, but post shamanic-treatment realize they had no idea what they were getting themselves into. Just like with certain medical procedures it's in the recovery process where the patient and medical team gain greater insight into how to proceed with your case.

After we have completed your free discovery call it's platica time!

Platica (Consultation/Chat) ...

Your consultation is held either online or in-person. From start to finish there are protocols and housekeeping I go over. I typically begin healing sessions with a meditation and prayer to help us shift state and prepare the space. We then proceed to the platica. Similar to a general physician's consultation we'll go over your completed intake form for newcomers (the clearer and thorough you are with the form the easier it becomes to create a roadmap where we limit the detours of your personal healing journey). We go over the data and explore how to optimize what you present me with. I may suggest referrals to medical specialist or community services. Within our allotted timeframe I will help you find ways to build your capacity, but depending on the complexity of your case you may want to explore other services like Rewilding Nature Walks, Holistic Counseling, or Rewiring With Meditation so that more room for expansion is available. I may suggest single sessions, multiple session, or none at all! We'll go over your complaints/concerns prioritizing areas that require immediate attention.

Assessment ...

The assessment process begins during your initial discovery call. This is where I begin to gauge whether or not we may be a good fit and if so what kind of treatments may be beneficial for you. If I take you on as a client, assessment continues during the platica, during treatment, and post. 

The Treatment ...

Day of surgery! By the time it's "surgery day" you would have followed "pre-surgery" rituals that help reinforce the procedure. There's preliminary work you'll be doing, and I will be doing. As a practitioner, I have tasks to complete on my end, which is why I'm very selective about whom I take on board.

Every session will look different; we go over the details in your platica. During treatment you will feel your feels and I will coach, nurture, and protect you through your journey. Everyone has a unique response. You may find that you yourself may have completely different experiences per session. 

Post Op ...

I will follow-up on you to see how you're progressing. Depending on the complexity of the case, and your response to healing, results can be immediate or it can take quite some time to heal. The more you let a complaint go unaddressed the harder it can be for medicine practitioners to treat your area/s of concern. Put your health first! 

What will you gain?

Many wellness seeker arrive feeling fragmented, and after one session feel more whole. I've had the pleasure of witnessing individuals activating their own inner medicine practitioner and be a source of healing for others!

One session can initiate:

• ancestral healing

• personal gifts released

• unlocked potential

• DNA repair

• increased sense of autonomy

• trauma healing

• intergenerational trauma healing

• curse removal

• increased confidence

• increased motivation

• improved sense of self

• improved sense of direction

• improved physiological conditions

• improved psychiatric management

It's absolutely possible! The Medicine Woman in me will perpetuate medicine. The Death Doula in me, however, perpetuates pragmatism. At any rate, if you find yourself in this difficult position there are a number of modalities, including shamanic healing that can provide support in your journey. 

To learn about guarantee of service, have a little read below.

The first thing I'd tell anyone seeking enhanced health and wellbeing is to practice due diligence! Yes, the diligence process can be uncomfortable and at times frustrating, but important nonetheless. This means:

• First raise any health and wellbeing concerns with your doctor. Not happy with your doctor? Hold off on any new treatments until you find one you're happy with. Take care of your hardware (physical body) before addressing your software (energetic body). This also helps establish a baseline for practitioners to gain a better understanding of your health profile, by understanding your profile we can better customize a treatment plan.

• Investigate reputable spiritual or energetic practitioner. Not all are competent. Not all have your best interest at heart. Just as doctors are subject to malpractice, so are "spiritual doctors". You may be worst off then you started under the care of the wrong hands.

• Some are competent, some have your best interest at heart, but there may be a practitioner-client incompatibility. It's like trying to grow two adversarial  plants next to each other in your garden. Individually they are great, but together there is no room for growth. How to approach this conundrum? I find that many practitioners offer free discovery calls. Attend some calls, and tap into your intuition to see who might be a good fit!

Even with due diligence we may have negative experiences, but the more we practice due diligence the more we take control of our minds and lives. Through trial-and-error we gain the practice to develop greater agency and self-management. You become a better advocate for yourself!

Based on what my clients have shared they are leading healthier and happier lives. Will that be the case for you? Quite frankly, I don't know! What I guarantee is that I will show up for you and provide care with utmost integrity and skill. Will I still have to pay even if I'm not satisfied? Hell to the yes! Just as you would need to pay any service provider for their time, I am not the exception. Your session will include prep work, the session itself, and post work. Cases involve a range of rituals I have to do like fasting or getting up at 3am for prayers. This is not like a trip to your hairstylist. This is work that is mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually demanding on my part, which is why I am very selective who I take on as a client. I express this as humble as I can, access to a shamanic healing experience with me is a privilege. If you are a client of mine, you will most likely be someone who practices due diligence, has strong personal ethics, is authentic. can time manage, is transparent, has integrity, is ready for shadow work.

My vision for all my seekers is to need me and others like me as little as possible. If we have an excess of hospitals, physicians, psychiatrists, health and wellness practitioners, that to me, is an indication that illness is thriving over evolution.  For a species to thrive and endure we must get better at treating the source of a problem. We're experts at treating symptoms, but for our sake and the sake of future generation we have to direct our focus to the source of disease.

Starts at $350-$400 sliding scale per 1.5 hr appointment

You will find that historically throughout the indigenous world an exchange of some sort has often times taken place. You definitely will find there are practitioners that work for nothing in exchange; I have done many pro bono work and occasionally still offer free sessions. The quantity and quality of time and work that goes into your session is great, therefore payment is expected.

• Ensure that we have a private, quiet, dedicated place for our meeting

• Make sure that we have all that we need at our fingertips, for example: notes, books, pad, pen, and water

• Reduce distractions where possible; devices irrelevant to the session, members of the household, and any other distractions

• Have had a few minutes to prepare ourselves before meeting, so that we are relaxed and focused; no rushed and scattered thoughts

• Consider this a normal appointment, the same as if visiting a Physician, Specialist, or other healthcare professional in their office. Consider the norms and extend the same courtesy to me.