INTRO

Paul Francis studied philosophy and social anthropology at university, primarily studying tribal (animist) cultures. After graduating in 1979, he variously worked in a hospital teaching sign language, a pre-school nursery, and in an anarchist bookshop. In his spare time, he immersed himself in his real passions, exploring psychotherapy and various different spiritual paths, including shamanism. He set up in private practice as a psychotherapist in the 1980s, and gradually developed a shamanic practice too. In 2007, he founded the Three Ravens College of Therapeutic Shamanism and Core Animism. Although retired from one-to-one work now, he continues to teach and write. In 2017 he published the bestselling book The Shamanic Journey, the first in the “Therapeutic Shamanism” series. This was followed by his second book, Rewilding Yourself, and third book, Soul Roots, Spirit Branches. He is currently working on the fourth and fifth books in the series. He remains very actively involved in teaching courses on many different aspects of animism and shamanism, and in exploring the links between them and modern-day counselling and psychotherapy. 

Before we start, just a heads up – you might hear my cats making their presence known… according to Paul one should never apologise for the more-than-human others, so I will refrain from doing so! 

Now, here’s the interview!

OUTRO

Well, we really only managed to skim the surface. I came across Paul while engaged in Jungian Coaching with a wonderful Finnish psychotherapist who studied with Paul. She is a qualified psychotherapist and Jungian coach as well as a Shamanic Practitioner and she encouraged me to read Paul’s books. I have read the first two and as I said in the interview, I found them incredibly helpful.

The first does indeed set the reader up to begin journeying. Those of you familiar with Jung’s work might consider as a form of Active Imagination – something I had previously explored. Perhaps that made it especially accessible to me. 

In any case, the practise of journeying, initially with support from my Jungian Coach, has been enlightening and healing. For me, working with symbols – mythos – rather than words and reason – logos, as in, for example, CBT – feels far more suitable and effective. That is, of course, personal – I know many people who have been helped by CBT and mindfulness based CBT, and while I did find the latter helpful, the former just didn’t seem to make any difference. In contrast, the imaginative, intuitive, deep work with symbols – archetypes if you like – both inspires and soothes me. It just sits well with my psyche.