Reclaiming the Parts of You That Went Quiet

There’s a particular kind of exhaustion that doesn’t come from doing too much.

It comes from not being fully yourself.

From performing.
From over-functioning.
From shrinking.
From carefully editing your voice.
From reading the room before you speak.
From living a life that looks fine on the outside but feels slightly… off.

If you’ve ever thought:

• I don’t feel like I belong.
• I used to be more fun than this.
• I don’t know who I am anymore.
• Why does it feel like I’m watching my life instead of living it?

You may be experiencing what shamanic traditions call soul loss.

And shamanic soul retrieval is the process of bringing those lost parts home.

What Is Soul Loss?

Soul loss isn’t dramatic. It doesn’t require catastrophic trauma.

It can happen in small, ordinary moments.

A parent calling you stupid.
A teacher laughing at you.
Being told you’re “too much.”
Being told to calm down.
Being shamed.
Being humiliated.
Being ignored.

When something overwhelms us — especially as children — we don’t have the capacity to process it.

So we protect ourselves.

A part of us decides:
“It’s not safe to be that version of me.”

And that part goes quiet.

Not because it’s wrong.
But because it’s trying to keep you safe.

In shamanic terms, this protective fragmentation is called soul loss. In psychological language, we might call it dissociation, repression, or adaptation.

Either way, the result is the same:

You end up living without full access to your authenticity and essence.

Signs and Symptoms of Soul Loss

Soul loss doesn’t usually announce itself dramatically. It shows up subtly in adult life.

Common signs include:

• Feeling disconnected from joy or creativity
• Over-functioning in relationships
• Fear of being seen or judged
• Struggling to state your needs
• People-pleasing or compliance
• Playing small in your career
• Feeling like you don’t belong anywhere
• A sense that “I used to be more me than this”

Often, you can intellectually understand where the pattern came from.

But insight alone doesn’t shift it.

Because the part of you that made that protective decision?
That part lives in the unconscious.

And the unconscious doesn’t respond to logic alone.

It responds to symbol, metaphor, and story.

That’s where shamanic journey work becomes powerful.

How Trauma Causes Soul Fragmentation

Trauma doesn’t have to mean abuse or catastrophe.

Trauma can be:

• Chronic emotional dismissal
• Growing up in an unpredictable household
• Being the “good girl” who never caused trouble
• Being told to tone yourself down
• Feeling responsible for everyone else’s emotional state

As children, we become experts at survival.

We scan the room.
We adjust.
We comply.
We silence parts of ourselves to maintain safety.

But what kept us safe at five, ten, or fifteen can keep us small at forty-five.

Shamanic soul retrieval works by locating and restoring those fragmented parts — without forcing you to relive the trauma that caused the split.

What Happens During a Shamanic Soul Retrieval Session?

In a shamanic soul retrieval session, I journey on your behalf into what’s traditionally called the “lower world.”

If that language feels unfamiliar, think of it this way:

I enter the symbolic landscape of your unconscious psyche.

During the journey, I explore:

• The Chamber of the Wound – the origin of the soul loss
• The Chamber of the Contract – the limiting belief formed in response
• The Chamber of the Essence – the true gift or vitality that was hidden

For example, a client may have unconsciously formed a contract such as:

• “I must not speak up.”
• “I must not look foolish.”
• “I must please to belong.”
• “I must not outshine others.”

We work symbolically to rewrite that contract.

We restore the lost essence.

And I retrieve a power animal — an archetypal ally to support integration.

This isn’t fantasy.

It’s working with the unconscious in the language it understands.

And when the unconscious shifts, conscious behaviour shifts.

What Is a Power Animal in Soul Retrieval?

A power animal is an archetypal ally — a symbolic embodiment of qualities you are reclaiming.

For example, owl medicine might support someone in:

• Seeing clearly through emotional fog
• Hearing what is actually being said
• Distinguishing intuition from fear
• Trusting inner wisdom

The power animal becomes a practical integration tool.

When you feel triggered, you ask:
“How would Owl see this?”
“What am I not seeing clearly?”

It’s a way of engaging the restored part of yourself consciously.

Why Integration Is Essential After Soul Retrieval

A soul retrieval is not a one-off mystical experience.

Nothing changes unless you choose differently afterwards.

Integration means:

• Nurturing the part that has been brought home
• Making different behavioural choices
• Speaking when you would previously have stayed silent
• Setting boundaries where you once complied
• Trusting your intuition in real-world situations

Insight opens the door.

Integration walks through it.

That’s why every soul retrieval session I offer includes a follow-up appointment — because this work must translate into everyday life.

The goal isn’t a spiritual experience.

The goal is a different lived reality.

You Don’t Have to Relive Trauma to Heal It

One of the reasons I value shamanic soul retrieval so deeply is this:

We do not have to drag you back through painful memories.

We do not have to relive trauma.

We do not have to retraumatise you in order to create healing.

We work symbolically and energetically with the wounded part — restoring what was lost without forcing you to re-experience what hurt you.

And when those parts come home?

People feel:

Lighter.
Clearer.
Stronger.
More themselves.

More whole.

Ready to Reconnect With Yourself?

If you’re feeling lost…
If you’re tired of performing your life…
If you know there’s more of you in there, but you don’t know how to access it…

Shamanic soul retrieval may be exactly what you need.

You can:

✨ Book a free call to explore whether soul retrieval is right for you HERE.
✨ Book a private shamanic soul retrieval session HERE.
✨ Join me in Johannesburg for Weaving a New Way (14–15 March) — a weekend immersion combining shamanic journey work with grounded coaching to help you shift what’s keeping you stuck HERE.

And if something in this stirred you, message me on Instagram @EmmaOBrienCoach. I always love hearing what resonates.

You don’t have to live half-lit.

It’s safe to bring the bright, wild, expressive parts of you home now.