A healer’s power stems not from any special ability, but from maintaining the courage and awareness to embody and express the universal healing power that every human being naturally possesses.
— E. Leventhal
At heart, we all have the capacity to heal ourselves and nurture others.
Spirit, energy, thought, intention, skillful practice, and empowered belief are available to all people.
Yet, as individual expressions of the Divine, we all have different paths, and not all of us feel called to healing practices.
So, are you called to be a spiritual healer? Let’s find out!
Table of contents
Spiritual Healing and Social Rejection
Let’s first briefly explore the ‘dark’ or difficult side of being called to be a spiritual healer.
Those of us who do feel “called” in some way to spiritual healing are often met with some resistance, either from our friends, our family members, or our culture.
This is because spiritual healing can often be frowned upon as a quasi, scientifically misguided, charlatan practice by a society that is built on the mind and ego.
While there are con artists in every practice, the genuinely beneficial aspects of spiritual healing are often ignored mainly because they can’t be quantified or reasoned with.
Unfortunately, this has led to a large percentage of us (particularly in Westernised societies) losing touch with traditional forms of healing.
In this modern world, very few of us were raised around shamans, medicine people, or traditional healers who could pass on ancient knowledge and holistic healing practices.
Instead, as children, we were taken to GPs, physicians, and doctors who prescribed us medications and other allopathic medicines.
Shadow & Light Membership:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐ "Receiving these messages is a beacon of light and hope for me in currently very challenging times. The words of wisdom speak right to my soul, guiding and encouraging me further on my path. I highly recommend Shadow & Light to everyone who seeks to develop and cultivate a relationship with the Inner Self." – Karin
While some of these medications were indeed useful and helped to fix certain parts of us, they never aided us in healing our whole organism with its many layers.
Yet despite the way you were raised, you might still feel a strong pull towards spiritual healing, even if it “goes against the grain” of what you were taught or the model of healing you were raised to accept.
So, are you a spiritual healer? Let’s find out.
30 Signs You’re a Spiritual Healer
If you’re a spiritual healer, you will sense it deep down.
You might feel like an old soul who doesn’t quite belong in this time or place, an empath who feels everything too deeply, or quite simply an outsider or lone wolf who can’t seem to integrate into society properly.
On a personal level, I’ve always known in my blood and bones that I’m a healer.
As a child, I was thoughtful, inquisitive, dreamy, and extremely nurturing. I remember caring for the kids at school, caring excessively for my toys, ‘rescuing’ stranded insects that got caught in spider webs or snails about to get crushed on the pavement, and caring a whole lot about the “bigger picture” in life.
I also remember playing with energy, having precognitive dreams, being hyper-sensitive to the physical and emotional environments around me, and somehow always attracting wounded people into my life.
Spiritual healers come in many shapes and forms. For example, I fulfill my role as a spiritual healer through my writing. Other people fulfill their calling by practicing reiki, kinesiology, yoga, meditation, hypnotherapy, psychotherapy, herbalism, acupuncture, EFT, and a whole range of other practices.
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this article to you, so you can come back to it later!
Your information will never be shared.
Spiritual healers are shamans in their own right. They are people who allow the energy of Spirit to flow through them in a way that guides, rejuvenates, and empowers others.
The spiritual healer is also a wounded healer, meaning that by healing themselves, they also heal others. This is the best kind of education available.
Are you a spiritual healer? Here are 30 signs that I’ve compiled (some might surprise you):
- You are highly sensitive to energy.
- You feel other people’s emotions and physical ailments as your own (aka., you’re an empath).
- You’re incredibly intuitive and can ‘read’ others very easily.
- You are a “big picture” thinker (and don’t concern yourself too much with the details).
- You have gone through bouts of existential depression or existential anxiety.
- You’ve felt like an outcast for most of your life.
- You think differently from others.
- You get overwhelmed in public easily.
- You’ve struggled with anxiety or panic before.
- You’re the natural peacemaker between people.
- You’re the confidant that people turn to in times of need.
- You experience digestive issues, lower back pain, or gain weight around the stomach area (lower chakra imbalances).
- You feel drained after spending too much time around people
- Sensitive beings like animals and children gravitate towards you.
- Other people tend to “dump” their emotional baggage onto you to deal with.
- You think in shades of grey rather than in black and white.
- You’re very aware of the interconnectedness of life and deeply respect it.
- You believe in synchronicity more than coincidences.
- You have a history of healers in the family, e.g., nurses, psychologists, massage therapists, doctors, counselors, etc.
- You’ve experienced major trauma in your life, e.g., the loss of your family, a life-threatening illness, a near-death experience, physical/sexual/emotional abuse, war, mental illness, etc.
- You’ve gone through a spiritual awakening or kundalini awakening.
- You’ve experienced the dark night of the soul.
- You tend to be mostly a right-brain thinker rather than a left-brain thinker.
- You experience chronic low energy or pain in your body (e.g., chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, etc.).
- You are drawn to the archetypes of the shaman, wise man or woman, witch, wizard/warlock, and healer.
- You tend to attract people who need “fixing” but often get trapped in self-sacrificing roles.
- You’re an excellent and compassionate listener.
- You’re naturally drawn toward healing professions that help others experience balance and wholeness.
- You can feel, distinguish between, and alter the energy within and without yourself.
- You have had numerous mystical experiences.
How many signs in this list can you identify with? If you think I have missed any signs of being a spiritual healer, comment below and make a suggestion!
Spiritual Healer Q&A
Think you might be drawn toward the role of the spiritual healer but are still unsure? Here are some commonly asked questions that might help you out:
Spiritual healers come in many shapes, forms, and types. However, overall, a spiritual healer’s focus is on the non-physical realm: the Soul, Spirit, and energetic layers of a person. Most spiritual healers focus on helping a person reconnect with their Soul or Higher Self by clearing away old energy, identifying inner blockages, and channeling healing energy. Spiritual healers may choose to work with ancestral trauma, past life issues, chakra imbalances, soul loss, or anything that may be causing unhappiness, inner dis-ease, and disharmony.
There are many courses out there that can certify you and sharpen your skills as a spiritual healer. However, none of these are mandatory to becoming a spiritual healer (although, they can strengthen your skills and give you a strong theoretical/philosophical basis). Spiritual healing is an innate calling that comes from the Soul; it can’t be handed to you on a piece of paper. Many people study intensively by themselves. With that being said, formal study can help to hone these innate talents. To become a spiritual healer, focus on what subjects and topics you’re drawn to and seek out trustworthy and trained facilitators – that is your path.
Yes and no. Spiritual healing is an inborn gift. If you’re an empathic and naturally compassionate person, chances are you are a born healer. But spiritual healing doesn’t suit everyone – even those with the innate gift. To be a spiritual healer, you need to have done a lot of inner work (working through your own inner wounds), have a high level of integrity, and be a grounded person. Some people find spiritual healing too overwhelming and intense, so keep that in mind when pursuing this path.
How Can I Start Being a Spiritual Healer?
As a healer, the best possible place you could start is with yourself. As the proverb goes, “Physician, heal thyself!”
Starting from within first is the best way to ensure that you have enough energy, passion, and love to give to others. If you haven’t done the right inner work, you may struggle with issues such as:
- Low energy and chronic fatigue
- Poor personal boundaries
- Projecting your problems onto others
- Being a ‘savior’ rather than a facilitator
- Struggle to hold space
- Compassion fatigue
- Overwhelm and burnout
In the words of teacher Phil Good,
Doctos study medicine. Teachers study education. Healers study darkness.
Being a spiritual healer requires a profound, long-term, ongoing commitment to your own mental, emotional, and psychological healing (aka., working through your darkness) so that you can be a clear channel or mirror of Love for others.
There are three places to start. The first is with self-love. The second is with inner child work. And the third is with shadow work.
Here are some further guides that can support you on your journey:
I have also created a Spiritual Healer Journal specifically to help guide you on your path. If you feel called to be a spiritual healer but don’t know where to start and need a helping hand, begin here:
If you’re a sensitive, empathetic, and intuitive person who feels called to be of service to others, this journal can help you awaken the ancient wisdom within you.
The journal includes:
- 40+ journaling prompts exploring the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of spiritual healing
- Lush images with quotes
- Healing mantras
- Oracle/tarot card spreads
- Book recommendations
- 100% editable & printable format
You can download it as a permanent bonus in our Shadow & Light Membership. May it serve you well. ♡
As healer Shakti Gawain writes,
Spiritual healing occurs as we begin to consciously reconnect with our essential being – the wise, loving, powerful, creative entity that we are at our core.
May you reconnect with that wisdom within so that you can help others access their innate healing power.
Tell me, how many of the signs in this article can you relate to? What is the biggest struggle you’ve had as a healer, and what advice do you have to share? Please share below – you never know who you may help!
Whenever you feel the call, there are 3 ways I can help you:
1. The Spiritual Wanderer Course: Need "big picture" direction, clarity, and focus? Our Spiritual Wanderer course is a crystallization of 10+ years of inner work, and it can help you find your deeper path and purpose in life as a spiritual wanderer. You get 3+ hours of audio-visual content, workbooks, meditations, a premium test, and more!.
2. Shadow & Light Membership: Want weekly intuitive guidance to support you on your awakening path? This affordable membership can help you to befriend your dark side, rediscover more self-love, and reclaim inner wholeness.
3. Spiritual Awakening Bundle: Looking for a collection of all our essential transformative resources? You get five enlightening ebooks, seven in-depth journals, plus two empowering bonuses to help you soul search, heal, and awaken.
Yes ,I relate to around 27 of these qualities,my mum was a nurse and carer,due to illnesses in our family,also very empathetic ,and selfless,I still feel a strong bond to her,and I have always connected to animals.I do believe there spiritual healing/ deep empathy and ,as a good listener [done voluntary work,for MH charities,where I felt it was my place ,for the first time ,I fitted in.
I feel there is one very significant quality you haven’t mentioned. It includes the quality number 26 on your list and involves falling in love with the naturally-selected ‘mark’ so as to provide a channel through which a powerful healing love can pass. It’s happened to me many times and has provided me with some fabulous – if also rather challenging – experiences.
I can only put nobody having ‘done’ it to me down to the fact that I don’t need healing (?) All the same it would be nice if ….. ☺️
I used to think that I was a healer and now I know that I am a spiritual healer!
Loved the article. Thanks so much
to many signs was spot on and thanks ,take care of you love jakob
Can one be a spiritual healer but not an empath? I can tick everything on that list, except I don’t feel / absorb other people’s emotions or physical states and I am not really aware of being sensitive to aura or energy. I do know how people feel, but I know beyond that what is driving this feeling and what they long for. But I have no idea how I know this – there are no dreams or voices. I just seem to do or say the ‘right’ thing and it connects with others. I don’t really fully understand what I do or how, but I do know that somehow I can heal people at a very deep soul level. Its not only ordinary people that are drawn to me but empaths too. I have been told I have a very special, sweet and pure spirit that is warm and generates their energy. Is this making sense to anyone? Any suggestions or advice?
what a great article I will say yes to 28/30 and there are more about me that you are missing but what will I say keep up I love reading your article
what a great articles I will say yes to 28 out of 30
What a great article! I said “Yes” to 27 of your listed items! I said no to #9, #12, and #24…I have no physical or mental health issues, but I had severe illnesses as a child. So interesting. Thank you for this.
I’ve related with all of them in some way. I am finally in a place where I am getting better with my boundaries. That’s been what I’ve told people I come into contact with – I want to help. Thank you for the journal prompt, Luna.
I believe I have 24 out of 30. Thank you for the article it really confirmed for me my calling. I’ve been working on switching careers. In my spare time I work for a non profit organization that works with women and girl survivors of sexual abuse, domestic violence, and HIV. I am a survivor of the first two. Our organization provides free healing weekend retreats. I provide Reiki for the women.