Girvani Leerer, Ph.D., The Shamanic Psychologist, integrates indigenous and core shamanic healing and energy medicine with cutting edge psychotherapy and mindfulness and meditation practices to help individuals and couples break free from old dysfunctional relationship and attachment patterns, anxiety, fear, and limiting beliefs; revitalize and unleash their energy; progress to the next stage of their life journey; and awaken their light, passion, joy, freedom, and purpose.
Dr. Girvani has worked with thousands of individuals over the last 35 years as a psychotherapist and hypnotherapist, and hundreds of people over the last 15 years as a shamanic practitioner.
Dr. Girvani has a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology and is a Licensed Psychologist in California (PSY #24631), Massachusetts (PSY #7289) and Arizona (PSY #4687), and is on the National Register in Psychology.
Dr. Girvani is an Internal Family Systems (IFS) Certified Therapist and has assisted in several Level 1 and Level 2 IFS trainings, as well as assisting Richard Schwartz, the developer of IFS in workshops. She has advanced training in Clinical Hypnosis, Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR), trauma, dissociation, and attachment. Girvani is certified in Past Life Regression Hypnosis through the American Hypnosis Association. She was previously a Harvard Medical School Clinical Instructor in Psychology, Director of an inpatient and partial hospital program for women with trauma and eating disorders in Brookline, Massachusetts (2000-2005), and Clinical Director of The Sanctuary at Sedona, a holistic non-12-Step Addiction Recovery and Trauma Healing Residential Program (2016-2023).
Dr. Girvani has extensive shamanic training in the Andean tradition, core shamanism, and energy healing.
She is currently studying with Andean Q’ero Elder master healers in the Global Paq’o School directed by Elizabeth Jenkins. She has also studied Andean mysticism with Juan and Ivan Nunez del Prado and Joan Parisi Wilcox, indigenous Q’ero medicine people from Peru and Mayan elders from Guatemala. She studied with Alberto Villoldo, Ph.D., Linda Fitch, and The Four Winds Society and holds a Master’s Certification in Luminous Healing and Energy Medicine (Shamanic Energy Healing) from the acclaimed Light Body School, where she was previously on the Faculty.
Dr. Girvani completed the Two-year Shamanic Teacher Training program to teach contemporary cross cultural and core shamanism with Sandra Ingerman, and is listed on Shamanic Teachers, as a practitioner and instructor authorized to teach shamanic journeying, Medicine for the Earth, Healing with Spiritual Light, Extraction, Soul Retrieval, and Psychopomp Death and Dying work. She has also studied depossesion with Shamanic teacher Betsy Bergstrom.
Girvani has over 30 years of experience with personal growth traditions and eastern Indo-Tibetan meditation and mindfulness practices, including five years living in a meditation ashram. She continues to study energy psychology and healing, including shamanism, and meditation and spiritual practices.
Girvani’s potent blending of Western psychology and trauma therapy, with shamanic healing allows her to work with the spiritual dimensions of psychological, emotional, and physical issues in a knowledgeable and compassionate manner.
In addition to psychotherapy and healing work with individuals and couples, Girvani teaches shamanic classes and is a ceremonialist, providing group and individual rituals and ceremonies including wedding and commitment ceremonies.
What about your name?
Girvani is a sanskrit name I received from a meditation teacher when living in India for 6 months in the mid-1980’s. After returning from India, I made Girvani my legal middle name and have continued to use it.
My name is pronounced “gear-vah-nee”. The meanings I have been told for the name are “speech of the mountains”, “one who loves to speak, praise, and sing”, and that it is a form of Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, arts, wisdom and learning. The meaning of the masculine form of the name, Girvan, is language of God.
More about me:
In my free time, I enjoy hiking and visiting the many beautiful places of Northern California and around Sedona, AZ, spending time with family, friends and my amazing cat Lexi, traveling and having adventures, and attending ceremonies, meditation and personal growth workshops.
I believe that we are here in Earth School for our personal and soul growth, and that our lessons and learning can be sweet, kind and easy. I believe we are also here to experience the joy of the beauty of the world and the joy of being human, including being in community, enjoying the beauty of nature, great conversation, good books, art, movies, music, dancing, and eating dark chocolate.
I would be honored to bring the wealth of ancient knowledge and contemporary science to assist you to awaken your passion and purpose, find greater success and empowerment, joy and freedom, connect with your inner guidance, and live your dreams and Your Soul Journey.
Girvani