Response to Sam -
Behalf Of Samantha Piggott
"I'm currently working on a dissertation for MSc Psycho-Social Studies at UWE.  My research focuses on (Re)formation of identity amongst Shamanic Practioners/Healers.  I would be grateful for any comments/suggestions from any of you with regards suggestions for reading etc. -Sam "

Pls check introduction to Dreamhealing which I believe describes one such process from The Call forward by an APA psychologist decades ago; my colleague was one of the first hybrid shaman/therapists -
http://dreamhealing.iwarp.com/whats_new.html
http://dreamhealing.iwarp.com/whats_new_2.html

DREAMHEALING FOREWORD
Stanley Krippner, PhD
In 1971, Fred Swinney was told by his physician that he had, at most, three years to live. He suffered from hypertension, heart disease, ulcers, and hypoglycemia. Seeing a connection between his weakened physical condition and his job pressures as an engineer, Swinney entered psychotherapy. This experience not only alleviated his physical problems, but prompted him to enter a training program in Transactional Analysis. Swinney received his license in Transactional Analysis in 1975 and began seeing clients.
In 1976, Swinney was travelling by canoe to James Bay in the northern Ontario wilderness. One night, he feel asleep before the smoldering fire and had a dream in which animal predators emerged from the woods, tore him apart, and devoured him. Waking in terror, Swinney opened his eyes and stared at the coals. Just beyond, he could discern two yellow-green eyes and the shadowy form of a wolf. Much to his surprise, Swinney experienced total surrender instead of fear. he stared at the wolf, the worlf appeared to stare back, and Swinney felt a oneness with all that surrounded him.
Eventually the wolf slipped back into the forest, but Swinney still felt its presence in his mind and body. He realized that in some strange way he had become a wolf. Having been devoured in his dream, he had been reborn a wolf upon awakening. A few weeks later, Swinney left the wilderness and returned to his family and clients. He attempted to forget the episode since it had been remarkably different than anything he had previously experienced. Swinney completed his Master's degree in 1980 and avoided any activity that would again evoke his wolflike nature.
Five years after, during a group therapy session held while fire was flickering in Swinney's fireplace, one of his clients expressed extreme anger. Suddenly, Swinney had a mental image of Libra, the Greek goddess of justice, holding her balanced scales. He asked his client if she could relate to this image. The woman erupted with emotion, telling the group how, during her childhood, her mother had tried to treat her and her sister equally. When the client did not experience this fairness in later life, it upset her and she could not cope with other people very well. Upon working through her memories of her early experiences and subsequent expectations, the client was able to accept the inequities in her relationships. Eventually, she was able to terminate therapy.
Swinney realized that his evocation of the image resembled his experience with the wolf. Similar episodes occurred. Invariably, Swinney's images, hunches, and insights were of great value to his clients. Swinney realized that the wolf had returned and had demonstrated the way in which it could be of assistance, even in civilization.
Swinney resolved to learn more about wolves and was surprised to read that in all probability the wolf he had seen in Canada would not have attacked him as he slept before his fire. Two friends gave him books about wolves even though they knew nothing about his resolution or his experience in the forest. Swinney's readings also yielded information about shamans and how they frequently dream about being devoured and reborn during their initiation and training.
Swinney also learned that shamans were the world's first psychotherapists. Shamans often claim to have animal "guides" that assist their work with clients, and often report feelings of unity with their surroundings. After five years of running away from his inner wolf, Swinney again surrendered, just as he had that night in the woods before the coals of his campfire. He took the name "Graywolf" and introduced elements from shamanism into his work as a psychotherapist. Graywolf used rituals and ceremonies with his clients, both in individual and group sessions. He looked for mythic themes, animal "guides," and spiritual symbols in his clients' dreams. He made use of guided imagery sessions and had clients carve, draw, mold, or paint those images that seemed to possess healing qualities. He encouraged body awareness through breathing exercises, dance, and movement.
Graywolf had shared these experiences with me when we first met. We saw each other again in 1984 at the annual meeting of the Association for Humanistic Psychology near Boston. I was scheduled to give a presentation on shamanism with a colleague who was flying in from out of town. My colleague's flight was delayed; thus I asked Graywolf to take his place. Graywolf told his story to a group of several hundred people and led them in some breathing and imagery exercises that he had found useful with his clients. Graywolf's comments were very well received and he felt positive about sharing his private experiences with a large group of interested people.
Since that time, Graywolf has shared his experiences with thousands of individuals and dozens of groups. In addition, he has moved from Western psychotherapy to native shamanism to the dreamhealing tradition of ancient Greece and Rome. But this is hardly a step backwards, as he has combined this with chaos theory, arguably one of the most vital models of the upcoming 21st century. more - http://dreamhealing.iwarp.com/index.html