Blending Traditional and Modern Modalities to Create Deep Transformation – Interview with Jonathan Shanks

Jonathan Shanks works with trauma, nervous system dysregulation, inherited patterning, and disconnection from the self through a blend of somatic, energetic, ancestral, and systemic approaches.

Drawing from both traditional and modern modalities, he integrates nervous system regulation, Family / Systemic Constellations, energetic awareness, and relational practices to support deep and lasting transformation.

At the core of his philosophy is the belief that acceptance is the gateway to authentic healing and that meaningful change cannot occur without first including the parts of ourselves that have been rejected, suppressed, or disconnected.

In this interview, Jonathan shares his journey from a successful career in advertising and digital production into healing work, the principles that guide his practice, and why he believes genuine transformation begins with honesty, embodiment, and a more cohesive relationship with the self.

Jonathan Shanks, Healer, Facilitator, Energy Worker

How would you describe what it is that you do?

I help people reconnect to themselves. That means connecting back to the body, recalibrating their relationship with the mind and belief systems, and opening the doorway to spirit. Spirit, in this context, is the sense of being part of something much greater than the self.

It’s not about fixing anyone. It’s about helping to remember what was never lost.

At its heart, my work is about helping people come back to the reality of themselves. Beyond trauma, fear and stuck-ness, towards freedom, liberation and authentic self-expression.

How did you get involved in this line of work?

I spent the best part of 30 years bypassing my own complex trauma, overwhelm and nervous system dysregulation. Like many people, I was functional on the outside but disconnected internally. Eventually, life forced me to stop and confront what was unresolved. Those moments of collapse were also the beginning of transformation.

In my 30s I went through two pivotal traumatic experiences which completely changed the trajectory of my life and forced me to start looking deeply into myself to try and understand why these things had happened to me. I call them my big red stop signs. They were forced opportunities for waking up.

Did you do something else before this?

Yes. I worked for over two decades in advertising, digital production and product development. I travelled extensively and operated in environments that demanded constant output and high performance. It was unfeasible and unsustainable.

The contrast between that world and the work I do now couldn’t be more stark. Still, what I learned about business and systems continues to inform how I structure and hold my healing work today.

What’s it like retraining later in life?

The biggest challenge is psychological. You have to confront the internal voices that say “you’re too old, it’s too late, or that you’ll never manage it.” These are fear responses, not truths. Once you meet them enough times and change your relationship to them, they start to lose their grip on you.

Financially, the shift was just as tough. Going from disposable income to none at all was a challenge. But like everything, it brought its own teachings.

How did you choose what to study and train in?

I was initially drawn to Osteopathy. A tutor at nutrition college was an osteopath, and he taught in a deeply embodied and intuitive way. That seemed to stay with me. From there, my path unfolded through direct experience. I followed what felt alive in my body.

I studied Naturopathic Nutrition, Yoga and Embodied Movement, TRE and Nervous System Regulation, Family / Systemic Constellations, and later began focusing heavily on energetic and shamanic practices, to tie together evidence-based work with wider-lens modalities, rooted within belief.

Why do you call yourself a healer?

It’s the word that best describes what I do. I’ve explored many ways to name my offering, but healer remains the most accurate. One of my mentors once suggested the term ‘Energetic Transformation Coach’, but it felt like too much of a mouthful. Healer is simple and truthful.

I also refer to myself as a Facilitator and an Energy Worker as the reality is that I’m all of these things.

What kinds of modalities do you work with, and how do they integrate?

My work brings together a number of different approaches. I use energetic awareness, shamanic principles, somatic regulation tools, Family / Systemic Constellations, and re-programming of the conceptual and subconscious aspects of the mind.

In some sessions, elements of Physical Mediumship may also arise, depending on what the client’s system is ready to work with.

These modalities don’t sit side by side. They blend and respond intuitively to what’s present in the session. Some work happens in the body, some through the energetic field and some through ancestral connection. My role is to track the intelligence of the client’s system and follow what it reveals.

Unlike traditional talk therapy, my work moves beyond the mind to engage the body and energetic field, enabling shifts that happen more deeply and often more quickly.

What kind of issues do people bring to you?

I work with a wide range of challenges, but most clients are navigating unresolved trauma, nervous system dysregulation, long-term fragmentation from the self, and inherited patterns that sit beneath conscious awareness.

Many clients come after trying talk therapy or coaching and finding that it hasn’t reached deep enough. The work I offer is experiential. It allows the body and the field to reveal what’s ready to be seen and included.

Clients often describe feeling more embodied, clearer in their purpose and more able to move through life with greater ease after just a few sessions.

What does a session with you usually involve?

Every session is different, but we always begin with grounding and sensing into the body. I do this by allowing my energetic system to regulate the client’s body, then guiding them into simple nasal breathing. This activates the primary breathing muscles and starts to shift the nervous system into a parasympathetic state.

From there, I follow what emerges. This could involve energetic transformation, somatic release, ancestral connection or embodying a hidden aspect of the psyche. I act as a translator, reflecting back what I sense and feel in the client’s system, allowing unspoken or subconscious material to surface and be looked at.

It’s not scripted. It’s about meeting what’s there, honestly.

What do you think drives someone to do this kind of work?

It’s not something you choose in the traditional sense. It's something that’s moving through you. My whole life I felt connected to everything and everyone, without understanding why.

Eventually, I realised that life itself had been preparing me. Training with elders has helped me see that this path is less of a career and more of a calling.

How do you look after yourself while holding complex trauma, personally and ancestrally?

I have daily non-negotiables. I regulate my nervous system, practise TRE, and use energetic hygiene to clear what’s not mine. I go regularly to a traditional Banya sauna, which helps me release and reset on a physical level. I also find restoration in sound, especially deep electronic music.

I’m a nudist and so being naked outside, close to the elements reminds me how small and insignificant I am in comparison to the vastness of the natural world. It’s grounding and it brings me directly into reality.

Comedy also plays a big role. I watch stand-up live or via YouTube regularly. It helps keep things light. It’s a polarity practice. A way of balancing the depth and tenderness of the work I do.

Who and what inspires you?

My close friends who are walking similar paths and developing meaningful work in this space. My teachers, old and new, who remind me to stay humble and continue excavating the parts of myself that are still hidden.

Gabor Maté’s early work, especially When the Body Says No, had a strong impact on me. Neville Goddard opened me up to the power of imagination and the importance of a faith-based practice. More recently, Joshua Schrei of the Emerald Podcast has been a profound source of insight and inspiration, thanks to the depth and nuance within his teaching.

I’ve just begun reading William Blake. I have a sense he will provide a significant amount of creative nourishment over the latter part of this year.

What values do you hold yourself accountable to?

I try to live by these words, integrity, honesty, transparency, and practicality.

It’s my mission to redefine how this kind of work is spoken about and delivered. So much of the world I move within can be overcomplicated and jargon-filled, with fluffy language and overly conceptual frameworks trying to explain what’s happening.

That’s why people glaze over when you mention the words psychic or medium. They often associate these things with airy, untethered or ungrounded people.

I deliver all my work from a place of unconditional love and radical acceptance of what arises. But I’m also incredibly direct, honest and transparent about what’s unfolding and why clients may be stuck or not seeing shifts. It’s not my job to do the work for them. I point and show the way. It’s then up to the client to walk the new path.

It’s possible to work with esoteric or indigenous healing frameworks, whilst delivering them through a modern lens. That’s my exact intent for how I deliver my work.

How do you find new clients?

I work mostly by word of mouth. That has been the foundation of my practice. I also send a newsletter through my website, where I share reflections, updates and case studies.

I’ve resisted traditional marketing and social media for a long time. This partnership with Brainz is my first step toward more traditional forms of visibility and promotion.

Who do you work with?

As a gay man who spent years struggling with authentic expression, I have a deep desire to work with the gay population. There’s so much trauma in this group, often rooted in early childhood experiences, abuse, neglect and rejection. The epidemic of chemsex and addiction isn’t about pleasure or freedom. It’s a direct response to unresolved pain and abuse.

That said, I work with everyone. My one-to-one client base is evenly split between men and women. As I begin to move more into group settings, I’ll offer spaces specifically for gay men, as well as mixed and gender-specific groups.

What’s coming next in your work?

Over the past 2 years I’ve focused almost entirely on one-to-one sessions. That period was about refining the work and allowing it to mature.

Now I’m beginning to focus more on group offerings, with a new brand that will launch in 2026. This will include workshops, retreats and week-long intensives that allow for deeper transformation and more communal healing. I also plan on collaborating with other practitioners whose work complements my own.

What do you think is the biggest issue in the wellness or healing industry?

The difference between healing and self-improvement. Most of the wellness industry offers self-improvement, not healing.

Healing begins with complete acceptance of the self, through all layers of the mind and body. You cannot truly grow or evolve until you’ve met yourself fully and accepted what is.

It took me more than 40 years to fully understand and embody this. I spent thousands of pounds and countless hours trying to improve myself whilst still rejecting who and what I was. This is the ultimate dance of delusion.

I’ve written an article about this, using my personal experience to communicate the point.

What would you say to someone who is curious about healing but unsure where to start?

Be open and curious. Choose a practitioner who feels safe and whose language resonates with you. Healing doesn’t require you to be fixed. It only asks that you’re willing to meet yourself more honestly than you have done before.

Try to find someone who can work with both the mind and the body. Go with what you feel. Let your decision come from intuition or body wisdom. That initial response in your gut often carries more truth than the endless spin of the mind.

Many people also wonder whether energy or somatic work is right for them. I encourage openness, because this kind of healing is accessible to anyone.

How can people find out more about you and your work?

The best place is through my website, but I’ll list below the ways that you can get in touch with me:

• Email: js@jonathanshanks.co.uk

• WhatsApp: +44 7967 075377

On my website, you can also sign up to my newsletter, where I write about the themes I’m exploring in my work, share reflections and case studies, and offer ways to connect.

I offer a free 20-minute video call to anyone interested. It’s a chance to connect and see whether we’re the right fit. So if you’re ready to dive in, you can go ahead and book your session here.

Follow me on LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info!

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