Using Companion Archetypes to Heal Chronic Pain and Illness with Stephanie McGuirk, Doctor of Acupuncture and Somatic Healing Expert

Using Companion Archetypes to Heal Chronic Pain and Illness. Over the past 20 years Stephanie McGuirk, Doctor of Acupuncture has studied in the U.S as well as China, grown a thriving private practice worked as the staff acupuncturist at Kansas University Hospital’s Integrative health department. Stephanie has helped thousands of people heal their stressed nervous systems’, improve their performance and experience higher levels of life satisfaction. Her book, TOTEM Companions, Mastering the Archetypes and the five elements within you is available through Amazon books.

Stephanie developed TOTEM Companions to help people who have a desire to deeply understand their own sacred healing journey. This book and coaching system was born out of her frustration with the lack of time there was to take deep dives with those who wanted more information about the mind-body connections, and spiritual wisdom contained within their own life’s story. Her take on the Hero’s journey tracing the Five Elements of Chinese Medicine, will enrich your understanding of your life’s powerful gifts and challenges.

‘Companioning’ is the somatic healing system I developed to help patients take cues from their physical symptoms which fall into archetypal categories, to create real and lasting transformation in their lives.

Here I’d like to focus on the warrior. I’d like to talk about the armoring of the Warrior and how women particularly in their careers have used Warrior skills to survive and find success in systems we did not have a hand in creating. Part of what happens for many women is we rely heavily on the part of us who is a strong warrior. This is amazing and inspiring but what happens when we rely too heavily on this aspect of ourselves?

An overtaxed nervous system, lack of sleep, under eating, or erratic eating patterns including diets, toxic workaholism, emotionally over functioning in relationships, many people in their 30s 40s and 50s after decades of a lifestyle that mirrors this profile will have unexplained autoimmune conditions and chronic pain. Since the late 90s when I started seeing my first clients, patients with this “fallen warrior” presentation have gotten younger and younger. It was rare to see a teenage girl or a girl in her 20s with chronic pain or autoimmune disease and now it’s not so uncommon.

So lets take a look at Using Companion Archetypes to Heal Chronic Pain. 12 ways to let down your armor to allow your body to stop fighting itself. There are 12 archetypes which I call companions within each of us. Granting the needs of all 12 companions is how we take stress off the warrior and get more comfortable with the whole of who we are.

1. The warrior needs rest needs sleep.Tendency towards muscle pain and tightness as well as burn-out.-stomach gi upper, liver, gallbladder, eyes, vision,appendix, side pain, back pain with muscle spasm, depression, burn out, skin issues,

2. The caretaker needs time alone.Tendency to have digestive issues.hip,buttocks, muscles of the hips and pelvic floor, back pain, digestive organs, stomach, pancreas diabetes,spleen, weight issues, mucus, growths( for instance cysts)

3. The orphan needs to honor her anger.Tendency towards depression.teeth, bone, hair, kidneys, bladder, congenital conditions, foot, knee, leg,tailbone(coccyx)

4. The innocent needs to stay wild.Tendency towards issues of teeth, bone, hair, and joints.teeth, bone, hair, kidneys, bladder, congenital condition,foot, knee, leg, tailbone ( coccyx)

5. The creator need movement especially; dance.Tendency towards anxiety and swelling in the body.-anxiety, melancholic depression,reproductive health issues, auto immune causing swelling all over the body such as RA, 

6. The destroyer teaches us discipline and how to spend our precious time. You have to believe in your own preciousness to make commitments to yourself. Discipline vs laziness is an unhelpful dichotomy .Calling ourselves or others lazy creates a shame loop and prevents us from working on our self-worth. Self-worth is a belief in our innate worthiness versus self-confidence where we believe we have value because of what we do and achieve. Tendency towards respiratory issues, olfactory sense disorders, skin, constipation

7. The lover needs to have their emotions witnessed and a place to express their sacred sexuality.Tendency towards imbalances of the heart meridian.palpitations, heart (cardiac) issues, sweating, rosacea, tongue conditions 

8. The seeker needs to spend time in nature.Tendency towards irritability, and patients and discomfort around the rib cage.eyes, impatience, irritability, tightness discomfort in the rib cage and mid abdomen ( could effect any organs in this region), hands and wrists

9. The  master magician uses prayer to feel connected to divinity.third eye, schizophrenia { profound focus}

10. The master comic uses humor to counteract the heaviness of life and connect with others in a positive way. Challenge by and also excels at arousal/ relaxation, } under active parasympathetic nervous system. Over active adrenaline response.Issues inside mouth, lips , mania

11. The master leader has acknowledged her shadow. Her power is unleashed when she is willing to step into uncomfortable truths about herself and then modify to improve. Others are drawn to her courage. When she shares her story with strength and humility she becomes a leader in  her Community. throat issues, laringitis, thyroid in women, issues rooted in rigidity, spine issues 

12. The master sage says trust your wisdom, knowledge, and experience and steps into your gifts. Tendency towards throat, third eye and crown, seizures, trouble with challenged by and also excels at  sustaining emotional equilibrium.

Stephanie McGuirk can be found at her website: www.totemacupuncture.com and Instagram @Totem_Health. She offers acupuncture, reiki, and a coaching program based on her 12 companion archetypes!

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