The story of our health is more in our control than we might think, according to shamanic practitioner and retired clinical psychologist and Jungian analyst Carl Greer, PhD, PsyD. We can not only reframe our experiences but actually experience less stress, greater well-being, and even better physical health than it might appear if we are willing to identify our health story and begin rewriting it.

Through journaling exercises and expanded-awareness practices, many of which involve working with and in nature, and which are influenced by Jungian and shamanic traditions, anyone can tap into hidden resources for healing and work with them effectively. Whether gaining insights and balancing energies outdoors, dialoguing and interacting with the earth or a river or lake, or working with dreams, an inner healer, or a symbol encountered on a shamanic journey, readers will find they are able to learn why they have struggled to change their habits and will be empowered to experience greater wellness within a satisfying health story.

Change the Story of Your Health focuses on four key chapters of a person’s health story:

• Eating and drinking, and weight
• Movement/exercise, flexibility, balance, stamina, and strength
• Sexuality, body image and acceptance, and changes due to midlife hormonal shifts (commonly known as menopause and andropause)
• Management of an acute ailment or symptoms of a chronic condition

It also helps readers revise their health stories as their health changes as a result of aging or unexpected challenges.

Gaining insights into their health, letting go of what is standing in the way of optimal health and well-being, and bringing in what is needed to make a preferred new health story a reality—all are possible when readers take on the challenge of "Change the Story of Your Health" and begin using the practices regularly.

Praise for Change the Story of Your Health:

Do you want to improve your health? Manage a chronic condition or figure out how to cope with a sudden health issue, like an accident or illness?
“(Change the Story of Your Health) is the kind of book that could be life-changing and truly healing.”

—New Spirit Journal

“(Change the Story of Your Health) offers a unique approach to self-exploration and healing. Drawing from traditional Shamanism and Jungian principles, Greer captures the essence of connecting with nature and tapping into a greater spiritual awareness. Written in an informative yet accessible way, he reveals what he has learned on his health journey in the hopes that it will inspire and motivate others.

Whether you’re looking to maintain wellness as you age, manage a chronic illness or simply improve your overall well being, this book will guide you every step of the way. As a clinical psychologist, Jungian analyst and shamanic practitioner, Greer provides a fresh perspective on Shamanism and Jung’s ancient wisdom, and gives the reader practical tools they can apply to their everyday lives.”

—Rose Caiola, Rewire Me magazine

“Carl Greer offers an interesting and original perspective on what it takes to be healthy and even to turn around states of ill health. The author is a fascinating combination of clinical psychologist, Jungian analyst and shamanic practitioner, and it’s the mind-magic synthesis of these skills that makes this book so unique and useful. The first step is for the reader to understand what beliefs they have – their story – that might be determining their physical and emotional challenges and how they play out in their body and their health.

To arrive at an understanding of what is going on under the surface of our conscious mind, Greer suggests a number of techniques, including meditation and journaling, as well as detailed questionnaires to lead the reader through an exploration of his or her own issues. The underlying message is that one first needs to understand how you got to where you are and then take responsibility for reframing your mind/story in order to open the way towards regaining your health. There are obviously many factors that play into one’s state of health, however Greer makes a very powerful case for the most important one of these being one’s beliefs.

Shamanic techniques like journeying and connecting with the healing power of nature are also described in detail, as is the very sensible observation that as time passes your health story does change. How rapidly and in what direction is, he suggests, up to the individual. It’s all a matter of choice, focus and practice.”

—New Consciousness magazine

“In Change the Story of Your Health, clinical psychologist Carl Greer explains how to create a transformative health story using shamanic and Jungian techniques. The unconscious power of stories unlocks opportunities for healing as well as improved vitality, confidence, and stamina. ‘Always remember that you are the storyteller,’ writes Greer, ‘and you do not have to live according to the dictates of a story written for you by your DNA, your past experiences and actions, or your cultural conditioning.’

Greer recommends writing the story of your health by focusing on four health chapters or themes: eating, drinking, and weight; movement and exercise; sexuality, body image, and body acceptance; and symptom management for chronic health conditions. For each chapter, he poses a page-plus of questions to expand thinking about the theme.

Next, the deep work begins. Exercises based on shamanic and Jungian archetypes are described to encourage greater health insights. These include working with elements in nature; dialoguing with figures, symbols, and spirit animals; and dream work. Preparation is discussed, and journaling afterward to bring the story to life is recommended.

Despite its use of alternative techniques, the book is practical, and is presented in a straightforward manner. Mini case studies show others’ experiences with the energy exercises, and the changes they made as a result. Greer makes clear that the intention of this work is to complement and enhance, not replace, western medicine. He recommends that clients check with a medical doctor as symptoms are uncovered, and he relates some of his own health challenges. Learning about the latest research, assistive devices, and medical interventions is encouraged.

The work described here will take time, but anyone interested in improving health challenges or who is curious about alternative healing techniques will find this to be an insightful guide.”

—Karen Ackland, Foreword Reviews

Praise for Change the Story of Your Health

by Carl Greer, PhD, PsyD

“Throughout Change the Story of Your Health, Carl weaves in true stories from his patients, journal prompts, and instructions for shamanic journeys, providing a practical guide to understanding your relationship to your health story. … Readers who are willing to open their hearts and minds to the potential for new learning can transform stories about themselves that no longer serve them into new stories of wholeness and possibility.”

—Melinda Ring, MD, FACP, Executive Director, Northwestern Medicine Osher Center for Integrative Medicine

“It is a singular pleasure to call attention to Carl Greer’s remarkable melding of Jung’s analytical psychology and the ancient, and global, traditions of shamanic healing. His commitment to bringing the resources of both these traditions to a larger audience is reflected in his accessible and compelling reflections on the ways in which the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves shape the lives we live. In today’s world, Carl Greer’s work provides much-needed guidance for a more fulfilling and healthy way of life.”

—George Hogenson, PhD, Jungian Analyst, and Author of Jung’s Struggle with Freud

“Change the Story of Your Health is suitable for novice and experienced seekers alike. Reading it and using its techniques can serve as a first step in changing our relationship to our lives and our health.”

—David M. Steinhorn, MD, Professor of Pediatrics

“Change the Story of Your Health is beautifully written and a gem for any reader who is looking to empower themselves, their health and their lives. Read this book and change your story.”

—Eva Selhub, MD, author of Your Health Destiny and Your Brain on Nature

“Carl Greer, PhD, PsyD, brings us another brilliant book, helping us become aware of the story that impacts our health and rewrite it so that we achieve healing and well-being. This book will open myriad possibilities for you to discover and work with your inner healer. I highly recommend Change the Story of Your Health for anyone who seeks to regain health and balance in our changing world.”

—Sandra Ingerman, MA, Author of Soul Retrieval and Walking in Light

“As a physician I know all too well that many patients have health concerns due to inner factors that have not been addressed by conventional Western medicine. In Change the Story of Your Health, Dr. Greer presents insightful self-healing measures from alternative medical traditions that will truly transform your personal health and well-being.”

—Susan F. Reynolds, MD, PhD, President and CEO, The Institute for Medical Leadership