Ethical considerations in shamanic healing are of particular importance because the practice is not regulated or licensed by any formal governing body. Unlike medical doctors or social workers, shamanic practitioners often lack standardized training in counseling skills or formal ethics, making individual and organisational codes of conduct essential for maintaining integrity.

The following are the primary ethical considerations identified in the sources:

1. The Requirement of Permission

The most essential ethical requirement in shamanic healing is informed and express permission.

• Informed Consent: The client must understand that the practitioner works with good, compassionate spirits.
• Express Permission: This must be a “direct ordinary reality ‘yes'” from the client. Permission obtained through dreams, telepathy, or a shamanic journey is not considered ethical.
• Self-Determination: Every individual has the right to choose their own spiritual path. Healing someone without their consent, even with good intentions, is considered an interference with their soul’s responsibility and is referred to as “sorcery”.
• Scope of Permission: Permission to heal one specific issue does not automatically grant permission for general healing. Practitioners should err on the side of caution and ask the client before addressing unrelated issues that surface during a session.

2. Confidentiality and Privacy

Practitioners are expected to observe strict confidentiality regarding any information received from a client or during a shamanic session.

• In distance or group work (such as drumming circles), information about a request must not be shared outside the group without specific permission.
• Healing results should be communicated privately to the client rather than in a public or group forum (like a group email reply).

3. Professional Boundaries and Integrity

Because shamanic work involves altered states and spiritual power, clear boundaries are required to prevent abuse.

• Sexual Misconduct: Any explicit sexual advance towards a client is considered inappropriate and unacceptable.
• Physical Contact: Since shamanic healing works beyond space and time, physical contact is not necessary for effective healing. If a practitioner intends to touch a client during a face-to-face session, they must ask for permission first.
• Fees and Honesty: Practitioners should offer fair and appropriate fees and must never use negative threats to extort or extract payments. They are also expected to be truthful in their advertising and public relations.
• Focus of Practice: Practitioners should stick to shamanic methods rather than trying to provide medical diagnoses, legal advice, or relationship counseling, for which they may not be trained.

4. Ethics in Special Situations

Different scenarios require specific ethical adaptations:

• Children and Teens: For children under twelve, permission from at least one parent (preferably both) is required. For teenagers, both the teen and the parent must give express permission.
• Individuals in Comas: Permission should be obtained from the immediate family, and the practitioner should journey to the person’s soul to ask if it wishes for work to be done.
• Animals: A practitioner must journey to the soul of the animal to ask for permission before performing healing work.
• Global/Environmental Issues: Using shamanism to influence specific political outcomes or world events without permission is considered unethical. When dealing with natural disasters, practitioners must journey to the spirits or souls of the place to ask if help is wanted before proceeding.

5. Spiritual Alignment

A practitioner’s internal state is also an ethical consideration. Members of the Society for Shamanic Practice agree to work in “sacred alliance with Spirit,” ensuring their work is guided by that source rather than their own ego. They are encouraged to keep their own lives in balance to better serve others.