
The Official "Live in AAWE" Approach ~ Integrative Therapies & Consulting Website ~ Josephine Sheppard
Self-Development Author, Speaker, Spiritual Counselor, Natural Health Consultant, Trauma-Informed Coach
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Learn More About Josephine
Life taught her the healing power of the Divine within...
Josephine Sheppard is known as an author and teacher in self-development, spiritual growth, enlightenment, and self-actualization. She has a passion for inspiring others to self-discovery that invokes health, well-being, and joy for a greater quality of life and living.
Born in Hawaii, and raised in Michigan, she experienced a variety of religions and cultures while in the foster care system in her youth. Josephine has lived in various locations around the United States. Through her exposure and experience, she resonates with many elements of truths found in several religions, cultures, and philosophies. Josephine would be considered, what some may call, an eclectic spiritual practitioner. She has dedicated her life to helping people experience alignment with one's higher self and Source Energy, for themselves, and implement the gifts that nature has to offer, through her private practice, and personal endeavors.
At the age of seven, Josephine stood up against a neighborhood gang becoming fully embodied by what she was calling an Angel at the time. She was shielded from a knife fully cutting into her belly and bared no physical harm or scars.
When she was a teenager, she fell atop a broken tree branch while up north with her siblings and parents, at their family cabin - causing a deep gash in her stomach. Her Mom was insisting they take her into the emergency for stitches. Working for a doctor as an assistant, her mother was educated on these types of things.
Determined not to go to the hospital and have stitches, and not wanting the family to leave the cabin that they were enjoying, she insisted with her mom on letting it just heal. In the night she laid her hands over her wound and asked for Spirit to help her heal it. Upon waking, the only evidence of the inch, or deeper gash that was there the prior day, was a very small, scabbed-over scratch.
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As an adult in her 40s, Josephine healed herself of vertigo utilizing the tools she teaches her clients in mindfulness, meditation, tuning into her higher power, and biofield energy work. Her powerful belief, mindset, determination for innate wellbeing, and intimate relationship with the Higher Power of her understanding, are the driving force that has called Josephine to share the wisdom and insights that she has gained, with others, to guide them in how to do the same for themselves.

Josephine is empathic with claircognizant and clairsentient abilities. Evidence of this has been demonstrated throughout her life experience as others have reflected their firsthand testimonies of “Spirit speaking through you [her] and helping me [the person being addressed or aided in a situation or concern]”.
It is also evidenced through her clear memory of nonphysical consciousness (soul/spirit form) prior to being born into this lifetime. Which affords her more direct access to wisdom not readily available in our "human" way of limited perceiving and thinking. In other words, a broader view that aids in navigating life and ourselves.
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Having empathic abilities is evidenced by her level of vibrational or energy sensitivity that allows her to "see or feel" what some others may not be able to perceive with the 5-senses. Josephine was born in tune with the various energy frequencies, and sensing vibrational patterns. This means that it is an innate ability she uses to help discern how to maneuver around and through day-to-day experiences, and life challenges, for herself and clients, alike, offering support, encouragement and guidance through spiritual mentoring.
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Josephine figured out how to move through and shift herself from a near nervous breakdown, and being suicidal, to choosing life, during that same timeframe in her 40s when she healed vertigo. She took advantage of the counseling that was available to her, as well as implemented her knowledge of natural healthcare, biofield therapies, meditation, guidance from her Spirit "team", mindfulness-based cognitive therapy exercises, and learned aspects of Yoga and Qigong that supported the healing journey while doing layers of shadow work.
She stands before you now, stronger and more in tune with her spiritual gifts than ever before. Not "because" she had these life-challenging experiences. But because she figured out how to move through and transcend in a way that allows the body and mind to heal from dis-ease - including the body seemingly “systematically shutting itself down”. That was a description Josephine had heard from a specialist about her health during that time period.
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It's as though life has taught her how to heal in mind, body, and spirit. And it is Spirit that she turns to on behalf of others who are momentarily feeling disassociated from themselves - their own spirit. Her belief is everyone and everything is of Spirit(ual) Source Energy, so that is how she approaches achieving or allowing, wellbeing to occur.
She is a regular practitioner of introspection, spiritual journeying, mindfulness, and meditation, and is a continual student of life. She's had three near-death experiences (NDEs), various spiritually transformative life experiences (STEs), and as mentioned above, a clear memory of being nonphysical consciousness prior to her birth into this lifetime.
Josephine began the journey of self-realization and development in 1991. The beginning of her self-employment career in private practice began on September 30, 1994. Her business evolved in its services and methodologies over time into an integrative approach beginning in 1998. In 2019, her business was rebranded into the "Live in AAWE"(TM) Approach - an acronym for living in the art of wellbeing every day, in some way. Josephine has innately implemented her natural abilities as an empath and intuitiveness in working with her clients, friends, and family because it is a part of what defines her as a person and individual.
Various modalities you may experience while working with Josephine are thought reframing to invoke a more positive emotional state for more desirable behavior to help reach your goals; also known as cognitive-behavioral therapy. You may experience the incorporation of mindful meditative practices to assist you in your goals, otherwise known as mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Additionally, by integrating biofield therapy, meditation, and movement, you're also exposed to bioenergetics or otherwise known as a system of physical and psychological therapy that is held to increase well-being by releasing blocked physical and psychic energy.
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Josephine is culturally diverse and brings real-life experience into her practice. She has worked with highly sensitive individuals - both men and women, LGBTQ and heterosexual individuals. Josephine has facilitated Native American women's sober-living group sessions and worked with individuals of various philosophical and religious backgrounds.
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She is an ordained Nondenominational Minister since October 2019, through the Universal Life Church (ULC), headquartered in Seattle, Washington. Her mission as a Minister through ULC is to encourage and support individual choice in spiritual practice and expression, religious freedom, and peaceful coexistence of faith traditions. Josephine's belief in treating others as we wish to be treated (being fair, kind, and just), and everyone having the freedom to practice whatever religion or philosophy resonates with them, as long as their actions do not infringe upon the rights or freedoms of others and are lawful - aligned well with the mission and tenents that ULC is based upon. As an ordained Minister, she may legally perform blessings, weddings, memorials, etc. - "granted all the rights and privileges afforded to clergy members of other faiths." To obtain Ministerial or Pastoral Care services through Josephine, please use the contact form below for inquiries. To understand the legal status of ULC, click here.
Training, Education, Certifications
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Doctorate in Philosophy, Cum Laude, in Religious Counseling (2006)
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Diploma with Highest Honors as Natural Health Consultant (2000)
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Pure Reiki and Usui Shiki Ryoho Reiki Level I, II, III
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Certification as Level III Reiki Master Practitioner and Teacher (2005)
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High Touch(R) Jin Shin Acupressure Level I, II, III
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Level I Craniosacral Therapy
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Certification as Level III High Touch(R) Acupressure Practitioner (1994)
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Certification as a Case-Study Reflexologist and Practitioner (2000)
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Trauma-Informed Coach Certification (2023)
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Certification in 900 hours of Practical Nursing (1986)
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Foundation of Acupuncture Meridians, Theory, and Practice
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Diploma for Fitness & Nutrition Program as Health & Lifestyle Consultant and Personal Trainer (1999)
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Certification in Hospice Clinical Volunteer Services (2012)
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Case Management of diverse backgrounds and diagnosis'
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Certification in Psychic Development (2019)
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Certification in 600 hours as a Therapeutic Massage Therapist (2003)
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Self-Actualization and Enlightenment Program levels I & II, Advanced I, II, & III through Masters level (1991 - 1994), which included the following:
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Chakra/Aura - (Biofield) Energy centers and fields, Cleansing, and Balancing
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Raya Yoga Trained - Inner Peace, Divine Consciousness Meditation Technique
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Kriya Yoga Trained - Controlled Breathwork-Meditation Technique
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Mantra Yoga Trained - Transformation of Mind, Body, and Spirit through repetitive vocal sound
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Kundalini Healing Yoga Trained - Moving and balancing (biofield) energy field and centers through breathwork, movement, mantra, and exercise (Bioenergetics)
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Remote Healing, Viewing, and Projection
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Study of Yoga, Self-Realization Fellowship, Laying on of Hands-Energy Healing Modality and Practice, Leading Group sessions, self-application, and conducting individualized sessions, Sufism, Zen Meditation, Mysticism, Edgar Cayce studies, and study of the Energy systems (chakras, aura, expanding energy fields, and meridians)
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Channeling of spirit, higher self, guides, Past life readings, Akashic Records
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Universal laws, Dream Interpretation, Reincarnation, and Karma
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Trained in Mindfulness and Creative Visualization - the practice of presence and cognitive process of purposeful mental imagery
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Memberships, Affiliations, Coverage
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Member of the Energy Medicine Professional Association (EMPA)
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Practitioner Coverage through the Energy Medicine Professional Association Liability Program
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Former Prayer Chaplain through Renaissance Unity Church
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Former Member of the Detroit Theosophical Society
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Former Member of MCA, Spiritual Counselors Division
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Member of the High Touch(R) Practitioner Network