Robbie Staufer, MA, MS
I came to Colorado from California in 1979, and have been living in Boulder since 1988. I grew up in the L.A. area, and was drawn inland by my love of the Rocky Mountains. The ocean still calls to me and one day I may answer, but for now, I draw my strength and inspiration from the mountains and the powerful spirits who live there.
My post-graduate academic work includes Master's Degrees in German language, medieval literature and computer information systems. I completed several years of doctoral work in medieval literature, art history and philosophy at U.C.L.A, the University of Colorado, Boulder, and Yale.
My interest in shamanism began as a simple desire to understand power animal medicine. Disaffected with my experiences of organized religion, I wondered whether a form of spirituality existed that would feel as natural to me as the air I breathed.
When I read in Michael Harner's seminal book, The Way of the Shaman, that shamanism has been practiced nearly universally across the globe and throughout time, I suddenly felt that I had come home. I felt surrounded by a host of ancestors, and determined to learn all I could from them.
I am a graduate of the FSS Two Week Shamanic Healing Intensive and the Three-Year Program in Advanced Initiations in Shamanism and Shamanic Healing. I have been practicing shamanic healing with clients since 2000, and joined the FSS faculty in 2011. I teach the FSS weekend workshops online and in person in Colorado, and I am the instructor for the Two Week and Three Year programs on the West Coast.
I have been deeply involved in shamanic healing work and teaching for many years, and continue to learn from my helping spirits, and from life and the world around me. I also express abiding gratitude to my human teachers, Michael Harner, Alicia Gates, and Amanda Foulger.
I have many years of teaching experience at the college and university level, and am very pleased to offer this experience in the service of the Foundation. For more information on FSS workshops offered in Colorado, please visit my website.
Robbie Staufer is an outstanding teacher and human being. She embodies the qualities of a shaman as expressed by FSS Founder Michael Harner: Compassion, wisdom, ethical practice, and spiritual power. She is a superb communicator, teaching with clarity and patience, leading students through initiatory practices with ease and grace. Those who study with Robbie are provided with the knowledge and tools they need to develop their own independent relationships with the helping spirits, resulting in the opportunity to become powerful shamanic healers themselves.
Student Feedback
"Robbie is a really amazing teacher. It is very clear that she is so experienced, knowledgeable and wise. She is also gentle, kind, and I can tell she loves teaching and learning from her students. I feel very lucky to have taken this class with her."
"I especially appreciated the instructor. The genuine joy when we asked questions, and the depth of knowledge in the responses was inspiring. A true teacher!"
"Robbie's integrity shines through when she teaches. Her years of knowledge, her strong connection with her spirits, her gentle teaching style, and her inclusive nature made it a safe environment for all to participate!"
"Robbie is a very wise and powerful instructor who very clearly teaches from personal experience. I never felt that Robbie was just repeating something she had heard. Her teaching feels authentic, and deeply rooted in personal practice."