Sound Healing with the Drum
Practitioner Course with the College of Sound Healing
The heartbeat of the drum is one of the oldest sounds of comfort and healing, and it has a quiet way of helping us slow down and feel more at ease. Sound Healing with the Drum is a year-long practitioner course from the College of Sound Healing that teaches you to work with the drum in this way, combining its sound and vibration with the practice of shamanic sound healing: creating sacred space, working with what practitioners understand as the body’s energy field, and using the drum, rattle and feather as your tools.
Over five modules you will build practical, confident skill as a sound healing practitioner while also undertaking your own personal journey. The training suits anyone drawn to sound healing, whether as a new vocation, an addition to therapeutic or wellbeing work you already do, or a meaningful path of personal development. No previous experience is required, and extra support is provided for those who are just starting out.
What sound healing with the drum offers
Sound healing with the drum is a gentle and deeply relaxing practice. Rather than treating any specific illness, it works with the whole person: the practitioner uses the drum to help you relax deeply, ease everyday tension, and settle into a sense of calm and balance. Many people who receive it describe feeling calmer, lighter, and more connected to themselves.
What happens in a session
In a typical session the client rests comfortably, usually lying on a couch, while the practitioner prepares the space and settles them with a short talk about what to expect. The practitioner then works around the body with the drum, moving through what practitioners describe as the body’s energy field, supported by the rattle, the feather and the voice, before grounding the client and bringing the session to a calm close. A treatment usually lasts around an hour, and the client is given simple aftercare guidance to support them in the days that follow.
What you will learn
You will learn to cleanse and prepare yourself, your space and your tools, to work with the drum, rattle and feather, and to carry out a full sound healing treatment from start to finish. You will practise dowsing, or sound mapping, with the drum, a way of sensing what practitioners describe as the body’s energy field, and learn to work with yourself as well as with others. Alongside the hands-on practice, you will explore shamanic drum journeying, meet your power animal, find your own power song, and connect with the natural world and your ancestors. By the end you will be able to offer one-to-one sessions, distance and online work, and group drum circles.
The course, module by module
Module 1 – The Journey Begins (Days 1 and 2). An introduction to the Medicine Wheel: cleansing and clearing yourself, your space and your tools, opening sacred space, and honouring your drum. You then begin working with the rattle, dowsing with the drum, and working with drum and rattle for yourself.
Module 2 – Extending Practice, Drum Journeys and Power Animals (Days 3 and 4). An introduction to shamanic drum journeying and drumming in nature, including a middle world journey. You then meet your power animal and learn to journey to the lower and upper worlds.
Module 3 – Feather Healing, the Protocol, Power Songs and Ancestors (Days 5 and 6). Working with the feather as a subtle tool and learning the full sound healing with the drum protocol, including safe practice, contraindications, consent and aftercare. You then find your own power song and work with the ancestors.
Module 4 – Developing Practice and Distance Healing (Days 7 and 8). Widening your knowledge and refining the treatment protocol, including the client pre-talk and post-talk. You then learn to offer sound healing at a distance and online.
Module 5 – Group Drumming, Assessment and Celebration (Days 9 and 10). Facilitating drum circles and drum journeys for others, followed by your practical assessment. The course closes with group sound healing and guidance on how to continue and deepen your practice.
How the course works
The course runs over five modules across a year. Each module is made up of two in-person, experiential sessions, a minimum of twelve hours of practical learning per module, taught in a small group alongside experienced tutors. Between sessions you will keep a reflective journal and practise with your tools, so your skills develop steadily throughout the year. You will need your own handheld frame drum, rattle and feather; both natural-skin and vegan options are welcome, and workshops are available if you would like to make your own drum or rattle.
Who the course is for
The course welcomes people from many different backgrounds. Some come to train for a new vocation as a sound healing practitioner; others are therapists, bodyworkers or wellbeing practitioners looking to add the drum to their existing work; and many come simply for the depth of the personal journey. You do not need any previous experience of healing or sound work, and additional support is provided for those who are just beginning. What matters most is a genuine willingness to learn, to practise between sessions, and to take part fully in the circle.
Becoming a practitioner
Complete the course and you can qualify as a practitioner of drum healing, ready to work professionally, with course notes, the forms you will need, and guidance on insurance and legal practice provided throughout. Practitioner certification is earned by completing written case studies, a practical assessment in which you give a full drum healing, a 2,000-word assignment, and two further sound healing workshops. If you would rather take the course purely for your own development, a certificate of attendance is available without the assignments.
Join the next course
Whether you are looking for a new vocation or a deeper personal practice, you will find a warm and supportive circle here. Contact us to find out about dates and fees, and to reserve your place on the next Sound Healing with the Drum practitioner course.
Sound healing with the drum is a complementary practice for relaxation and wellbeing. It is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Enquire about this course This course at the College of Sound Healing