Meet John Myerson, a Framingham shaman. Wearing a striped shirt, dark pants and slippers, Myerson looks more like a university professor than a village healer common in Native American, African and South American cultures.

But just like those shamans. Myerson said he’s led by love and compassion to heal people’s physical and psychological wounds.

“I want to dedicate my life to heal people,” said Myerson in his office in downtown Framingham. “I offer myself to help others heal their hearts, minds and being through love.”

Healing is something Myerson has been doing for the past 25 years.

A Harvard graduate in East Asian History with a doctorate in psychology from the Union Institute in Cincinnati, Myerson’s practice combines spiritual psychology, acupuncture, herbal medicine and shamanic healing.

Myerson’s office in downtown Framingham, where he has been for the past 15 years, reflects his eclecticism.

Plants, rocks and crystals, of all types abound in his two-room office (“they absorb energy.”) Two small statues of Buddha, a candle, and a menorah share the space on a small table behind a painting of a bear, one of Myerson’s totems.

“I’m a Jew by birth, but my religion is Buddhist,” said Myerson. “Spiritually, I’m a shaman.”

Shamanism came to Myerson’s life 15 years ago.

It all began when he met a Spanish shaman who had called to him in dreams. Myerson became an apprentice and received training in shamanic healing originated in Kenya, where the Spanish shaman had been raised.

“My life changed when I met her,” said Myerson. “She took me to the next level. I wasn’t the same person anymore. I left anger and rage behind. I became somewhat a better person.”

With help from his mentor, Myerson learned the art of healing by altering his state of consciousness. By going into trance. Myerson learned how to use energy to heal people.

“Everything is energy,” said Myerson. “Shamans believe our thoughts are energy too. You can use your mind to create more energy, and with energy you can heal.”

Myerson helps people who suffer from depression, anxiety, or physical problems. Sometimes, for a back problem he’d use only acupuncture or herbal medicine. For chronic depression, he’d use psychotherapy and shamanism.

Myerson said he has many success stories. Among them, there is the case of a women who couldn’t get pregnant. With psychotherapy and shamanism, Myerson was able to uncover that the woman had had an abortion, and her guilt had been a psychological barrier to become pregnant again. He told the woman to make peace with herself. After several months of treatment, the woman got pregnant.

This story, along with many others, will be in Myerson’s upcoming book entitled “Riding the Spirit Wind, Stories of Shamanic Healing.”

Myerson has founded the LifeArts Center for Healing & Shamanic Studies, an organization he would like to become known as the premier source for shamanic healing and teaching in New England. He acknowledges skepticism about shamanism is well spread, but he hope to raise awareness about the ancient practice through his organization.

“There are lots of people who call themselves shamans,” said Myerson, “A shaman’s work has a lot of responsibility. It’s not fun and games.”

Myerson’s patients agree.

Massage therapist Madeline Kesselman of Framingham has been seeing Myerson for the past three years since she began a lengthy divorce.

“John has a great gift in balancing energy,” said Kesselman. “After three years of divorce, I could be a crazy lady. John helps me to be able to go on with my life.