Banta Whitner, LCSW

Banta Whitner, LCSW (she/her) is a daughter of early settler colonialists to North America, primarily from Britain, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, Northern Europe and the Netherlands. She is a white bodied, cis-gendered U.S. citizen deeply committed to cultural healing with regard to racial equity and social justice, gender inclusivity, decolonization practices, historical truth-telling, and Earth reconnection.

An integrative psychotherapist, ritualist, circle keeper and grandmother, Banta brings her own elder wisdom to the practice of Ancestral Lineage Healing. For over thirty years she has held safe therapeutic space for clients working through trauma, grief, LGBTQ+ issues, relationship struggles and life transitions. Banta is also honored to engage her clients in issues around death and dying, and to help them prepare themselves or their own elders for easeful passage into the larger collective of their ancestors.

Given the reach of virtual sessions, Banta sees English-speaking clients from around the world, clients that include other therapists and healers. She is especially drawn to work with individuals who have benefited from therapy or other personal growth work, but have reached a stuck place. If I’ve done all this therapy, why do I still feel like I’m carrying problems that don’t belong to me, that aren’t part of my own lived experience? This is where ancestral healing begins.

Deeply resourced by her own ancestors, Banta’s approach is heart-centered, therapeutically resourced and spiritually grounded. You can hear her share about her journey with Ancestral Medicine in this video, (starting at 28:00 minutes in). She is dedicated to helping clients reclaim the cultural roots and ancestral blessings that are their birthright, so they can experience a genuine sense of belonging with their people.

As a ritualist, Banta leans into the Celtic traditions of her people. She talks to the crows and black bears that inhabit the woods by her home, tends herb and kitchen gardens, and is a lover of ancient moss, standing stones and moving water.

Banta is a certified Ancestral Lineage Healing Practitioner, trained in the method taught by Daniel Foor, Ph.D. She lives with her husband in the mountains of Western North Carolina, traditional sacred lands of the Tsalagi (Cherokee) peoples.