What should a Reiki treatment entail?

There are over 140 different types of Reiki in existence, some of which bear no relation to the Reiki taught by the founder, Mikao Usui. Therefore, different Reiki practitioners use Reiki in different ways and there are no set treatment protocols. A good Reiki practitioner will tailor the Reiki treatment to each client, looking at the client's presenting condition(s) and working on these directly with the Reiki energy, using the correct Reiki symbol (depending on whether the Reiki practitioner is giving a physical or emotional healing), at the appropriate frequency.

A Reiki practitioner should always empower the client and aim to treat the presenting condition(s) in as few treatments as possible. If you have been paying for Reiki treatments for a year and you are not feeling any better, you have been ripped off! Bar those with critical illnesses such as cancer and severe psychological illnesses such as schizophrenia, which require long-term treatment, a client shouldn't generally need more than 5-6 Reiki treatments.

To begin a Reiki treatment the Reiki practitioner should have a chat with the client about what Reiki is and what they can expect from the Reiki treatment. It's best to avoid Reiki practitioners who cannot give an explanation of how Reiki works.

Following this, the Reiki practitioner should preferably fill in an interview form to establish what condition(s) the client is suffering from and how best to help them. At the least, a practitioner should take the client's name, address, date of birth, doctor's diagnosis and any prescribed medication that the client is taking. Under the data protection act a Reiki practitioner must keep this information confidential.

A proficient Reiki practitioner should then ask the client additional questions about their condition(s), symptom(s), sleeping habits, diet, emotional wellbeing and past or present emotional traumas and stresses which may have contributed to the presenting condition(s). This enables the Reiki practitioner to build up a picture of what might be causing the client's condition(s) and how to treat the client in the most effective way. It also begins the healing process, giving the client a chance to air their feelings to a non-judgemental listener.

The client should then read the interview form to confirm that everything is accurate and sign the form to give consent for the Reiki treatment and acknowledge that everything the Reiki practitioner has detailed is accurate.

Some Reiki practitioners may also fill in a treatment form with the client, with a method to quantify the severity of the symptom before and after each Reiki treatment, enabling both the Reiki practitioner and client to see how much the client is improving with each session.

With the interview and possibly treatment forms completed, the Reiki treatment should take place. The client should lay fully clothed on the treatment couch with their eyes closed. The Reiki practitioner will then connect to the Reiki energy and place their hands in various positions above the client's body (depending on where the condition(s) are located) and channel energy to work on the presenting condition(s). Active Reiki practitioners use intention and visualisation to maximise the effects of the healing. Passive Reiki practitioners simply place their hands on the client without using any focus or intention.

The Reiki practitioner should explain to the client before the treatment that their hands will be above the body for all hand positions between the neck and pelvis. If a client is uncomfortable with having their head touched a Reiki practitioner should hold their hands above the head also. A Reiki practitioner may put their hands on, for instance, a client's back or knee if treatment is required in these areas and the client is happy with this, purely to protect the practitioner from hurting their back by hovering their arms, but under no circumstances should a Reiki practitioner put their hands anywhere sexual or sensitive. It is inappropriate, unnecessary (because the treatment works just as well with the hands elevated slightly above the body) and unprofessional.

Following the treatment the Reiki practitioner should allow the client to discuss their experiences and anything else they would like to talk about. The client should be given time to rest and talk to the Reiki practitioner, without feeling like they are being rushed out of the door. In subsequent treatments the Reiki practitioner may continue to work on the condition(s), or once that has been dealt with address any underlying issues.

There are some Reiki practitioners who use Reiki purely for relaxation purposes, which we refer to as passive Reiki (along with those who do not work on physical or emotional conditions), but it is much more effective to work directly on the presenting condition(s).