Here are 5 questions to ask to help you find the best reiki therapist for you.
1. What Reiki training and experience do you have?
This helps you know the reiki practitioner’s qualifications and what level they are attuned (trained) to.
After training in reiki level 1, a student will not be authorised to conduct reiki on the public. The student instead, will be practicing reiki for 21 days on themselves to get familiar with the reiki energy; and also for their own self-healing.
Many reiki 1 training qualification’s cover healing friends and family, but not all. The reiki student should have waited a minimum of a month before learning reiki 2, typically longer. It is a bit like learning art, you can do a weekend art course, but it does not make you the next Vincent Van Gogh. Reiki takes time and practice. Like art, some reiki students are more naturally adept and passionate about at it.
After qualifying in reiki 2, a person can set up as a reiki practitioner. They should have the relevant insurance and comply with any legislation. They can conduct reiki healings face to face or remotely. They cannot teach reiki at this stage. You could ask them if they have joined any reiki associations, such as the UK Reiki Federation or IPHM, which have professional guiding standards to follow.
A reiki 2 student can choose to carry on training professionally a year to three years minimum later. To train and qualify at reiki master level, alternatively known as reiki level 3. After this qualification, a student can now teach reiki. They will usually know their Usui reiki training lineage to the original founder of reiki.
2. What should I expect during a session?
A good reiki practitioner will explain how the session is structured. That you wear clothes and the reiki healing is by gently touching your body. Breasts and the reproductive areas should not be touched. In the UK, the bottom, top of thighs and tongue would be considered inappropriate touching areas for most clients.
In the reiki appointment itself, the reiki therapist will usually check other areas you may not wish to be touched. Closed eyelids, throat and feet are common areas clients wish to avoid. The reiki therapist will instead hold their hands a slight distance away in these areas, so the reiki energy can still be received by you.
Experienced practitioners may predominately give the majority of a reiki treatment with their hands away from the body. They are highly familiar and confident in sensing of the body’s energy.
Some Reiki therapists have been taught to heal with a client lying down on their back. Others, have been taught to heal both sides, so will ask a client to turn over during the healing session. It is worth checking, especially if you have back issues or do not lying on your front.
Also, if you are very relaxed and have fallen asleep whilst receiving Reiki, do you want to be woken up so you can change position? Let the therapist know before the Reiki healing starts. The Reiki healer usually will be intuitively guided.
If you have difficulties lying down, you might prefer to have reiki sitting in a chair rather than a therapy bed, for some or all of your appointment time. Discuss this with your Reiki therapist prior to your appointment, so a suitable chair can be in the room ready for you.
When you book or at the appointment itself, a reiki therapist will usually discuss how you may feel during or after the reiki treatment. Reiki healing is generally soothing and relaxing. Clients are all different and may fall asleep, have been known to cry as they feel it is a safe space to do so, or feel the reiki energy as a temperature change. Some even find their hands or feet start to twitch during the reiki healing session. What you might feel physically or emotionally is personal to you.
3. Do you offer aftercare or support following the Reiki appointment?
Reiki can trigger emotional or energetic shifts. It is important to know if your reiki practitioner provides guidance or support afterwards.
4. How do you create a safe and calming space?
A tranquil, clean, energetically clear space supports deeper healing. Ask how they prepare the room and whether you’ll feel comfortable.
If you suffer from eczema, you might want to check what their therapy bed blankets are washed in. If you are asthmatic, have breathing difficulties or are anxious, check on whether the therapist will be lighting candles or burning sage in the healing space. You are the client after all.
A reiki therapist should also check that you wish for music to be played during the healing and the type of music which resonates with you. One person may love wind chimes and the sound of running water whilst another could feel irritated and start thinking of the toilet. You and the therapist need to feel happy with the sound.
Similarly, if you are anxious or claustrophobic, check whether the room is well lit, whether the windows open or if it is practical for the door to be left open – whatever you need to feel relaxed. It is a healing appointment, and the reiki therapist will be used to these types of questions.
If you have a disability, check with the therapist prior. Some specialise or have a greater knowledge gained from qualifications, clients, personal, family or life experiences.
Where the reiki therapist is based is important. A reiki healer might work from home using a spare converted upstairs bedroom, on a lovely quiet street. This may be fabulous for a client with certain sensory needs, but unsuitable for those with limited mobility. Another reiki healer could rent a ground floor room, with no natural light, on a busy high street, but it has wide entrance doors. Ideal for client using a wheelchair or with a personal caring assistant, but unsettling and stressful for those needing calm, minimal sounds and natural lighting.
5. How much is Reiki healing?
Reiki appointment prices are usually displayed clearly on websites, directories or a therapist’s social media sites. Reiki rates do vary depending on a reiki therapist’s experience and location. Also, the prices may reflect their self-worth. Some Reiki healers feel they can’t charge more so come across too cheaply – which could be seen as a healing issue in itself!
You will need a therapist who can accommodate your budget and has diary availability to suit your life demands should you wish for additional reiki sessions. A client may find a single session beneficial, whereas another may need a couple of treatments, perhaps three regularly spaced.
Typically the first session time is spent finding out about your concerns and medical needs with the remaining time for the reiki. It is the next session where more reiki healing therapy can occur within the appointment time, as there is typically less paperwork.
Life happens so find out about reiki therapist’s cancellation policy. Find out about their payment terms in advance, so you are clear on deposits, notice periods, and fees. Some reiki therapists you pay at the time of booking, others you only pay at the appointment itself.
Summary
As a reiki healer, I have been asked many questions by clients over the years. We all have different needs and sometimes small changes can make such a huge difference in allowing you to have a more enjoyable appointment experience.
Reiki is flourishing as a therapy. When I started my business, Culcheth Healing, over a decade ago, people had not really heard of reiki. There are now plenty of reiki healers to choose from. The best advice I can offer is to choose one you are intuitively drawn to and who you feel comfortable with. Check out their reviews, ask any questions and use one of the reiki principles “just for today do not worry”, then relax. Do your best, the universe does the rest.
Everyone needs a little help at times. A time to feel more peaceful. Wishing you a wonderful, relaxing reiki appointment with the best reiki therapist for you.
Julia
Proud member of the UK Reiki Federation.
Accredited Reiki trainer for the IPHM. Helping others become Reiki therapists.
Notes
*You may find variations on the three levels of reiki around the world. Reiki may be taught in four levels. This seems common with some of my clients in Australia and New Zealand. The extra level is between Reiki 2 and Reiki Master, with a focus on setting up your Reiki business. Another way is for the Reiki teaching level to be added as the extra level after reiki level 3, rather than being and incorporated at reiki master level 3.
