Reiki Ethics & Session Guidlines (For Practitioners)

Bodhi Shade Reiki Ethics & Guidelines

Much has been written and debated about various ethical issues regarding Reiki over the past few years. While I do believe some guidelines and boundaries ought to be clearly defined, I also sometimes feel that this endeavor of debating the minutia of professional conduct is really more of an intellectual hobby for those interested in creating some sort of “do/don’t” list for Reiki practitioners. Frankly, if someone is in need of such a list, or confused about how to properly and professionally conduct themselves in the context of a healing session, practicing any sort of healing art is probably not wise for them to do. I do not offer Reiki certification to anyone who I feel does not have a clear appreciation and respect for the importance of integrity and honesty in Reiki. Still, with more and more people offering Reiki services and building businesses around their practice, it's a good idea to consider some guidelines. So I've listed a few of the ethical considerations regarding the practice of Reiki along with my own comments derived from my experience and personal views. You're welcome to your own views, of course. But I do ask my Reiki students (those who are certified to practice via my classes) to practice with honesty, integrity, and simple common sense. (The information presented below comes from the Reiki Level I training manual I created for my classes.)

1) Asking permission

It is generally considered appropriate to ask a person’s permission before beginning to use Reiki on them. It's simply common courtesy, and since Reiki does often involve direct physical contact, it can easily be perceived as impolite (and potentially risky) to begin to do Reiki on someone who hasn't agreed to it. Since most of us like to maintain some degree of personal space, it's particularly important for a Reiki practitioner to demonstrate an awareness and respect for this space. There may be an occasion when you wish to offer Reiki to someone who is unconscious and therefore cannot be asked permission directly. Normally, it’s considered appropriate in that situation to ask an attending family member or friend before doing Reiki. Some Reiki healers also believe it to be possible to “test” for permission before doing Reiki by beginning the opening “connective” position and sensing for what can only be described as an “energetic refusal.” This can feel as though a pair of invisible hands is pushing your hands away. This is taken as a sign to stop the Reiki healing.

2) Applying hands-on positions to sexual areas/disrobing

Never apply hands-on Reiki positions to sexual areas of the receiver without specific permission. Doing so can obviously create discomfort for the receiver. For people involved in a professional Reiki practice it is particularly important to use caution with sexual areas as there could be legal ramifications to ignoring the privacy of the receiver. Although it’s usually not necessary to treat sexual areas during a session, there may be times when the treatment of these areas is requested (problems with breast health, or reproductive issues, for example). Always explain where you would put your hands, and tell the receiver that they can elect to have the area treated through beaming, or not at all. Another technique that can be used is to have the receiver apply their own hands to the area, and then place your hands over theirs, rather than making direct contact. Since our culture is particularly sensitive to issues around sexuality, it's important to protect both yourself and your client by being clear where issues of sexual contact is concerned. Honor their request. If in doubt, always opt for a beaming technique over private areas. If treatment of these areas is needed for a particular receiver, be sure to agree on your procedure before beginning the session.

I've personally never found it necessary to use direct contact positions on private body areas during any Reiki session. When doing hand positions close the chest or lower abdomen, for example, I sometimes hold my hand over the area, and ask the client, "may I position my hand here?" before doing so.

It is never necessary to disrobe for a Reiki session. Remember that some clients may feel uncertain or vulnerable during a Reiki session. Trust is absolutely critical for a Reiki session to be successful. As a practitioner, you have an obligation to do what you can to make your client feel comfortable and safe during the session. I ask my clients to remove some jewelry (usually watches, earrings, and necklaces), eye glasses or contacts, and shoes. Beyond that, they're welcome to wear whatever they're comfortable wearing.

Be sure to provide your client with a clean, private area for changing before and after the session.

3) Discussing disclaimers

When doing a Reiki treatment for a specific medical problem, it’s a good idea to inform the receiver in writing that Reiki is not to be confused with a medical treatment or cure. It’s risky, unethical, and simply unkind to lead a receiver to believe that their medical condition will be completely eliminated during a Reiki session. Never make suggestions to your client about the use of prescription medication or any other treatment issues that would normally be determined by a doctor. If you are doing Reiki on someone with a serious condition, you should inform them clearly that Reiki is not intended to cure or diagnose a medical condition. This is not meant to limit the possibilities of Reiki. But as discussed in the section on healing, healing can take many forms and can happen over a period of time, not just during the session itself. Or, in the conventional sense of physical healing, it may simply not happen. There are no limits to what is possible with Reiki. But also bear in mind that people with serious medical conditions can occasionally assume that Reiki automatically equals a total cure of their condition.

Having your client sign a waiver is a way of protecting yourself and your client, and clearing up any misconceptions your client might have regarding the purpose of a Reiki session. Unfortunately, our culture tends to rely more on litigation than common sense sometimes. So it's simply become a matter of necessity to include a signed waiver and/or release form for each Reiki client. (I can provide you with a copy of the one I use if you wish).

4) Confidentiality

What happens during a Reiki session should be honored as a private experience for the client. Your client may share their inner feeling, fears, or express aspects of their personal lives that they prefer to keep private. Do not discuss specific experiences related to your client's Reiki session with other people. Assure your receiver that you will maintain total confidentiality regarding your Reiki work. You can include a statement about this privacy policy in your waiver, release, or terms & conditions.

If you find yourself faced with issues from your client you feel are of a more urgent medical or mental health need, refer them to a doctor or mental health professional.

5) Sharing Impressions

Some Reiki healers will receive “impressions” or what some might call “psychic information” about the client during the session. There has been some debate about whether to share these impressions with the client. I don’t believe there’s a definitive answer here, although I generally believe that there is probably a reason for such information to arise in the mind of a Reiki healer during a session, and it’s most likely that it’s there for the purpose of the client, not the healer. My method is to say, “I’m getting a sense about your emotional (or mental, physical, spiritual) situation. Would you like me to share it with you now?” The client may not feel “ready” to hear certain impressions. So honor their request to not hear about any impressions if they so choose. If asked to share impressions, use care to offer only the information you are receiving without added commentary or guesses as to what it means. My own experience is that such information comes in a rather generic manner. Rarely do I sense information with a specific "here's exactly what's going on" feel. Allow the client to take in the information and compile their own conclusions. Always make it clear that what you are providing is simply an "impression," which must be assessed by the client. Some clients will press you for more information. Offer only the impression you have. Don't embellish, speculate, or try to interpret beyond the raw information.

Note that having such impressions is not necessary at all to do Reiki effectively. Traditionally, no real attention or guidelines have been given to this kind of experience, and I tend to see it arising in the Reiki community only because the practice of energy work tends to attract people already relatively sensitive to the subtleties of the human energy field. Reiki people are usually very intuitive souls, so it's not unusual that they would sometimes "pick up" on some subtle impressions about their clients on occasion. But in short, if you don't get impressions, don't worry about it in the least.

6) Hygiene/Smells

Unfortunately, this is an issue some Reiki practitioners overlook. A Reiki session involves direct hands-on contact with your client. Your hands will be around their face and neck, and therefore should be freshly washed and free of strong scents, including lotions or essential oils (it's no fun having a Reiki treatment from someone whose hands smell like the turkey sandwich they had for lunch!). As you're spending a lot of time in your client's "personal space," be sure you haven't just finished a workout at the gym.

Oils, perfumes, lotions, hair products, can all produce smells your client can find troublesome even though you may not notice them or be bothered by them at all. Room smells can also be an issue. I once did a session for a client while letting some Nag Champa incense burn nearby. My client's eyes welled up with tears, which I assumed meant she was having a cathartic release. Only later did she confide that the incense was the cause! If you use candles, essential oils, or incense during your session, always check with your client and give them the option of having you extinguish the scents.

When using a Reiki or massage table, always be sure your table has clean linens for each session. Plan on having several clean sheets, a hypoallergenic pillow, and a couple of blankets on hand.

7) Respect other's Reiki views

One of the uglier aspects of the Reiki community arises when Reiki practitioners and masters proselytize or argue about Reiki ideologies, practices, and techniques. I encourage my students to avoid, at all costs, engaging in ego battles over who is using the most effective symbols, whether certain hand positions are better than others, or how an attunement has to be done. While it's true that Reiki is sometimes so loosely taught that it can lose some of it's value and potency (which is true of just about any discipline), dragging a healthy debate into the realm of personal attacks or ideological warfare doesn't do justice to the practice and spirit of Reiki, and is a real disservice to Reiki clients. While some will insist that their's is the "right and only way" to do Reiki, know that Reiki has - for better or for worse - become far too disseminated worldwide for any one individual or group to oversee, regulate or control. For Reiki to thrive, we must begin from a place of tolerance and an understanding that not everyone will use or view Reiki in the same way. If you feel the need to express a disagreement with another in the Reiki community, always do so with love and respect.