Reiki in Charlotte, NC

What is Reiki?

Reiki is a complementary practice in which a practitioner places their hands lightly on or just above a person, with the aim, in NCCIH's words, of directing energy to help facilitate the person's own healing response. The recipient stays fully clothed and usually lies on a treatment table or sits in a chair.

The name joins two Japanese words. The International Center for Reiki Training renders rei as God's wisdom or the higher power and ki as life force energy. Reiki practitioners believe this energy can be channeled through their hands. That belief belongs to the practice: the mechanism has not been established by scientific evidence, and Reiki is not a treatment for any physical or mental health condition.

What do the levels of Reiki attunement mean?

Reiki is usually taught in three levels. In the Reiki tradition, each level is conferred by an attunement, a short ritual performed by a Reiki master that practitioners believe opens the student to channel Reiki energy. Names and details vary by lineage, but the outline below is common.

• First degree: usually taught over roughly 8 to 12 hours, covering self-treatment and hand positions for offering Reiki to others.
• Second degree: often described as distance Reiki, in which students are taught to replace hand contact with a mental connection; it also introduces Reiki symbols.
• Master level: the teaching level. Only Reiki masters attune new students; traditionally this level was reached by invitation and apprenticeship rather than coursework.

What does the research say about Reiki?

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), part of the National Institutes of Health, summarizes the evidence this way: Reiki has not been clearly shown to be effective for any health-related purpose. Studies have looked at it for pain, anxiety and depression, but results have been mixed and many studies were small or poorly designed.

NCCIH also states that there is no scientific evidence supporting the existence of the energy field thought to play a role in Reiki, and that Reiki has not been shown to have harmful effects. Cleveland Clinic similarly describes Reiki as a complementary practice to use alongside, never instead of, evidence-based medical care.

Many people who receive Reiki describe it as deeply relaxing. That is a real experience worth taking seriously. It is also different from evidence that an energy field has changed or that a condition has been treated.

What should you ask a Reiki practitioner in Charlotte?

The University of Minnesota's Taking Charge resource notes that Reiki is not a standardized practice, so a title such as Reiki master does not by itself tell you what training someone has had. A few direct questions help.

• Which lineage or teacher did you train with, and what levels have you completed?
• Do you work hands-on, hands-off, or either? Will you ask before touching me, and can I change my mind during the session?
• Where do sessions take place, how long are they, and what do they cost?
• What do you say Reiki can and cannot do? Be cautious with anyone who presents it as a treatment for an illness or a replacement for medical or psychological care.
• Are you comfortable with me continuing any treatment I already receive? The answer should be yes.

How does Reiki fit with therapy at Laura Bass Counseling?

Laura Bass is a psychotherapist in Charlotte who also has complementary trainings, including Reiki. She keeps the two as separate pathways. Psychotherapy is booked and delivered as therapy; complementary work, if a client asks about it, is a different service with its own scope, and it is never introduced into therapy uninvited.

If you are dealing with anxiety, depression, trauma or another health concern, psychotherapy or medical care is the appropriate starting point. If you are curious about Reiki for its own sake, the page on what happens in a Reiki session walks through a typical session, and what energy healing is places Reiki among related practices.

Common questions