Certified Reiki Practitioner: Before You Treat Others

• Log real practice before you treat strangers. A Reiki certificate shows that you finished a course. Your log of sessions shows whether you are ready. The UK's voluntary standard for practitioners asks for 75 recorded sessions on other people and at least nine months of training.
• Explain the session and get consent every time. Tell the person that Reiki is a relaxation practice and not medical treatment. Describe what will happen, agree the time and place, and give no distant session without a request.
• Know when to decline, and check your local law. Do not give Reiki when the person does not want it, when it is not appropriate, or when they need urgent medical care. No single body worldwide regulates the title "Reiki practitioner", so check the rules where you live before you charge anyone.

Many people search for "certified reiki practitioner" when they mean something more practical: "When am I ready to treat people I don't know?" A certificate does not answer that question. This guide covers what a Level 1 or Level 2 student should have in place first: a practice log, a clear way to explain the session, firm reasons to decline or refer, and a check of local law.

What "certified" means, briefly

In Reiki, "certified" usually means that a teacher has issued a certificate for a completed course. It is not a government licence. Wikipedia, citing a 2014 book, sums up the position: no central authority controls the words "reiki" or "reiki master", practitioners are not regulated in the United States, and there is no worldwide standard for Reiki certification. The same page notes that some certificates can be bought online for under $100.

At Ayama Reiki, each certificate records the student's lineage, the line of teachers back to Usui. A Level 1 certificate says you received the first attunement. It does not say you are ready to treat the public. At Ayama, only the Master stage (Shinpiden) covers attuning and certifying other people.

The rest of this article is about the work a certificate cannot do for you.

How much practice to log before you treat strangers

The Ayama path: self-practice first, then others

At Ayama, the levels follow the traditional Japanese order:

• Level 1 (Shoden, "first teaching") covers your first attunement, called reiju (an energy transmission given in person by the teacher), self-treatment, the Five Precepts (Gokai), a 21-day practice guide, and one 30-minute follow-up call.
• Level 2 (Okuden, "inner teaching") requires Level 1 and at least 21 days of daily practice. It covers the three symbols, distant Reiki and the etiquette of consent, and how to treat other people and animals. Most students take it one to three months after Level 1.

The order is deliberate. Level 1 is for your own daily practice. Treating other people is taught at Level 2. If you hold only Level 1, practise on yourself, and on family and friends who ask, until you have taken Level 2. What each level covers is explained in Usui Reiki Level 1 (Shoden): What the Course Actually Covers in One Day and Usui Reiki Level 2 (Okuden): What You Learn and When.

Feelings are not a readiness test

After my own first attunement, I practised for about 20 minutes a day for two weeks without missing a day, and I felt almost nothing. That did not mean something had gone wrong. Sensations vary from person to person and from day to day, so they cannot tell you whether you are ready. A written record of sessions can.

The same applies to session length. More concentration and longer sittings do not make Reiki work better. Relaxation matters most. My own morning practice now takes about five minutes. When you treat others, aim for a calm, unhurried session, not a long one.

A benchmark: the UK voluntary standard

No worldwide standard sets how many sessions are enough. The most detailed public benchmark comes from the CNHC (Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council). The CNHC runs a UK voluntary register for complementary therapists. The register was set up with government support and is approved as an Accredited Register by the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care. A voluntary register is a list that practitioners may choose to join; joining is not a legal requirement. Its Reiki core curriculum (November 2023 edition) sets these minimums:

A case study here means a record of several sessions with one person over time, not a single visit. The CNHC expects case studies to show good record-keeping, an understanding of conditions that need care, and an approach that follows the person over more than one session.

You do not need to meet the CNHC standard unless you want to join that register. It is still a useful reference. It shows that a trained practitioner is expected to have given dozens of recorded sessions, over months, before working with the public.

What to put in your practice log

The CNHC curriculum and the UK government's career profile for Reiki healers both expect practitioners to keep confidential records of treatments, in line with the law and professional rules. A simple log for each session can include:

• date, place and length of the session
• who received it (keep names private; initials are enough in a personal log)
• how you explained the session and how the person gave consent
• the form of Reiki used: hands on the body, hands held just above the body, or distant
• anything the person mentioned about their health, and whether you suggested they see a doctor
• what the person reported afterwards, in their words

Keeping these notes from your first sessions with friends gives you a record you can review, and one you can show a teacher or a register later.

How to explain the session and get consent

The CNHC curriculum states that practitioners should explain what a Reiki session involves and help the person make informed choices. Informed consent means the person agrees after they have been told what will happen, and the choice is theirs. In practice, cover these points before you start.

1. What Reiki is and is not

Use the same plain wording every time. Ayama's own course page says that Reiki is a relaxation practice. It is not medical treatment. It does not diagnose, cure or replace care from a doctor. If the person is under medical care, they should continue it.

This matches the position of the US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH). The NCCIH reports that Reiki has not been clearly shown to be effective for any health purpose, that most studies have been of low quality with inconsistent results, and that Reiki has not been shown to have harmful effects. It advises people to discuss care decisions with their health care providers.

2. What will happen in the session

Say how the session will run and how you will use your hands: resting lightly on the body, held just above it, or, for distant Reiki, from another place. Ask whether the person is comfortable with touch. If they are not, keep your hands above the body.

3. Time and place

Agree when and where the session will happen. The CNHC lists this as part of the practitioner's responsibility.

4. No promised results

Do not promise or hint at a specific result. The CNHC curriculum asks practitioners not to become attached to particular outcomes. Describe the session, not a result.

5. Distant sessions and animals

At Ayama, distant sessions are given by appointment and only with the person's consent. I never send distant Reiki to someone who has not asked for it, and this is the first restraint I teach students. The same principle applies to animals: I give Reiki to dogs and cats only when the owner has given permission and asked for it.

6. No pressure

If someone is not interested in Reiki, they are not ready for it yet, and that is fine. Do not persuade anyone to receive a session. Consent given under pressure is not consent.

A short script can cover all six points in under a minute:

Reiki is a relaxation practice. It is not medical treatment and doesn't replace your doctor, so please keep up any care you're receiving. I'll rest my hands lightly on you, or hold them just above you if you prefer. We'll stop whenever you like. Are you happy to go ahead?

When to decline or refer to a doctor

The CNHC curriculum names situations where a practitioner should not give Reiki:

• the person does not want Reiki
• the practitioner judges that Reiki is not appropriate
• the person needs urgent medical care

It also names situations that call for careful judgement:

• the practitioner does not have the experience needed
• referral to a medical professional is essential

The same document asks practitioners to accept that some conditions need advice from other professionals, and that Reiki alone is not enough for them.

Turn these into simple rules for your own practice:

• Urgent symptoms come first. If someone describes a condition that needs urgent medical care, do not start a session. Tell them to get medical help now.
• Never advise stopping treatment. If a person asks whether Reiki can replace their medicine or a doctor's visit, the answer is no. Ayama's position is that they should continue their medical care.
• Know the limits of your experience. If a case is beyond what you have handled in practice, say so and decline, or suggest they see their doctor first.
• Record the decision. Note in your log when you declined or suggested a doctor, and why.

Declining a session is part of professional practice, not a failure.

What to check in the law where you live

Rules differ by country, state and city, and they change. No single answer covers every reader. These examples show the kinds of rules to look for.

United States: example of New Hampshire

In New Hampshire, the massage law (RSA 328-B:10, III) does not restrict people who work with the body's energy systems through energy or light touch, and it names Reiki as an example. The exemption has conditions: the work must sit within a profession with set standards and ethics, and the practitioner must not call it massage or massage therapy, or imply that it is. This provision came from HB 1294, signed and in force on 27 May 2016.

The lesson applies elsewhere: a Reiki practitioner who uses touch may fall under a massage or bodywork law unless an exemption applies, and the words used to describe the service matter.

United Kingdom: a voluntary register

In the UK, the government's careers service notes that Reiki healers can join the CNHC's voluntary register, which requires training that meets the Reiki core curriculum. The CNHC accepts training that meets its curriculum and the Reiki National Occupational Standards (qualification level equivalent to Level 3 in England and Wales), or at least three years of experience assessed as meeting the same standard. Courses delivered entirely by distance learning do not meet CNHC requirements. The same careers profile notes that becoming a Reiki master who teaches can take up to three years of training, with regular treatment of yourself and others along the way.

The Philippines: the Traditional and Alternative Medicine Act

Ayama teaches in Makati, Metro Manila, so many of our students are based in the Philippines. The Traditional and Alternative Medicine Act of 1997 (Republic Act No. 8423) defines traditional and alternative health care as non-biomedical knowledge, skills and practices used to prevent, diagnose or eliminate physical or mental disorders. Its examples of alternative health care include reflexology, acupressure, chiropractics and nutritional therapy. Reiki is not named among them. Whether any registration or permit applies to Reiki practice is a question to put to the relevant authorities before you offer paid sessions. Do not assume either way.

Your own checklist

Before you treat paying clients or members of the public, find answers to these questions for your location:

1. Does a massage or bodywork law cover touch-based work, and does it exempt energy practices such as Reiki? On what conditions?
2. Which words can you use? Avoid describing your service as massage, or using words such as treatment, diagnosis or cure.
3. Is there a register for Reiki or complementary therapists, and is joining voluntary or required?
4. What does the law say about keeping and protecting client records?

If you cannot find a clear answer, ask the local authority directly before you take bookings.

How Ayama prepares students to work with others

I learned Reiki in a traditional Japanese lineage that traces back to Usui, not through Western Reiki. I trained up to Shihan, the level that can give reiju and teach, because teaching lets me help more people than I could alone.

Ayama Reiki teaches Level 1 and Level 2 in person only, in one-day classes of about five hours in Makati, with two to four students, or one to one. Reiju cannot be received online. Level 2 includes treating other people and animals and the etiquette of consent for distant sessions, followed by a 30-minute follow-up call. The Master level requires Level 2, at least six months of regular practice, and a short conversation beforehand.

Course details are on the courses page.

Frequently asked questions

Can I treat paying clients after Level 1?

At Ayama, Level 1 is for your own daily practice. Treating other people is taught at Level 2, which requires at least 21 days of daily practice after Level 1. Even after Level 2, build a log of sessions with people who know you before you take on strangers, and check your local law before you charge anyone.

Is an online Reiki certificate enough to call myself a certified Reiki practitioner?

Anyone can issue a Reiki certificate, because no central authority controls the title. Some are sold online for under $100. At Ayama, reiju is given only in person. In the UK, the CNHC does not accept courses delivered entirely by distance learning for its register. What matters to a client is your training, your logged practice and how you handle consent and referral.

Do I need to register to work as a Reiki practitioner?

It depends on where you live. In the UK, the CNHC register is voluntary. According to Wikipedia, citing a 2014 book, Reiki practitioners are not regulated in the United States, but some states, such as New Hampshire, address energy work in their massage laws. In the Philippines, check with the relevant authorities. Look up the rules for your own country, state and city before you offer paid sessions.

Summary and Next Step

Being a certified Reiki practitioner, in the sense of holding a course certificate, is the starting point. Before you treat people outside family and friends, have these in place:

• Practice: complete your training levels in order, then keep a written log of sessions. The UK benchmark of 75 recorded sessions over at least nine months shows what a trained practitioner is expected to have behind them.
• Consent: explain that Reiki is a relaxation practice and not medical treatment, describe the session, agree time and place, promise no results, and never send distant Reiki uninvited.
• Referral: decline when the person does not want Reiki, when it is not appropriate, or when they need urgent medical care. Never suggest they stop medical treatment.
• Law: check massage and bodywork laws, permitted wording, registers and record-keeping rules where you live.

Ayama Reiki teaches traditional Japanese Usui Reiki in small, in-person classes in Makati, Metro Manila. Level 2 covers treating other people and animals and the etiquette of consent. If you want to practise Reiki with others, responsibly, see the courses page for dates and details, or get in touch with your questions about the course.

Sources

• Ayama Reiki, Courses: https://www.ayamareiki.com/courses
• Wikipedia, "Reiki": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reiki
• Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC): https://www.cnhc.org.uk/
• CNHC, Core Curriculum for Reiki (November 2023): https://www.cnhc.org.uk/uploads/asset/file/98/Reiki-core-curriculum.pdf
• CNHC, Registration with the CNHC for Reiki Practitioners: https://cnhc.org.uk/assets/reiki-courses
• National Careers Service (UK), Reiki healer job profile: https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/reiki-healer
• New Hampshire HB 1294 (2016), Chapter 137: https://bills.nhliberty.org/bills/2016/HB1294
• Republic Act No. 8423, Traditional and Alternative Medicine Act of 1997: https://chanrobles.com/republicacts/republicactno8423.html
• National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), Reiki: https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/reiki