As an accredited spiritual / energy healer, I would like to share the similarities and differences between spiritual / energy healing and Reiki. This question frequently arises when people are curious about experiencing energy healing with me. In discussing spiritual healing, I am being specific to my practice and the way I work with my clients. I always say that practitioners of any modality will have their own style and way of presenting their work. The most important thing is to check that the way a practitioner works aligns with your understanding and/or beliefs.
What are the Differences between Spiritual / Energy Healing and Reiki?
I am aware that there is often heated debate in the energy healing world regarding the differences between Spiritual / Energy Healing and Reiki – but my belief is that they have more in common than they do differences. Fundamentally speaking, this is because all healers are channeling energy, love, and compassion at their very core. I have not trained as a Reiki practitioner myself.
Still, I have many friends and colleagues who have, and we offer one another treatments and enjoy discussions regarding the similarities and differences in our training.
Another similarity between the modalities is that both spiritual healing and Reiki involve the channeling of healing energy through the hands of the practitioner, often either hands-on or hands-off. I choose to use both during in-person healing sessions with clients if they are comfortable with a light touch.
How Healing Practitioners are Trained
Training as an accredited spiritual / energy healer or a Reiki practitioner naturally varies depending on who you choose to learn with. Still, both paths include at least several days of formal teaching with time for self-development before the next level of training is offered to the student practitioner. As part of the initial training for spiritual healers, it is understood that you will go through your healing journey, generally taught through meditation and imagery, whilst during Reiki training, care of the physical self is part of the initial training. (My energy healing training took place over a two-year period rather than just a few days.)
At the start of Reiki training, the practitioner is ‘attuned’ by their teacher – whereas, for spiritual healing, it is understood that every time a practitioner gives a healing, they are ‘re-attuning’ to a higher level. I have studied various healing modalities over many years and continue to work on myself as a matter of priority; my journey needs to offer my clients the very best experience of energy healing
Hands-on / Hands-off
Although both modalities offer hands-on and hands-off treatments, generally speaking, Reiki is taught as a hands-on discipline, while spiritual healing is often taught as hands-off. As mentioned above, I choose to work hands-on and hands-off during face-to-face appointments with clients as I believe gentle touch is comforting to the recipient. It also allows those who don’t feel the energy shifting to know where I am working at any given time.
Attunement
Spiritual healers often have their own method of attunement, for example, visualising white light coming down through and around them and their clients. They may also have specific words they say in preparation as part of opening and connecting to source energy. They may work with their healing team, angels, archangels and Ascended Masters while Reiki practitioners visualise Reiki symbols to focus their intent. Ultimately, both types of healers/practitioners attune to what they believe to be the highest source of the energy that they are channeling.
How does it feel?
Clients often report ‘feeling’ the energy moving through their body, maybe sensing a tingling sensation; others see colours, pictures, or visions. They often tell me that they feel relaxed, are somehow aware of the energy alleviating health problems, and may even have life-changing experiences. What’s wonderful is that both Spiritual healers and Reiki practitioners create a beautiful flow of loving, compassionate healing energy with the wish to help their clients. Both intend to channel energy at the deepest and highest level, albeit using different ways language to describe the process.
Healing energy
Essentially, the level of healing energy channeled is determined by the amount of personal work the healer has done and continues to do for themselves, enabling them to raise their vibrational energy and thus help each one of their clients to raise their vibrational energy too. As with any modality, some Spiritual healers and Reiki healers will have done more personal self-development work than others.
Through my training and my continual and ongoing professional development, I offer deep emotional energy healing. This works to release suppressed emotions within my clients’ physical bodies and energy systems.
Pippa Neve
Pippa Neve is passionate about her clients' physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Originally from the UK, she now runs a healing practice in Sydney and works internationally with clients online or via distant healing. Pippa also worked as a healer at Paul's Cancer Support Centre, London supporting patients and their families.
- Pippa Neve
- Pippa Neve
