I AMA massage therapist based in Durham and have begun incorporating reiki and Bowen into my therapies in Newcastle and I am finding that people are very wary of it.is there any way I can convince people the benefits of reiki combined with things such as massage and reflexology etc to relieve pain and help with treatments.
Hi Traveler123,
I've been combining Massage and Reiki for years. I just don't mention the Reiki unless they ask. Why confuse the situation. I offer Reiki as a stand alone therapy if someone wants it. Why try to convince them, just say I incorporate all my skills to offer the best session each and every time.
Best of luck, Sue
How are you managing to include Bowen into a massage session and keep the Bowen people happy? The resting period after the Bowen work is important, but if you were to leave the room during a massage I could imagine a lot of people would not appreciate it (look at the other thread about people feeling ripped off about their full body massage....)
As for Reiki, I find it impossible to turn off half the time, it just flows as soon as I make a connection with the client. I don't bother saying anything, they've already given permission for me to work on them.
Now if you are promoting a 'massage and Reiki' session and asking more money for it because you include Reiki, or spending a lot of the appointment with your hands either stationary on their body or off body, THAT would probably get people a bit confused, people when they book for a massage want to feel the massage.
Hi t123
Just do it. If for example you massaging away and you found an area that was tense just Reiki it. But if they are a religious type, be a little careful as they might see Reiki as evil. Yes people like this actually exist. But at the end of the day if a client asks for massage and that is what they should get. It's good practice to recommend that a different therapeutic approach may be needed. If a client says no, is it ethical to force the issue?
Best Wishes
RP
Be very careful of combining two therapies, unless the client is fully aware of what is going on.
When I started the Foundation Degree in Complementary Approaches to Healthcare with Thames Valley University, I was shown a newspaper clipping of a court case where someone had sued a massage therapist who had closed a massage session with some Reiki, and had then told the client "oh by the way I gave you some Reiki at the end". Said client didn't want the Reiki as she thought it was in some way evil, and so she took the therapist to court, which found in the client's favour.
It is our duty as Reiki practitioners to "do your work honestly" or "with integrity" or whatever the translation of the Reiki principles you use say. So if you're a Reiki practitioner and also a massage therapist, make it quite clear to your clients that they may well receive Reiki as a side-effect of the treatment you give. If you do a consultation before the treatment, make sure you mention it then, and get the client to agree to it.
In the hospice where I volunteer, we are required to record that the patient consented to whatever treatment we give them, and this is because the management believe this practice will soon be brought in in other situations.
In private practice, I've taken to offering therapies and the Reiki separately as an addon. This obviates all confusion.
Hi Traveler123,
I've been combining Massage and Reiki for years. I just don't mention the Reiki unless they ask. Why confuse the situation. I offer Reiki as a stand alone therapy if someone wants it. Why try to convince them, just say I incorporate all my skills to offer the best session each and every time.
Labels!!!!!!!!!!! I agree with Sue. I qualified in Reiki but don't use it as a stand alone. I massage with empathy and the intention to heal. Energy is transferred but I don't consider it Reiki. It's just something that happens when I work and I would know how to stop it.