What’s the Difference Between Healing Touch and Reiki?
The human body is an incredibly intelligent system where all parts work together to maintain the delicate balance that keeps our internal world steady, no matter the chaos outside. It regulates every function, ensuring we remain healthy and resilient against challenges we face. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for health or healing, as each person’s path to wellness is unique. However, it's important to remember that at the core of all healing is one key truth: the body has a natural ability to heal itself, and different methods can support that process.
While Western medicine is invaluable in treating acute conditions—such as fractures, sudden pain, or emergencies like heart attacks and strokes—there are many situations where alternative therapies can offer significant benefits. Chronic conditions like persistent pain, inflammation, emotional challenges stemming from grief or trauma, or even a desire to enhance overall well-being, may find relief in Energy Healing. This therapeutic approach works by tapping into your body’s natural healing potential, creating an environment that supports its own restorative processes, balance, and energy flow.
With several different energy healing practices available, it’s helpful to understand the differences between them. Most energy healing methods involve a practitioner using their hands, intention, or even tools to influence the body’s energy field. Common forms include Reiki, Healing Touch, Qi Gong, and acupuncture. These practices are believed to help with a range of issues, such as chronic pain, stress, emotional imbalances, and fatigue. While energy healing is not a replacement for medical treatment, many people use it as a complementary therapy to support their overall well-being. In this post, we’ll explore two popular methods—Healing Touch and Reiki— to help you decide which might be right for you.
Here's a breakdown of the key differences:
Origins and Philosophy
Healing Touch: Developed in the 1980s by Janet Mentgen, a registered nurse, Healing Touch is based on the concept that the body’s energy system can be balanced and cleared of blockages to promote healing. It integrates principles from various healing traditions but is grounded in the scientific understanding of the human energy field. It combines elements of both Western medicine and energy healing.
Reiki: A Japanese technique founded by Mikao Usui in the early 20th century, Reiki comes from the Japanese words "Rei" (universal) and "Ki" (life force energy), which translates to "universal life force energy." It involves the channeling of energy through the hands of the practitioner to the client, with the belief that this energy supports the body’s natural healing abilities.
Approach and Techniques
Healing Touch: Practitioners of Healing Touch use a variety of hand placements on or near the body. The process involves techniques to clear and balance the energy field, often using the practitioner’s hand movements to move energy through the body and remove blockages. Healing Touch also incorporates visualization, specific hand movements, and a focus on maintaining the flow of energy.
Reiki: Reiki involves hands-on or hands-off techniques where the practitioner channels energy through their hands into the recipient’s body. The energy is guided by the recipient’s own needs. While Reiki uses some specific hand positions, it does not use visualizations and is generally more passive, with the practitioner acting as a conduit for the energy rather than making the energy flow a particular way.
Practitioner Role
Healing Touch: The practitioner is more actively involved in guiding the energy, using intention, focus, and specific techniques to direct healing. They are trained to assess and balance energy fields, often using a step-by-step process to clear blockages and restore balance.
Reiki: Reiki practitioners focus more on being a conduit for the universal energy. They do not direct the energy consciously, but instead trust that the energy will go where it is needed. Reiki practitioners use specific hand positions, but there is less active manipulation compared to Healing Touch.
Training and Certification
Healing Touch: Healing Touch certification requires a structured training program, which includes multiple levels and is based on formal certification processes. Practitioners must complete courses and hours of practice as well as case studies before advancing through different levels.
Reiki: Reiki training is divided into several levels or "degrees," typically 1st, 2nd, and Master level. The training can be less formal compared to Healing Touch, but is always taught by Reiki Master level practitioners who pass on attunements that are believed to open the energy pathways for others.
Focus
Healing Touch: Healing Touch focuses on balancing the energy field and restoring harmony within the body, mind, and spirit. It aims to support emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual healing, with a greater emphasis on clearing energy blockages that might affect physical health.
Reiki: Reiki is generally considered more spiritually oriented. While it can promote physical healing, Reiki practitioners often focus on spiritual and emotional well-being. It is about connecting with universal life force energy and allowing it to flow freely to heal the recipient.
Scientific Basis
Healing Touch: As an energy medicine practice, Healing Touch has been studied more in clinical settings, particularly in hospitals. Research has focused on its physiological effects on pain, stress, anxiety, and physical healing, and it is often used alongside conventional medical treatments.
Reiki: Reiki has fewer formal studies in clinical settings, but it is gaining acceptance as a complementary therapy in many places, including hospitals and palliative care. While some studies find Reiki is helpful in reducing stress, anxiety, and pain, more research is needed.
The short version
Healing Touch is structured, active and directive and uses specific techniques to actively clear blockages and balance energy fields. The focus is on improving the individual’s physical, emotional, and spiritual health and well-being.
Reiki is more flowing and passive, less directive, and channels universal energy to promote healing without being directive. Reiki relies on the wisdom of the universal life force to do what the individual needs in that moment. Focuses more on spiritual and emotional healing.
Both approaches are equally valuable and can complement conventional medicine, offering physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual benefits. The choice between them often depends on personal preferences and the specific healing needs of the individual.
Both Healing Touch with Christina Gamez and Reiki with Kirsten Caston are available at The Healing Sanctuary.
