CLINICAL JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY NURSING • VOLUME 7, NUMBER 1 • INTEGRATED CARE 1

INTEGRATED CARE GEORGIA M. DECKER, MS, RN, CS-ANP, AOCN®, CN®

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

What is the difference between therapeu-tic touch (TT) and Reiki? When I was askedto write a short article about this question forthe Oncology Nursing Society’s PNI (psycho-neuroimmunology) and ComplementaryTherapies SIG Newsletter, I thought the an-swer would be relatively easy. As I turned theidea over in my mind, the task grew quitecomplex—requiring focus groups, an exten-sive literature review, and a multicenterclinical trial to inform an exhaustive academictreatise. Alas, because I am a doctoral studentwith many other demands on my time, I haveopted for a more personal, simple, and specu-lative description of the difference.

Introduction to ReikiReiki, meaning universal life energy and

defined as a hands-on spiritual healing tradi-tion (Barnett & Chambers, 1996), has beendescribed as “spiritually directed life energy”(Rand, 1991, p. I-3). It is a system of healingthat was rediscovered in the late 19th centuryby a Japanese Buddhist monk named Usui ashe studied ancient texts while praying andfasting (Nield-Anderson & Ameling, 2000).Reiki flourished in Japan and was brought toHawaii in the mid-1930s by Hawayo Takata,a Japanese Hawaiian. It began to be used onthe U.S. mainland in the early 1970s.

Reiki practitioners trace their lineage backto Usui. In the tradition of the Japanese sensei,or teacher, Reiki is passed on from masters tostudents through a laying on of hands calledan attunement. This attunement is describedas opening recipients’ channels to facilitatethe flow of Reiki, the universal life energy,for treating oneself and others. Reiki is taughtin three levels—from basic to master teacher.Each level raises practitioners’ vibrations,thus allowing for the flow of higher healingfrequencies. Emphasis is placed on the prac-

tice of self-Reiki in preparing practitioners togive Reiki to others. The third level, master,prepares practitioners as teachers who passon attunements to students. This healing tra-dition with Eastern origins is being integratedinto Western medical settings (Barnett &Chambers, 1996). For more information, visitwww.reikienergy.com.

The experience of Reiki is described asone of liminal states and paradox similar tothe altered state reported by those experienc-ing TT (Engebretson & Wardell, 2002;Wardell & Engebretson, 2001). Evidencefor the efficacy of Reiki is mostly anecdotal,and clinical research is minimal. A recentstudy found significantly reduced anxietyand increased immune factors for a smallsample of people receiving Reiki (Engebret-son & Wardell; Wardell & Engebretson).

Basic, level I Reiki treatments begin whenpractitioners place their hands on recipientsand allow the flow of Reiki (see Figure 1).The Reiki is said to go wherever recipientsneed it most; specifically directing it is notnecessary. Thus, a whole treatment may begiven by holding recipients’ shoulders, feet,or hands. A structured treatment averagesabout 45 minutes and consists of a patternof hand placements on the front of the per-son from head to feet, with each positionheld for three to five minutes. Generally, nospecific assessment is completed, althoughpractitioners intuitively may place and holdthe hands on a particular area. Then, if con-venient, recipients turn over and a series ofsimilar hand placements are given to theback. Level II Reiki treatment incorporatesthe basic treatment and involves the use ofsymbols (e.g., power symbol and emotionalhealing) to facilitate the Reiki flow. Further,level II practitioners, drawing on the sym-bol for distance healing, may send Reikinonlocally to recipients at distant locations.

Pamela Potter, MA, MSN, APRN, supervisesReiki volunteers at Yale-New Haven Hospital inConnecticut and is a doctoral candidate at theSchool of Nursing at Yale University. She alsois coeditor of the Oncology Nursing Society’sPNI (psychoneuroimmunology) and Comple-mentary Therapies Special Interest Group(SIG) Newsletter. This article originally ap-peared in the September 2002 issue of thePNI and Complementary Therapies SIGNewsletter. Reprinted with permission.Digital Object Identifier: 10.1188/03.CJON.xxx-xxx

Introduction to TherapeuticTouch

TT is defined by Nurse Healers-Profes-sional Associates (NH-PA) (2000) as “anintentionally directed process of energy ex-change during which the practitioner usesthe hands as a focus to facilitate the healingprocess.” Described as a contemporary in-terpretation of ancient healing practices(Krieger, 1979), TT was developed byDolores Krieger and Dora Kunz in the early1970s (about the same time Reiki came tobe used) from studying techniques of aknown healer and interpreting them for con-temporary nursing. In the tradition ofWestern nursing, basic TT skills are taughtin an introductory workshop, although de-velopment of clinical skills requires timeand practice under the supervision of expe-rienced practitioners.

More than 30 years of nursing research in-forms the evidence base for this practice andsuggests evidence for a positive medium ef-fect of TT on physiologic (e.g., pain,physiologic distress, wound healing) and psy-chological (e.g., anxiety) variables (Peters,1999). TT research provides an invaluableknowledge foundation for research with

What Are the Distinctions BetweenReiki and Therapeutic Touch?

Pamela Potter, MA, MSN, APRN

2 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2003 • VOLUME 7, NUMBER 1 • CLINICAL JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY NURSING

biofield therapies. TT was the first biofieldtherapy to be practiced openly in the health-care setting.

Although physical touch is possible, TTtreatment generally is described as anoncontact intervention, averaging 10–20minutes and administered in recipients’ en-ergy field, two to six inches from the body(see Figure 2). The four steps of TT reflect aholistic intuitive nursing process: (a) center-ing in the present moment, (b) assessing theenergy field while holding the hands closeto the body, (c) directing an intervention thatincludes clearing or unruffling done in asweeping motion and balancing or rebalanc-ing by directing and modulating energy, and

(d) evaluating or closing based on visualcues, verbal response, and energy field feed-back from the person receiving the treatment(NH-PA, 2000). Macrae (1987) prepared anexcellent primer on TT.

Comparisons Between Reikiand Therapeutic Touch

The differences between Reiki and TT arenot found in the outcomes, which are citedfor most biofield therapies: relaxation, de-creased anxiety, feelings of well-being, andhealing. Even the distinctions listed in Table1 are subject to discussion. Some versionsof Reiki teach assessment as well as non-

touch, directive techniques. TT practitionersmay choose direct laying on of hands dur-ing treatment and may invite the presenceof angelic beings (empowering and emo-tionally healing energy symbols) duringtreatment. The differences between Reikiand TT appear to lie in the philosophic un-derpinnings of the disciplines and the waypractitioners are trained. TT philosophymaintains that anyone can perform energyhealing. Practitioners learn the techniquesand how to tune into recipients. Reiki phi-losophy agrees that anyone can performenergy healing. The Reiki attunement pro-cess merely opens healers and facilitates thattuning to recipients.

Georgia: Please provide caption to explain what is happening in each of these photos. Thanks!

FIGURE 1. REIKI

Georgia: Please provide caption to explain what is happening in each of these photos. Thanks!

FIGURE 2. THERAPEUTIC TOUCH

CLINICAL JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY NURSING • VOLUME 7, NUMBER 1 • INTEGRATED CARE 3

Does that mean that TT and Reiki are thesame? Certainly, the outcomes are similar,and yet, the journey to the outcomes is differ-ent. Here I can discuss only my experience.After more than 10 years of practicing TT andhealing touch (see note at end of article), Iadded Reiki to my healing repertoire. Theattunement process was palpable. Although Idid not expect it, I could feel the movementof energy within me unlike any I have feltfrom receiving energy field treatments. Thetechnique for passing on the attunement re-minded me of a shamanic healing ritual. Doesa difference exist for people attuned to Reikiwho practice TT? For me, the quality of myability to assess and treat people changed andbecame less directive, more intuitive, andmore like prayer. The effort involved to staycentered, grounded, and clear was no longera concern: hands-on, centering-on, Reiki-on.Rand (1991) told a story of experienced heal-ers who were amazed to find their healingenergies raised to a higher vibration withReiki attunement.

The distinctions between TT and Reikiappear to be qualitative; certainly at thispoint, the evidence of difference between thetwo healing strategies is also qualitative.Long-time TT practitioners might say that

as their experience with TT grew, they be-came less directive and more intuitive andfound that giving the treatment felt more likeprayer. Yet, when making distinctions, wemust not deny the Reiki tradition—morethan 100 years of passing on attunements.Nor can we deny the substantial body of TToutcomes research that demonstrated heal-ing outcomes from practitioners who havelearned the TT process.

What about the implications for research?At present, we strive to design research thatvalidates the anecdotal experience of thesemodalities. However, planning studies toevaluate the effectiveness of Reiki and TTposes a number of challenges. For example,if we try to compare Reiki with a mock treat-ment in a control group, we still do not knowif the mock treatment is truly inert—benigntouch still may have some treatment effectbeyond placebo. Another research challengeis to choose healers from those who repre-sent the modality we are studying as purelyas possible. Yet many healers are hybridhealers, like myself, who use a composite ofhealing techniques.

Research is needed to measure the distinc-tions between Reiki and TT and their impacton the healing process for both practitioners

Description

Teaching

Mentoring

Intentionality

Techniques

Outcomes

A spiritual healing practice originatingfrom a spiritual healer, appropriated bynurses, applicable for all religious tra-ditions

Passed through attunement

Reiki master lineage

Allows the flow

Generally hands-on; no assessment

Relaxation, decreased anxiety, well-being, and healing

A healing practice deduced fromobserving a spiritual healer, induc-tively developed by nurses, appli-cable for all religious traditions

Learning of techniques

Experienced practitioner

Directs the flow

Generally hands-off; assessment

Relaxation, decreased anxiety,well-being, and healing

TABLE 1. DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN REIKI AND THERAPEUTIC TOUCH

Characteristic Reiki Therapeutic Touch

and recipients. If these therapies work on in-dividuals according to their particularhealing needs, does reducing this experienceto common outcomes, as in clinical trials,really capture the efficacy of the interven-tion? Whether we practice TT, Reiki, orsome combination of healing practices, andas we design research to discover evidenceof the efficacy of biofield therapies, mostimportant is our commitment to helping oth-ers heal as we heal ourselves.

Note. Healing touch, developed by JanetMentgen, RN, BSN, is an energy (biofield)therapy that encompasses a group ofnoninvasive techniques that use the handsto clear, energize, and balance the humanand environmental energy fields. For moreinformation, visit www.healingtouch.net.

ReferencesBarnett, L., & Chambers, M. (1996). Reiki energy

medicine: Bringing healing touch into home,hospital and hospice. Rochester, VT: HealingArts Press.

Engebretson, J., & Wardell, D.W. (2002). Experi-ence of a Reiki session. Alternative Therapiesin Health and Medicine, 8(2), 48–53.

Krieger, D. (1979). The therapeutic touch: How touse your hands to help or to heal. New York:Prentice Hall Press.

Macrae, J. (1987). Therapeutic touch: A practicalguide. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Nield-Anderson, L., & Ameling, A. (2000). Theempowering nature of Reiki as a complemen-tary therapy. Holistic Nursing Practice, 14(3),21–29.

Nurse Healers-Professional Associates. (2000).Therapeutic touch. Retrieved August 30, 2002,from www.therapeutic-touch.org/content/ttouch.asp

Peters, R.M. (1999). The effectiveness of thera-peutic touch: A meta-analytic review. NursingScience Quarterly, 12(1), 52–61.

Rand, W.L. (1991). Reiki: The healing touch.Southfield, MI: Vision.

Wardell, D.W., & Engebretson, J. (2001). Bio-logical correlates of Reiki touch healing. Jour-nal of Advanced Nursing, 33, 439–445.