Can you combine Reiki with other therapies?
September 29, 2026
Research: Waking the Body with Breath
October 1, 2026
Offer her some light reading. There is a good deal of research on Reiki treatments, and I have summarised it in infographics on this site so nobody has to wade through the papers. Take a few to your next appointment. And listen to your doctor: the system of Reiki is a complementary practice for wellbeing, never a replacement for what she prescribes.
Oh. What do I say now?
Well, there is lots of research out there. I have heaps of Reiki research on my website, all explained in infographics so you do not have to read the complicated papers. You could print some off and take them with you next time: “I’ve got some light reading for you.” That might give her a different perspective.
When people are closed to something like this, it is difficult to help them shift, and a doctor might be more science-based in her understanding, so some science might be just the thing to offer. As long as you are not saying you want to use the system of Reiki instead of what she is offering, because that is never going to go down well.
I think of the system of Reiki as something that works on wellbeing, and that is what most of the research is about. Really listen to your doctor. Take what she says seriously. Do not use the system of Reiki instead of what she has said. But you can definitely use it as a complementary practice, and maybe your doctor would like to learn a little more about that.
When this happens. At a routine appointment, usually when a form asks about other therapies. The laugh is rarely contempt; more often it is a doctor who has only ever heard the system of Reiki described unflatteringly.
What is actually going on. Doctors are trained to ask what the evidence is, and most have never seen any for Reiki treatments, because it does not come up in their training. Given something to read, many are curious rather than dismissive.
What to do. Describe it the way the research does: a relaxation and wellbeing practice, hands resting on the body, used alongside medical care in a number of hospitals. Print two of the research summaries from this site and leave them with her.
You might also ask: How to explain Reiki to sceptical friends or family · Can you practise the system of Reiki in hospitals? · Is Reiki actually a scam?
The research summaries are in the blog under Research, and we go through them inside Shinpiden+.
More questions answered: Reiki Questions Answered.
