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Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice
2013 · Vol. 19(1) · pp. 50–54
Kundu, Dolan-Oves, Dimmers, Towle & Doorenbos · Seattle Children’s Hospital
Reiki Training
In this study:
Reiki Training = caregivers learning Reiki from a Reiki teacher
Reiki Treatment = hands-on Reiki applied to a child
Reiki = the spiritual energy itself
What this study is about
The idea
When a child is hospitalised — especially with a serious or chronic condition — the whole family is affected. This study explored whether Reiki training Reiki Training could be offered to the caregivers of hospitalised children, teaching them to give Reiki treatments to their own child. The goal was to empower families as active participants in their child’s care.
Why it matters
Hospitalisation is stressful for children and families alike. Caregivers often feel powerless. If they can learn to give Reiki treatments to their child, they gain a gentle, non-invasive tool that may ease the child’s symptoms — and reduce the caregiver’s own feelings of helplessness.
How it was conducted
Study type
Pilot feasibility study
Qualitative interviews at completion of Reiki training
Setting
Seattle Children’s Hospital
Major metropolitan paediatric hospital · funded by NIH & institutional grants
Training led by
Reiki teacher*
A series of Reiki training classes teaching caregivers to apply Reiki energy to their child
Families invited
18
Caregivers of paediatric medical or oncology inpatients
Families participated
17 of 18
94% agreed to join the Reiki training program
Completed full training
65%
of families attended all three Reiki training sessions
What caregivers reported after Reiki training
88%
reported Reiki treatments improved their child’s relaxation
76%
reported Reiki treatments improved their child’s comfort
41%
reported Reiki treatments provided their child pain relief
Key findings
Reiki training empowered caregivers Reiki Training
Every single caregiver identified becoming an active participant in their child’s care as the most significant gain from completing the Reiki training. When parents feel helpless, giving them a learnable skill changes the dynamic of hospitalisation entirely.
The program was feasible Reiki Training
94% of invited families agreed to participate in the Reiki training — despite being under significant hospital stress. This demonstrates that Reiki training in paediatric hospital settings is practical and well-received.
Reiki treatments supported child and caregiver alike Reiki Treatment
The act of giving Reiki energy Reiki to their child was beneficial to caregivers too — providing a meaningful, calming activity during a profoundly stressful time. The system of Reiki created a two-way benefit.
Be aware
- This is a pilot feasibility study — small sample (18 families), no control group
- Results are self-reported by caregivers after Reiki training, not independently measured
- The authors call for more rigorous research with larger sample sizes
- It confirms feasibility, not definitive clinical efficacy
What the researchers concluded
A hospital-based Reiki training program for caregivers of hospitalised paediatric patients is feasible and can positively impact patients and their families. Reiki treatments were reported to improve relaxation, comfort, and pain relief in hospitalised children. More rigorous research regarding the benefits of Reiki in the paediatric population is needed.
Kundu et al. · Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice · 2013
What this means in practice
1
Reiki training can be offered to non-practitioners in hospital settings. This study shows that parents — not just trained practitioners — can learn to give Reiki treatments to their child. Reiki training in this context is accessible, gentle, and meaningful.
2
The system of Reiki empowers — it doesn’t just treat. The biggest outcome wasn’t a symptom score — it was empowerment. Caregivers who completed the Reiki training felt they were doing something meaningful for their child. That shift matters profoundly in hospital settings.
3
Reiki training benefits the giver as much as the receiver. Reiki energy Reiki flows through the practitioner — so the caregiver giving Reiki treatments is also receiving the calming effects during the session.
4
This opens a door for Reiki teachers. This research supports hospital-based Reiki training programs. Reiki teachers could offer introductory Reiki courses to families of hospitalised patients as a structured, evidence-grounded service.
Kundu A, Dolan-Oves R, Dimmers MA, Towle CB, Doorenbos AZ. Reiki training for caregivers of hospitalized pediatric patients: a pilot program. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2013 Feb;19(1):50–54. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2012.08.001.
* Nota bene: Where the original research paper uses the term “Reiki Master,” this refers to a title used by a specific school of Reiki. It is not a universal term for all Reiki teachers. Many experienced and highly trained Reiki teachers do not use this title.
If you would like to learn more about Reiki Treatments, how they work and what they can do for you, come and join my Shinpiden+ on-demand course.
Bronwen Logan
With over two decades of expertise, Bronwen Logan is one of the leading voices in the system of Reiki. A key founder in both the International House and Shibumi International Reiki Association, she's also penned multiple books on the system including The Reiki Sourcebook; The Japanese Art of Reiki, Beginning Reiki, Beginning Healing, The Art of Gratitude, The A-Z of Reiki, and Your Reiki Treatment as well developing many meditations to support students and teachers in this work. Apart from studying the Japanese aspects of the system, writing and working with animals is a core passion. Bronwen is also a co-founder of Reiki Women Podcast, a blog all about Reiki by women! You can find Bronwen teaching privately online or around the globe!
