Question 1: How can I know how much training someone has had? I've heard that many reiki practitioners have only done a weekend training course...

Answer:

Reiki is now beginning to become recognized in not only the alternative therapies, but in the mainstream of preventative health as a legitimate and highly effective form of healing. The difficulty can be in finding a practitioner who is qualified, properly trained, attuned and effective. When you combine that with the fact that there are so many people in the marketplace who consider themselves to be Reiki professionals, that it can be very difficult, if not impossible to wade through them all to find the right one for you. To make matters worse, unlike many other forms of alternative therapies, Reiki is not regulated by any agency. Which leave the onus on the consumer to educate themselves in order to make the right decision.

Anyone can call themselves a Reiki practitioner, professionally or otherwise, after having only taken a weekend long, Level One workshop. Technically speaking, they are then qualified to do healing work for others. Having said this, it takes many years and in most cases, much more training to become a truly experienced and knowledgeable Reiki practitioner, and especially to be truly considered a Reiki Master.

To add to the confusion, while most forms of energy healing only involve learning the skills necessary to practice that modality, Reiki is a bit different in that an attunement or empowerment is required to be able to be considered a Reiki practitioner. An attunement is an energetic "turning of the light switch", which involves a particular series of steps that a Master follows in the form of a sacred ceremony, which, when done properly, passes on the ability to channel Reiki energy from teacher to student. The difficulty can be in knowing whether or not a practitioner has been properly trained and attuned.

There are a few questions to ask before choosing your practitioner, which can help you wade through the multitude of options:

1) Have they received attunements and taken a course from a qualified Reiki Master? There are many books and websites out there on the subject of Reiki. Some of them claim that you do not need to receive an attunement from a Reiki Master.  Make sure that the person you are dealing with has taken a course from a qualified Master. Though it is possible to receive attunements directly from spirit, practitioners who have been attuned in this way, would not necessarily have gained the knowledge required to practice Reiki properly and in accordance with the original lineage.

2) Ask for references. If you are in doubt as to whether or not they legitimately took a course and the attunements from a Master, ask them for references or testimonials from other clients that have given permission to do so. If the practitioner makes excuses about giving that information or seems uncomfortable when you ask, it may be an indication that they were not properly trained. Due to privacy act laws, the business will need written permission from their clients to give out personal information or to use their testimonials publicly. With that in mind, most respectable practitioners and teachers would be more than willing to give you legitimate references.

3) How long they have been a practitioner / teacher of Reiki? In Reiki, depending on the natural abilities of the practitioner, what level they have completed in Reiki may only be somewhat of an indicator of how good they are. I've taught many brand new level one or two students who could channel energy more clearly than someone who is a Master. Although, generally speaking, the more experience someone has, the better and more confident they will be, and therefore can channel the energy more clearly.

4) Be educated - Do some research of your own before "interviewing" them. Then ask the practitioner some general questions about Reiki. What is Reiki? How does it work? Will it work for me? What are the benefits? Where does Reiki come from? How they answer your questions, will speak volumes on whether or not they were trained properly. If they hesitate or appear unsure of the answers they are providing, it may be an indication of either inexperience or that they don't have proper training.

5) Use your own intuition. The bottom line is that is you don't feel comfortable working with a particular practitioner you need to follow your hunches. Make sure to educate yourself before you set out in finding someone to work with. The more you know, the more questions you will be able to ask, the better you will be clear on if he or she is the right practitioner for you.