Reiki and Trauma Recovery: Exploring the Healing Power of Energy Work
Understanding the link between energy healing and trauma recovery is becoming increasingly relevant in both holistic and clinical settings. This blog explores how Reiki—a traditional form of energy healing—can support healing from trauma, with historical context, research insights, and suggestions for trauma-informed practice.
The Mind-Body Connection: Reich's Early Contributions
In the 1930s, psychiatrist Wilhelm Reich was among the first to explore the mind-body connection in psychotherapy. Disagreeing with Freud’s limited view of libido, Reich believed in an innate life-force energy he termed orgone, associated with joy, love, and human connection. Primary impulses of this energy can be overridden by secondary impulses that disenable the body’s natural drive to connection and freedom; these secondary impulses include rejection, fear, anger, and hate. Reich believed that societal ills such as violence, fascism, and war are a result of the repression of this life force energy and authoritarian systems and capitalism disable the body’s free flow of energy affecting our health and freedom.
Reich theorized that the disruption of energy flow leads to body armour — a state of muscular tension, restricted breathing, and limited movement — mirroring the freeze response seen in trauma. He proposed that freeing this energy could activate the parasympathetic nervous system, relieve stress, and even reverse illness. Though controversial at the time, Reich’s work laid the groundwork for modern somatic therapies.
Energy Healing and Somatic Psychology
Reich’s ideas have been integrated into therapies like Bioenergetics, Gestalt Therapy, Hakomi, Somatic Experiencing, and Internal Family Systems (IFS). Concepts such as self-energy (IFS) or bioplasma (quantum physics) align with his belief in a vital force. Carl Rogers, a pioneer in humanistic psychology, described healing as an energetic exchange, where ‘profound growth and healing and energy are present’.
What Is Reiki?
Reiki is a hands-on energy healing practice founded by Mikao Usui in early 20th-century Japan. The term combines two Japanese words: Rei (universal spirit) and Ki (life force energy). The practitioner acts as a conduit for universal energy to support the client’s self-healing on emotional, physical, and spiritual levels.
Many cultures recognize this life force energy e.g. Chi in Chinese medicine, Prana in Sanskrit, Mana in Polynesian tradition and Inua or Sila in Inuktitut. Reiki aims to restore balance, release energy blocks, and encourage presence, often resulting in reduced stress, improved sleep, and relief from symptoms like fatigue, anxiety, and depression.
Reiki and Trauma Healing: What the Research Says
While much Reiki research comes from nursing and focuses on physical health, trauma specialists like Arielle Schwartz, Richard Schwartz, Deb Dana, Bessel van der Kolk, Stephen Porges, and Peter Levine emphasize the body’s role in trauma healing. Touch — whether self-touch or therapeutic — can foster safety and grounding, essential components for trauma recovery.
Recent studies offer promising insights:
Piha (2022): Reiki self-healing with homeless individuals showed a reduction in PTSD symptoms and improvements in overall well-being.
Hoppe (2022): Positive outcomes were found among women healing from intimate partner violence.
Garner (2019): A therapist and child sexual abuse survivor documented Reiki as a transformative force in her healing journey.
Lanoy (2015): Veterans with PTSD reported relief through Reiki sessions.
Magnuson (2002): Reiki used in group therapy for mothers healing from childhood abuse revealed themes like increased relaxation, confidence, and spiritual growth.
The Case for Trauma-Informed Reiki
Despite its benefits, traditional Reiki training often lacks trauma awareness. Trauma survivors may experience dissociation, anxiety, or shame if sessions are not conducted in a sensitive, informed manner. Without proper integration, healing experiences can be fragmented or even re-traumatizing.
Why Trauma-Informed Practice Matters:
Provides a safe, grounded environment for clients.
Encourages integration of emotional releases and somatic experiences.
Respects the complexity of trauma and individual pace of healing.
Practitioners trained in both Reiki and trauma therapy — such as counsellors and psychotherapists — are uniquely positioned to offer this integrated support. This dual expertise fosters safety, deepens somatic awareness, and empowers posttraumatic growth.
Moving Forward: Evolving Reiki for Modern Needs
As trauma research continues to highlight the importance of the body in healing, Reiki must evolve. This includes:
Trauma-informed training for Reiki practitioners.
Comprehensive client consultations.
Continued research into energy healing’s role in trauma recovery.
Ebeling & Runchey (2019) interviewed energy healers about trauma and found consensus on the need for updated, trauma-sensitive practices. Integrating therapeutic skills into Reiki can bridge ancient wisdom with modern psychology, offering survivors a path to wholeness.
Conclusion
Reiki, when approached through a trauma-informed lens, can serve as a powerful tool for emotional and somatic healing. The intersection of energy healing and trauma recovery is not just complementary — it’s essential. With continued research, sensitivity, and training, Reiki can become a transformative ally in trauma recovery.
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References
EBELING, D & RUNCHEY, A., 2019. Interview with Energy Healers: Perspectives on Trauma and Practice. Master of Arts in Holistic Health Studies: Research Papers. St Catherine University, Minnesota, USA.
GARNER, M. A., 2019. Inside Incest: Psychotherapy and Energy Healing Transform this Therapist and a Guide for Survivors. Indiana, USA: Balboa Press.
HOPPE, S., 2022. Energy Healing: Reiki as a Coping Mechanism in Intimate Partner Violence Trauma.
LANOY, T. L., 2015. Reiki: Application as a Modality of integrative Therapy for Treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and other Wounded Warrior Issues.
LEVINE, P. A., 2010. In an Unspoken Voice: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness. California, USA: North Atlantic.
LEVINE, P., 1997. Waking the Tiger. Healing Trauma: The Innate Capacity to Transform Overwhelming Experiences. Berkley, USA: North Atlantic Books.
MAGNUSON, M. J., 2002. The Experience and Benefits of Reiki as a Complement to Group Therapy for Mothers Healing from Child Sexual Abuse.
PIHA, K., 2022. Self Healing with Reiki for Homeless Individuals Suffering from Past Traumatic Events.
PORGES, S. W., 2011. The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-Regulation. New York, USA: W. W. Norton & Company.
REICH, W., 1948. The Cancer Biopathy. New York, USA: Orgone Institute Press.
REICH, W., 2013. The Mass Psychology of Fascism. 3rd Ed. New York, USA: Farrar, Straus and Giroux Inc.
ROGERS, C. R., 1979. The Foundations of the Person-Centred Approach. Education (online). 100 (2), pp. 1-6.
SCHWARTZ, A., 2022. Yoga for Trauma Recovery: Applying the Principles of Polyvagal Theory for Self-Discovery, Embodied Healing and Meaningful Change. Winconsin, USA: PESI Publishing Inc.
SCHWARTZ, R. C., 2021. No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma & Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model. Colorado, USA: Sounds True.
VAN DER KOLK, B. A., 2015. The Body Keeps the Score: Mind, Brain and Body in the Transformation of Trauma. London, UK: Penguin Books.