I have a question. Do you have to have a piece of paper or a certificate that says that you are a Reiki master or a practitioner in order to use Reiki on someone?

What if you were already trained or learned to do Reiki, but wasn't given the so called 'certificate' that you were trained in Reiki?

I am just wondering out of curiosity. Thanks.

there's not much regulation about, which does bring all sorts of issues. Insurance possibly being one of them. Many insurance companies/Reiki orgganisations do ask for certificates.

With it being like this though, ultimateley there's nothing to stop you doing it on a casual basis. On a more formal on-going basis, certain local laws may come into play. Depending on country.

Take care
Wayne

If you live in the US you need to check with the state(s) you'll be practicing in and find out what licensing (if any) is needed to practice. Some states require a massage therapist license and/or insurance. Each state is different.

Here in Massachusetts Reiki is not considered a massage.
It is known legally as, bodywork therapy

Exemptions: any person who uses touch, words, and directed movement to deepen awareness of patterns of movement in the body, or the affectation of the human energy system or acupoints or Qi meridians of the human body while engaged within the scope of practice of a profession with established standards and ethics, provided that their services are not designated or implied to be massage or massage therapy. Such practices include, but are not limited to the Feldenkrais Method; Reflexology; The Trager Approach; Ayurvedic Therapies, Rolf Structural Integration, Polarity or Polarity Therapy; Polarity Therapy Bodywork; Asian Bodywork Therapy that does not constitute massage as defined by this act; Acupressure; Jin Shin Do; Qi Gong; Shiatsu; Body-Mind Centering, and Reiki.

In Minnesota, Reiki is not recognized on a state level. The state, thus far, has left all body work, including massage, up to each municipality. Which means to be a traveling massage Therapist, you have to get a license in each municipality, which can run you a couple hundred dollars in each place. Then they treat you like a prostitute when you go to get your license.

I guess that is changing soon, in that body work will be regulated on a state level. On one hand, it would be nice for Reiki to be recognized in this legislation, on the other hand, depending on what requirements there would be to practice it might not be all that great.

Since Reiki is not even recognized on most municipal levels, there is a state office that can take complaint calls. We are required, to practice Reiki legally, to give each of our clients a piece of paper with the Client's Bill of Rights on them. Which essentially tells them that they have a number they can call to complain if they want.

How would I go about finding out for the state of Arkansas?

Type in, Arkansas laws on Reiki and see what comes up.
Your local state rep can also get the info for you

When I went to look at Arkansas STATE BOARD o f MASSAGE THERAPY, it mentioned this.

4. Those practices involving only light touch in the administration of
energetic principles or spiritual healing do not rise to the level
intended to be regulated by law: they are not addressed under this
chapter, and such practices may not receive approval for continuing
education program credits by the Board without endorsement of such
if otherwise qualified under Article Five.

If I would do Shamanism Reiki on a spiritual healing bases, would that imply that I don't have to have a license?

TWolfsong wrote:When I went to look at Arkansas STATE BOARD o f MASSAGE THERAPY, it mentioned this.

4. Those practices involving only light touch in the administration of
energetic principles or spiritual healing do not rise to the level
intended to be regulated by law: they are not addressed under this
chapter, and such practices may not receive approval for continuing
education program credits by the Board without endorsement of such
if otherwise qualified under Article Five.

If I would do Shamanism Reiki on a spiritual healing bases, would that imply that I don't have to have a license?

Again, it depends on what your state laws say. The one Bridget quoted above is from Massachusets. So it may not apply in Arkansas.

Secondly, since most lawmakers have no idea with Reiki is, how it works, and such, and there isn't anything to scientifically or medically prove it does anything, they don't know how to regulate it. They typically don't know how to classify it. Is it body work, is it massage, is it faith healing?

In the state of New York, you need a medical license, a massage license, or be an ordained minister to lay your hands on someone.

Thaak wrote:

In the state of New York, you need a medical license, a massage license, or be an ordained minister to lay your hands on someone.

although i personally prefer hands on, Reiki can be said to be almost an 'auric' therapy, hands off works fine also.

TWolfsong wrote:When I went to look at Arkansas STATE BOARD o f MASSAGE THERAPY, it mentioned this.

4. Those practices involving only light touch in the administration of
energetic principles or spiritual healing do not rise to the level
intended to be regulated by law: they are not addressed under this
chapter, and such practices may not receive approval for continuing
education program credits by the Board without endorsement of such
if otherwise qualified under Article Five.

If I would do Shamanism Reiki on a spiritual healing bases, would that imply that I don't have to have a license?

You know, I missed the first part of your statement.

I would say that it wouldn't have to be Shamanism Reiki. In Arkansas, I would say that Reiki applies to this particular statement. But again, I'd call the state offices to make sure.

I pulled this of reikione.com 2001 newsletter.

Licensing Issue: Arkansas

It has come to my attention, through the National Reiki and Spiritual
Healing Coalition, that the Arkansas State Board of Massage has stopped
accepting new Reiki applications and are trying to change current
regulations. If they succeed, beginning in September, they will refuse all
Reiki classes as CEU credits for massage therapists.

To check on issues in your state, go here - -
http://www.sacredpath.org/html/reiki/legal/mtlstateleg.html

Nurses here in MA can earn CEU credits if they are certified in Reiki.
I think the reiki practitioner has to get forms from the hospital for
approval of CEU.

chi_solas wrote:I pulled this of reikione.com 2001 newsletter.

Licensing Issue: Arkansas

It has come to my attention, through the National Reiki and Spiritual
Healing Coalition, that the Arkansas State Board of Massage has stopped
accepting new Reiki applications and are trying to change current
regulations. If they succeed, beginning in September, they will refuse all
Reiki classes as CEU credits for massage therapists.

To check on issues in your state, go here - -
http://www.sacredpath.org/html/reiki/legal/mtlstateleg.html

Nurses here in MA can earn CEU credits if they are certified in Reiki.
I think the reiki practitioner has to get forms from the hospital for
approval of CEU.

I have since learned that nurses can only
earn CEU's from other Reiki certified nurses.