Key Takeaways
- Reiki originated in 1920s Japan through Mikao Usui and uses attunements and sacred symbols, while Therapeutic Touch was developed in the 1970s by Dolores Krieger and Dora Kunz within a nursing science framework.
- Reiki practitioners channel universal life force energy through light touch or hovering hands, whereas Therapeutic Touch practitioners assess and rebalance the human energy field using specific hand-scanning and smoothing techniques without physical contact.
- Therapeutic Touch has a stronger presence in peer-reviewed nursing research, while Reiki has a broader global practitioner base and more widely recognized certification paths.
- Both modalities can reduce pain, lower anxiety, and promote relaxation, but they differ significantly in philosophy, training structure, and clinical integration.
- Your choice between Reiki and Therapeutic Touch should depend on your personal beliefs, professional goals, and whether you prefer a spiritual or clinical approach to energy work.
If you have been exploring energy healing options, you have likely encountered two names that come up repeatedly: Reiki and Therapeutic Touch. Both practices work with the body's energy field, and both have helped thousands of people find relief from pain, stress, and emotional imbalance.
Yet these two modalities are not the same. Understanding the differences between reiki vs therapeutic touch will help you decide which method fits your needs, whether you are a client looking for healing or a practitioner choosing a path to study. If you have already explored our guide on Reiki vs Pranic Healing, this article will expand your understanding even further.
Origins and History: Two Different Paths to Energy Healing
The Birth of Reiki in Japan
Reiki traces its roots to Mikao Usui, a Japanese spiritual teacher who developed the system in the early 1920s after a period of meditation and fasting on Mount Kurama near Kyoto. Usui experienced a spiritual opening during this retreat that gave him the ability to channel healing energy through his hands.
He called his method "Reiki," combining two Japanese words: "rei" (universal or spiritual) and "ki" (life force energy). The practice spread through Chujiro Hayashi, who refined the hand positions, and Hawayo Takata, who brought Reiki to the West through Hawaii in the late 1930s.
Today, Reiki is one of the most widely practiced forms of energy healing worldwide. The Reiki attunement process remains a defining feature of every branch, as it opens the practitioner's energy channels to receive and transmit healing energy.
Therapeutic Touch: Born in the Nursing Profession
Therapeutic Touch (TT) was developed in the early 1970s by Dolores Krieger, a professor of nursing at New York University, and Dora Kunz, a natural healer with clairvoyant abilities. Rather than framing the practice in spiritual or religious terms, Krieger positioned Therapeutic Touch as a natural human capacity that could be taught and studied within a clinical setting.
She based her theoretical model on Martha Rogers' Science of Unitary Human Beings, which describes humans as open energy systems. By the 1980s, TT was being practiced in hospitals across North America. The Nurse Healers-Professional Associates International (NH-PAI) was established to support TT education and research, giving it a unique position in the healthcare landscape.
Core Principles: How Each System Views Energy
Reiki's Spiritual Framework
Reiki operates from the principle that a universal life force energy flows through all living things. When this energy flows freely, a person experiences health and vitality. When it becomes blocked or depleted, illness and emotional distress can follow.
The Reiki practitioner acts as a channel for universal energy rather than generating it from their own body. The energy is understood to have its own intelligence and flows to wherever the recipient needs it most. This concept connects to life force energy found across many cultures: "ki" in Japanese, "chi" in Chinese, and "prana" in Indian traditions. Our guide on chakra healing and supportive foods explores how this energy relates to the body's energy centers.
Therapeutic Touch and the Human Energy Field
Therapeutic Touch focuses on the concept of the human energy field rather than referencing a universal spiritual energy. Krieger and Kunz proposed that every person has an energy field extending beyond the physical body that can be assessed and influenced through intentional hand movements.
In TT, the practitioner uses their hands to detect imbalances such as heat, cold, tingling, or congestion. They then use specific techniques to smooth out the field and restore balanced flow. The theoretical basis draws from physics concepts of field theory, with Krieger deliberately choosing language acceptable in academic and clinical settings.
Understanding the Energy Field Concept
Both Reiki and Therapeutic Touch work with the idea that humans have an energy component beyond the physical body. In Reiki, this is framed as a connection to universal life force. In TT, it is described as the human energy field or biofield. Modern research into biofield science is beginning to provide measurement tools that may eventually bridge these two perspectives. Learning to read auras can help you develop sensitivity to these energy fields regardless of which modality you practice.
Technique and Practice: What Happens During a Session
A Typical Reiki Session
During a standard Reiki session, the client lies fully clothed on a massage table or sits in a comfortable chair. The practitioner places their hands lightly on or just above the client's body in a series of specific positions covering the head, torso, and back.
Each hand position is held for three to five minutes. The total session usually lasts between 60 and 90 minutes. Clients often feel warmth, tingling, or deep relaxation. Reiki can also be performed at a distance using symbols taught at Level 2. If you are looking for in-person sessions, you can find certified Reiki practitioners in Toronto or explore energy healing options in Vancouver.
A Typical Therapeutic Touch Session
A Therapeutic Touch session follows a structured four-phase process that distinguishes it from other energy healing methods:
Phase 1: Centering. The practitioner enters a calm, focused state of present-moment awareness and compassionate intention. Centering is the foundation of effective TT practice.
Phase 2: Assessment. The practitioner moves their hands slowly through the client's energy field, typically four to six inches above the body, scanning from head to toe for sensations like warmth, coolness, heaviness, or congestion.
Phase 3: Intervention (Unruffling and Rebalancing). The practitioner uses specific hand movements to address detected imbalances. "Unruffling" involves sweeping the hands through the energy field in long, smooth downward strokes to release congested energy. They may also direct energy to depleted areas.
Phase 4: Evaluation and Closure. The practitioner reassesses the energy field to confirm that imbalances have shifted. When the field feels more balanced, the session is brought to a gentle close.
A full Therapeutic Touch session typically lasts 20 to 30 minutes. TT is always performed without physical contact, with the practitioner's hands remaining in the energy field surrounding the body.
Side-by-Side Comparison: Reiki vs Therapeutic Touch
| Feature | Reiki | Therapeutic Touch |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | Japan, 1920s (Mikao Usui) | United States, 1970s (Krieger and Kunz) |
| Philosophical Basis | Spiritual and metaphysical | Nursing science and field theory |
| Physical Contact | Light touch or hovering above body | No touch (hands in energy field only) |
| Key Mechanism | Channeling universal life force energy | Assessing and modulating the human energy field |
| Training Requirement | Attunement from a Reiki Master required | Mentored workshops; no attunement needed |
| Session Length | 60 to 90 minutes typical | 20 to 30 minutes typical |
| Symbols Used | Yes (sacred symbols taught at Level 2+) | No symbols used |
| Distance Healing | Yes (taught at Level 2) | Some practitioners practice it, not standard |
| Clinical Integration | Growing presence in hospitals | Established in nursing programs since the 1970s |
| Governing Body | No single global authority | NH-PAI (Nurse Healers-Professional Associates) |
| Cost per Session | $60 to $150 on average | $50 to $120 on average |
| Religious Ties | Spiritual but non-denominational | Secular and science-oriented |
Training and Certification: What It Takes to Learn Each Method
Reiki Training Levels
Reiki training follows a tiered system with three main levels, each requiring an attunement ceremony from a qualified Reiki Master:
Reiki Level 1 (Shoden): Students receive their first attunement and learn basic hand positions. Courses last one to two days and cost $150 to $400.
Reiki Level 2 (Okuden): Students receive a second attunement, learn three sacred symbols, and study distance healing. Training costs $250 to $600. Quality programs are available through Reiki training in Vancouver and similar certified programs across Canada.
Reiki Level 3/Master (Shinpiden): The Master level teaches the Master symbol and the ability to attune others. Training ranges from $500 to over $2,000. Because there is no single governing body, choosing a teacher with a clear lineage back to Usui is important.
Therapeutic Touch Training Path
Therapeutic Touch training follows a more standardized curriculum overseen by NH-PAI and the Therapeutic Touch International Association (TTIA):
Beginner Workshop: A 12-hour introductory course covering TT foundations, centering, and basic assessment techniques. Cost ranges from $100 to $300.
Intermediate Level: After several months of practice, students deepen their assessment skills through additional 12 to 16 hour workshops.
Advanced/Qualified Practitioner: Requires documented practice hours, peer review sessions, and advanced coursework with emphasis on mentorship.
A significant difference is that Therapeutic Touch does not require an attunement. The TT framework holds that the ability to sense the energy field is a natural human capacity developed through practice and mentorship, without special initiation.
What Does the Research Say?
Research on Therapeutic Touch
Therapeutic Touch has one of the larger research bases among energy healing modalities. Several randomized controlled trials have found that TT reduces anxiety in hospitalized patients. A study in the Journal of Holistic Nursing showed that TT significantly decreased anxiety compared to sham treatment. Research has also shown positive effects on wound healing and pain reduction in postoperative settings.
However, a widely publicized 1998 study by Emily Rosa in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that TT practitioners could not detect a human energy field under controlled conditions. This generated significant debate, with proponents arguing the experimental design did not reflect actual clinical practice.
Research on Reiki
Reiki research has expanded considerably. A 2017 systematic review in the Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine found that Reiki produced statistically significant improvements in pain, anxiety, and depression. Research at Hartford Hospital found that Reiki improved sleep quality by 86%, reduced pain by 78%, and decreased nausea by 80%.
The Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, and many other hospitals now offer Reiki as part of their integrative medicine programs. Like TT research, Reiki studies face challenges including small sample sizes and difficulty creating convincing placebo conditions. Both fields would benefit from larger, more rigorous trials.
Research Considerations for Both Modalities
When evaluating energy healing research, keep in mind that the quality of studies varies widely. Look for randomized controlled trials with adequate sample sizes, proper blinding, and clear outcome measures. Both Reiki and Therapeutic Touch have studies showing positive outcomes, but the evidence base is still developing. Many practitioners in energy healing practices in Ottawa and across Canada combine research awareness with hands-on clinical experience.
Clinical Settings: Where Each Method Is Used
Therapeutic Touch in Healthcare
Therapeutic Touch is taught in nursing schools across North America and practiced in hospitals, hospices, and long-term care facilities. Nurses often use it alongside conventional treatments, performing brief TT sessions before painful procedures or postoperatively. The brevity of TT sessions (often 10 to 20 minutes) makes it practical in busy healthcare environments.
TT is also used extensively in palliative care, where patients and families welcome complementary approaches to comfort and pain management.
Reiki in Healthcare and Beyond
As of 2026, over 800 hospitals in the United States offer Reiki services. Beyond hospitals, Reiki is practiced in private studios, wellness centers, spas, and homes. Reiki practitioners also commonly work alongside modalities such as sound healing with singing bowls and crystal therapy.
Reiki's availability as a distance healing modality further expands its reach, which is an option that Therapeutic Touch traditionally does not offer in its standard practice.
Common Conditions Addressed by Both Methods
While neither Reiki nor Therapeutic Touch claims to cure diseases, both modalities are commonly used to support people dealing with a range of physical and emotional conditions:
Chronic pain: Both methods have shown the ability to reduce pain perception. People with fibromyalgia, arthritis, and headaches frequently seek energy healing as a complementary approach.
Anxiety and stress: This is the strongest area of evidence for both modalities. The relaxation response helps reduce cortisol levels and activate the parasympathetic nervous system.
Post-surgical recovery: Hospitals use energy healing to support surgical recovery through reduced anxiety, improved sleep, and lower pain levels.
Cancer support: Both are widely used in oncology settings to manage treatment side effects and improve quality of life, never as a replacement for conventional treatment.
Emotional healing: Grief, depression, and trauma are common reasons people seek energy healing. Both modalities create a safe space for emotional processing and release. If you experience intense shifts during healing, understanding spiritual awakening physical symptoms can provide reassurance and context.
Philosophical and Spiritual Differences
Reiki's Spiritual Dimensions
Reiki carries a spiritual dimension central to its identity, though it is not tied to any specific religion. The five Reiki principles form an ethical foundation: do not anger, do not worry, be grateful, work diligently, and be kind to others.
The attunement process is considered a spiritual initiation that permanently opens the practitioner to universal energy. Many practitioners view Reiki as both a healing technique and a path of personal development, often combining it with meditation or other spiritual practices.
Therapeutic Touch's Secular Approach
Therapeutic Touch was intentionally designed to be secular and compatible with clinical settings. Krieger avoided religious or spiritual language, focusing on scientific concepts like field theory and consciousness.
The framework does not require spiritual beliefs, though many TT practitioners are deeply spiritual individuals. This secular framing has allowed TT to gain acceptance in clinical settings, though some feel it removes an important dimension that connects practitioner and client to something larger.
Who Should Choose Reiki?
Reiki may be the better choice for you if:
You are drawn to spiritual practice and want your healing modality to include a spiritual dimension through attunements, sacred symbols, and lineage connection.
You want broad global recognition and diverse training options. With millions of practitioners worldwide, Reiki offers unmatched accessibility.
You are interested in distance healing. Reiki's well-established protocols make it possible to give and receive sessions regardless of physical location.
You value the hands-on component and appreciate the gentle, nurturing quality of light touch during healing sessions.
You want to combine energy healing with other spiritual practices like meditation, yoga, or crystal healing.
Who Should Choose Therapeutic Touch?
Therapeutic Touch may be the better choice for you if:
You are a nurse or healthcare professional looking to add energy healing to your clinical practice. TT's nursing science foundation makes it a natural fit for medical professionals.
You prefer a structured, systematic approach. TT's four-phase process provides a clear protocol that is easy to teach, learn, and evaluate.
You are uncomfortable with spiritual frameworks. TT offers energy healing within a secular, science-oriented context without requiring specific spiritual beliefs.
You want a modality with strong nursing research. TT's decades of peer-reviewed studies can be valuable in professional settings.
You prefer no-touch healing exclusively. Therapeutic Touch is always a no-touch modality, providing consistency for those uncomfortable with physical contact.
Can You Practice Both Reiki and Therapeutic Touch?
Yes, and many experienced energy healers do exactly that. You might use Reiki's intuitive approach for personal healing, then apply TT's structured protocols in clinical settings. TT's centering and assessment skills can strengthen Reiki practice, while Reiki's attunements can deepen TT sensitivity.
If you decide to study both, consider starting with one and building a solid foundation before adding the second. Exploring multiple energy modalities over time will give you the broadest possible toolkit.
Integrating Energy Healing Into Your Life
Whether you choose Reiki, Therapeutic Touch, or both, the most important factor in your energy healing journey is consistent practice. Regular sessions, ongoing study, and a genuine commitment to your own healing will produce far better results than any single technique alone. Energy healing becomes more effective as you develop sensitivity to the subtle energy field and learn to work with it intentionally.
Cost Comparison: What to Expect to Pay
| Cost Category | Reiki | Therapeutic Touch |
|---|---|---|
| Single Session (Client) | $60 to $150 | $50 to $120 |
| Beginner Training | $150 to $400 (Level 1) | $100 to $300 (Beginner Workshop) |
| Intermediate Training | $250 to $600 (Level 2) | $150 to $400 (Intermediate) |
| Advanced/Master Training | $500 to $2,000+ (Master Level) | $200 to $500 (Advanced/Qualified) |
| Ongoing Education | Optional workshops and retreats | Required continuing education through NH-PAI |
| Equipment Needed | Massage table optional ($100-$400) | No special equipment required |
Both modalities are relatively affordable compared to many other healthcare professional training paths. Neither requires expensive equipment or ongoing supply costs, making them accessible options for people at various income levels.
Safety and Contraindications
Both modalities are considered safe and non-invasive with very few reported adverse effects. They can sometimes trigger emotional releases, and some people experience temporary fatigue or mild headaches as part of a healing response.
Neither Reiki nor TT should replace conventional medical care. They are complementary approaches that work best alongside medical treatment.
Finding a Qualified Practitioner
Finding a skilled practitioner matters more than the specific modality. For Reiki, ask about training lineage and practice hours. A certified Reiki practitioner should discuss their background openly. For TT, check whether they are recognized by NH-PAI or TTIA.
For both modalities, trust your instincts. A good energy healer creates a safe, respectful environment and is happy to answer your questions and explain what to expect.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Reiki or Therapeutic Touch better for anxiety?
Both modalities have research supporting their use for anxiety reduction. Therapeutic Touch has a slightly longer track record in clinical anxiety research due to its nursing roots, but Reiki studies have also shown significant anxiety reduction. The best choice depends on whether you prefer a hands-on spiritual approach (Reiki) or a no-touch clinical approach (TT). Try a session of each and notice which one helps you feel more relaxed and at ease.
Can Therapeutic Touch be done at a distance like Reiki?
Standard Therapeutic Touch protocols are designed for in-person practice. Some advanced TT practitioners do explore distant healing, but it is not a formal part of the TT curriculum the way distance healing is built into Reiki Level 2 training. If distance healing is important to you, Reiki offers a more structured and widely practiced framework for remote sessions.
Do I need to believe in energy healing for it to work?
Neither Reiki nor Therapeutic Touch requires belief from the client. Research has shown positive effects in studies with skeptical participants and even in animal studies where belief is not a factor. That said, being open and receptive may enhance your experience. You do not need to hold specific spiritual beliefs, but approaching the session with curiosity rather than active resistance tends to support a more positive outcome.
How many sessions of each do I need before seeing results?
Many people notice some benefit after a single session of either modality, particularly in terms of relaxation and stress relief. For chronic conditions or deeper healing goals, practitioners typically recommend a series of four to six sessions spaced one to two weeks apart. After the initial series, ongoing maintenance sessions can be scheduled as needed. Every person responds differently, so there is no fixed number that works for everyone.
Your Energy Healing Path Starts Here
Both Reiki and Therapeutic Touch offer genuine pathways to healing, self-discovery, and wellbeing. The right choice is the one that speaks to your heart and aligns with your goals. Whether you are drawn to Reiki's spiritual depth or Therapeutic Touch's clinical precision, taking the first step toward energy healing is what matters most.
Sources
- Krieger, D. (1993). Accepting Your Power to Heal: The Personal Practice of Therapeutic Touch. Bear & Company.
- Rand, W.L. (2005). Reiki: The Healing Touch. Vision Publications.
- McManus, D.E. (2017). "Reiki Is Better Than Placebo and Has Broad Potential as a Complementary Health Therapy." Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine, 22(4), 1051-1057.
- Rosa, L., Rosa, E., Sarner, L., & Barrett, S. (1998). "A Close Look at Therapeutic Touch." Journal of the American Medical Association, 279(13), 1005-1010.
- Monroe, C.M. (2009). "The Effects of Therapeutic Touch on Pain." Journal of Holistic Nursing, 27(2), 85-92.
- Vitale, A. (2007). "An Integrative Review of Reiki Touch Therapy Research." Holistic Nursing Practice, 21(4), 167-179.
- Marta, I.E., et al. (2010). "Effectiveness of Therapeutic Touch on Pain, Depression and Sleep in Patients with Chronic Pain." Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da USP, 44(4), 1100-1106.
- Baldwin, A.L., Vitale, A., Brownell, E., Kryak, E., & Rand, W. (2017). "Effects of Reiki on Pain, Anxiety, and Blood Pressure in Patients Undergoing Knee Replacement." Holistic Nursing Practice, 31(2), 80-89.