Professionalism in Practice
Because Reiki is one of the fastest growing methods of hands on healing in the world today, it is very important to address the subject of Professionalism in Practice. There are many other systems and new methods of energy healing are being created as I speak, but lately find Reiki is the one that everything else is being held in comparison to. Is it like Reiki? Is it better than Reiki?
When I first started my Practice in 1999, people seemed to hold everything in comparison to Therapeutic Touch because it was the only energy healing modality people knew about and it was the first energy healing modality that had been accepted by nurses and was being offered in some hospital settings. Reiki has grown exponentially since 1999 because of it is effective for treating a wide range of illnesses, it can be used to treat yourself and it is very easy to learn.
Because Reiki is so accessible it cannot be controlled and this is a good thing. The CRA ( Canadian Reiki Associtation) has done a great job at creating professional standards and a professional association that gives all members accountability and credibility. It is also important that we create that professionalism and credibility within our own practices. When we do this ourselves and encourage our students and other Reiki Professionals in the same way we create credibility for all of us.
Speak well of other practitioners, no matter what method they are using. All modalities have been created to help people. Truth is found in the effectiveness of the method. Certain things work better than others depending on the practitioner’s ability and the client’s needs at the time. If you do not have anything good to say, then say nothing. Use your energy to offer assistance. We need to support each other so that we may all succeed. By putting down another person’s practice or method we are creating negativity around all Reiki Practitioners. After all we are energy workers and know the Karma created when we stand back and hope another person will fail. Even if you are not congruent with what another person is doing it is more important that you lead by example and not try to discredit them or their Practice. If they are a CRA Member and not abiding by the Code of Ethics or CRA standards then it is your duty to report them and let the CRA handle it. If they are not a CRA member and are doing something illegal you can always contact the police or encourage the person who has the complaint to contact the police, but do it quietly and do not gossip. When you gossip, this is a form of physic attack on another individual and this kind of energy is both detrimental to you and the person you are speaking about…. Not to mention the negative effects it has on the whole Reiki Profession. It is important to be mindful and rather than criticize, offer assistance, if the practitioner does not want your assistance and no laws have been broken, then leave it alone.
Succeeding in Practice
We have all had to start somewhere and if you are not able to quit your job in order to fully immerse yourself in your dream of a full time Reiki Practice. Then make sure you are not sending out the message that this is not your real job. If you work Monday to Friday and have decided to start an evening and/or weekend practice to see how it will go then regard that as a Professional Practice. When someone calls you and wants to book and appointment for Tuesday afternoon you don’t say, “ I work Monday to Friday, so I can’t see you.“, You say, “ I don’t have an opening on Tuesday, but I have some openings on Saturday. Would that work for you?” you have told the truth, they don’t need to know about your personal schedule, their interest is in booking an appointment for themselves. It also sounds as if your practice is thriving and with that energy created it will be no time before that is a reality… provided that is what you wish to happen. If you want to keep your practice part time, it is still more professional to let the client know when you can see them rather than when you cannot.
I am always amazed when a practitioner is completive with other Reiki Professionals. Do they fear that there are not enough clients to go around? And what a wonderful world that would be if there was no one in need of healing! Doctors never hold this fear or compete with other doctors, they support and refer, so that the general public will have access and to a medical system that they can trust. We need to create this trust within the practice of Reiki.
“A good healer is not the one who makes claims to be able to heal others, but the one who constantly works hard to heal herself.”
I have often noticed that people who complain that they cannot earn a living with the Practice of Reiki are the same people who are not willing to pay another professional to assist them in their own personal healing. They are operating from a place of lack and on some level are not willing to invest in themselves. If you see no value in paying another person for healing services and are not willing to spend it on yourself, then through the Law of attraction you will not be holding the energy that healing treatments do not have value. Look at how you spend your money. If you are able to order a pizza, rent that Friday night video and stop in at Starbucks on a regular basis, get your hair done, but you will not spend any of your hard earned cash on personal healing then you might want to examine your priorities. As responsible practitioners we need to do our own personal healing and support others who are doing the work we wish to be doing. These are the beginning steps of creating a network of professionals who can help you and your clients when you need to refer someone to a practitioner whose services you have used and who you can recommend.
If you are going away on vacation or cannot see a client for any other reason then you should know someone that you respect to refer your clients to. If we try to control or keep clients from going to other practitioners they will likely find someone else on their own anyway, but that won’t leave them with a good feeling about you. You also use the CRA directory to help your clients find another practitioner. You can refer with confidence even if you don’t know the practitioner personally because all CRA members have already gone through a screening process and have agreed to practice by a certain code of ethics and standards.
As Professionals it is a good idea to have a network of other practitioners that we can refer clients to. We must always remember that our goal is not keep clients, but to see them empowered and making constant progress. If this is not happening in the work you are doing them perhaps it is time to refer to someone else. If a client leaves you because they are getting better then that is great for the whole profession. They will tell people about it and more and more people will be looking for Reiki Practitioners. If they leave because they are not getting any results then there may be something in the way that a physiotherapist or Naturopathic Doctor could help them with. Remember other therapies complement what we do including medical intervention and everything helps to ensure a successful outcome. Only offer advice in the modalities your are qualified in and send people on to another professional when you are sensing they need something else. In the end they will thank you for it and speak well of the professional way they have been treated. They will also be more likely to return for preventative, relaxation sessions once they are well again.
Be sure that you business cards, brochures and advertising send out a clear message of exactly what it is you do. Practitioners sometimes feel that if they have a long list of modalities they will attract more clients. But the truth is that this will often confuse the client and send a message that you are not particularly grounded nor have mastered any particular healing method. Make it clear that you are Reiki Professional and do not undermine the effectiveness of Reiki by having a business card that is so full of other modalities that the client is not sure of what you do or what they will receive when they come to you.
If you book a Reiki appointment with a client and are qualified in practicing other healing methods aside from Reiki , be sure to let the client know when you are introducing something other than Reiki. Be sure that you have your clients permission first and that they understand what you are doing.
Professionalism is the way you conduct your business.
Having a CRA designation insures the client that you operate by a standard and code of ethics so having that professional designation on your business card is of value to both you and the client.
Have professional promotional material printed that does not look home made. At minimum a professional practitioner needs to have a business card and a brochure that explains what they do in more depth. If you are intent on creating a thriving practice that attracts the kind of clients you would like to be helping, then Reiki your promotional material with that intention. Have a clear vision of what it is you would like to create and do not worry about the how, just allow the wisdom of Reiki to assist in manifesting it for you. Hold your hands over your printed material while envisioning the light of Reiki permeating it with your intention. Each time someone picks up your material they will receive a blessing of Reiki.
More people go to the internet in search of holistic modalities than any other source. So having a good website is an investment that will help you grow and prosper. Be sure to maintain it with regular updates and be responsive to emails, otherwise you are losing the effectiveness of having this tool. Be careful of free website offers because often they will put ads on your site that might not be congruent with what you are trying to convey. Having a website is energy work don’t allow the energy to become stale and outdated, be sure the graphics and information conveys a clear message of who you are and what you are offering. Prospective clients are most interested in what you can do for them and not necessarily a long list of credentials. Be careful not to make any false claims.
Have a designated phone line that only you answer or a cell phone that you conduct your business with. That way you avoid the phone being answered in and unprofessional manner or a family member taking messages and not passing them on to you. Be responsive to phone messages and return calls promptly. If you are going of away for a period of time be sure to have someone you trust respond to your messages when you cannot. That way they can schedule appointments for you when you return and you won’t miss out on any business.
Have a private space that will not be disrupted during the clients visit. If this is not possible within the setting of your own home then consider sharing an office space with another practitioner until you are ready to rent an office full time. Be sure that your office is restful, clean and clear both physically and energetically. Provide a nurturing and tranquil setting for your clients. If you are unsure of how to do this you might want to consider hiring someone who experienced Fung Shui or with creating sacred spaces. You could also ask another practitioner who has a lovely healing space to give you some direction. A general rule would be to keep it simple and place only objects which are of significance in your healing space.
Dress appropriately in a professional manner. Do not appear at the door in bedroom slippers and tack suit. Be clean, neat and do not wear perfume, after shave or heavy scents. There is no bigger deterrent to a successful Reiki Practice than a practitioner who smells of cigarette smoke. When your client is in a relaxed state they will be more sensitive to unhealthy scents, pet odours, cooking odours and loud intrusive noises. The successful and considerate practitioner will provide a space that will not subject the client to anything that could interfere with the healing session.
Provide proper receipts for all your clients. Keep records of expenses and payments. Keep an accurate record of all your treatments. This way you can quickly refer to your notes before the client arrives for their next appointment and keep track of their progress. Have a privacy policy and be sure to keep all records confidential. Invest in a shredder for any old documents you may need to dispose of. Never throw anything in the garbage that has anyone’s personal information on it without shredding it first.
I hope that these ideas will assist you in creating a productive and successful Reiki practice. If you would like to experience more constructive ideas and helpful exercises for creating the Reiki Practice you are dreaming about be sure to attend the CRA annual general meeting in May.
Because Reiki is one of the fastest growing methods of hands on healing in the world today, it is very important to address the subject of Professionalism in Practice. There are many other systems and new methods of energy healing are being created as I speak, but lately find Reiki is the one that everything else is being held in comparison to. Is it like Reiki? Is it better than Reiki?
When I first started my Practice in 1999, people seemed to hold everything in comparison to Therapeutic Touch because it was the only energy healing modality people knew about and it was the first energy healing modality that had been accepted by nurses and was being offered in some hospital settings. Reiki has grown exponentially since 1999 because of it is effective for treating a wide range of illnesses, it can be used to treat yourself and it is very easy to learn.
Because Reiki is so accessible it cannot be controlled and this is a good thing. The CRA ( Canadian Reiki Associtation) has done a great job at creating professional standards and a professional association that gives all members accountability and credibility. It is also important that we create that professionalism and credibility within our own practices. When we do this ourselves and encourage our students and other Reiki Professionals in the same way we create credibility for all of us.
Speak well of other practitioners, no matter what method they are using. All modalities have been created to help people. Truth is found in the effectiveness of the method. Certain things work better than others depending on the practitioner’s ability and the client’s needs at the time. If you do not have anything good to say, then say nothing. Use your energy to offer assistance. We need to support each other so that we may all succeed. By putting down another person’s practice or method we are creating negativity around all Reiki Practitioners. After all we are energy workers and know the Karma created when we stand back and hope another person will fail. Even if you are not congruent with what another person is doing it is more important that you lead by example and not try to discredit them or their Practice. If they are a CRA Member and not abiding by the Code of Ethics or CRA standards then it is your duty to report them and let the CRA handle it. If they are not a CRA member and are doing something illegal you can always contact the police or encourage the person who has the complaint to contact the police, but do it quietly and do not gossip. When you gossip, this is a form of physic attack on another individual and this kind of energy is both detrimental to you and the person you are speaking about…. Not to mention the negative effects it has on the whole Reiki Profession. It is important to be mindful and rather than criticize, offer assistance, if the practitioner does not want your assistance and no laws have been broken, then leave it alone.
Succeeding in Practice
We have all had to start somewhere and if you are not able to quit your job in order to fully immerse yourself in your dream of a full time Reiki Practice. Then make sure you are not sending out the message that this is not your real job. If you work Monday to Friday and have decided to start an evening and/or weekend practice to see how it will go then regard that as a Professional Practice. When someone calls you and wants to book and appointment for Tuesday afternoon you don’t say, “ I work Monday to Friday, so I can’t see you.“, You say, “ I don’t have an opening on Tuesday, but I have some openings on Saturday. Would that work for you?” you have told the truth, they don’t need to know about your personal schedule, their interest is in booking an appointment for themselves. It also sounds as if your practice is thriving and with that energy created it will be no time before that is a reality… provided that is what you wish to happen. If you want to keep your practice part time, it is still more professional to let the client know when you can see them rather than when you cannot.
I am always amazed when a practitioner is completive with other Reiki Professionals. Do they fear that there are not enough clients to go around? And what a wonderful world that would be if there was no one in need of healing! Doctors never hold this fear or compete with other doctors, they support and refer, so that the general public will have access and to a medical system that they can trust. We need to create this trust within the practice of Reiki.
“A good healer is not the one who makes claims to be able to heal others, but the one who constantly works hard to heal herself.”
I have often noticed that people who complain that they cannot earn a living with the Practice of Reiki are the same people who are not willing to pay another professional to assist them in their own personal healing. They are operating from a place of lack and on some level are not willing to invest in themselves. If you see no value in paying another person for healing services and are not willing to spend it on yourself, then through the Law of attraction you will not be holding the energy that healing treatments do not have value. Look at how you spend your money. If you are able to order a pizza, rent that Friday night video and stop in at Starbucks on a regular basis, get your hair done, but you will not spend any of your hard earned cash on personal healing then you might want to examine your priorities. As responsible practitioners we need to do our own personal healing and support others who are doing the work we wish to be doing. These are the beginning steps of creating a network of professionals who can help you and your clients when you need to refer someone to a practitioner whose services you have used and who you can recommend.
If you are going away on vacation or cannot see a client for any other reason then you should know someone that you respect to refer your clients to. If we try to control or keep clients from going to other practitioners they will likely find someone else on their own anyway, but that won’t leave them with a good feeling about you. You also use the CRA directory to help your clients find another practitioner. You can refer with confidence even if you don’t know the practitioner personally because all CRA members have already gone through a screening process and have agreed to practice by a certain code of ethics and standards.
As Professionals it is a good idea to have a network of other practitioners that we can refer clients to. We must always remember that our goal is not keep clients, but to see them empowered and making constant progress. If this is not happening in the work you are doing them perhaps it is time to refer to someone else. If a client leaves you because they are getting better then that is great for the whole profession. They will tell people about it and more and more people will be looking for Reiki Practitioners. If they leave because they are not getting any results then there may be something in the way that a physiotherapist or Naturopathic Doctor could help them with. Remember other therapies complement what we do including medical intervention and everything helps to ensure a successful outcome. Only offer advice in the modalities your are qualified in and send people on to another professional when you are sensing they need something else. In the end they will thank you for it and speak well of the professional way they have been treated. They will also be more likely to return for preventative, relaxation sessions once they are well again.
Be sure that you business cards, brochures and advertising send out a clear message of exactly what it is you do. Practitioners sometimes feel that if they have a long list of modalities they will attract more clients. But the truth is that this will often confuse the client and send a message that you are not particularly grounded nor have mastered any particular healing method. Make it clear that you are Reiki Professional and do not undermine the effectiveness of Reiki by having a business card that is so full of other modalities that the client is not sure of what you do or what they will receive when they come to you.
If you book a Reiki appointment with a client and are qualified in practicing other healing methods aside from Reiki , be sure to let the client know when you are introducing something other than Reiki. Be sure that you have your clients permission first and that they understand what you are doing.
Professionalism is the way you conduct your business.
Having a CRA designation insures the client that you operate by a standard and code of ethics so having that professional designation on your business card is of value to both you and the client.
Have professional promotional material printed that does not look home made. At minimum a professional practitioner needs to have a business card and a brochure that explains what they do in more depth. If you are intent on creating a thriving practice that attracts the kind of clients you would like to be helping, then Reiki your promotional material with that intention. Have a clear vision of what it is you would like to create and do not worry about the how, just allow the wisdom of Reiki to assist in manifesting it for you. Hold your hands over your printed material while envisioning the light of Reiki permeating it with your intention. Each time someone picks up your material they will receive a blessing of Reiki.
More people go to the internet in search of holistic modalities than any other source. So having a good website is an investment that will help you grow and prosper. Be sure to maintain it with regular updates and be responsive to emails, otherwise you are losing the effectiveness of having this tool. Be careful of free website offers because often they will put ads on your site that might not be congruent with what you are trying to convey. Having a website is energy work don’t allow the energy to become stale and outdated, be sure the graphics and information conveys a clear message of who you are and what you are offering. Prospective clients are most interested in what you can do for them and not necessarily a long list of credentials. Be careful not to make any false claims.
Have a designated phone line that only you answer or a cell phone that you conduct your business with. That way you avoid the phone being answered in and unprofessional manner or a family member taking messages and not passing them on to you. Be responsive to phone messages and return calls promptly. If you are going of away for a period of time be sure to have someone you trust respond to your messages when you cannot. That way they can schedule appointments for you when you return and you won’t miss out on any business.
Have a private space that will not be disrupted during the clients visit. If this is not possible within the setting of your own home then consider sharing an office space with another practitioner until you are ready to rent an office full time. Be sure that your office is restful, clean and clear both physically and energetically. Provide a nurturing and tranquil setting for your clients. If you are unsure of how to do this you might want to consider hiring someone who experienced Fung Shui or with creating sacred spaces. You could also ask another practitioner who has a lovely healing space to give you some direction. A general rule would be to keep it simple and place only objects which are of significance in your healing space.
Dress appropriately in a professional manner. Do not appear at the door in bedroom slippers and tack suit. Be clean, neat and do not wear perfume, after shave or heavy scents. There is no bigger deterrent to a successful Reiki Practice than a practitioner who smells of cigarette smoke. When your client is in a relaxed state they will be more sensitive to unhealthy scents, pet odours, cooking odours and loud intrusive noises. The successful and considerate practitioner will provide a space that will not subject the client to anything that could interfere with the healing session.
Provide proper receipts for all your clients. Keep records of expenses and payments. Keep an accurate record of all your treatments. This way you can quickly refer to your notes before the client arrives for their next appointment and keep track of their progress. Have a privacy policy and be sure to keep all records confidential. Invest in a shredder for any old documents you may need to dispose of. Never throw anything in the garbage that has anyone’s personal information on it without shredding it first.
I hope that these ideas will assist you in creating a productive and successful Reiki practice. If you would like to experience more constructive ideas and helpful exercises for creating the Reiki Practice you are dreaming about be sure to attend the CRA annual general meeting in May.
Barbara McKell RT CRA
