Social Work and Reiki: Towards Integration

Abstract

<p>Complementary therapies are becoming increasingly popular among health care users and are also a growing focus of academic research . However, there has been limited attention given to the relationship between social work practice and complementary therapies.</p> <p>This qualitative research involved completing interviews with four social workers who also have Reiki training. The goal was to explore the experiences of social workers in order to better understand the benefits and challenges of incorporating Reiki into social work practice and conventional medicine.</p> <p>Participants identified benefits and challenges that they had experienced as a result of being a social worker with Reiki credentials and attempting to integrate Reiki within their clinical practice. Reiki was identified as being a supportive intervention that could assist both social workers and the people they serve. Participants emphasized that social workers have the necessary skill set to support the use of Reiki , and that Reiki can be a valuable addition to social work practice and conventional medicine.</p> <p>Social work practice and conventional medicine need to continue to evolve to meet the diverse needs of service users who are interested in combining traditional interventions with complementary therapies, like Reiki. Integrating Reiki into social work practice and conventional medicine also supports their commitment to providing holistic services.</p> <p>Social work specific research is needed on the use of Reiki within social work practice to support the move towards integration. As interest in Reiki and the connection between mind , body, and spirit increases, it will be important for social work research to re-examine the place of complementary therapies within social work practice.</p>