Reiki for Addiction: How Energy Healing Supports Recovery

The gentle practice of Reiki aims to promote relaxation, emotional healing, and your body’s natural healing response.¹ In addiction treatment, holistic rehabs use Reiki therapy to support clients recovering from substance use disorders through the physical, mental, and emotional changes of early recovery.

But how exactly does Reiki work, and is Reiki for addiction actually effective?

What Is Reiki?

Reiki is a form of energy healing that Mikao Usui developed in Japan in the early 20th century.² In Japanese, the word reiki means “universal life energy,” sometimes called life force energy.³ Practitioners act as a conduit for this healing energy, placing their hands lightly on or just above your body to direct it.¹

Reiki aims to restore balance and support your body’s ability to heal itself.⁴ According to practitioner Teri Kersting, “As a holistic health practitioner, you’re looking at mind, body, and spirit. It’s very healing in all respects.”

What Happens in a Reiki Session?

A Reiki treatment usually takes place in a relaxed environment, similar to what you’d expect during a massage. There may be soft music playing to help you relax. You’ll remain clothed and lie on a massage table or sit in a chair.

If you have physical pain, you can get into any position that will be comfortable for you to be in for the duration of the session.

During the session, the practitioner places their hands lightly on or just above your body in a series of positions.^1,4 Some practitioners also trace symbols above your body, which they believe helps clear and balance your energy centers, known as chakras.

Sessions typically last 45 to 90 minutes.⁵ Reiki can also be offered remotely, without the practitioner in the room.⁴

Do I Need to Do Anything While Receiving Reiki?

Your only job during the session is to relax. If it helps, you can treat the session as a mindfulness practice by gently noticing your breath and any sensations without judgment. Some people fall asleep, which is completely okay and doesn’t interfere with your ability to receive its benefits.⁶ There’s no right or wrong way to receive Reiki.

What Will I Feel During Reiki?

The experience of Reiki is different from person to person and from session to session.

In one large study, the most common experiences were deep relaxation, physical sensations in the body, and emotional shifts. Some people also noticed changes in perception or felt drowsy.⁶ Practitioners believe these feelings reflect a release of stuck energy.

If you don’t notice much during a session, that’s okay too.

How Will I Feel After Reiki?

Many people feel relaxed and calm after Reiki.⁶ Research suggests even a single session can improve several measures of physical and psychological health.⁵

You may choose to discuss what came up for you during the session with your practitioner, but this is optional. Reflecting on these moments can build self-awareness, a skill that supports your recovery process long after the session ends.

Will My Reiki Practitioner Respect My Boundaries?

As part of creating a trauma-sensitive environment, your practitioner should respect all of your requirements for feeling safe.

You may ask them not to lay their hands directly on you, and request any changes you need to feel comfortable, such as adjusting the volume of the music or temperature of the room.

As with any therapy, voice any questions or concerns at any point before, during, or after the session.

How Many Sessions Do I Need?

One Reiki session may be enough to lift your spirits or help you through a hard moment.

For ongoing issues, you may need more sessions. Studies showing benefits for stress and depression typically used weekly sessions over 6 weeks or more.⁴ You may opt for a series of sessions, based on your treatment goals.

Reiki can also be used as a regular part of maintenance and self-care, and once you’ve completed introductory training, you can practice it on yourself as a healthy coping mechanism to turn to when stress or cravings come up, which can be a helpful part of your relapse prevention plan.²

As Kersting says, “It helps us center at the end of the day. Also, it helps us prepare for the day ahead, and all the stresses and anxieties that can come up.”

Who Can Administer Reiki?

Reiki training is typically organized into three levels, ending at the master level.⁷ Introductory training usually takes about 8 to 10 hours and covers hand positions for treating both yourself and others, so practitioners can begin offering Reiki to others early in their training.²

Unlike some alternative medicine credentials that require years of schooling, Reiki training is relatively short.

Where Is Reiki Available?

Reiki is often offered at holistic rehabs as one form of holistic therapy, alongside clinical treatments and other alternative therapies.

If you want to continue after residential rehab, many practitioners offer it as a standalone therapy.

What Can Reiki Treat?

Reiki is intended to calm the nervous system and support physical healing, and one review found it activates the parasympathetic nervous system.⁸ It has been studied for a range of conditions, including pain, anxiety, and depression.¹

Reiki master and practitioner Melanie Hoffstead explains that her clients report relief from depression and chronic pain. “People who come to me who’ve suffered for many years with arthritis, with quite a few treatments, seem to be almost pain-free. People who suffer from depression seem to be able to have more of a sense that life can be more manageable.”

Reiki has not been shown to have harmful effects, and it is estimated that about 60 hospitals and clinics in the U.S. offer it.^1,4

How Reiki Can Support Addiction Recovery

Recovery is rewarding, but the recovery process is inevitably challenging at times. This is especially true in the early stages, when adjusting mentally and physically to a life without substances may involve confronting deeply held wounds. Reiki therapy for addiction can provide much-needed calm and comfort during tough times.

Research suggests Reiki may reduce stress and depression more than a placebo, especially when symptoms are at clinical levels.⁴

Researchers who reviewed placebo-controlled trials concluded that Reiki may be an appropriate complementary treatment alongside psychotherapy for depression, stress, and anxiety.⁴

Many holistic rehabs offer Reiki for addiction treatment as part of their alternative therapy offerings. Reiki is considered a complementary health approach, meaning it’s used alongside other therapies rather than on its own.¹

Is Reiki Real?

There’s no scientific evidence that the energy field Reiki is based on exists, and  research on Reiki is limited.¹ Still, one review of placebo-controlled studies found that 8 of 13 studies showed Reiki working better than a placebo.⁸ Studies have linked Reiki to:

• Deep relaxation and calm⁶
• Physical sensations in the body⁶
• Emotional shifts⁶
• Reduced stress and depression when symptoms are at clinical levels⁴
• Reduced anxiety when symptoms are at clinical levels⁴
• Improved sleep quality in people with multiple sclerosis⁹
• Lower diastolic blood pressure in nurses with burnout⁴

Researchers who studied more than 1,200 Reiki sessions concluded that Reiki can activate the relaxation response and shift emotions and perception.⁶

Even if you’re skeptical about energy healing, there’s strong evidence that touch, including gentle touch therapies, can benefit health. One large 2024 meta-analysis found touch was especially effective at reducing pain, depression, and anxiety in adults, and at regulating levels of cortisol (a stress hormone) in newborns.¹⁰

Limitations of Reiki

Reiki can bring up  emotions, and it’s helpful to process these with a talk therapist, especially if you also live with co-occurring mental health disorders like depression or anxiety.⁶ Reiki can be used as a complementary treatment, but it shouldn’t replace treatment for mental illness or other serious conditions.¹

Reiki also isn’t a substitute for medically supervised detoxification. Withdrawal from alcohol and benzodiazepines can cause serious withdrawal symptoms, including seizures, so detox should be managed by medical professionals.¹¹

If you prefer a more evidence-based approach to healing, Reiki may not be for you.

Get Help For Yourself or A Loved One Today

Recovery may seem daunting, but effective help is available. Explore residential drug rehabs or specialized alcohol addiction treatment programs to find the right environment for healing. Use our free tool to search for addiction treatment by insurance, location, and amenities now.