Reiki, Healing Touch and Therapeutic Touch are three energy-based practices where a practitioner places their hands on or near your body, and they differ mainly in origin, training and setting. Reiki came from Japan in the 1920s and has no single governing body. Healing Touch was built in 1989 as a nurse continuing-education program and has a defined credential. Therapeutic Touch came out of nursing in the 1970s and is the oldest of the three in the West. If you are choosing one, the practical questions are the training path and the setting, because the research on all three is modest.
Key Takeaways
- Reiki: Japanese in origin (Mikao Usui, 1920s), gentle hands on or just above the body, and no single governing body or required certification.
- Healing Touch: Created in 1989 by nurse Janet Mentgen as a continuing-education program, with a five-level path to the CHTP credential.
- Therapeutic Touch: Developed in the 1970s by Dolores Krieger and Dora Kunz at New York University, often done with hands near the body rather than on it.
- Training: Healing Touch has the most structured path. Reiki depends on the teacher. Therapeutic Touch is usually taught through nursing and holistic health programs.
- Evidence: Studies on all three are modest. Reiki is studied for pain and anxiety, and a well-known 1998 test of Therapeutic Touch scored near chance.
What Do These Three Practices Have in Common?
All three rest on one idea: a person has a field of life-force energy, and a calm, focused practitioner can help that field settle. If the language is new to you, our guide to life force energy is a good place to begin, and the overview of energy healing practices puts these three in a wider map.
In a session you stay clothed. The practitioner uses their hands, either resting lightly on you or held a few inches above, and moves through the body in a slow, quiet way. Most people describe feeling relaxed. The differences show up in the details of where each practice came from and how someone learns it.
Healing Touch vs Reiki vs Therapeutic Touch at a Glance
| Question | Reiki | Healing Touch | Therapeutic Touch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where it began | Japan | United States, within nursing | United States, within nursing |
| Who developed it | Mikao Usui | Janet Mentgen, a nurse | Dolores Krieger and Dora Kunz |
| When | 1920s | 1989 | 1970s |
| Hands | On or just above the body | Above the body or lightly on it | Often near the body, with a non-contact form |
| Typical session | About an hour | About 30 minutes, seated and clothed | Varies by practitioner |
| Training | Levels taught by individual teachers | Five-level program with a standard curriculum | Taught in nursing and holistic health settings |
| Credential | No central certifying authority | Certified Healing Touch Practitioner (CHTP) | No single universal credential |
What Is Reiki?
Reiki is a Japanese practice created by Mikao Usui in the 1920s. The word is usually translated as universal life energy. In a session the practitioner places their hands lightly on you or just above you, and a visit often runs about an hour. Students learn in levels, and the second level traditionally introduces sending Reiki at a distance.
The most important thing to know before you book is that Reiki has no central authority. There is no single body that certifies practitioners, so one teacher’s Level 2 can differ a lot from another’s. That is not a flaw so much as a feature of how the practice spread, but it means you do the vetting yourself. Because it lives so close to the ideas in the chakra system and the aura, many people use Reiki as a doorway into wider energy work.
What Is Healing Touch?
Healing Touch was founded in 1989 by nurse Janet Mentgen as a continuing-education program for nurses. It developed from the foundation that Therapeutic Touch built in nursing and grew into its own standardized curriculum. A session is usually around 30 minutes. You sit clothed, and the practitioner holds their hands above your body or rests them lightly on it.
What sets Healing Touch apart is structure. Students move through a five-level program, and the full path leads to the Certified Healing Touch Practitioner credential (CHTP) through Healing Touch International. It is endorsed by the American Holistic Nurses Association, which is part of why hospitals and cancer centers are more comfortable offering it. If you want a practitioner with a clear, checkable training record, this is the most straightforward of the three.
What Is Therapeutic Touch?
Therapeutic Touch was developed in the 1970s by Dolores Krieger, a professor of nursing at New York University, together with Dora Kunz. Despite the name, it is often done with the hands near the body rather than on it, and a non-contact version is common. Krieger’s book Therapeutic Touch: How to Use Your Hands to Help or Heal remains the foundational text.
It is the oldest of the three in the West and the one that carries the most history inside nursing. It is still accepted as continuing education for nurses in some places. It also became the practice researchers tested most directly, which leads to the next question.
How Are They Different in Practice?
In the room, the three can look almost identical. The differences are in the story and the structure behind the hands.
- Roots. Reiki carries a spiritual lineage from Japan. Healing Touch and Therapeutic Touch were both born inside nursing.
- Training. Healing Touch has a published curriculum and credential. Reiki varies by teacher. Therapeutic Touch is usually learned through nursing and holistic health programs.
- Touch. All three allow hands on or near the body. Therapeutic Touch is the one most associated with a no-contact approach.
- Setting. Healing Touch and Therapeutic Touch show up more in clinical and nursing settings. Reiki is common in wellness studios, hospitals and private practice alike.
A simple way to hold it: Reiki is the spiritual lineage, Healing Touch is the structured program, and Therapeutic Touch is the nursing-born original.
What Does the Research Say?
The honest answer is that the studies are modest, and it helps to know what they found. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) reports that Reiki has not been clearly shown to be effective for any health purpose. It has been studied for pain, anxiety and depression, but most of those studies are low quality, and no scientific evidence confirms that an energy field exists. NCCIH also notes that no harmful effects have been shown.
Therapeutic Touch faced a famous test in 1998. In a study published in JAMA, 21 practitioners tried to sense which of their hands a researcher held a hand near, without seeing it. Across 280 trials they were right 123 times, which is 44 percent, close to chance, and experience made no difference. Healing Touch is less tested. Some studies link it with lower pain, stress and anxiety, though researchers describe the field as still early.
None of this cancels what people feel in a session. Being still, being cared for and having someone’s full attention can feel deeply settling, and that experience is real to the person having it. The fair way to frame these practices is as supportive care and a quiet ritual of presence, not as a cure.
Healing Touch Classes, Certification and Training
Many people searching for Healing Touch want to know how to learn it. The path is defined. Classes run through five levels, and Healing Touch International describes a mentorship and case-study requirement before the CHTP credential is awarded. The program has been open to nurses and to other people interested in the work.
Organization names and requirements have changed over the years, so check the official Healing Touch International website for current class dates, fees and prerequisites before you commit. If you are weighing Healing Touch against Reiki as something to learn, Healing Touch asks for more time and structure. Reiki can be learned faster, with the tradeoff that you need to choose your teacher carefully.
How Do You Choose a Practitioner?
- Ask about training. Which levels, which teacher, and how long they have practiced.
- Ask what to expect. Hands on or hovering, how long, and what you will wear.
- Set your comfort level. You can ask for no contact at any point.
- Listen for promises. A trustworthy practitioner never promises to cure a condition or asks you to stop medical care.
- Trust your own sense. You should feel respected and unhurried.
Is It Safe, and How Does It Fit with Medical Care?
These practices are considered gentle, and NCCIH has not found harmful effects from Reiki. Use them alongside medical care, never instead of it. If you have a diagnosis or a symptom that worries you, see your healthcare provider, and tell them about any complementary practice you use. If you are working through something heavy, our guide on healing from trauma spiritually may help you choose supports that fit.
Go Deeper on Next Level Soul
- Energy Healing Practices: a wider look at hands-on and distance methods.
- Life Force Energy: the idea behind Reiki, Healing Touch and Therapeutic Touch.
- The Chakras: the energy centers many practitioners work with.
- Aura Colors: how people read the energy field around the body.
- Meditation Techniques for Beginners: a simple way to practice stillness at home.
- Quantum Physics and Spirituality: where science and consciousness meet.
Go Deeper with NLS Mastery: Astral Therapy
Journey into the astral realm for deep healing and remember who you truly are. Mariko Frederick teaches it in Astral Therapy: Journey Into the Higher Realms, part of NLS Mastery. Watch the course preview below.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Reiki and Healing Touch?
Reiki is a Japanese practice from the 1920s with no central certifying body, usually taught in levels by an individual teacher. Healing Touch began in 1989 as a nurse continuing-education program with a standardized curriculum and a defined credential, the Certified Healing Touch Practitioner (CHTP). Both use hands on or just above the body.
What is the difference between Reiki and Therapeutic Touch?
Therapeutic Touch was developed in the 1970s by Dolores Krieger and Dora Kunz inside nursing, and it is often done without physical contact. Reiki comes from Usui in Japan and is taught as a series of levels, including a distance level. In a session the two can look very similar from the outside.
Is Healing Touch the same as Therapeutic Touch?
No. Healing Touch grew out of the foundation Therapeutic Touch laid in nursing, but it is its own program with its own curriculum, levels and credential. Therapeutic Touch is the older practice.
Who created Healing Touch?
Nurse Janet Mentgen founded Healing Touch in 1989 as a continuing-education program for nurses. It was later developed into a multi-level program taught around the world.
What happens in a Healing Touch session?
A typical session lasts about 30 minutes. You stay clothed, usually seated, while the practitioner holds their hands above your body or rests them lightly on it. Many people describe feeling calm and relaxed afterward.
How do I become a Certified Healing Touch Practitioner?
The path described by Healing Touch International is a five-level program of classes, followed by a mentorship and case work, that leads to the CHTP credential. Organization names and requirements change over time, so confirm the current steps on the official Healing Touch International website before you enroll.
Does Reiki require certification?
No. There is no central authority that certifies Reiki practitioners, so training varies widely by teacher and lineage. Ask any practitioner about their training and how long they have practiced.
What does the research say about Reiki, Healing Touch and Therapeutic Touch?
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health reports that Reiki has not been clearly shown to be effective for any health purpose, and that most studies on pain, anxiety and depression are low quality. A 1998 JAMA study found 21 Therapeutic Touch practitioners correctly sensed a hand near theirs 44 percent of the time, about chance. Some Healing Touch studies link it with less pain, stress and anxiety, and research is still early.
Do these practices require physical touch?
No. Reiki, Healing Touch and Therapeutic Touch can all be done with the hands resting lightly on the body or hovering a few inches above it. If you prefer no contact, say so before you begin.
Can Reiki, Healing Touch or Therapeutic Touch replace medical care?
No. Treat them as a complement to care from your doctor, never a substitute. If you have a health concern, talk with your healthcare provider and let them know about any complementary practices you use.
Is there a book to start with on Therapeutic Touch?
Dolores Krieger, who developed the practice, wrote Therapeutic Touch: How to Use Your Hands to Help or Heal. It is the foundational book on the method, written by its co-founder.
Sources and Further Reading
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