How to Treat Emotional Trauma and Crisis with Reiki

Sharing with you  the optimal way to give a treatment to someone who has experienced a recent shock, trauma or tragedy is what I am guided to give you now. Here in Ottawa, Canada, we experienced an event this week where a public transit bus collided with a train, leaving six dead and dozens of others injured – as well as the impact on the families and the emergency and medical personnel who assisted with this accident.

When someone experiences a major trauma or event in their life, it impacts their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual self.  As a Reiki Master or Practitioner, you will be assisting people who come to you with post-traumatic experiences, both fresh and from the past. The energy of a crisis is what most often leads people to seek assistance from others. Often is the case that the crisis or trauma leaves a person feeling so exposed and anxious that they become very open to energy work. In working with someone in crisis, you’ll find that there are often long-term issues underlying the immediate symptoms that they are presenting.

In working with people in crisis for nearly 30 years, I’ve developed an approach that works exceptionally well in assisting them in moving out of the shock of the crisis and regaining a sense of safety and calm. As the treatment provider, there are two key elements for you to know:

A) You cannot take anyone, anywhere that you are not yourself. That means if you are reeling from the crisis, feeling agitated or anxious, it’s essential to heal and nurture yourself first. Before the session, you will need time to centre and ground yourself to Mother Earth (roots moving out of the bottom of your feet work very well). After the session, you will need time and space to ‘debrief’ yourself. This means scanning your whole being, and releasing to the Earth any and all fear or trauma that you may have inadvertently picked up during the session.

B)If you have not been trained as a psychotherapist, then you are not one. I know that statement may seem harsh, yet it is really common for energy work practitioners to overstep their skill set, especially when someone is scared and in crisis. You’re profoundly important job for this person is to get them back in their bodies, reduce their fear and allow Reiki to nurture them and returned to them a sense of safety. Counseling people who have experienced trauma is very complex and it is easy to reinforce the trauma rather than be a catalyst to relieve it.

Here are the steps I use with rapid results for assisting someone in crisis. The intention of this type of treatment is not to expand them spiritually through working with the higher chakras, rather it is to activate and strengthen the lower three chakras. As with any treatment, you will be called to work in different areas of the body, though avoid the head. A person in crisis often has an overstimulated Third Eye area, and additional energy to the area is detrimental. If you are called to work around the head, e.g. that they have a headache, and then do so with the hands off the body at least 6 inches away. Use symbols as you would in any treatment.

 1) Setting up the room: have the person take off all crystals they may be wearing. Remove all high vibrational crystals from the area, especially around their head. If you are drawn to keep any in the room - which may be the case with Selenite - keep it behind or near you. It is most effective to only use crystals on the lower three chakras and at the knees and feet. Jasper, Carnelian and Calcite can be used in any of these areas. Using Kyanite for a posttraumatic treatment is highly recommended, especially when placing it on or between the knees.

 Ensure that the music you use is very calming, avoiding music with crystal bowls, high octave chanting or loud sounds. Avoid strong scent in the room, unless you are familiar with aromatherapy.

2) If you work hands-on, ask the person if they are comfortable with touch as many people who have experienced trauma are hypersensitive. Give them permission to tell you during the session if they become so. Have extra blankets available, and let them know that they may feel cold or shaky during the session and they should advise you when this occurs. Be conscious during the session of your connection to the Earth at all times.

3) Begin with your hands about 6 inches away from the bottom of their feet. Place Usui symbols there, plus any advanced healing symbols you may know (if you have taken the Higher Degrees of Reiki with me, use the symbols for healing and connection to the Earth). Next, place your hands on the top of their feet, having the client take several deep breaths and fully releasing the air from their lungs. Notice the rhythm of your breath, and breathe deeply and slowly as the person will begin to mimic your breathing.

4) Move up to their Third Chakra area which is the access area for the kidneys and adrenal glands. Focus your intention on bringing harmony and balance to the adrenal glands. When a person is in crisis or long-term stress, the adrenals become too overstimulated and unable to rest. Remain here for at least 5 to 10 minutes.

5) Move next to the Root Chakra area, placing one hand on each side of their body. People often experience a split or fracture in the energy of the root chakra, following a trauma. Visualize bringing all parts of the root chakra to one powerful whole with it regaining its optimal circular motion and colour. Ensure that you are comfortable as this usually takes 5 to 10 minutes, and you know that you are complete. As you will feel the shift in their body and yours.

6) Next, move to the knees, working with one knee at a time, placing one hand above and one hand on the back of the knee. Behind the knee is a powerful deep chakra that relate to the ability to move forward, as people in trauma are often very stuck. Each knee will take 3 to 5 minutes, and then moved to having one hand on the top of each knee, with your intention that they find balance and regain their ability to work together.

7)Moved to the Heart Chakra. Place your hands. 2 to 5 inches above the heart, thinking of the colors pink and green and focus on filling them with the great love that comes through Reiki. Remain here for at least five minutes, knowing that your client may weep at this part of the session.

8) To complete this session, you return to the feet, working with them individually with one hand on the top and one on the bottom for at least 3 to 5 minutes per foot. Your intention is to focus on them being very grounded and nurtured as they move forward from this point in time. You may want to add the Distance Symbol so that the Reiki will continue to work for some time in the future. Finish with balancing both feet and giving a prayer of thanks.

~ Love and Light, Kathy