How much should a Reiki session cost?

Q: How much should a Reiki session cost?

A: That depends on many things. Here are some of the factors that influence the cost of a Reiki treatment.

• Local or by distance. If you are receiving a healing session in person, for about an hour, relaxed on a massage table or similar comfy spot, then you can expect to pay about the going rate for a massage. In my part of town that’s about $60 per hour.  If your healing session is by distance, the rates vary considerably. Some practitioners offer distance sessions for free. There are, also, some websites where you can request a free healing, such as the Distance Healing Network (where I volunteer as a Group Leader). In those cases, you may receive healing energy sent to you when the practitioner is available to do so. Personal distance healing sessions, where you would receive a healing session plus a full report on the state of your energy (as experienced by the practitioner during your session), and a coordinated time (or directions on how to mindfully receive if the healing is “queued” or preset in your energy waiting for you to do so), may cost close to the same as a local session. The practitioner is spending time and mindful attention completely on you in this case, and therefore, it is reasonable to expect that he or she will do so for a fee. While there are varying opinions on this matter, most agree that an exchange of some sort, whether money, items, or services, is appropriate.
• Whether the practitioner is paying rent or overhead to use the space. Many practitioners, myself included, work in a wellness center, spa, or other similar space for local healing sessions. We pay the business a fee or percentage of what we are paid for the right to use the space. Therefore, the fee may be higher, or the same as the rate mentioned above. Our costs, even though we don’t use much in the way of equipment (although laundry of a sheet or blanket covering the table, and anything else we bring to make the space a healing and relaxing atmosphere may be also considered as our costs), are a consideration too.
• The needs of the recipient. Some people have the need for an intensive session, using various types of healing energy. Some need a series of healing sessions close together for maximum effect when dealing with a physical or emotional balance of a serious nature. I offer a series of healing sessions at a discount. I also may offer an extended-length session for someone who needs it. I also work with a few different energy healers, and together we offer a Team Healing. That intense of a Reiki session costs more because it provides more. So in these cases, the fees per session may be adjusted accordingly.
• The practitioner’s individual decision. Some practitioners give Reiki sessions for free because they simply want to donate their time. They don’t need the income, or they give Reiki on the side of their regular job or career. Some offer short sessions for free (such as 10 minutes), but charge for longer, more intensive sessions. And some may offer Reiki for free to those who can’t pay (or volunteer their time in some locations, while having a paid practice in another). In any case, the decision of what to charge for a Reiki session is an individual one that is something the practitioner decides on, and is comfortable with. I think that Reiki practitioners should respect each other’s decisions about fee structure, regardless of what it is, and know that we are all here to help others. Whatever someone’s fee is, the recipient will decide if it is acceptable for him or her. Therefore, it’s really not another practitioner’s place to judge the decision made about fees.
• Finally, there is the perception of value that goes along with any good or service being offered. If one offers a service for free, some may say it has no value. Or some may feel beholden to that person afterward and not know how to balance that feeling. Reiki is a service, and has value. Its important that it is understood as such.

I’d like to thank Stacey Bergdahl, @theZengirl on Twitter, for suggesting today’s Reiki Question and Answer of the Day!

To learn more about Reiki, I invite you to visit ReikiAwakening.com.

Please comment below, and also feel free to suggest questions for upcoming posts on the Reiki Question and Answer of the Day blog!