Reiki Contraindications: When It Is Not Appropriate

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Reiki is a safe, non-invasive practice: nothing is administered, the body is not manipulated, and there is no evidence of harmful effects. So strictly speaking it has almost no contraindications. The real ones are of a different kind: situations where Reiki must not be used as a substitute for the care that is actually needed.

Does Reiki have contraindications?

Not in the sense a medication does.

A pharmacological contraindication describes possible harm. Here there is no substance, no tissue manipulation, no invasive procedure. A person lying down, fully clothed, with hands resting gently on or near them. That is all.

The NCCIH, part of the US National Institutes of Health, puts it directly: Reiki has not been clearly shown to be effective for any specific health purpose, and it has not been shown to have harmful effects.

That second half is what this whole article rests on. The risk of Reiki is not in what it does. It is in what someone might stop doing because they trusted it too much.

The real risk: using it instead of

Here is the point, and I want to state it without circling.

The possible harm of a complementary therapy is almost never direct. It is delay. It is the appointment that was not made, the treatment that was abandoned, the symptom read as an "energetic process" for six months.

That is why Reiki's contraindications are not phrased as "you cannot receive it if…", but as "it must not take the place of…".

The three genuine red lines

1. Medical emergencies

Chest pain, difficulty breathing, trauma, bleeding, high fever, loss of consciousness, signs of stroke, or any acute presentation: emergency care. Not a session.

This applies too to the in-between moment that worries me most: when something is wrong and someone decides to "try something gentle first". That "first" is exactly where valuable time is lost.

Reiki can accompany before and after a medical procedure, and we do it often — it is explained on Reiki and medical procedures. But accompanying means adding to medical care, never replacing or postponing it.

2. Acute psychiatric states

A psychotic episode, mania, a crisis with thoughts of self-harm, a decompensated eating disorder, intoxication: none of that belongs in a Reiki session.

There are two reasons. The first is obvious: those situations need specialised, sometimes urgent, care.

The second is subtler and rarely mentioned. In some altered states, an intense experience of deep relaxation, prolonged silence and unusual bodily sensation can be disorganising rather than calming. Someone struggling to distinguish inner from outer does not need more material to interpret.

When someone arrives in a state like that — and it has happened — my job is only one thing: to accompany them warmly towards the professional help that fits. If you are going through something like this, or having thoughts of harming yourself, please reach out to your doctor, your therapist, your local mental health line, or emergency services. You deserve that support.

Once a condition is stable and under professional follow-up, Reiki can be added as accompaniment — always with your treating team informed.

3. Unrealistic expectations

This is the contraindication nobody talks about, and the one I see most.

If you arrive expecting Reiki to resolve a diagnosis, replace surgery, avoid chemotherapy or let you stop an antidepressant, then it is not the moment for a session. It is the moment for an honest conversation.

Not because there is physical risk. Because an expectation like that can only end in disappointment, or in something worse: a health decision made on a false basis.

I would rather say no. And I say no several times a year.

Common situations at a glance

Situation	Can Reiki be received?	Essential condition
Ongoing medical emergency	No	Go to emergency care; Reiki does not apply
Acute psychiatric crisis	No	Specialised care first
Expecting a cure or to stop medication	No	Talk first; revisit expectations
Pregnancy	Yes, with care	Inform your prenatal team; gentle session
Cancer treatment	Yes, as accompaniment	With the treating team's knowledge
Before or after surgery	Yes	No contact on operated areas; coordinated
Depression or anxiety in treatment	Yes	Continue therapy and medication
Chronic pain	Yes	No pressure or contact on sensitive areas
Children and teenagers	Yes	With consent and an adult present
Older adults	Yes	Shorter sessions if fatigue is a factor
Pacemaker or other devices	Yes	Reiki emits nothing; no contact over the device
Fever or acute infection	Postpone	See a doctor first

No row here replaces a prior conversation. That is why there always is one.

When I work without physical contact

There are situations where contact simply does not belong, even though the session does:

Open wounds, burns, grafts, recently operated areas.
Recent fractures or areas in acute pain.
Very sensitive skin, dermatitis, cancer treatments affecting the skin.
Tactile hypersensitivity or a history of difficult experiences with physical contact.
Simply not wanting it.

In all of those, the work is done with the hands a few centimetres above the body. It is not a reduced version of the session: it is the same session in another form.

And the last reason on that list is as valid as the others. It needs no justification.

What I see in my practice

There is a conversation I have had several times, and it always stays with me.

Someone arrives with a recent diagnosis. They have read online that energy can resolve it. They speak quickly, hopefully, and at some point they say the sentence: "the thing is, I don't want to take medication."

That is the point where the work is to slow down, not to book.

I tell them what I know: that Reiki can accompany mood, rest and the feeling of being held, and that it cannot do what they are hoping for. That their doctor comes first. That if, after that, they want company here, we are here.

Some leave annoyed. Others come back months later, treatment already under way, and those sessions tend to be good ones: they arrive without demanding of this practice something that is not its job.

In Medellín the range of therapies on offer is enormous and not all of it is prudent. Helping people tell the difference has become part of the accompaniment.

What should never happen in a Reiki session

None of these behaviours is a contraindication of Reiki. They are contraindications of that practitioner:

Suggesting you reduce or stop medication.
Telling you your illness will be cured by energy.
Advising you against a medical treatment.
Giving you a diagnosis. We are not qualified for that.
Reading your tears or your symptoms as proof of something.
Pressuring you to buy a package or not to interrupt "the process".
Touching you where it was not agreed, or proposing you remove clothing.

Any one of them is reason to leave. I set it out fully in how to choose a Reiki practitioner.

Frequently asked questions

Can I receive Reiki with a pacemaker or an implant? Yes. Reiki emits no current, no magnetic field and no radiation: there is nothing that could interfere with a device. For comfort and prudence, hands are not rested directly over the implant area; we work around it or without contact. Mention it at the start of the session, like any other relevant information.

I am pregnant — is it safe? Many women receive Reiki during pregnancy as support for relaxation and rest. It is done with gentle sessions, a comfortable side-lying position and no abdominal pressure. Mention it at your prenatal check-ups and follow all your team's guidance. Reiki replaces no obstetric care. There is more on the Reiki and pregnancy page.

I have depression and take medication. Can I have Reiki? Yes, as long as you continue your treatment and tell your psychiatrist or therapist. Reiki can accompany a sense of calm and rest, and it does not interfere with medication. What must never happen is that it replaces therapy or the medicine. The available Cochrane review concluded there is not enough evidence of effectiveness for depression and anxiety.

Is there a minimum or maximum age? No. Babies, children, teenagers and very old people are all accompanied, adjusting length and position. For minors, consent from a parent or carer and their presence in the room are required. With frail older adults it helps to shorten the session and take care with getting onto the table, or to work seated.

Can Reiki make something worse? There is no evidence that it causes physical harm. Some people describe tiredness or emotional sensitivity the next day, usually resolving on its own; I explain it in what can happen after a session. The relevant risk is not that: it is postponing a needed medical consultation because of trust in a complementary therapy.

What if I do not believe in any of this? That is not a contraindication. You do not need belief in order to lie down for an hour in silence and rest. The only condition is that you do not expect from this practice something it cannot give. Calm scepticism is entirely compatible with receiving Reiki; scepticism does not prevent rest.

If you have a specific condition and are unsure whether booking makes sense, write to us on WhatsApp at +57 314 811 7561 or through contact. We will talk it through calmly and, if what you need is something else, I will say so. Sessions are available in English, in person in Medellín and Santa Elena, or at a distance.

You can also read what to expect in a first session before deciding.

Disclaimer

This article is for educational purposes and does not replace diagnosis, treatment or follow-up by a healthcare professional. Reiki is a complementary practice: it accompanies, it does not substitute. If you are under medical or psychological care, continue it and talk to your treating professional before adding any complementary therapy.