In Colombia, alternative and complementary medicines and therapies — what the Ministry of Health calls MTAC — are recognised within the health system. That does not mean every practice is regulated, or that anyone offering one is authorised. Here is the difference in plain language, plus what you can reasonably demand before handing someone your time and money.
It is a dry subject. I am writing it because nobody has translated it, and because knowing it protects you.
A note on method, first
I am not a lawyer and this is not legal advice. I will describe the general framework and mark clearly where what I can assert ends.
Where I cannot verify a specific regulation, I will not invent a decree number or a resolution date. I will describe the framework in general terms and tell you where the exact wording can be checked. I would rather publish an article with honest gaps than one with false citations.
The public reference document is the Ministry of Health's guidance: MTAC guidelines within the health system (PDF, in Spanish).
What MTAC means
MTAC stands for medicinas y terapias alternativas y complementarias — alternative and complementary medicines and therapies. It is the term Colombia's Ministry of Health uses for a broad set of practices that sit outside conventional medicine but alongside it.
Very different things fit under that umbrella. Complete medical systems with long training and their own theoretical body — traditional Chinese medicine, homeopathy, Ayurveda. And also narrower body-based or accompaniment practices, where Reiki is usually placed.
Sharing an acronym does not make them equivalent. And that is the first confusion worth undoing: the existence of an official category called MTAC does not mean everything inside it holds the same status.
What "regulated" actually means
Here is the knot. The word "regulated" gets used as though it were a quality seal. It is not. Regulation means rules exist about who may do something and under what conditions. Nothing more.
Three planes are worth separating.
Who may practise. Within the health system, MTAC practice in Colombia is designed for health professionals with accredited training in those fields. In other words: the entry door to the system is being a health professional first. That framework is described in the Ministry of Health and Social Protection's guidance linked above, and I would rather send you to it than quote article numbers from memory.
Where services may be provided. Health services are provided by institutions that must meet authorisation requirements and appear in the corresponding register. A room offering a health service cannot simply open its doors. The requirements and the register that applies are matters for the health authorities, and the current detail can be consulted at minsalud.gov.co.
Which practices are inside. Not everything offered to the public as "therapy" is incorporated into the health system. Much of it is offered as a wellbeing service, outside that framework. That distinction matters and is almost never explained to the user.
The practical conclusion: something being legally offered as a wellbeing service does not make it an authorised health service, and the existence of the MTAC category does not mean your therapist sits inside it.
The specific case of Reiki
I will be direct, because this is what people want to know.
Reiki is practised routinely in Colombia and is not a prohibited activity. At the same time, it must not be presented as medical treatment or as a substitute for healthcare, and no practitioner may diagnose, prescribe or intervene in your medication.
If you need Reiki's exact placement within the current MTAC framework, that is a question to be answered with the regulation in hand, and the Ministry's guidance is where to look for it. What I can tell you plainly is that Reiki is not a regulated health profession in Colombia.
What is certain is this: a practitioner's conduct is subject to the same general rules as anyone offering a service to the public. You cannot mislead in advertising, you cannot promise an outcome you cannot deliver, and you cannot induce someone to abandon a treatment.
What a "therapist registration" is — and what it does not guarantee
This is where most people get confused, and where the confusion is most exploited.
Associations, schools, federations and platforms issue registrations, cards and therapist certificates. Some are serious and do honest training work. But it helps to know what each thing is.
| Document | What it evidences | What it does NOT guarantee |
|---|---|---|
| Diploma from a Reiki course or level | That you completed that training with that teacher | Any health competence or permission to treat illness |
| Card from a private association | That you paid a membership and meet its internal rules | That a public body has authorised you |
| Profile on a directory or platform | That you created a profile, sometimes lightly verified | Quality, real training or supervision |
| "Registered therapist" certificate | Entirely depends on who issues it | On its own, nothing before the health system |
| Professional licence of a health professional | A recognised health profession | That their MTAC training suffices for what they offer |
The rule I would suggest is simple: always ask who issues the document. If the issuer is the same school that sold it, the document evidences the school, not an authorisation.
One further warning: a private registration does not make anyone a health professional. If someone uses a card to imply they can treat illness, they are doing exactly what they must not.
What you can expect and demand as a user
This is where the legal framework becomes useful in real life. However the practice is classified, there are things you can demand of anyone charging you for a service.
Clear, truthful information before you pay. What is done, how long it lasts, what it costs, and what you can reasonably expect. Misleading advertising is prohibited in Colombia for any service.
That nobody promises to cure an illness. No one can back that promise, and the mere existence of the promise already tells you who you are talking to.
Consent and respect for your body. That you are told whether there will be physical contact and where, and that you can ask for the session to be done without contact. That you can stop it at any moment.
Confidentiality. What you share is not passed on or published without your express authorisation. Your personal data is protected under Colombia's data protection regime, which applies to anyone who handles it, a practitioner included.
A clear price and a receipt. No compulsory packages, no pressure to pay large sums upfront. On market prices I wrote in what a session costs in Medellín.
Referral. If an unassessed symptom comes up, a serious practitioner sends you to a doctor. That is probably the single most reliable quality signal there is.
Respect for your decision not to come back. No guilt, no pressure, no "you are abandoning your process".
Where to turn if something goes wrong
If you feel you were misled or that someone put your health at risk, there are routes.
If it happened inside a health service institution, there is the health sector supervision route and your municipal health authority. In Medellín, the city's Secretaría de Salud is the natural contact point. If you are not sure which route applies to your case, ask them first: they can tell you whether what happened falls inside the health system or outside it.
If it is misleading advertising or a consumer issue, the route is consumer protection rather than the health system. Keep what you were promised in writing — an advertisement, a message, a price list. That is what any complaint will rest on.
And if someone induced you to abandon medical treatment, tell your treating professional as soon as possible. That is the urgent part; a complaint can wait a few hours, your health cannot.
What I do, and why I am telling you
I work with Reiki as a complementary practice of accompaniment and relaxation. I do not diagnose, do not prescribe, do not interpret test results and do not comment on medication. If you bring me a symptom you have not had checked, I will send you to a doctor before you lie down.
In my practice, in Medellín and in Santa Elena, I explain this before we begin. People are sometimes surprised: they arrive expecting me to tell them what is wrong with them, and find the opposite. I have had people ask me, in complete good faith, whether I could "check" a pain for them. The answer is always the same and does not change with insistence.
I am also clear about which documents I hold and which I do not. A practitioner who bristles when you ask about their training has already answered you.
For the practical companion to this article, read it alongside how to choose a Reiki practitioner and is Reiki dangerous?. On the state of the evidence, there is does Reiki work?.
Frequently asked questions
Is Reiki legal in Colombia? Practising it is not a prohibited activity and it is offered routinely across the country. What is not admissible is presenting it as medical treatment, diagnosing, prescribing, or inducing someone to abandon their healthcare. The legality of offering the service and authorisation as a health service are two different things and should not be conflated.
Do Colombian health insurers cover alternative therapies? Coverage depends on what is included in the benefits plan and on the provider institution, and it is not something an independent practitioner can assert on your behalf. The right move is to ask your insurer directly before assuming anything.
Does my practitioner need to be a health professional? To provide MTAC within the health system, prior health training is the entry door. Outside that framework, many practices are offered as wellbeing services. What matters for you is knowing which of the two grounds you are standing on, and that nobody sells you the second as though it were the first.
What does it mean for a practitioner to be "registered"? It depends who keeps the register. A private register run by an association or school evidences membership and internal training, not public authorisation. Always ask which body issues the document and what it implies. If the answer is vague, you know what it is worth.
Can I ask for a receipt for a session? Yes, and it is reasonable to do so. A service you are charged for should be documentable. Reluctance to issue a receipt, combined with pressure to prepay long packages, is a combination worth looking at closely.
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.
If you have a specific question about how I work or what to expect from a session, write to me on WhatsApp at +57 314 811 7561 or through contact. Sessions are available in English. Asking before booking always strikes me as a good sign.
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Sananda Reiki
Spiritual support and Reiki therapies in Medellín and online.
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