Energy Healing and Reiki – A Grounded Approach to Restoring Balance
In recent years, more people have become curious about energy healing and Reiki as complementary approaches to emotional and physical wellbeing. But what do these practices actually involve, and how can they support mental and nervous system regulation?
Energy healing is based on the understanding that the human body is not only biological but also energetic. Across cultures, this life force has been described as Chi, Ki, or Prana. When this flow becomes restricted due to stress, trauma or emotional overwhelm, we may experience tension, fatigue, anxiety or a sense of inner disconnection.
Energy-based practices aim to restore balance and support the body’s natural capacity to regulate and heal.
What Is Reiki?
Reiki is one of the most widely practised forms of energy healing in the Western world. The word “Reiki” roughly translates as universal life energy. During a Reiki session:
You lie fully clothed on a treatment table or sit comfortably.
The practitioner places their hands lightly on or just above specific areas of the body.
There is no massage or physical manipulation.
The primary focus is deep relaxation and nervous system regulation.
Many people report sensations of warmth, calmness or subtle movement of energy. Others simply experience deep rest.
Reiki is known for supporting:
Anxiety and stress reduction
Emotional overwhelm
Fatigue and burnout
Sleep difficulties
Grief and life transitions
Recovery from periods of intense stress
While experiences vary, the most consistent effect is deep relaxation, which allows the nervous system to shift from fight-or-flight into parasympathetic regulation.
How Energy Healing Supports the Nervous System
Anxiety and chronic stress are often not “thinking problems” but regulation problems.
When the nervous system stays in survival mode, the body remains alert, and the mind becomes reactive. Energy healing supports the body in slowing down and restoring internal coherence.
From a somatic perspective, this helps:
Reduce physiological hyper-arousal
Release accumulated tension
Improve emotional clarity
Increase body awareness
Support integration of stressful experiences
Energy work does not replace therapy or medical treatment. Instead, it complements them by creating the conditions for the system to reorganise and settle.
Is Energy Healing Scientific?
Research on Reiki and energy-based practices is still evolving. Some studies suggest benefits in reducing stress, anxiety and perceived pain levels, primarily due to the relaxation response and therapeutic presence. Whether understood through energetic language or nervous system regulation, what matters clinically is the outcome: a calmer, more regulated internal state. In my work, energy healing is approached in a grounded way, focusing on safety, regulation and integration rather than belief.
Who Can Benefit from Reiki or Energy Healing?
Energy healing may be supportive if you:
Feel chronically stressed or anxious
Experience emotional exhaustion
Feel disconnected from your body
Have difficulty relaxing
Are navigating grief or transition
Have tried talking therapy but still feel physically activated
It is especially helpful for people who need regulation before deeper psychological processing.
Energy Healing as Part of an Integrative Approach
In my integrative work, Reiki and energy healing are often combined with somatic counselling and emotional processing. Regulation comes first. Insight follows. Integration unfolds over time. Energy healing becomes one element within a broader process of restoring balance between body, mind and emotional life.
If this resonates with your experience, I offer trauma-informed somatic counselling in Brighton and online, supporting people to move from reactive relational patterns to embodied, authentic connection. You’re welcome to book a free discovery call to explore working together.
