Practitioner Issues and Resources
2011
May 2011 From May 1st all self-employed people in NSW who work directly with children, in an unsupervised capacity, must have a Certificate for Self Employed People. The Certificate helps you to demonstrate that you do not have criminal records that prohibit you from working with children. The new legislation also helps parents, carers and employers to make a better decision about who will work with their children. Reiki practitioners who work under supervision, of parent, or other suitable person, will not need a certificate. However, self employed Reiki practitioners who treat children or young people will want to consider the impact on the therapeutic relationship of requiring a parent to be present during treatment of clients who are up to 18 years in age. Practitioners can obtain more information about their obligations by contacting the NSW Commission for Children and Young People (02) 9286 7219.
Get information about NSW Commission for Children and Young People
Get information about applying for your Certificate for Self Employed People
Download Self Employed Certificate instructions
Download Self Employed Certificate application form
April 2011 Reiki Australia makes it's submission to Australian Health Ministers Advisory Council ( AHMAC) on options for regulation of unregistered health practitioners. Reiki Australia, along with the other major Reiki associations in Australia, has recommended the introduction of a national Code of Conduct as its preferred option. In order to protect the teaching practice of Reiki masters from being subject to such regulation, if introduced, we distinguished two industries: the Reiki Training industry, whose core business is Reiki masters training students in the spiritual, personal practice, and the Reiki Treatment industry whose core business is the provision of Reiki treatments to Australian healthcare consumers.
To learn more about the history of the AHMAC initiative, and it's relevance to Reiki practitioners, please scroll down to read a number of earlier articles on this page, the first of which is the entry dated 1999.
Download Reiki Australia's submission to AHMAC
March 2011 South Australia: The Health and Community Services Complaints Act 2004 (the Act) was amended to enable the Health and Community Services Complaints Commissioner to issue prohibition orders against unregistered health practitioners who breach a Code of Conduct. The Code of Conduct will be in the regulations under the Act. This change was recommended by the Social Development Committee of the South Australian Parliament’s Inquiry into Bogus, Unregistered and Deregistered Health Practitioners. Consultation process is underway and feedback to the proposed regulations will be receive until 9th December 2011
Learn more about South Australian Health legislation
FAQs about the proposed legislation
Proposed regulations containing the Code of Conduct
March 2011 Raising the credibility of Reiki treatment practitioners. Important industry developments are under way that will raise the credibility of Reiki treatment practitioners and other unregistered health practitioners. Reiki Australia is working together with a number of other Reiki organisations to speak with one voice on behalf of the Reiki treatment Industry. Reiki Australia's position is informed by existing agreement between the associations about national minimum standards for Reiki practitioners. A clear distinction will be made between Reiki practitioners who are offering treatment to the public, and people who are Reiki trained, and who give treatments to friends, family and pets as part of their personal practice.
To access the official consultation documentation please scroll to the entry on this page for February 2011.
February 2011 Australian Health Ministers Advisory Council ( AHMAC) opened national consultation on Options for Regulation of Unregistered Health Practitioners. The purpose of the consultation is to gather information and opinion as to whether strengthened regulatory protections are required for consumers who use the services of unregistered health practitioners, and if so, what these protections should be, and how they should be structured. Reiki practitioners have been specifically cited in the consultation paper as an example of unregistered health practitioners who are affected by these regulatory proposals.
Reiki practitioners in NSW have been subject to regulation since August 2008 when the government in that state introduced a legally binding Code of Conduct for unregistered health practitioners. To learn more, scroll down to entry for August 2008 on this page. In acknowledgement of this standard, and with the expectation of similar standards being introduced in every state, Australian Reiki associations have agreed to adopt the NSW Codes as a minimum standard. Scroll down to entry for January 2010 on this page.
Learn more about why government is considering regulation of unregistered health practitioners
Download the consultation paper
2010
November 2010 Australian Health Ministers agreed to conduct a national consultation on options for regulating unregistered helath practitioners. The consultation will seek submissions on whether regulatory protections such as those in NSW and under consideration in South Australia, are required in all States and Territories, and the extent to which uniform arrangements are necessary or desirable for the terms of a code of conduct and for its enforcement. A number of government reports and inquiries have raised concerns about public protection. These key antecedents can be found in earlier entries on this page.
September 2010 First study on therapeutic effect of Reiki is published in a peer-reviewed medical journal. Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC), published a study that shows that patients who received 20 minutes of Reiki treatment within three days of suffering a heart attack had improved outcomes.
Learn more about the "Effects of Reiki on Autonomic Activity Early After Acute Coronary Syndrome"
January 2010 Australian Reiki associations agree to adopt NSW Code of Conduct as the minimum standard for their Reiki Practitioner members who are treating the public. The agreement evolved from discussion between key stakeholders in July 2009 in Perth. A core group, which included Wendy Watson, director of Reiki Australia's Professional Development team, negotiated on behalf of the following Australian Reiki asociations: APRI, ARC, AURA, GRN, IHoR, RAWA, Reiki Australia, Reiki Jin Kei Do, Shibumi, TRA and URN.
To learn more about the NSW Code of Conduct for Unregistered Health Practitioners scroll down to entry for August 2008 on this page.
2009
October 2009 The first module of Reiki Australia's Certificate for Professional Reiki Treatment Practice, will be offered at the 4th National Reiki Conference as an optional FREE bonus. Every conference delegate, whether they are a Reiki Australia member or not, is welcome to attend the FREE workshop: "Listening, Paraphrasing and Referring clients".
Learn more about the conference program.
July 2009 Commencement of Rule 10 of the Private Health Insurance (Accreditation) Rules 2008 . These rules set the criteria for eligibility governing Private Health Insurance rebates for services provided by complementary health practitioners. The rules stipulate that treatment practitioners have an appropriate level of training and education, and have membership of a national professional organisation that meets the requirements of the Rules. We are in discussions with authorities about the training and assessment requirements that would enable recognition of our Reiki Treatment practitioners, by private health insurers.
April 2009 NSW Government announces new rules will be introduced for people working with children. The new rules will be introduced on May 1st 2011. From this date all Self-Employed people who work with children must have a Certificate for Self Employed People. The Certificate helps you to demonstrate that you do not have criminal records that prohibit you from working with kids. It also helps parents, carers and employers to make a better decision about who will work with their children. Reiki practitioners who treat children or young people can obtain more information about their obligations
March 2009 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops publishes "Guidleines for evaluating Reiki as an Alternative Therapy" The conclusion of the Committeee on Doctrine, that "Reiki therapy finds no support either in the findings of natural science or in Christian belief" is widely held to be the unfortunate result of inaccurate information about Reiki that is found on many Reiki websites and books. Many commentators also pointed to the fact that it is only a matter of time before credible scientific evidence becomes availbale to validate the therapeutic value of Reiki.
Download "Guidleines for evaluating Reiki as an Alternative Therapy"
The response of Paul Mitchell, a practicing Catholic, and one of 22 masters trained by Hawayo Takata, is of particular note. Prior to meeting Takata, Paul studied 10 years for the Catholic priesthood and also taught religion in a Catholic high school. Read Paul's letter to the Catholic Bishops.
2008
August 2008 A Code of Conduct for Unregistered Health Practitioners was passed in NSW parliament, effective as of August 1 2008. The Code of Conduct has its legal authority underpinned in the Public Health (General) Amendment Regulation 2008. All Reiki practitioners who treat members of the public must abide this Code as a minimum requirement even if they belong to a memberhip body, such as Reiki Australia, with its own Codes and Complaints procedure for practitioners. NSW health practitioners are required to display both the Code of Conduct and the Health Care Complaints Commission Notice in the waiting area of their clinic. For more information go to the NSW Government, Department of Health website:
Download a poster of the NSW Code of Conduct
July 2008 National Centre for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) revises its public information about Reiki with input from Reiki master and practitioner Pamela Miles, who was a keynote speaker at the 3rd National Reiki Conferenc. Pamela is a pioneer in collaborative work in conventional health care settings. NCCAM classifications and public information backgrounders are relevant to Australian Reiki practitioners because our National Institute of Complementary Medicine has adopted the United States NCCAM classifications under which Reiki is classified as a Biofield therapy type of Energy Medicine.
NCCAM Backgrounder Reiki: An Introduction
April 2008 Government to fund complementary and alternative medicine. $7 million in research grants has been allocated to investigate the utility of complementary medicine in preventing and managing chronic disease. $1.74 million was awarded to establish three National Institute of Complementary Medicine (NICM) Collaborative Centres and another $5.3 million will go to funding 13 projects by the NHMRC.
2007
August 2007 Reiki Australia was the only Reiki stakeholder represented at the NICM national forums that were held in August 2007 in Sydney. The forums provided information and the opportunity for stakeholders to convey their opinions. Participant feedback determined NICM's national priorities.
Feb 2007 Endorsement of Health Training Package HLT07 including HLTCOM509B Provide services for people with a life challenging illness. Reiki Australia's technical writers sought input from recognised industry experts to write this unit: These included - Grace Gawler, Co-founder The Gawler Foundation and Reiki Australia Patron, Dierdre and Ian Mavor, Founders and directors of The Hopewell Centre on the Gold Coast, and Margaret Gargan, Founder and former Manager of Care and Education, Bloomhill Cancer Help. This unit has been included in a number of qualifications and many Registered Training Organisations deliver this unit.
View this unit of competency on government Training site
Find RTOs approved to deliver this unit
2006
November 2006 Reiki Australia member, Geraldine Milton authored the chapter on Energy Therapies, in a medical text-book for Doctors, Nurses, and other health professionals: "Complementary Therapies and the Management of Diabetes and Vascular Disease: A Matter of Balance" Editor(s): Trish Dunning, Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. The book is an informative evidence-based text that aims to help health professionals understand complementary therapies commonly used by people with diabetes. The chapter written by Geraldine includes a commentary on Reik as one of the bioenergetic therapies.
March 2006 National Reiki Reference Group (NRRG) Response to Parliament of NSW Committee on the Health Care Complaints Commission Unregistered Health Practitioners. The Adequacy and Appropriateness of Current Mechanisms for Resolving Complaints - Discussion Paper (5 pages)
Submission written by Reiki Australia representative Sharron Mackison, and authorised by NRRG. (NB The response refers to an umbrella body whose establishment was agreed to by the original NRRG stakeholders to support the implementation of the proposed Reiki treatment practice qualifications. Several stakeholders subsequently departed NRRG as a bloc and incorporated CARO, and the planned umbrella body did not proceed)
Issues brief:
- Do existing mechanisms offer consumers an effective means of dealing with their complaints against unregistered health practitioners?
- Do the provisions of the Health Care Complaints Act 1993, relating to unregistered health practitioners, require amendment?
- Is there scope for strengthening self-regulation in unregistered fields of health care?
- Is further statutory regulation of unregistered practitioners required?
March 2006 NSW Parliamentary Review of "Unregistered Health Practitioners: The Adequacy and Appropriateness of Current Mechanisms for Resolving Complaints" Report 1998
Announcement of The Committee on the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission enquiry into the experience of consumers in dealing with unregistered health practitioners and regulatory mechanisms which may improve consumer protection in the expanding unregistered and alternative health care fields.
Links to the findings of the 1998 Report, and a copy of the Discussion Paper.
2005
Reiki Australia response to Second Opinion article of 15th october 2005 on Complementary Therapies. (1 page)
Reiki Australia report : Reiki treatment practice Draft 1 Qualifications for inclusion in the Health Training Package (24 pages)
The purpose of this report is to:
- provide background information to Reiki Australia's contribution to the proposed Reiki treatment practice qualifications;
- identify areas for consideration for current Reiki treatment practitioners;
- clarify the distinction between Reiki lay and professional practice;
- explain the rationale for Reiki Australia's proposal for defined forms to be the foundation of the qualification; and
- flag issues and possible approaches to the inclusion of forms of Reiki practice that reflect the rich diversity of practice
A Discussion Paper written by Reiki Austalia regarding forms of practice as a recommended structural underpinning for Reiki Treatment Practice qualifications within Review of Health Training Package HLT02 (7 pages)
Rationale for defining specific forms of Reiki practice:
- Several "What If?" scenarios used to illustrate the possible options.
- Several defined forms of Reiki practice exampled.
- Clarification that the forms outlined are a beginning point, allowing for future inclusion of other forms of Reiki practice.
Reiki Magazine International article published August 2005 written by Lindel Greggery, Reiki Australia member. (4 pages)
A Reiki Australia members view of the road to voluntary self-regulation and the creation of national standards for treatment practitioners
Quote: "As a result of years of consultation, Reiki Australia's Model for Professional Practice of Reiki has been designed to support and preserve the spiritual nature of Reiki, including the oral tradition at the heart of the lay practice."
Reiki Australia newsletter article in 'The Journey' 050505 : Reiki Australia director appointed to IRG (1 page)
Announcement of appointment of Wendy Watson, project manager of the RA Professional Standards Team, to the Industry Reference Group (IRG) for Complementary and Alternative Health.
Reiki Australia newsletter article in 'The Journey' 080505 : The role of Reiki Australia (3 pages)
- Brief history about the consultation process.
- What is being accredited?
- Who will own the national standard?
- Why is a national standard for Reiki treatment practice being developed?
A Reiki Austalia letter to the editor of Reiki Magazine International re March 2005 article by Margot Lowe, entitled "Can we share a single voice? - The journey toward Reiki accreditation in Australia". (2 pages)
- Clarification that accreditation of standards for Reiki treatment practitioners who are offering Reiki treatments in health and community facilities is what is being attempted in Australia, not accreditation of the teaching of Reiki.
- Clarification that the national standard will be publicly owned by the Department of Education, Science and Training.
- Clarification that the catalyst for accreditation was the 1998 Australian Health Ministers Advisory Council statement of intent to develop a set of minimum standards for conduct and safety of complementary health care, in which Reiki was explicitly included.
2004
REIKI AUSTRALIA working paper: Model for Professional Practice 11 August 2005 (7 pages)
A proposal for implementation and operation of professional Reiki treatment practice designed to support and preserve the essence of the practice of Reiki, the oral tradition at the heart of the lay practice, and to provide a foundation for the professional accreditation of Reiki practitioners.
This document describes the following aspects of the model:
- The background of the project
- The context for lay and professional practice
- The rationale for creating the model
- The objectives of the model
- An overview of the model
- Supporting mechanisms for its implementation and operation.
REIKI AUSTRALIA inter-relationship chart: Lay Practice and Professional Practice (1 page)
- A pictorial depiction of inter-relationships in lay (personal) practice, and professional practice.
Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital Brownes Cancer Support Centre Patient Care Report (33 pages)
- Summary of a study of participants seen at the Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital (SCGH) Brownes Cancer Support Centre over a 17 month period between August 2002 and January 2004.
- Approximately 17 complementary therapies were offered.
- 564 people visited the Centre in this 17 month period with a reported 1,151 treatment sessions.
- Patients reported improvements in both quality of life and symptom distress scores, with improvement over the course of the sessions.
- The therapy most accessed was Reiki, 292 sessions out of 1,151
April 2004 Australian Health Ministers' Advisory Council (AHMAC) Media Release 23 April 2004 (3 pages)
Australian Government, State and Territory Health Ministers release of Australia's first national health workforce strategic framework intended to guide national health workforce policy and planning through the next decade.
2003
Collation and Findings 2003 Reiki Conference: Nationwide Discussion Groups - Collated and presented by AnnE Wiseman at the 2nd National URPA (Now Reiki Australia) (18 pages)
- Background on Discussion Groups
- Methodology of Discussion Group topics 1-3
- Collation and Synthesis
- Purpose/Vision/Aims/Values
- Discussion Group Locations, participant numbers and feedback
- Key findings
- Conclusions
Reiki Australia (Formerly Usui Reiki Practitioner Alliance 2004) response to NSW health discussion paper: Regulation of Complementary Health Practitioners. Jan 2003 (6 pages)
- NB. NSW Health Department discussion paper listed below - Nov 2002 (compmed_paper.pdf)
- Disagreed with the listed "five goals of a Reiki treatment".
- Disagreed with the definition of Reiki as a "massage" technique.
- Supported a process of registration for Reiki Practitioners, already begun by URPA.
- Advised of a URPA submission of a Certificate IV level Reiki Practitioner training package for endorsement by ANTA
- Supported self-regulation as the most appropriate regulatory structure.
- Stated support for a Reiki practitioner to undergo Reiki specific preparation.
2002
Reiki as intervention: Paper delivered by Eileen Chapman and Geraldine Milton at the BRAVE NEW WORLD, WFTC 21st World Conference. Carlton Crest, Melbourne. 17th-22nd February, 2002. (11 pages)
A study on the effects of provision of Reiki treatments to clients experiencing withdrawal symptoms over a ten year period at the Windana Society Drug and Alcohol withdrawal centre in Melbourne. The study cites effective alleviation of the physical and psychosocial stresses occurring during withdrawal and recovery.
NSW Health Department 2002 Discussion Paper: Regulation of Complementary Health Practitioners (31 pages)
The Australian Health Minister's Conference agreed in July 1998 on the need to develop a set of minimum standards for the conduct and safety of complimentary health and gave direction to the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services to develop model legislation following a review of the practise of traditional Chinese medicine.
- This document was developed by the NSW Department of Health to canvas opinion regarding the need to regulate those parts of the complementary health sector that pose actual risk to the public.
- Sought comments from relevant opinion leaders, organisations and members of the public regarding the need to regulate the complementary health sector in NSW.
- Sought comment on various models that may be used should regulation be supported.
2000
Paper by G. Milton, , Senior Lecturer, School of Nursing, Monash University: "Ethical Approval of Research on Complementary Medicine". (8 pages)
This paper was delivered to the International Congress on Clinical Research and Quality Management in Complementary Medicine in Munich, Germany, April 6-7th 2000
- Exploration of the obligations of health care providers for increased evidence-based research in relation to the use of complementary therapies.
- Need for awareness among researchers of the ethical approval process, to facilitate research into Complementary Medicine.
- Informed consent considerations when few or no studies have been done.
1999
ATMS appears at the NSW Parliamentary enquiry into unregistered health practitioners.
Published in the Journal of the Australian Traditional Medicine Society March 1999, and reproduced here with kind permission. (1 page)
- Raymond Khoury gave evidence on behalf of ATMS (6 May 1998) before the NSW Parliamentary Joint Committee on the Health Care Complaints Commission.
In response to the submission, ATMS was invited to give evidence at a later Public Hearing on 24 September. - The Joint Committee was tasked with enquiring into the efficacy of existing complaint mechanisms and need for amendment, the scope for strengthening self-regulation in unregistered fields of health care, and the need for further statutory regulation.
Note: This article is reproduced as the enquiry specifically mentions Reiki, and it is subsequently referenced in two public discussion papers to which Reiki Australia made submissions: NSW Health Department 2002 Discussion Paper: Regulation of Complementary Health Practitioners, and 2006 NSW Parliamentary Review of "Unregistered Health Practitioners: The Adequacy and Appropriateness of Current Mechanisms for Resolving Complaints" Report 1998.
1995
Conference Proceedings, Pathways to Healing: Enhancing life Through Complementary Therapies. Sept 24-5, 1995. Canberra. Royal College of Nursing. (11 pages)
"The benefits of Reiki treatment in drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs". Authors: G. Milton and and E. Chapman
- The paper presented the processes and client outcomes of Reiki treatments over a two 2 year period in a Melbourne based residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation program.
- Findings suggest improvements in health outcomes particularly during first weeks of drug withdrawal
- Further evidence suggests that treatments accelerated the detoxification process.
- Suggestion that he counselling process was facilitated by insights experienced by recipients during treatment.
- Suggestion that those that learned Reiki coped better with group therapy sessions and with bouts of depression on return to the wider community.
