SOME THOUGHTS ON THE FUTURE OF REIKI ...
Copyright ©
2007 James Deacon
Well,
(as I'm sure we all do) I would like to see Reiki Ryoho continuing
to 'move into the light', and hopefully gain ever greater levels
of acceptance - by both the public at large and the medical professions
- as a valid complementary*
therapy.
However,
certainly in terms of Reiki Ryoho practice in a professional
context, I feel that issues around Regulation are going to be
even more prominent in the near future.
Globally,
it is definitely becoming a case of 'Self-regulate before
the State Regulates'
In
the UK, for example, proposals for a move towards Voluntary Self-Regulation
by mid 2008 still are being discussed. Issues under consideration
include a code of safe professional practice, disciplinary and
complaints procedures, and the creation of a UK Register of Professional
Reiki Practitioners.
Now,
while many view this primarily from a perspective of encroachment
on individual freedom, personally I see self-regulation as being
an important step towards gaining credibility in the eyes of the
medical professions.
____
With
there now being so many different Reiki Ryoho styles, and
different approaches to practice, I feel it is very unlikely that
we, as a Community, could ever hope to (many would say,
ever want to) arrive at a situation where we have achieved
some form of universal standardisation of training and
practice (even if self-imposed).
However,
while standardisation of training and practice may not
be 'on the table', something I feel we do need to remain mindful
of is the issue of standards of training and practice.
After
all, in Reiki Ryoho we have an ethical duty of care - not just
to those who come to us for treatment, but also, to those
who come to us for training.
____
With
any art or discipline (whatever its nature) moving from, as it
were, 'the shadows of relative obscurity' into 'the bright light
of popularity', there is always a risk that standards of training
and practice may suffer.
I
feel we would be naïve to think that, in the case of Reiki
Ryoho, things should necessarily be any different.
Instances
of poor standards of training not only dishonour those receiving
that training, they also impact on the perception of the overall
professionalism of the Reiki Community as a whole, in the eyes
of the very people we need to be reassuring.
In
my opinion, the implementation of systems of self-regulation and
the setting of 'benchmark' or 'baseline' minimum standards, is
perhaps essential in order to guard against various degrees of
failure in relation to the above-mentioned duty of care; and by
extension, to ensure that Reiki Ryoho receives the professional
recognition it so richly deserves as a highly effective therapeutic
practice.
________
*
I prefer the term
'complementary' to 'alternative', as I feel that use of the
latter - whether in connection with Reiki Ryoho or any other
'non-mainstream' form of therapeutic practice - is often viewed
as somewhat antagonistic by the Medical Community, and as such,
only helps to strengthen the divisive "us versus them"
perception held by so many practitioners - 'mainstream' or otherwise.