DEFINITION
What is Reiki?
Reiki is a Japanese healing practice understanding that life energy flows through the body, and that when that flow is blocked or disrupted, the result can be physical discomfort, emotional heaviness, or a sense of being out of balance. A Reiki practitioner works through gentle touch or near-touch, using stillness and intentional connection to support the body's own capacity to restore and regulate itself. Sessions are quiet, non-invasive, and deeply relaxing — often described by patients as unlike anything else they've experienced.
The word "Reiki" is composed of two Japanese words: rei (universal) and ki (life energy). While its origins are spiritual, Reiki has found a meaningful place in clinical settings around the world, including hospitals, infusion centers, hospices, and integrative medicine practices. Research supports its effectiveness in reducing pain, anxiety, and fatigue — particularly in patients navigating cancer treatment, chronic illness, and end-of-life care.
Reiki does not diagnose or treat disease directly. What it does is help the nervous system settle, the body feel supported, and people find a sense of ease in the midst of difficulty. In an integrative medicine context, that matters enormously.
Qualifications & Background
GWCIM’s Reiki team blends clinical and lived experience — Catherine Miller (Holy Fire® Reiki Master, brain‑tumor survivor; GWU volunteer), Yael Flusberg (Reiki Master Teacher; C‑IAYT, polarity, biofeedback, trauma‑informed coaching; with GWCIM since 2010), and Mara Benner (Reiki Master, 30+ years; leads training at Four Directions Wellness; Mind‑Body‑Spiritual Director).
INDICATIONS
What conditions does it help with?
ADVANTAGE
GWCIM and Four Direction Wellness (FDW) Affiliation
At GWCIM, Reiki is woven into a broader integrative care model. Whether a patient is navigating Long COVID, cancer treatment, chronic pain, trauma, or the stress of a complex medical journey, Reiki is coordinated with the rest of their care team. Your Reiki practitioners know the terrain of chronic and complex illness, understand how energy-based therapies interact with medical treatment, and bring that context to every session.
What's more, GWCIM's relationship with Four Directions Wellness (FDW) — its GWCIM-affiliated practice based in Alexandria, Virginia — means that patients and community members have access not only to individual Reiki sessions, but to a full continuum of Reiki education and training.
APPROACH
Our Approach
Energy Follows Intention
Reiki works with the body's own intelligence, not against it. Practitioners hold a clear, healing intention and create the conditions for the body to do what it naturally knows how to do.
Trauma-Informed
Trauma-Informed: GWCIM's Reiki practitioners are trained to work with people carrying trauma in their bodies — approaching each session with patience, attunement, and careful attention to what the nervous system needs.
Accessible to All
Reiki can be received by anyone, regardless of age, diagnosis, or health status. It is gentle enough for end-of-life care, supportive enough for active cancer treatment, and grounding enough for the everyday stress of a complicated life.
Care Options
Individual Reiki session in-person
At GWCIM - with Yael Flusberg
Individual Reike session online
With Yael Flusberg, Mara Benner and Catherine Miller
Self-Practice Reiki classes (via FDW)
All Classes are offered at FDW Center
Reiki Training
Reiki Training at FDW: Level One, Level Two, Master Reiki Level
Free Introductory Class (via FDW)
A free one-hour self-care Reiki session open to newcomers — a gentle first step into the practice.
End-of-Life and Grief Support
Yael Flusberg offers Reiki for patients, families, and caregivers navigating serious illness, dying, and grief — drawing on her training as an end-of-life doula and hospice practitioner.
Cancer Support and Post-Surgery Reiki
Reiki sessions tailored for patients in active cancer treatment or recovery, or recovering from surgery.
Individual Reiki: Home Visits (via FDW)
Catherine Miller offers home visits to experience reiki at your convenience
EXPERTISE
Recommended Providers
LEARN MORE
What to expect as a patient
A Calm, Unhurried Session: Reiki sessions are quiet and gentle. You remain fully clothed, lying comfortably on a treatment table. The practitioner works with light touch or near-touch, moving slowly and attentively through the session.
A Personalized Conversation First: Your practitioner will take time to understand what's bringing you in and what you're hoping to experience — whether that's pain relief, stress reduction, emotional support, or simply rest.
A Path to Learning: Through FDW, patients and community members can take the next step and learn Reiki for themselves — beginning with self-care practice and moving through professional-level certification if desired.
Q&A
Q&A
Four Directions Wellness (FDW) is a GWCIM-affiliated integrative wellness and healing center located at 2001 Mount Vernon Avenue in Alexandria, Virginia. Founded by Mara Benner — who also serves as GWCIM's Mind-Body-Spiritual Director — FDW is the primary home for Reiki certification training offered through the GWCIM network. Catherine Miller also teaches through FDW. Sessions and training are available in-person in Alexandria and via Zoom.
Absolutely, and we encourage it. Learning Reiki for self-care is one of the most empowering steps a patient can take — particularly those managing chronic illness, Long COVID, or ongoing stress. Reiki Level One, offered through FDW, teaches you the foundations of self-care and treatment of others. From there, Level Two and Master training take you deeper. A free introductory class is available for those who want to explore before committing.
Reiki is among the safest and most accessible healing modalities for people who are ill or fragile. Because it is non-invasive and requires nothing physical of the patient, it can be offered even in advanced illness, end-of-life situations, and for those who cannot tolerate touch-based therapies. Home visits are available for those who cannot travel.