Choosing A Healer

Finding An Energy Healer Who's Right For You



Choosing a healer can be difficult if you don't know where to look or what to look for.

Image of hands-on healingPhoto by Dane Gregory Meyer

I know a lot of energy healers of one kind or another, and to a person they are caring, generous people of the highest integrity.  I’d send my mom or dad to any of them with no problem.

However, because the results of an energy healing can be relatively intangible, the field is open to abuse. 

So how can you choose a practitioner who is reputable and a good match for your needs?  Here are some tips for choosing a healer.

Choosing A Healer: Before Making an Appointment

Get a Reference

A reference or referral from someone you know and trust is the best way of choosing a healer. Your friend or family member can frankly tell you about the healer’s style, results they have experienced, and generally what the treatment was like.

To me, working with a distance healer requires special caution. I believe in distance healing, both because I understand the principle behind it, and because I have friends who practice it to good effect. However, the field of distance healing is especially open to abuse. I’ve seen lots of internet ads for distance healers. Personally, I’d want some iron-clad referrals before I laid my money (and especially my credit card number) down.

Ask Questions

The first time you talk to a healer on the phone, feel free to ask questions. Some of the things you might want to ask include:
  • Do you practice a particular style or type of energy healing (e.g. Restorative Touch, Reiki, Healing Touch, etc.)? (It’s not necessarily a bad thing if they don’t. And it’s also not necessarily a bad thing if they can’t describe what they do very clearly—energy work is difficult stuff to explain, and as a group we energy healers aren’t generally the most linear bunch anyway. But they at least should make an attempt to explain, and be able to give you some general idea.)
  • Do you work with your hands on the body, or in the field, or both? (If they do hands-on work, see the discussion on licensing below.)
  • Do you have any licenses or certificates?
  • How long have you been doing energy work?
  • Do you have a background in any other area, such as counseling/talk therapy, conventional medicine, etc.? If so, do you incorporate that?
  • How long are your sessions?
  • Will I be seated or lying down?
  • And of course you want to ask about cost.

Practitioner Training, Certification and Licensing

Feel free to ask what kind of training they have had, if any. Many energy healers are self-taught, or learned from a family member, so it’s not necessarily a deal-breaker if they don’t have formal training. However, many healers do have at least some kind of training, and it’s fine for you to ask how they learned to do energy work.

If the form of energy work that they perform involves touching the physical body (“laying on of hands”), a license (e.g massage, physical therapy, nurse, medical doctor, etc.) or ordination (to be a minister) may be required by your state, province, city, etc.

This is often the case if their form of energy work involves massage. Although the requirements vary, in most states in the U.S., formal training and a license are required to perform massage.

You should feel free to inquire about their licensing if they will be performing any hands-on work. Personally I would be more comfortable choosing a healer who adhered to the legalities, whatever they happen to be in your locality.

After Making an Appointment

Evaluating an Energy Healer

When you're choosing a healer, here are some good signs to watch for. Your healer:
  • Should encourage you to seek and follow the advice of your regular (conventional) medical/psychological practitioner.
  • Should not make recommendations outside of her/his area of expertise.
  • Should not make frightening or overly negative comments.
  • Should not pressure you to make return visits.
  • Should let you know what’s going on, and seek your consent before treating you (informed consent).
  • Should answer your questions without being evasive or defensive.
  • Should not make grandiose claims, and especially should not make promises to heal you of life-threatening illnesses or conditions.
  • Should feel right to your intuition; should make you feel comfortable and relaxed in their presence.
  • Should have a clean, comfortable, and safe treatment space, even if it’s in their home (as many are).

Kinds of Practitioners

There are many different kinds of energy healing. Of course, when choosing a healer, you want to pick someone who is a good match for you and your needs. You can get an overview of some of the most common types of energy work here.

Another option is to get trained in one of the more accessible forms of energy healing. For example, the Healing Touch educational program is very standardized, which gives a level of quality control to anyone who’s a certified practitioner. You can download a directory of certified Healing Touch practitioners in your area here. 1st degree Reiki initiation usually just takes a long weekend, and is another lovely option for those who would rather do it yourself. You can find a qualified Reiki Master at the Reiki Alliance website at www.reikialliance.co. Once you are part of the Reiki community, you would also have access to Reiki-shares, informal local groups that meet to trade Reiki treatments.


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