What is Energy Work in Therapy?
Energy therapies are noninvasive techniques designed to harmonize a person’s biofield to enhance physical, mental and spiritual well-being. They may be used as complementary treatments alongside medical interventions.
When searching for a therapist who combines energy work and talk-based therapy, make sure they can demonstrate their credentials and training. Make sure they clearly explain their approach before providing it – they should obtain permission first from you first!
Chakra balancing
Chakra balancing is an energy healing technique that addresses the body’s seven main energy centers, or chakras. Each chakra corresponds with a different color, element, sense organ, and aspect of well-being; when one becomes out-of-balance it may manifest as physical or emotional issues; during a chakra balancing session a practitioner works to align these chakras using touch and visualization techniques.
The chakra system has long been associated with various ancient healing practices, such as yoga and acupuncture. These practices utilize channels of energy called nadis to connect the chakras; three are located on either side of the body with six on their respective backsides. These chakras are thought to serve as physical, emotional, and spiritual centers in humans.
When chakras become imbalanced, symptoms may include digestive issues, low self-esteem or feeling of disconnection from others. Working with an expert specializing in chakra therapy can provide insight into their energy system and identify any imbalances; then the therapist can work toward balancing chakras using massage or energy healing techniques.
Reiki and Healing Touch offer two forms of energy healing that use hands to clear, energize, and balance a person’s energy field, thus improving physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing. Both methods are noninvasive techniques which can be used alongside traditional psychotherapy sessions or alternatively to help address mental health.
Energy healing techniques such as yoga, breathwork and other holistic wellness practices offer another form of energy healing. Studies suggest these practices can boost immunity while simultaneously relieving depression, anxiety and stress levels. Though more research needs to be done, it’s essential that all options be considered when dealing with mental or emotional challenges.
Breathing exercises may help balance the heart chakra by relaxing both the sympathetic nervous system and vasculature. Other practices known to enhance energy flow include meditation, hiking in nature and mindful awareness training.
Reiki integration
Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. Practitioners channel healing energy through their hands, helping restore the natural flow of vital life force energy throughout the body and creating a deeper spiritual connection. Reiki practitioners aim to facilitate physical, mental and emotional well-being as well as cultivate deeper spiritual awareness.
Reiki practitioners believe that there is a universal life force pulsing through our bodies, closely tied to both emotional and physical wellbeing. When this energy becomes blocked or unbalanced, illness and pain result. A Reiki session allows practitioners to channel this healing energy directly to those areas of your body that require it the most, often relieving physical tension while relieving emotional burdens simultaneously.
Reiki’s soothing effects are known to ease chronic pain and discomfort such as headaches, backache, joint issues and digestive issues. Furthermore, its use may even help lower stress hormones, blood pressure and improve sleep patterns while relieving emotional and physical blocks that prevent patients from being fully present and grounded in themselves.
Reiki can enhance other wellness techniques like meditation or yoga to increase their effectiveness and promote overall wellbeing. For instance, when coupled with massage therapy to ease muscle tension and increase healing effects. Furthermore, Reiki can be used on its own as an approach for addressing emotional or physical pain at its source rather than simply masking its symptoms.
Reiki can be an effective and natural approach to improving physical health, but when selecting a practitioner it’s crucial that they have experience and training in this area. Look for someone who can explain how they integrate energy work into their practice and set clear boundaries regarding what can and cannot be accomplished during sessions. Don’t expect immediate fixes or full clearing sessions from them and remember they need to leave room for clients to say no if uncomfortable experiences arise.
If you are curious to explore energy work as part of your healing journey, locate a certified practitioner nearby. A good practitioner will have all of the relevant credentials and abide by stringent ethical standards to provide maximum effectiveness for you.
Mindfulness and breathwork
Mindfulness meditation can help you control your breathing, ease a cluttered mind and open energy flow more freely. Simply focus on being present and observe any sensations or sensations as they occur during your day – if your thoughts drift off into other topics simply bring it back into focus! Mindfulness can reduce stress, depression anxiety self-defeating patterns and limiting beliefs while simultaneously improving physical health.
Breathwork practices involve rhythmic deep breathing with periods of holding the breath to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, your body’s “rest and digest” system. Breathwork also bolsters immune function, reduces blood pressure, alleviates effects of chronic and periodic stress on your body, promotes restful sleep patterns and brings inner peace (Vago & Silbersweig 2020).
One of the best-known forms of breathwork is Wim Hof Method. This Dutch extreme athlete known as “the Iceman” employs cold therapy combined with power breathing to strengthen immunity, increase metabolism and boost mental clarity. Rebirthing breathwork involves conscious connected breathing that eliminates any gaps between inhale and exhale and allows unresolved emotions to come forward more freely.
Other techniques include shamanic breathwork, which combines breath with movement, sound and other forms of meditation to release trauma, anxiety and repressed memories, as well as foster spiritual development. This practice can help individuals release tension while also cultivating spiritual growth.
Healing Touch, which utilizes hands to clear and energize the human energy field and energetic centers controlling this field, is another noninvasive yet gentle therapy option available today that can complement traditional psychotherapy practices.
If you’re considering energy work as part of your therapeutic journey, ensure your practitioner is licensed and trained in it. While some therapists specialize exclusively in energy work practices, others include it as part of their holistic approach. While energy work may feel powerful, it should still be part of a comprehensive treatment plan which addresses psychological as well as physical needs.
Massage therapy
Massage utilizes soft-tissue manipulation techniques such as stroking, kneading, rocking and tapping gently or applying steady pressure to soft-tissue manipulation techniques that relieve stress, pain and stiffness in the body. Massage also promotes blood flow which aids digestion, sleep quality and an immune-enhancing environment. Massage has proven particularly helpful in relieving symptoms for several health conditions including fibromyalgia, musculoskeletal pain, insomnia and back pain.
Many practitioners are increasingly including energy work into their clients’ therapeutic sessions, believing that physical, emotional and spiritual imbalances may have energetic causes. Three methods that incorporate energy work are chakra balancing, Reiki integration and incorporating mindfulness and breathwork.
Chakra balancing involves working on the seven energy centers, or chakras, within the body to restore balance and create harmony. It entails using techniques such as gentle touch, visualization and energy channeling in order to address physical, mental and emotional well-being.
A massage therapist can use massage techniques to target specific areas of tension within the body known as trigger points, applying pressure to tight muscle fibers to relax them during trigger point massage sessions. This form of therapy is frequently used to address both chronic and acute muscle, joint and tendon discomfort.
Shiatsu massage sessions utilize varied and rhythmic finger pressure on certain points believed to be integral for the flow of vital energy, or “chi”, through the body. Shiatsu may help treat muscle spasms, joint and skeletal pain, stress-related disorders and Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) dysfunction.
One study discovered that receiving a deep tissue massage reduced anxiety while increasing levels of serotonin and dopamine in the body – both known to boost mood. A massage also increases parasympathetic nervous response – associated with relaxation and rest – through slow, deep pressure applied by therapists as they encourage clients to breathe deeply.



