Hi,

As it stands at the moment, you can practice Reiki professionally with relevant insurance cover. You do not have to be a member of a Reiki association, but if you join a Reiki association it does give you more credibility with some clients. You can also register with The General Regulatory Council For Complementary Therapies (GRCCT). To maintain your registration with GRCCT you must complete the relevant hours of CDP and within 36 months of registering, you must comply with the National Occupational Standards (NOS) for Reiki. So, CPD is only really a requirement if you want to be a registered practitioner. If you are interested in reading the NOS documents here is the link to Skills For Health website:

Thanks this is very helpful. I do practice professionally and am insured and with IPTI. However, am thinking with the way things are going with the HPC et al that it maybe would be a good time to join a Reiki organization and get some CPD going. Do you know which is the most prominent Reiki organization? I think there are quite a few around. If you're not a registered practitioner you can still practice, can't you?

Hi,

As you say, there are many Reiki associations. I belong to the Reiki Healers and Teachers Society (RHATS), I like their attitude to Reiki and they have really high standards. The other thing to look at is the GRCCT website, they have a list of accredited Reiki associations - if you join one of these, it is much cheaper and easier to register. RHATS is one of these. Yes, you can still practice if you are not registered.
The link for GRCCT is:

Hope this helps.

Thanks so much for this, Omega, very helpful indeed. It's good to get a recommendation. Are you registered?

Omega,

I've been able to register with GRCCT, as IPTI is recognized (and have also registered my reflexology practice too). So now I can say I'm a registered reiki practitioner?
I am also going to look into joining RHTS as it is more speific to Reiki than is IPTI.

I'm suprised at how easy it has been! Pleased too that I shall now be able to start getting going with some CPD for reiki, and shalll be studying the NOS.

Thanks again.

Well done! I'm thinking about registering at the moment, I just want some clarification regarding the CPD. I just want to know definitively what is and is not classed as CPD for Reiki. I know that a certain number of hours haev to be Reiki specific, but do these hours have to be a course of somekind? I do not really want to take random Reiki courses!

Oh, I thought you had already registered! I read something on that study skills link about it being 12 hours a year. I think for most CPD it tends to be studying and applying it-whether that is an article or a course is up to the individual. I will see what I can find out. I did rather just jump into it.I think it says that the organizations you belong to will already stipulate CPD so the GRCCT may just accept that.. wonder what I've let myself in for!

I think I need to re-read the NOS. I vaguely remember discussing CPD at the NOS meetings a few years ago. I can't remember what was agreed re: CPD. The CPD will be relatively easy I think. The NOS documents may look like hard work, but once you read them a couple of times and work through the waffle, it's just basic common sense and good practice. The other thing coming up is the core curriculum, which may be more contentious as it will specify minimum hours for training and case studies. I do not think many Reiki practitioners have registered yet, I searched the GRCCT website and I only found a few. Until there is a real need for registration, I tend to think most Reiki practitioners will not register.

I agree that unless there is a pressure put on them they won't register. I also think that it's not too far off before the Government gets round to setting up a register, or getting a body to do it. I think those that already are showing that they are aware of being accountable and offering some sort of security to the public, are going to be in a better position. If for no other reason than getting used to it now, will mean it's not so hard when it comes around (which I'm certain it will).

The White Paper that came out last year was a turning point. I'd rather get to grips with it now than leave it to a time when I'm not prepared at all. I'm also keen to do some Reiki cpd and am not too sure what I'm going to do about this! Do RHTS have anything to offer on this?

As you said -and after the quick look I had at that link you sent me, I am already fulfilling most of it as it's basic common sense. I also searched the register and found a few...but I guess if it proves to be useless I needn't re-register next year.

Also can you tell me more about the core curriculum? I know nothing of this

I agree about the government putting in place some sort of statutary regulation process eventually, VSR was a first step I feel. I have PM'd with more details.