Becoming a BWH Reiki Volunteer

Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) is an international leader in virtually every area of medicine and has been the site of pioneering breakthroughs that have improved lives around the world. A major teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School, BWH has a legacy of excellence that continues to grow. With two outstanding hospitals, over 150 outpatient practices, over 1,200 physicians, and one of the largest in-patient hospital Reiki programs in the world, we serve patients from New England, throughout the United States, and from 120 countries around the world.

Serving as a Reiki practitioner in Brigham and Women’s Reiki Program is a huge honor and privilege. For over six years now, BWH has been empowering Second Degree Reiki Practitioners and Reiki Masters by providing them the opportunity to serve in the hospital setting. The purpose of the BWH Reiki Program is to create ”An Oasis of Care and Comfort” for patients, visiting family members, and hospital staff members by providing Reiki as a resource to help facilitate the body’s ”relaxation response” and promote the body and mind’s natural abilities to attain balance. Our own data along with outside research show that Reiki promotes relaxation, relieves stress and anxiety, reduces pain and fatigue, and improves overall quality of life.

Our BWH Reiki Program’s method for providing quality care is by empowering you, our volunteer Reiki specialists, with the skills, language, training, and support you need in order to thrive in the Hospital. The skills you will gain from this experience easily carry over to other clinical or private settings.

The ideal candidate has the following qualities:

• Empathy
• Compassion
• A passion to serve others
• Follows through on commitments
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills
• Desire to support sick patients in deep suffering
• Ability to work and stay present in a fast-paced environment
• Must be certified in Second Degree Reiki or above

Our minimum weekly commitment is one two-hour shift (or longer) with options to come in more than once per week if interested.

BWH Reiki volunteers confidently state that their abilities as practitioners significantly improve once beginning to practice reiki here with us. Our volunteer program is made up of Reiki practitioners who travel from all over New England to participate.

There are many benefits of volunteering with us, including the following:

• Receiving mentorship
• Learning clinical language for explaining Reiki in the medical setting
• Gaining experience through a regular commitment to service
• Witnessing the potential of what Reiki can truly do for others by providing Reiki to patients in the most critical need of your care
• Earning certification from BWH as a Hospital Reiki Practitioner(an extra credential for your own Reiki practice)
• Attending our Reiki shares, Reiki retreats, and other community development activities
• Being a part of a larger, progressive movement to integrate Reiki into the medical setting as well as overall mainstream public awareness

Volunteering as a Reiki practitioner at BWH is a very satisfying experience for high school students, college and graduate students, stay-at-home parents, empty nesters, retired people, as well as working professionals of any age or occupation. One must be 16 years old in age or above, with no age limit provided one is in good health.

No educational requirements or work experience is necessary other than First and Second Degree Reiki Certification. Our program is inclusive, and volunteers come from all walks of life. People of every race, color, ethnicity, sex, national origin, religion, age, sexual orientation, or gender identity are encouraged to apply.

If you are interested in applying to the program, please email Sharon Dickinson, BWH Reiki Program Coordinator, at sdickinson1@partners.org