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Reiki energy healing in the Dandenong Ranges

Gentle energy healing, thoughtfully integrated.

Reiki is one of the gentle energy healing approaches I use alongside Kinesiology and Spinal Energetics.

It is where I began my own healing journey, and the foundation to my practice.

Kath Whitehorn providing a one on one session with a client resting comfortably on a treatment table at Hill Tribe Healing.

What is Reiki?

Reiki (pronounced ray-key) is a gentle form of energy healing that aims to support relaxation and a sense of balance.

During a session, you lie comfortably face up on a cosy massage table with a blanket covering you while I use light touch, or place my hands just above the body, creating a quiet space for healing, rest and reflection.

Many people describe feeling calmer, lighter or deeply rejuvenated and relaxed afterwards, although every experience is unique.

International Institute for Complementary Therapists member badge

Reiki Level 2,
Usui lineage

Trained to practise professionally, including distance work. Practising since 2008.

Full member, IICT

International Institute for Complementary Therapists

The Patch, Kallista and online

Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays in The Patch and online
Saturdays at Soma Kallista
By Appointment Only

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Kinesiology, Spinal Energetics and Reiki are not registered health professions in Australia, and IICT membership is an industry association, not a government registration. These are complementary therapies and they do not replace medical care.

How does Reiki energy healing work?

Reiki has a traditional explanation and a physiological one, and I am not going to pretend the first is proven or that the second is all there is.

The traditional account, which is the one the practice comes from, is that there is a vital energy running through everything, that stress and exhaustion disrupt how it moves, and that a practitioner can act as a conduit for it. That is what Usui taught in the 1920s, it is what the training is built around, and it is a framework rather than a finding.

The physiological account is more modest and better supported. An hour of quiet, dim light, warmth, light stationary touch and somebody's undivided attention shifts the body out of alert and into rest. That shift is measurable. It is the same reason being properly looked after feels like something, and it does not require anybody to believe anything.

My honest position is that both are probably in play and I cannot separate them for you. What I can tell you is what happens in the room, which is described below, and what people say afterwards.

You do not need to believe in any of it for the hour to do what it does.

Kath Whitehorn performing a kinesiology session with a client relaxing on a treatment table at Hill Tribe Healing.

What happens in a session?

You arrive, and we sit for a few minutes with a cup of tea. You tell me as much or as little as you want about what's going on.

Then you lie down face up on the massage table, fully clothed, with a blanket. Lights low. Quiet, or soft sound and an eye pillow if you prefer.

From there, I place my hands gently on or just above your body, and universal life force energy (Ki) flows through my hands to support you on every level. You don't need to do or say anything. This is your time to receive.

To close, we come back slowly and I intuitively draw an oracle card for you to take it's message into the rest of your day.

"I feel refreshed and much lighter" is what I hear most as people get up off the table.

Your only job is to arrive. Mine is to meet you where you are.

DOES THIS SOUND LIKE YOU?


People often come to Hill Tribe Healing because…

They’re emotionally or physically exhausted

They can’t seem to switch off

They know something feels out of balance, even if they can’t explain why

They’re curious about energy healing but don’t know where to begin

This approach may not be the right fit if…

You’re looking for a medical diagnosis or treatment

You’re expecting a guaranteed outcome

You’d prefer a purely clinical or symptom focused approach

You’re uncomfortable with gentle touch or energetic practices

If you’re unsure, please get in touch. I’m always happy to talk through whether this feels like the right fit.

TOUCH IN ENERGY HEALING


You decide the level of touch

Hands on or hands off is your choice

Hands off means my palms rest a few centimetres above you. It is not a lesser version and it is not a compromise. Some people ask for it because of a history, some because they would just rather, and I never ask why.

Where I do place hands

Head, crown, shoulders, upper chest, stomach, knees, feet. Light and still. No pressing, no kneading, no movement.

You stay fully clothed

Shoes off, glasses and bulky jewellery off, that is all.

You can change your mind mid-session

Including from hands on to hands off, and you do not need a reason. Say the word and I will lift my hands. You can also keep your eyes open the whole time, sit up, or stop entirely.


I will ask you about all of this before we begin rather than assuming, and I will ask in a way that makes "hands off, please" an easy thing to say.

TRADITION


A brief history of Reiki

Reiki was developed in Japan in the early 1920s by Mikao Usui, who created a practice combining gentle hands-on healing, meditation and a set of simple daily principles centred on gratitude, kindness and presence.

The practice was later refined by Chujiro Hayashi before being introduced to the West by Hawayo Takata, whose teaching shaped much of modern Reiki practice. Like most Western practitioners, my Reiki lineage traces back through her.

I’ve been practising Reiki since 2008, and while my sessions have evolved to incorporate kinesiology and Spinal Energetics, Reiki remains an important foundation of the way I work.

Its quiet, restorative nature continues to inform every session, whether it is the primary focus or one part of a broader approach.

At the heart of Usui’s teaching are five simple principles.

Just for today:


They’re not rules to follow perfectly.

They’re gentle reminders to return to, and they continue to guide my own practice as much as the sessions I share with others.

BEFORE YOU BOOK


Frequently Asked Questions

Is Reiki a massage?

No. There is no oil, no pressure and no kneading, and you stay fully clothed throughout. My hands rest lightly and still, or a few centimetres above you if you would prefer.

Only if you want me to, and only on your head, shoulders, upper chest, stomach, knees and feet. Never on breasts, groin or buttocks. Hands off is a genuine option and plenty of people choose it.

No. An hour of quiet, warmth and undivided attention does what it does regardless of what you think about the theory. Scepticism is welcome in the room.

No. It came out of a Japanese Buddhist and Shinto context in the 1920s, but there is no doctrine, no worship and nothing to sign up to. People of every faith and none have sessions with me.

Very common, and welcome. It is usually a sign your body has decided it is safe enough to stop keeping watch. You have not wasted the hour.

No. You stay fully clothed the whole time, lying on a table. Wear whatever you are comfortable in.

Neither is registered under AHPRA, so there is no government register and no protected title, and the levels and certificates you see on this page are issued by the modalities themselves rather than by a regulator. What does apply to me: Victoria's General Code of Conduct for general health services, which is law, and which sets standards I have to meet on claims, scope and not discouraging you from seeing your doctor. You can read it, and find out how to complain about me, on my terms page.

Because your digestion switched back on. It happens when the body shifts out of alert, it is a good sign, and nobody in this room is embarrassed about it.

No, and please do not let it. Keep seeing your doctor, keep seeing your psychologist, keep taking what you have been prescribed. Reiki sits alongside conventional Western medical practices.

Level 2 is the level at which Reiki practitioners work with clients rather than only on themselves, and it is where distance work is taught. Worth knowing: Reiki has no government accreditation in Australia at any level, so the levels are the modality's own structure, not a licence.

Distance work is part of Level 2 training rather than something added on. It is one of the three things that level teaches.

Practically: we meet on a video call. You lie down somewhere comfortable at your end, I talk you through settling, and then you rest for the session while I work. You do not need to hold your phone, watch the screen or stay on camera in any particular way.

I am not going to explain the mechanism of distance work in physical terms, because I cannot.

The traditional explanation is that focused attention is not limited by distance. That is what the training says, it is what I have found in practice, and it is a belief rather than a measurement.

Please mention it when you book. Sessions adjust easily.

No. I don’t sell supplements. 

Reiki, Kinesiology, or Spinal Energetics?

Reiki is one of the gentle energy healing approaches I offer and incorporate into my sessions, alongside Kinesiology and Spinal Energetics.

If you're craving something deeply restful, you can specify when booking a Recharge session for this to be Reiki-focused. Otherwise, I'll blend the approaches to suit what you need on the day.

REIKI
REST & RESTORATION

Creates space for stillness and deep relaxation using gentle touch or hands held just above the body. Many people find it helps them slow down and reconnect with themselves.

KINESIOLOGY
GUIDED & COLLABORATIVE

Uses conversation and gentle muscle testing to help explore patterns of stress and imbalance, guiding where the session goes next.

SPINAL ENERGETICS
BODY LED & DYNAMIC

Works with the spine and nervous system through light touch and energetic awareness. Every experience is different, with the body responding in its own way.