WHAT TO EXPECT

Consultation

At your initial appointment, we will ask you about your dog’s diet, diagnoses, traumas, behaviours, conditions, medications, supplements, vaccine history and responses to prior & current treatments. This can be done in-clinic or virtually.

We will then do a brief Reiki session. This is an important part of the assessment & helps to identify subtle energy shifts and areas of imbalance. Simply relax with your dog – that’s it!

After Reiki, we will discuss your pet’s assessment, health goals & talk about a Holistic Treatment Plan. 

This may include Reiki, herbs, supplements and/or diet changes. Some pets will also benefit from other complementary treatments, and/or referral to a vet or other pet care specialists. 

We strongly encourage communication with your pet’s whole health care team. 

Ongoing Treatments

Most dogs benefit from a series of Reiki treatments initially, and then occasional booster sessions. 

If your dog is started on CBD, herbs or targeted nutrition, we would like to see them more often to monitor their response and make adjustments as required. 

How do Animals Experience Reiki?

Animals are very attuned to their bodies & energies and can experience Reiki more intensely than people. 

Often, an animal will prefer a hands off approach, however some revel with joy in the intensity of a hands on treatment! 

Your animal will direct the focus and length of the treatment. 

Animals tell us what they need if we are willing and able to listen.  People have differing abilities to sense what their needs are, and filter communication  of these needs through ego, social expectations, self-judgment and psychological defence mechanisms. Animals, on the other hand, communicate their needs clearly, simply and without attached emotion or judgment. With animals, it simply is what it is!

Whether treating illness, adjusting to loss of limb(s), trust/bonding issues, history of abuse/loss of a co-pet or other family member, a move, or supporting a peaceful passing, Reiki’s powerful effect is well established.

Testimonials

“She asked whether there was a tooth abscess or sinus infection near the back teeth. The next day the horse dropped a decayed tooth.”

“You shed light on the situation, helping us find peace in a most difficult time.”

“I didn’t know the damage that all those chemicals & vaccines had done to her immune system. And I learned so much about nutrition and herbs!”

“The real Nurse Doolittle!”

“We have never seen her this calm and relaxed!”

“His stomach issues cleared up and he acts like a puppy again!”

THE EVIDENCE

Healing Fur Souls

Reiki

Hundreds of hospitals, clinics & hospices across the U.S. &  Europe  offer Reiki to accelerate healing, support pain management, reduce anxiety, stress & depression, & comfort the dying. In many countries, Reiki treatments are a usual component of treatment plans. 

Studies have demonstrated a significant reduction in stress, anxiety & depression.  Reiki was tested against a placebo in a multi-site study that assessed the effect on people’s autonomic nervous system; results showed that blood pressure, heart rate and respiration rates were lowered after just one treatment. 

Nurses suffering from Burnout Syndrome experienced significant improvement in relaxation response.

Reiki has been favourably compared with physiotherapy in the treatment of shoulder pain; memory & depression significantly improved in adults with mild cognitive impairment. 

Other peer-reviewed studies have found positive results with Reiki on: pain after tooth extraction, pre-operative relaxation and post-op pain, chronic pain, depression, and stress. Eighty-three per cent of rigorously controlled studies indicated a satisfactory or excellent response to Reiki. 

Investigations are underway that are finding positive effects on cellular regeneration and blood vessel relaxation, particularly where stress has been a factor in tissue damage. 

The highly respected Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews  critically appraised 24 studies of Touch Therapy (including Reiki), determining that a moderate positive effect was apparent on pain in adults, with two studies finding a reduction in the use of analgesics.  

Biological markers related to stress & immune response improve from reiki i.e. salivary IgA & cortisol, blood pressure, galvanic skin response, muscle tension & skin temperature. 

Several progressive health care facilities report benefits from Reiki including: reduced anxiety, less use of pain medications, increased satisfaction of surgical patients, reduced feelings of loneliness, insomnia, pain and support with recovery from mental illness & addictions.

View more than 80 studies on Reiki summarized by the Center for Reiki Research’s Touchstone Process at http://www.centerforreikiresearch.org

Aromatherapy

The process of extracting medicinal oils from plants is well established. Ancient cultures have used these oils in their healing practices for thousands of years, and forward thinking practitioners  are integrating essential oils into their patient care.

When essential oils are inhaled, olfactory pathways connected to the brain are stimulated. These pathways can influence physical, emotional and mental health through their activity in the limbic system.  

A reduction of stress & anxiety is the most commonly studied effect of aromatherapy; however clinical trials are showing early evidence of improved quality of life in cancer patients, and topical applications of certain oils demonstrating effects on reducing bacterial growth e.g. studies examining gingivitis & MRSA. Other conditions offer mixed results.

Sound Healing

It’s widely accepted that music – essentially, sounds – have the ability to soothe, enhance athletic performance, increase energy or even stir memory and emotion. The “Mozart Effect” described the increase in spatial IQ after listening to a Mozart sonata. But what does the literature tell us about the subtle effects of sound on our brains? Can the therapeutic application of sound really play a part in our wellness or dis-ease?

Studies on mindfulness & meditation clearly show positive changes to brain waves. But can the external application of sound waves mimic the same meditative state? At this point, the evidence is arguably not robust enough to suggest this. However, a solid body of literature supports the therapeutic use of music and sound, particularly on stress & anxiety reduction. 

A randomized controlled study of 108 pre-operative patients examined the effect of binaural beats on anxiety. A 26% reduction in anxiety in the binaural group was statistically significant.

Neuroscientist Jessica Grahn at the University of Western Ontario, is studying the ways music & rhythm can help the brain & entrain muscles in people suffering from Parkinson’s Disease. 

The use of audio tones, chimes, drumming or chanting complement the relaxation response inherent in Reiki. And that “sounds” good.

The Future of Healing

“Reiki energy…is the newest form of healing on the horizon.” -Dr. Lonnie Zeltzer, UCLA Paediatric Pain Clinic

“Energy medicine is the future of medicine.” -Dr. Mehmet Oz, Cardiac Surgeon, New York Presbyterian Hospital