REIKI IN AUSTRALIAN HOSPITALS AND PALLIATIVE CARE CENTRES
by Eugenio Lepine
If you have already read Reiki is reaching the Top Hospitals, then you probably remember that the Solaris Cancer Care offers Reiki for their patients. They teamed up with the International Institute for Reiki Training (IIRT) and the Reiki Association (WA), and created the Reiki Community Clinic, in order to provide Reiki as a service to their members. Here you will find useful information about the current presence of Reiki in Hospitals in Australia.
SAINT JOHN OF GOD
St. John of God is considered as one of the leading healthcare providers in the country, and so far 19 Hospitals are part of this enterprise. This includes the previously mentioned Solaris Care Cancer Support Centre, where reiki is one of the most accessed complementary health treatment for cancer and leukemia patients. This teaching hospital is home to Western Australia’s only comprehensive cancer treatment centre, as well as being the state’s principal neurosurgery and liver transplant hospital.
The St. John of God Murdoch Hospital manages the Footprints Day Centre, and their complementary therapies include reiki, reflexology, pranic healing, meditation, beauty therapy, wellness and support groups.
PALLIATIVE CARE AUSTRALIA
Palliative Care Australia is the national peak body for palliative care, and it represents eight member groups. Their objective is based on improving the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problem associated with life-threatening illness, by building strong networks between specialist palliative care providers, primary generalist, primary specialist, support care providers and the community.
Among the massage group of therapies, they include modalities such as relaxation massage, therapeutic massage, reiki, touch for health, craniosacral therapy, polarity therapy, tuina, and acupressure.
REIKI IN TASMANIA
The J. W. Whittle Palliative Care Unit aims to promote the quality of life of people under a life-limiting illness, focusing on comfort rather than cure. The palliative care team recognizes that an illness has physical, psychological, social, spiritual and cultural process that is experienced uniquely by each person and each family.
Complementary therapies are available to patients in the Unit, and are offered by professional practitioners and trained volunteers; which are used together with conventional medicine, and include: aromatherapy, massage, reiki, music therapy and art therapy. This is all explained in the Patient and Family Handbook which you can find online.
CANCER COUNCIL, NEW SOUTH WALES
Finally, the Cancer Council in New South Wales, (a ramification of the australian council), provides resources, information, and support among cancer patients and relatives. They have a very informative PDF file called Understanding Complementary Therapies, where reiki is one of several energy therapies that are being offered there.
