Reiki therapy in the Unified Health System: meanings and experiences in integral health care

Abstract

Objectives: to understand the meanings of Reiki therapy in the Unified Health System, based on the experiences of users and therapists. Methods: thematic oral history study, conducted with 12 users and 11 Reiki therapists, in three public health services, in the city of São Paulo, SP, in 2018. The interviews were transcribed and categorized, through thematic content analysis, with the help of the Atlas.ti software. Results: for the interviewees, Reiki activates a universal energy, offering benefits to the body, mind, and spirit. The engagement of therapists in such practice was motivated by the desire to carry out voluntary work. Users claim to seek this therapy to overcome a state of suffering and use natural practices. Final Considerations: the meanings and experiences with Reiki therapy are many, but they converge in the understanding of this practice as a producer of health, well-being, and quality of life, through care centered on the integral human being.