Stop the Licensing of Reiki & Energy Healing
April 26, 2021
S.221 and H.350 requires the state [Massachusetts] to establish standards and licensing for the practice and teaching of holistic modalities under the control and direction of a board predominantly populated by massage therapists, and to restrict the teaching of the holistic modalities to schools licensed by the state at a cost of more than $8,000 for an application.
This bill is being presented as a solution to Human Trafficking and Prostitution. According to the MA Attorney General’s Office: “The bill creates a regulatory structure for alternative healing therapies to prevent criminals from using these currently unregulated practices as fronts for human trafficking,”
S.221 and H.350 will negatively affect thousands of sole practitioners and instructors from a wide array of disciplines such as Reiki, Qi Gong, Asian Bodywork Therapy, Trager, Feldenkrais, Ayurvedic Therapies, Reflexology, Polarity Therapy, Rolf Structural Integration, Body Mind Centering, Acupressure, Energy and Somatic Healing Practices who are now exempt from massage licensure under current law.
These requirements would create significant hardships and force alternative healthcare practitioners and teachers of these modalities to close their practices, eliminate freedom of choice in alternative healthcare for the people of Massachusetts." — Excerpt from the Petition.
"State licensing would dictate how to practice Reiki, how to teach Reiki, what you can say about Reiki practice. Licensing would also involve fees and require you to invest in continuing education." —Pamela Miles, RM
Additionally, this will create a severe financial burden (as well as restrict the accessibility and delivery of energy healing) on Black, Mexican/Chicano, Indigenous, Hispanic, and other People of Color who often work in underserved communities at either no charge, sliding scale or on a donation basis.
It is widely known that sex trafficking occurs during the Super Bowl and at big event venues. The attorney general would do better to focus her attention on those events and venues.
Attempting to shut down sole practitioners or small teaching organizations is not the way to stop sex trafficking.
Please sign and share the Petition to Stop S.221 & H.350 An Act Regulating Alternative Healing Therapies (formerly S.168)
I invite you to take a few minutes to read Reiki Master, Pamela Miles' outstanding summary on the April 10 presentation she hosted with Reiki masters Rita Glassman, who’s been opposing a series of these bills in MA for several years, and Susan Mitchell, a long time community leader and student of Hawayo Takata.