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Reiki for Vets with PTSD The following guidelines can help inform you when working with PTSD clients. 4 • Create a safe, relaxing environment. • Be mindful of music (e.g., some Vietnam vets hold a negative connotation with Asian music). • Veterans are usually grounded people, so keep explanations in simple terms and refrain from incorporating props that may detract from their experience, such as crystals or pendulums. • Show respect by making eye contact and referring to veterans by name. • Don't approach a client with PTSD from behind without announcing yourself—no surprises. • Ask for permission to touch; hover in the energy fi eld if it is preferred. • PTSD clients may wish to keep their eyes open to feel in control. • Use your intuition to follow the energy. In very traumatized individuals, the signals are not subtle. • Be a good listener, but don't ask them to tell their story, as it may be retraumatizing. • In the event issues come up for a PTSD client and they wish to talk it out, be able to refer to a talk therapist. Don't exceed your scope of practice. You can see video recaps of the Jesse Brown VA Stand Down events and other outreach eff orts on the author's blog at www.herestherub-llc.com. advised all the volunteers to dress conservatively— despite the intense heat—to minimize confusion. We persevered and soon signed up our fi rst takers. One of these individuals was so moved by his session, he took it upon himself to stand guard near us and respond to the negative comments from passersby: "No, it ain't like that; you got to try this!" And several of them did. Over the course of the day, the fi ve volunteers were able to work on more than 20 veterans, most of whom were very grateful for the experience. Several walked away scratching their heads, unable to understand how they could feel so much more relaxed after just a few minutes of someone touching their head, shoulders, and chest. After receiving an invitation to participate in the Stand Down event again in 2013, our group of volunteers was enthusiastically greeted at the venue by event staff and vets who remembered us from the previous year. There were very few inappropriate comments this time, and we were able to work on more than 90 veterans and VA volunteers over the course of two days. At one point, the director of volunteer services approached us to ask, "What's happening out here? Everyone's talking about you guys!" That conversation led to an invitation to give a presentation to the Jesse Brown VA's Patient Centered Care committee, where I proposed a two-phase reiki service and training program for veterans, offering not only healing possibilities, but also job opportunities. I've received approval to implement phase one. It includes a large group of reiki volunteers providing 10-minute sessions to vets in the VA medical center several times a week, right alongside, and under the supervision of, the medical doctors and mental health professionals. Gaining this approval was a long process. It involved background checks, and providing information about reiki training, outcomes, and liabilities to decision makers at the VA to inform new policies governing such a reiki volunteer program. Because these individuals needed to secure approval from VA leaders in Washington, DC, this conversation has had a much greater audience than I dared hope for in the early stages. It looks like we may be helping to pave the way for similar programs on a national scale. As a result of these inroads, we also received an invitation to participate in the VA's Welcome Home event at Soldier Field in Chicago. The healing touch community had been asked to bring up to 50 energy healing practitioners to work on veterans 68 m a s s a g e & b o d y w o r k n o v e m b e r / d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 4 advised all the volunteers to dress conservatively— despite the intense heat—to minimize confusion. We persevered and soon signed up our fi rst takers. One of these individuals was so moved by Author Heather McCutcheon and other volunteers administer reiki to veterans during a VA Stand Down event.