If you’ve ever walked away from a Reiki treatment session wondering “What went wrong?”, you’re not alone. This question came up again just recently from one of my Level 2 students: why did one treatment feel powerful, with lots of energy and obvious shifts… and the next one feels flat, and less impactful? It’s such a common experience, especially in the early stages of your Reiki practice, and it’s one of the reasons I wanted to write this blog post. Let’s talk about why some Reiki sessions feel stronger than others and why that doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong.
Here’s the thing: a lot depends on the client.
Some people are super sensitive to energy. They’ll feel every tingle, release, and emotional wave. Others? They might lie there and say afterwards, “I didn’t feel anything.” And that’s okay. We, as practitioners, need to remember that something did happen — even if they didn’t register it consciously. Reiki works with the energy body, the emotional body, the subconscious. It’s often subtle, sometimes delayed, and not always something people can put into words right away.
This happened to me just the other day.
I was giving a distance Reiki session to a woman who’d had a powerful experience the first time. She said she had intense shivers throughout the session, had emotional releases, and felt completely different afterward – in a good way. So naturally, when she booked again, this time for support with a bladder infection, I found myself feeling a bit nervous. A little voice in my head said, “Oh no, she’s expecting that same kind of session again… can I deliver that?” and then I got slightly anxious.
I wonder if you’ve ever felt that too? That moment where you’re suddenly performing, no longer being the open conduit for Reiki. When instead of being in that open, trusting Reiki state, you’re tense and hoping for good results. Comparing it to the last session. Worrying the client might not feel anything this time. All of those thoughts, subtle as they are, lower your vibration. And Reiki, as you know, flows best when we’re open, clear, and receptive to Higher guidance.
So, what can you do?
As soon as I noticed the self-doubt and fear, I did Kenyoko-ho (dry brushing) and, for good measure, the Reiki Shower technique. Then I gave myself a few minutes of Reiki to release those doubts. I used the Power Symbol and Harmony symbol. I did it right before I started the treatment and also in the days leading up to the appointment. It worked and helped me reset, shaking off the fear and self-doubt.
During the session itself, I felt a lot, working mostly over her bladder and kidney area, and her lower back. I used anticlockwise movements to remove stagnant energy and really took time to make sure it was clear. I was focused and I knew Reiki was working.
Afterwards she said, “It felt calming… I noticed something in my jaw.”
My jaw?? After all that deep work on her bladder? My first reaction, honestly, was confusion. “Buy how could what she experienced be so different to what I felt?!”
Here’s where we have to pause and remind ourselves that what we felt, was real. We’re tuned in. We’re the conduit for healing. The energy passes through us. And so, of course, we often feel it more vividly than the client does. That doesn’t mean it’s not working. It just means it’s working in a way their system can handle. Sometimes, that looks like tears and big releases. Other times? It’s gentle and subtle.
Our sensitivity, our awareness — that’s the indicator that Reiki is flowing. The client doesn’t always register what’s going on in the same way, and that doesn’t mean nothing happened. In fact, the next morning she messaged to say she slept through the night for the first time in three weeks with no pain and no discomfort. The bladder infection was easing. So yes, the Reiki had worked. Just differently than last time.
And actually, after I asked more, she admitted, “Oh yes, I did feel tugs, and a bit of pain shifting in the bladder yesterday during the session.” So sometimes, the feedback we get is incomplete, or just not immediate.
If you ever finish a session and think, “Maybe that wasn’t good enough,” just stop that thought. Don’t let the absence of “wow” from your client make you question your ability.
So my advice is this:
Watch your thoughts before the session. If you even sense a flicker of self-doubt, clear it. If you catch yourself trying to live up to a previous session or expectations (yours or your client’s), release that pressure. Because even if it was going to be a fantastic session, your doubts beforehand is going to cause your energy to flow less strongly and then you are going to create the problem you’re so afraid of.
And after the session? Same thing. Continue to trust. Don’t let “weak” feedback shake your confidence. You did the work. Your part is to trust that, and to know the energy is going exactly where it needs to go. Healing continues long after the client gets off the table, and why some Reiki sessions feel stronger than others often has more to do with perception than with reality.
You’re not doing anything wrong. You’re learning to trust the Reiki energy, yourself and that Reiki is always for the highest and greatest good. And that’s a powerful part of becoming a Reiki Practitioner.
