I remember when I first opened my crystal reiki healing practice: I was so excited, and so driven to answer my calling and pursue my purpose. I took a deep breath and then hit send on my first official newsletter, announcing my services to my then meagre mailing list.

I set up dividers in a large room in my apartment to create a dedicated healing space. I had my reiki (massage) table, shelving for my crystals and energy tools, and the space all smoke cleared and ready to go.

Slowly but surely, word spread, and I was booking more and more clients per week. Back then everything was paid in cash, and I'd keep it all in a tea tin in my kitchen. Every so often I'd pull all the money out and look at it in awe, blown away that I was actually starting to earn a living as a spiritual healer!

Up to this point, all of my clients had been women, and even though I was living in New York City, I felt safe with what I was doing.

And then one day a guy booked a session with me through my website.

A wave of insecurity hit me: Was it safe having a male stranger come over to my home for a healing session?

I had already learned to dodge the guys who were "interested in my services" but really only interested in me. And I was well aware that "reiki massage" was being advertised on Craigslist as a different kind of service altogether, so it felt wise to be cautious.

I bribed a friend of mine with $20 to come hang out in the other room during the time of the session, just so that I wouldn't be home alone.

As it so happened, the "Jamie" who had booked a session turned out to be a woman. Hysterical! My friend and I laughed about if afterwards, but, it had opened my eyes to something I hadn't considered, and a topic that wasn't covered in my reiki training.

Healer safety.

Now healer safety doesn't just include physical safety, it also includes energetic and legal safety. Here are some things to consider when opening or building your healing practice:

Physical Safety

Security:

Is your space safe, and is it located in a safe part of town? This is important to consider if you're going to be booking evening sessions and heading home at night or after dark.

If you’re working from your home, what precautions and security measures do you have in place? Are you valuables safely stored, out of site/reach, or locked away? (Or hidden in a tea tin in your kitchen!)

Are you isolated where you are? You never know who’s coming to see you for a session for the first-time, or how a client may react if they feel triggered, provoked, or challenged by you in some way.

Listen, most people who come to see you are likely to be lovely. They're looking for healing, not a fight, so I'm not trying to make you paranoid here! But as a professional, these are things you do have to consider and be prepared for, just in case.

Though I started out of my home space, I soon moved my healing practice to a therapy room rental in a wellness center. I felt much safer knowing that there was a receptionist and other practitioners working around me during my sessions.

Beware scammers, predators, and johns:

I will never forget the time a guy booked a session with me, and showed up with black silk pyjamas to change into and towels to put down on the massage table. He then asked if he could change in front of me. Seriously. This guy was expecting a happy ending, and needless to say he didn't get it.

I told him he was confused, and politely terminated the session and asked him to leave. I was very happy I was working in a center run by a bunch of guys who would have come running if I started screaming. Happily, the guy bashfully left without incident.

Lesson learned: If you feel unsafe, uncomfortable or suspect someone has ulterior motives, politely but firmly end the session right away and tell them to leave. Don't think you're being stupid, and don't question yourself, trust how you feel. It's never, ever worth risking your safety.

I've also heard of scams where people email you requesting that you accept bank transfers for larger amounts and then refund them the difference, or that they'll pay you extra if you go downstairs and collect money from their drivers, or sign a cheque over to you that's made out to someone else's name. Don't accept any of this, these are money laundering schemes or cases of cheque fraud or theft. Have your payment policies in place, and insist on them like any store or professional would.

Ensure your physical safety + wellbeing needs are met:

Whether you're in a rented, commercial space or a space in your home, is there an emergency exit? Working fire alarm? Bathroom nearby? Can you control the thermostat? Clients tend to get cold when they're deep in relaxation. Is there good ventilation? Decent lighting? These are all things that should be considered.

Boundaries:

Know your policies, have them clearly stated somewhere (this includes payment, cancellations, lateness, as well as accurate descriptions of your services, and what your client can reasonably expect as a result from a session). Make sure you honor your policies 100%. Not only does this create clear, strong energy for your business and establish you as a working professional, but it also keeps you, frankly, from having to take unfair sh** or treatment from your clients.

Also, know your boundaries or have a policy in place for when YOU need to cancel a session. This could include sick days or emergencies, but it can also include refusing a client or terminating a session if their behavior becomes in any way rude, abusive, manipulative, threatening, or inappropriate.

And as a final note on boundaries: Honor your clients!

Avoid touching or hugging if they don't want to be touched or hugged. Don't tell them your problems or your life story (they are NOT there for YOU). Never touch sexual areas of the body. Ever. Please don't pressure them into a sale or booking with you again. And please hold back from prying or wheedling them into sharing information with you if they don't want to or don't feel safe in sharing. Remember that you're there to be of service for your client's highest healing good, and let that be your guideline in all things.

Legal Safety

an outstretched hand with a polished fluorite stone in the palm — *Image source:* *Content Pixie @contentpixie*

Insurance:

In most wellness centers and spas in North America, practitioners are required to have liability insurance. This is to help protect yourself, the client, and the center should your client come to harm during the time of the session (which includes the time they enter the grounds of the building right through to the time they leave the grounds).

Even if you're working from your home, obtaining liability insurance should still be seriously considered. You can find liability coverage from professional organizations and associations and insurance brokers. Don't skimp on your due diligence: make sure you're dealing with a reputable, accredited provider, and that you've read through all the terms so that you fully understand your coverage.

Laws of the land:

Is it legal for you to be offering your healing services? Do you need some form of accreditation or licensing? This can vary from state to state, country to country. In some cases this can be hard to determine, especially given that spiritual healing is still widely unrecognized as a legitimate profession. Many laws that are in place may relate directly to touch therapies or therapies that are geared towards physical health and healing, leaving spiritual healing in a grey area.

In the United States, one way people find their way around this is by becoming an Ordained Minister. They refer to the first amendment of the constitution which protects the right to freedom of religion. Spiritual counsel and spiritual healing are believed to fall under this protection. However, this protection cannot be invoked in cases where someone is breaking the law. So it's important to just check and be sure you're not breaking any laws. Please note: I am not a lawyer, I am not providing nor can I provide any legal advice or counsel! I'm just sharing from my own experience.

Energetic Safety

three brass singing bowls on a table in front of some framed images — Image source: Content Pixie @contentpixie

Space clearing:

Remember that while you're working in a space, not only is your client vulnerable to the energy they're being exposed to in the room, you are, too. Always be sure to clear your own energy first, and then clear the energy of your space, before giving a healing session.

Energy shielding:

While many healers may have their energy clearing techniques in check, it's been my observation that, for a lot of them, their shielding is weak. Just visualizing yourself in a white bubble, stating an affirmation, or wearing a tiny protective crystal may not be enough.

If you intuitively or physically feel that you're taking on lower, or even harmful vibes, during your healing sessions, then you need to amp up your shielding techniques. You can work with a combination of crystals to help protect your energy and heal your aura.

Safe Work with Crystals:

a line of polished crystals — *Image source:* *Content Pixie @contentpixie*

And finally, as a crystal healer, there are crystal safety tips to keep in mind:

Always make sure their energy is clear

If you're not clearing the energy of your crystals in-between or after clients, they'll continue to absorb AND transfer lower or harmful vibes to whomever is exposed to them. You can watch my videos on clearing and charging your crystals on YouTube for techniques.

Keep them out of direct sunlight and direct exposure to artificial heat sources

Sunlight can fade the color of your crystals and can drain their energy. Also, crystals can heat up very quickly and get quite hot. I have heard stories of people being burned by hot crystals, so please be mindful of this.

Make sure you have a clean, sturdy, and organized way of storing your crystals

Crystals can break easily when dropped, can damage or break each other if they're jostled around together, and their surfaces can spread germs. I had essential oil disinfecting wipes that I would use to clean some of my crystals if they were used for sick clients. I kept my crystals in metal make up boxes lined with padding and black silk, and in some cases I would wrap fragile crystals or wands in added silk or cotton for protection.

Always pay attention when placing crystals on or near your client

It goes without saying that dropping rocks on your client, or accidentally hitting or poking them with a crystal wand, is not a good idea.

Never force a crystal on your client

If a crystal is making your client feel uncomfortable or unwell, physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually, remove it right away. Everybody's energy matrix is unique, how one person responds to a crystal can be different from another, and there may also be underlying causes or symptoms that you're not aware of. This also goes for overloading your client with crystals -- oftentimes less is more. Always honor your client's boundaries.

So there's your safety 101! Have questions? Feel free to leave them in the comments below.

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