Spirit Point Therapy and Reiki: Understanding the Differences
Spirit Point Therapy and Reiki are both gentle, non-invasive energy-based therapies that support wellbeing on physical, emotional, and energetic levels. While they share similarities in intention and approach, they differ in how they are practised, how they engage with the body’s energy system, and the kind of experience they offer.
Understanding these differences can help you choose the therapy that best supports your individual needs.
Reiki is a well-known Japanese energy healing practice developed in the early 20th century. The word “Reiki” is often translated as “universal life energy.” Reiki practitioners act as a channel for this energy, allowing it to flow to the client through gentle hand placements on or just above the body.
Key features of Reiki:
- The practitioner channels energy rather than directing it
- Hands are placed in a sequence over the body
- The treatment follows a general energetic framework
- Touch is light or non-contact
- Sessions are typically quiet and deeply relaxing
Reiki works holistically, allowing the energy to flow where it is most needed. Many people experience deep relaxation, emotional calm, or a gentle sense of balance and renewal.
Spirit Point Therapy is a more intuitive, embodied form of energy work that blends energetic awareness with precise points on the body. It often draws from a combination of traditions, such as energy medicine, intuitive healing, and subtle body awareness.
Rather than following a fixed hand placement system, Spirit Point Therapy responds to what is present in the client at that moment — physically, emotionally, and energetically.
Key features of Spirit Point Therapy:
- Uses specific “spirit points” on the body
- Practitioner works intuitively and responsively
- Often involves light physical touch on precise areas
- Can engage with emotional and subconscious patterns
- Sessions may feel more focused or interactive
Spirit Point Therapy is often experienced as deeply personal and specific, addressing areas of stagnation or imbalance with intention and awareness.
Differences in Approach
Structure vs Intuition
Reiki follows a more structured framework, with traditional hand positions and a consistent flow of energy. Spirit Point Therapy is less prescriptive, adapting moment by moment based on what is sensed in the client’s energy and body.
Energy Flow vs Energy Engagement
Reiki allows energy to flow freely and naturally, trusting the body’s innate wisdom to receive what it needs. Spirit Point Therapy actively engages with particular energetic points, encouraging release, clarity, or movement where energy may be held or blocked.
Subtle vs Specific
Reiki is often described as subtle, spacious, and deeply calming. Spirit Point Therapy may feel more targeted, sometimes bringing awareness to specific emotional themes or areas of physical holding.
The Client Experience
While both therapies are gentle and deeply supportive, the experience can feel different.
With Reiki, clients often report:
- Profound relaxation
- A sense of warmth or gentle energy
- Emotional soothing
- Feeling held and supported
With Spirit Point Therapy, clients may experience:
- Awareness of specific sensations or emotions
- A sense of energetic release or insight
- Feeling more grounded or clear
- Shifts in long-held patterns
Neither experience is “better” — they simply offer different pathways to balance and healing.
Choosing the Right Therapy for You
Reiki may be especially supportive if you:
- Are new to energy work
- Feel overwhelmed or depleted
- Want deep rest and nervous system calming
- Prefer a gentle, non-directive approach
Spirit Point Therapy may be well suited if you:
- Are seeking more focused or intuitive energy work
- Feel stuck in emotional or energetic patterns
- Want a treatment that responds closely to your current state
- Are open to deeper self-awareness and inner exploration
Some people benefit from receiving both therapies at different times, depending on what they need.
A Shared Intention
Despite their differences, Spirit Point Therapy and Reiki share a common foundation: supporting the body’s natural capacity for balance, healing, and self-regulation. Neither forces change; instead, both create the conditions in which change can unfold gently and safely.
At Feel Good Balham, the focus is always on meeting you where you are — offering the form of support that best aligns with your needs in that moment.