inPractice - Spring 2018 - 15

program has continued for more than 10 years. It's
beginning to expand to other areas in the hospital,
most recently the cardiac catheterization lab, and
spawned a volunteer effort at the Ann B. Barshinger
Cancer Institute to provide Reiki services to patients as
they receive treatments.
Reiki isn't just for recovering patients. At PA College, free
Reiki sessions are offered by adjunct instructor Kay Buchanan,
RN, every Tuesday to any member of the College Community
who would like to benefit from this restorative therapy. Whether
academic, professional or personal stressors are at play, these
sessions offer a brief opportunity for recipients to set aside the
challenges in their life and take a few moments to relax.

Incorporating Reiki
into Your Life or
Practice

As a gentle complementary therapy, Reiki is an excellent skill
for health care providers to incorporate into their personal or
professional life. A wonderful way to introduce yourself to the
practice is by attending a free Reiki session at the Lancaster
Community Reiki Clinic.
Founded in 2013 by Helene
Williams, BSN '16, RN '99, the
nonprofit donation-based clinic
offers Reiki sessions on the
third Thursday of every month.
Volunteer Reiki practitioners
offer 25-minute sessions to
32 guests in a quiet, peaceful
space at the Lancaster Farm
& Home Center. To learn
more about the clinic or sign
up for a session, visit www.
Reiki providers at the Lancaster
lancastercommunityReikiclinic.
Community Reiki Clinic
org.
If you're ready to take the next step and integrate Reiki into your
practice as a health care provider, the Lancaster community
offers numerous opportunities to begin training as a Reiki
provider. There are three levels to Reiki training, with the first
level focused on self-care, the second on caring for others, and
the third on teaching Reiki skills. Many courses can be used
as credits to fulfill Continuing Education requirements for
professional licensure. Check with your employer for training
opportunities.
A new way to bring traditional methods of care to the bedside,
Reiki is making a real impact in the Lancaster community and
beyond. As this modality grows, there's no doubt patients will
continue to enjoy its benefits - for healing, and beyond.

Helene Williams
and the Lancas ter
Community Reiki Clinic
Helene Williams, BSN '16, RN '99, began her career as a nurse in
1999 after graduating from the Lancaster General School of Nursing,
working first as an oncology nurse and then as a nurse with Hospice
of Lancaster County. She came back to the hospital setting in 2005,
joining Cindy Stauffer, then-Nurse Manager, on the orthopedic unit
at LGH. Later that year, Cindy brought in a Reiki teacher to train any
interested nurses, and Helene seized the opportunity. Coming from a
scientific background, Helene
was skeptical about Reiki,
until the day she began caring
for a patient with a knee
replacement. After offering
pain medicine and other
medical options, the patient
was still in excruciating pain,
so Helene offered her Reiki
services. Within 10 minutes,
the patient was peacefully
asleep. Ever since, Helene
has been a champion for the
myriad benefits of Reiki care.
Helene has continued to run the Reiki program on the orthopedic
unit of LGH for more than 10 years, and has helped nurses in other
parts of the Hospital train in Reiki as well. In 2008, she became a
Reiki Master, the highest level of Reiki training. As she continued to
experience firsthand the benefits of Reiki, Helene wished there was a
platform to bring this service to anyone in the Lancaster community,
not just those who could afford to pay for a private session. She
began to formulate the idea of a volunteer-served, donation-based
Reiki clinic, but wasn't sure how to make that happen without a fund
to rent a space. A chance encounter with a local dentist resulted in
an offer of free space, and in 2013 Helene's vision became a reality.
The Lancaster Community Reiki Clinic began with three tables for
patients and a handful of Reiki volunteers. Today, the Clinic serves 32
patients, with more than 15 Reiki practitioners volunteering their time.
In addition to working as a nurse, running multiple Reiki volunteer
programs throughout the LG Health system, and coordinating the
Clinic, Helene also teaches Reiki and runs a private Reiki practice.
Her devotion to Reiki is a testament to how strongly she believes
in its therapeutic benefits. "Everyone benefits in different ways.
Sometimes during a Reiki session, the patient will have an emotional
release, letting go of all the things they've been holding onto. And
sometimes just gently touching someone's shoulders can bring them
a lot of comfort and make them feel supported when they really need
it. A lot of time we'll get feedback from patients who haven't been
touched for years, especially elderly patients, and that gentle
touch means so much to them. At the Hospital, we have
10 or 15 minutes [to perform a Reiki session]. If you can
change someone's pain, or help them relax, in 10 to 15
minutes with something so simple, why isn't everybody
doing it?"

15 inPractice | SPRING 2018



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