Who Is Shihan Mentorship For?

Shihan Mentorship is for Reiki Master Practitioners who feel genuinely called to teach Reiki. This pathway may be right for you if you have completed Shoden, Okuden and Shinpiden, and you feel ready to prepare for the responsibility of teaching others.

It may also be right for you if you are already a Reiki Master but feel you were never properly taught how to teach. Many people are given the title of Master Teacher without enough preparation, observation, support or mentoring. This can leave them feeling unsure, unsupported and unclear about how to hold students safely.

You are welcome here if you want to teach Reiki with depth, professionalism and respect for Usui Reiki Ryōhō. This is for people who want to teach properly, not just quickly.

What You Will Learn During Shihan Teacher Training

During Shihan Teacher Mentorship, you will be guided through the teacher level of Usui Reiki Ryōhō in a way that is practical, professional and rooted in self-cultivation.

You will learn:

• The role and responsibility of the Reiki teacher

• You will explore what it means to teach Reiki responsibly, including the difference between being a practitioner and holding a student through training.

• How to structure Reiki training

• You will learn how to understand and structure the different levels of Reiki training, including Shoden, Okuden and Shinpiden.

• How to teach Reiki clearly

• You will explore how to explain Reiki history, practice, Precepts, Gasshō, Reiju, self-treatment, symbols, mantras, ethics and professional responsibility in a way students can understand.

• How to hold a safe teaching space

• You will learn about group dynamics, emotional safety, boundaries, inclusion, student questions, and the responsibility of creating a calm and respectful learning environment.

• Reiju method and teacher responsibility

• You will deepen your understanding of Reiju and how it sits within Reiki training, including the care, preparation and responsibility needed when offering Reiju as a teacher.

• How to prepare course materials

• You will be guided in preparing your own Reiki teaching materials, including manuals, course structure, student information and post-course support.

• Ethics, boundaries and professional standards

• You will explore consent, confidentiality, safeguarding awareness, scope of practice, insurance, professional communication, advertising and responsible teaching.

• How to support students after training

• You will learn why student support does not end when the certificate is handed over, and how ongoing practice, Reiki shares and community can help students continue developing.

• How to grow into the role of teacher

• You will be supported to develop your own voice as a Reiki teacher without copying someone else or rushing into a role before you feel ready.

Two Days of Training Plus One Year of Mentorship

My Shihan pathway begins with two days of teacher training. These two days give you the foundation of Reiki teaching. We look at the structure of training, the role of the teacher, ethics, boundaries, course delivery, student care, Reiju, teaching materials and how to hold Reiki education professionally but teacher training should not end after two days.

After the initial training, you enter one year of mentorship, where you are supported as you prepare to teach. This gives you time to observe, reflect, ask questions, build your materials, understand the rhythm of a course, and grow into the role with more confidence and steadiness. This is a slower and more responsible way to become a Reiki teacher. Not because you are not capable, but because teaching Reiki deserves time.

Mentorship, Observation and Supervised Development

The one year mentorship is designed to help you move from theory into real understanding. Where appropriate, you may have opportunities to observe Reiki training, including Shoden, Okuden and Shinpiden. This allows you to see how a Reiki course is actually held, how students are supported, how questions are answered, how the timing of the course works, and how the teacher maintains the space.

You will also be supported in preparing your own Shoden manual and teaching materials. This is important because a Reiki teacher should not simply repeat someone else’s words. You need to understand the material deeply enough to teach it clearly and ethically in your own voice.

Teacher certification is not rushed. It is given when the required preparation has been completed and you are ready to teach in a way that is safe, grounded and professional.

Preparing to Teach Reiki Level 1 Shoden

A key part of Shihan Mentorship is preparing to teach Shoden, Reiki Level 1 and this matters because Shoden is the foundation. If the beginning is rushed, unclear or poorly held, it affects everything that follows for the student.

You will be supported to understand how to introduce Reiki properly, how to teach the Precepts, how to explain Gasshō, how to guide self-treatment, how to speak about Reiki history responsibly, and how to help beginners feel safe, supported and informed.

As part of the mentorship process, you will prepare your own Shoden teaching material and develop the confidence to deliver a Reiki Level 1 course with care and professionalism.

Reiki Teacher Ethics and Professional Responsibility

Teaching Reiki carries responsibility. Students may come to Reiki during times of grief, stress, burnout, illness, sensitivity, change, curiosity or spiritual searching. A teacher must be able to hold that space without overstepping, diagnosing, projecting, frightening, rescuing or making promises.

At Holistic Care Durham, Reiki Teacher Mentorship includes clear teaching on ethics, boundaries, consent, confidentiality, safeguarding awareness, scope of practice, professional language and responsible advertising. You will be encouraged to teach Reiki in a way that is compassionate but grounded, spiritual but safe, and respectful of both the tradition and the student.

A Reiki teacher should help students build practice, not dependency.

In-Person and Online Reiki Teacher Mentorship

Shihan Teacher Mentorship is available both in person at Holistic Care Durham and online for suitable students.

In-person training takes place at my private therapy centre in County Durham, where the initial two days are held in a calm, supportive and professional space. The mentorship then continues over the following year with ongoing support, guidance and development.

Online Reiki Teacher Mentorship is also taught live, not as a pre-recorded course. This means you are seen, supported and guided properly. You can ask questions, discuss your teaching development, receive feedback and work through the preparation process in real time.

I understand that not everyone can travel. Online mentoring can make Reiki teacher training accessible to students who live further away, have caring responsibilities, health needs, limited transport or simply need a more flexible way to train.

The standard of teaching, care and professional responsibility remains the same whether you train in person or online.

Professional Reiki Teacher Training

Reiki is unregulated in the UK, which means the quality and depth of teacher training can vary widely. For that reason, I believe Reiki Teacher training needs to be held with care, honesty and professional responsibility.

At Holistic Care Durham, Shihan Mentorship is designed to support you properly before you begin teaching others.

This is especially important because Reiki teachers influence how Reiki is understood by the next generation of students. If the teacher is unclear, rushed or unsupported, that confusion can be passed on. If the teacher is grounded, ethical and well-prepared, students receive a much stronger foundation.

My background as an integrative therapist, Reiki Master Teacher and full member of the UK Reiki Federation informs the way I teach. Reiki is spiritual, but it should also be safe, ethical, well-held and professional.

What Is Included

Your Shihan Reiki Teacher Mentorship includes:

• Two days of Reiki teacher training

• One year of mentorship and support

• In-person or online training option

• Guidance on teaching Shoden, Okuden and Shinpiden

• Support preparing your own Reiki manuals and teaching materials

• Deeper teaching on Reiju and teacher responsibility

• Ethics, boundaries and professional standards

• Guidance on student support and post-course care

• Mentorship around course structure and delivery

• Observation opportunities where appropriate

• Support preparing to teach Reiki Level 1 Shoden

• Certificate when the required preparation has been completed

• Option to continue through The Reiki Dojo

• Students are also invited to continue their development through The Reiki Dojo, my Reiki community for ongoing practice, Reiki shares, teachings and support.

• Certification and Completion

Shihan certification is not rushed

The initial two days of teacher training begin the process, but certification as a Reiki teacher is linked to completion of the required mentorship preparation. This may include preparing your teaching materials, developing your understanding of course structure, observing training where appropriate, receiving guidance and feedback, and demonstrating that you are ready to teach Reiki in a safe, grounded and professional way.

This approach protects the student, the teacher trainee and the wider Reiki community. Teacher level is not only about being given permission to teach. It is about becoming prepared to teach well.

After Your Shihan Mentorship

After completing Shihan Mentorship, you will be supported to move into Reiki teaching with greater confidence, clarity and professional awareness.

You may choose to begin by teaching Reiki Level 1 Shoden, building slowly and responsibly as your experience grows. You may choose to continue mentoring, attend Reiki shares, stay connected through The Reiki Dojo, or keep developing your own teaching materials and confidence over time.

The end of mentorship does not mean the end of learning. A good Reiki teacher remains a student of Reiki. Teaching is not the end of the path. It is another way of continuing it.

Is Shihan Mentorship Right for Me?

Shihan Mentorship may be right for you if you have completed Reiki Master Practitioner training and feel genuinely called to teach Reiki. You may feel drawn to this pathway because you want to pass Reiki on properly, because you feel students deserve more depth, because you want to teach with professional standards, or because you were not given enough support in your own teacher training and want to prepare more thoroughly.

You do not need to feel completely confident before beginning mentorship. Confidence develops through preparation, observation, practice and support but you do need sincerity, commitment, respect for Reiki, willingness to practise, and the maturity to understand that teaching Reiki is a responsibility. If you feel called to teach, this pathway gives that calling time, structure and support.

Reiki Teacher Mentorship Shihan Course Details

Level: Reiki Teacher / Shihan

Style: Usui Reiki Ryōhō

Teacher: Leanne Barker, Reiki Master Teacher

Location: Holistic Care Durham, County Durham, TS29 5DJ

Cost: £595

Online option: Yes, live online teacher mentorship available

Suitable for: Reiki Master Practitioners who feel called to teach

Format: Two days of teacher training plus one year of mentorship

Focus: Reiki teacher preparation, course structure, Reiju, ethics, boundaries, manuals, student support, observation and professional teaching standards

Important note: This is teacher training and mentorship. It is separate from Reiki Master Practitioner Shinpiden training.

If you feel called to teach Reiki and want to be prepared properly, you are welcome to enquire about Shihan Teacher Mentorship. This pathway is available in person in County Durham and online for suitable students. Places are limited so that mentorship can be properly held, with time for support, questions, preparation and development.