Reiki and IFS - Healing the Parts to Reveal the Self

While listening to No Bad Parts by Dr. Richard Schwartz, I was struck by how his description of Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy echoed what I have experienced and witnessed in Reiki practice. Both systems speak to something profoundly human: the idea that we are made up of many parts, and that beneath them all lies a calm, wise, compassionate Self that is always present.

In this post, I want to explore how Reiki and IFS overlap, and why I’ve found it powerful to integrate some of the concepts from IFS into my coaching. While I am not an IFS practitioner, I find that its language and framework provide a useful lens to support clients on their self-awareness and healing journeys.

What Is Reiki?

Reiki can be understood in two ways:

1. Reiki is the universal life force energy that flows through all living things.

2. Reiki is also the system of healing developed in Japan in the 1920s by Mikao Usui, which uses this energy through hands-on healing, breath, meditation, and ritual.

   
   

There are different schools of Reiki, but I hold the view that we are all born with this energy. Through the practice of Reiki—whether through touch, breath, intention, or invocation—we can reconnect with it. Reiki is not about becoming someone new; it’s about remembering who we already are.

What Is Internal Family Systems (IFS)?

IFS, developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz, is a therapeutic model that sees the mind as made up of distinct parts, each with its own beliefs, emotions, and roles. Some parts are protectors, others carry burdens of pain or trauma, and all of them serve a purpose, even if their methods are outdated.

At the core of IFS is the concept of the Self: the unchanging, compassionate center of who we are. Healing happens when we unblend from our parts, meet them with curiosity and care, and allow them to release the burdens they carry. This is known as unburdening.

The Diamond Analogy

One of my Reiki teachers once described our true Self as a diamond—pure, luminous, and unbreakable. Over time, we cover this diamond with layers of social conditioning, trauma, beliefs, and fear. But the diamond never disappears. Reiki, like IFS, helps us gently clear away what isn’t ours so we can access the brilliance that has always been within.

In IFS, we learn to listen to and support our parts. In Reiki, we often experience these parts as energy blockages, emotional patterns, or intuitive messages. Both paths invite us to reconnect with the Self.

The Detox Period (and Beyond)

In many Western Reiki traditions, it’s said that after a Reiki course or attunement, there is a 21-day "detox" period. During this time, old emotions, memories, or patterns may surface. This can feel intense, but it’s also a clearing process—a releasing of what no longer serves us.

In my view, this process doesn’t just last 21 days. It continues as long as we keep practicing. Reiki keeps gently bringing up what is ready to be healed. And when we pair this with the self-awareness tools from models like IFS, we can understand what’s happening with greater clarity and compassion.

Why I Combine Reiki with Coaching

Reiki can open doors to deep emotional and energetic shifts. Sometimes what comes up can feel overwhelming or confusing. That’s why I offer coaching alongside Reiki training and sessions.

Using coaching tools informed by IFS concepts and other mind-body practices, I help clients:

• Understand and befriend the parts of themselves that are surfacing

• Make sense of what they’re feeling after Reiki sessions

• Learn tools to support emotional integration and inner leadership

  
  

This approach brings together the intuitive wisdom of Reiki with the psychological insight offered by IFS, offering a grounded, holistic path of healing.

Whether you’re drawn to Reiki, IFS, or both, the message is the same: you are not broken. You are made up of many beautiful parts, and beneath it all, your Self is whole, wise, and waiting.

If you’re curious about exploring Reiki or working together through a blend of energy work and coaching, I’d love to support you.

Sign up to my monthly newsletter to get updates on upcoming Reiki Courses and Trainings or book a 1:1 coaching or Reiki healing session with me.

With love,

Sandra