What Happens in an Energy Healing Session? A Walkthrough

If you've never had a Reiki-style energy healing session before, here's the general shape of what to expect: a quiet, private space, time to settle and talk briefly about intention, a period of hands-on or hands-over-body channeled energy while you rest, and a gentle return to full awareness at the end. That's the broad template across most practitioners in this family of work. Before you book, know that Jason Donaldson on Hawai'i Island practices Sekhem specifically, not Reiki. Sekhem shares this same general shape but comes from a different, older lineage. See Sekhem vs Reiki for the full difference.

Before the session

You don't need to do anything elaborate to prepare. Eating and drinking lightly for an hour beforehand is a good general habit for this kind of work. With Sekhem specifically, Jason has noted the work often starts before the appointment itself, showing up as dreams or small meaningful moments in the days leading up to it. Worth paying attention to, not something you need to force.

During the session

You'll typically lie down or sit comfortably, fully clothed. The practitioner grounds you into relaxation, sets an intention, and begins channeling energy, usually with hands resting lightly on or just above the body. In Jason's Sekhem sessions, this stage often includes sound, vibration, sage, cedar, and Egyptian oils layered into the work, along with attention to what he calls the soul chakra, about twelve inches above the head, and the earth chakra, about twelve inches below the feet. Most people find this part deeply relaxing, sometimes drifting into a light altered state. It's gentle. Nothing forceful happens to you.

After the session

A good session includes time to reorient and integrate before you head back out into your day. Jason builds in time to journal what came through internally, then a debrief where he shares his own impressions from the session, along with a couple of cards pulled for confirmation and support. Some people notice the experience continuing for a few days afterward. This isn't universal and isn't guaranteed. It's complementary support, not a medical treatment.

What people have reported afterward

Experiences with Sekhem vary from person to person. Clients have described feelings of deep relaxation, warmth, emotional release, greater clarity, peacefulness, and a stronger sense of connection with themselves. Some people also describe physical sensations or shifts during or following a session. These experiences are personal and are not presented as expected or guaranteed outcomes. This kind of work complements, but never replaces, medical or mental health care.

How Jason's sessions differ from a generic walkthrough

Everything above describes the general shape of energy healing sessions broadly, because that's useful if you've never experienced any of this before. But Jason's actual sessions have specifics that a generic description won't capture. He works specifically through what he calls the soul chakra, about twelve inches above the head, and the earth chakra, about twelve inches below the feet, and draws on the Neteru, Egyptian archetypal energies like Horus, Sekhmet, Thoth, and Anubis, as part of the channeled work. He also brings a background in psychology and his own breathwork method into how he holds the space, even though the session itself is Sekhem energy work rather than breathwork or therapy.

Scheduling around the session

Give yourself some buffer on either side if you can. Arriving rushed makes the settling period harder to move through, and leaving immediately after can cut short the grounding that normally happens naturally in the minutes after a session ends. Even fifteen or twenty minutes of quiet before and after makes a noticeable difference in how the whole experience lands.

What to wear and bring

Comfortable, loose clothing works best since you'll be resting for most of the session. There's nothing special to bring, though some people like to have a journal on hand for the integration period afterward, since that's when a lot of what came through tends to want to be written down before it fades. Water is a good idea too, especially if the session leaves you feeling a little floaty or spaced out afterward, which is common and temporary.

Why this general shape holds across traditions

Even though Sekhem and Reiki come from different lineages, the shared template, settle, set intention, channel energy, return, integrate, exists because it works for the kind of state this work is trying to create. Rushing any of these stages tends to produce a shallower experience. A practitioner who skips the settling period or cuts the return short isn't doing you a favor by moving faster. The structure itself is part of what makes the session effective, not just a formality around the middle part.

Common questions people have but don't always ask

A lot of first-time clients wonder, but don't always say out loud, whether they need to "believe" in energy work for it to do anything, whether they'll be expected to talk about deeply personal things right away, or whether it's awkward if nothing seems to happen. On the first: no, openness helps but conviction isn't required. On the second: you share only what you're comfortable sharing, and Jason won't push past that. On the third: a quiet session isn't a failed one, and there's no performance expected from you as the client.

If you came here looking for Reiki specifically

That's a reasonable thing to want, and it's worth knowing upfront that this walkthrough describes the general shape of hands-on energy work, not a Reiki-certified session. Jason's specific training and certification is in Sekhem, an Egyptian-lineage tradition related to but distinct from Reiki. See Sekhem vs Reiki for the full comparison. For a step by step walkthrough of exactly what he does, see a Sekhem session, step by step, or book a session directly.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to prepare anything before a session?

Eating and drinking lightly for about an hour beforehand is helpful. Otherwise, no special preparation is needed.

Will I be touched during the session?

Sessions involve hands placed lightly on or held just above the body, always with your comfort respected. You stay fully clothed throughout.

How long does a session last and what does it cost?

Jason's Sekhem sessions run 90 minutes and cost $222, online, or in person by request.

What might I feel during or after the session?

Deep relaxation, sometimes a light altered state, and in the days after, some people notice shifts in mood, dreams, or a sense of things settling. Experiences vary.

Is this a substitute for medical or mental health treatment?

No. It's complementary support alongside medical or mental health care, not a replacement for it.