Alyssa Vincent, Reiki Practitioner
nourishingrootsyyj@gmail.com
Hours
Sundays 9:00am – 2:00pm
About Reiki
Usui Reiki is a form of energy healing that was presented to Mikao Usui in the 1920s after a 10-year journey to learn about the energetic type of healing that had historically been practiced, but the Buddhist scriptures had been lost.
It is a hands-based energy healing technique that allows practitioners to act as conduits to channel universal life energy, Ki, to support physical, emotional, and spiritual healing and well-being. The practice is rooted in the belief that this universal/life energy flows through all living beings, and when it is blocked or imbalanced, it can lead to dis-ease manifesting in chronic illness, fatigue, pain, and undesired mental health ailments.
Usui Reiki practitioners are trained to help remove energy blockages and support the restoration of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual balance.
What to expect
When a client arrives, I begin a 60 or 90-minute session with a check-in where I can learn about what has brought them to a Reiki treatment, what their expectations and goals are, if they have any questions, and what I can do to best support them during treatment. I share that energy work can be a unique experience, even session to session, and with that, there can be a spectrum of sensations, emotions, feelings, and thoughts that arise. At any point they need a break or want to stop, they can signal (a pre-agreed word/movement/sound), and I will stop immediately.
After setting intentions for the session and confirming a comfortable position for treatment, I will lead a client in a brief-minute grounding exercise of either internal or external awareness. I then begin the Reiki session by gently placing my hands on or just above various points on the client’s body. I start by attuning to the client by placing my hands on their shoulders (or above). Then I start from their feet, working upwards, clearing stagnant or old energy that is no longer serving them. Through this process, Reiki practitioners can be guided intuitively to specific areas that may require more attention.
Ultimately, the practitioner is a conduit for Ki energy and understands that Ki will go exactly where the client most requires it in the moment. After the session, I would provide several minutes for the client to have some water and share their experience if they wish. I remind them to have water later that day and that the Reiki treatment continues beyond the treatment room, sometimes for a few hours or days. I encourage people to record any changes, new sensations, dreams, or anything else they observe, as they are curious to see if any new insights, themes, or ideas arise.
Neuro-affirmative approach
A neuro-affirmative approach recognizes and respects neurological diversity, such as but not limited to autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and Tourettes. Rather than holding a pathologizing lens that there is something to be “fixed,” a neuro-affirmative approach values the uniqueness of neurological variations in cognitive, sensory, and social experiences.
In a clinical setting, including Reiki sessions, the neuro-affirmative approach includes creating a nonjudgmental, supportive, accessible, and empowering environment where folks feel safe to be authentically themself, not having to mask. This requires a practitioner to learn about the client’s neurodivergence identity, how it influences their experiences, and what specific needs or preferences they have in a clinical setting. This includes learning about a client’s preferred communication methods, physical and sensory accessibility.
For instance, if a client with sensory sensitivities were to come in for a Reiki session, I tailor the experience to ensure it aligns with their comfort levels, such as having a seated treatment as opposed to lying down, adjusting the lighting, providing an option for a weighted blanket, having options for sounds, and options for touch or no touch treatment. This approach also involves establishing a comfortable means of open communication, allowing the client to express their needs and preferences, and respecting that needs can change throughout a session. I also like to share with new clients the various sensory experiences that other people have had to give them context that people sometimes feel warmth, coldness, tingling, or nothing at all! The goal is to create a therapeutic space where the client feels fully seen, heard, and respected as they are.
Offerings
Note: If cost is prohibitive please reach out – I reserve a portion of my practice as “Pay What You Can” for clients who require it access my services.
New Client Initial Consultation & Reiki Session (90 minutes)
$115 – 145 sliding scale
For your 1st session we will spend time discussing your background, health and well-being goals, and answer any questions you may have for the initial 30 minutes. This will be followed by 1 hour of energy work.
Returning Client Energy Session (60 minutes)
$75 – 95 sliding scale
After setting intentions for the session and confirming a comfortable position for treatment, I will lead a client in a brief-minute grounding exercise of either internal or external awareness. I then begin the Reiki session by gently placing my hands on or just above various points on the client’s body.
The practitioner is a conduit for Ki energy and understands that Ki will go exactly where the client most requires it in the moment. After the session, I would provide several minutes for the client to have some water and share their experience if they wish. I encourage people to record any changes, new sensations, dreams, or anything else they observe, as they are curious to see if any new insights, themes, or ideas arise.
Depending on a client’s goals and what is appropriate for each individual, we may incorporate some simple Medical Qigong techniques into the session.
Returning Client Energy Session (90 minutes)
$115 – 145 sliding scale
A similar approach as the 60 minute session, involving integration of past Usui Reiki sessions and Medical Qigong Practices.
Cancellation policies
Clients who provide less than 24 hours notice, or miss their appointment, will be charged a cancellation fee of HALF of the appointment fee.
About Alyssa
Alyssa (she/they) lives as a white, neurodiverse settler on the unceded ancestral lands of the Lkwungen-speaking peoples. Drawing from her lived experiences as a patient with invisible disabilities within the Western healthcare system, Alyssa is dedicated to providing non-judgmental, neuro-affirmative, trauma-informed, compassionate, and accessible care. Alyssa’s holistic approach integrates mind, body, and spirit. Recognizing the interconnectedness of all of these aspects of a person’s well-being, Alyssa views energy work as a complementary modality to enhance and support clients’ ongoing journey towards stress reduction and improved quality of life.
As a Usui Reiki Level II Practitioner, Alyssa channels universal life energy (Ki) through traditional hands-on (or off your choice!) healing techniques to promote physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Usui Reiki focuses on restoring the flow of life energy, which, when blocked or imbalanced, can cause undesired chronic symptoms like illness, pain, anxiety, and depression. Alyssa aims to rebalance this energy and work with clients towards increased relaxation and stress reduction. Since beginning her training to be a Qigong practitioner, a branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine, she has begun to integrate some Qigong techniques like gentle movements, breathing exercises, and meditations, all harnessing the body’s innate and intuitive ability to channel and balance energy in the body further helping to remove blockages, and supporting stress reduction.
After completing her Reiki level II Practitioner certification in 2022, Alyssa decided to expand her holistic studies to deepen her knowledge base and skills to better help clients. In 2025 she will be completing both her Usui Master level III and Medical Qigong Practitioner certifications. Outside of her energy practice, Alyssa is completing her Master of Science in Clinical Counselling, with a focus on substance use and addictions, neuro-affirmative care, and trauma and somatic therapies.
Outside of her professional work, Alyssa is passionate about advocating for patient safety and care as well as disability equity and rights through local and provincial organizations. When seeking balance in her life, Alyssa finds joy in connecting with the natural world, cooking with her family, sharing a tarot reading with friends, tending to plants, storm-watching at the beach, and finding inspiration for her abstract paintings and sculptures.