Healing & Energy Work: A Guide to Ethical Practice

What is a Healer?

Healing and curing are often thought to be the same, but they are very different things. Curing focuses on removing symptoms, whereas healing is about restoring wholeness.

A person remains whole whether they are missing a limb, suffering from the flu, or dying. The true meaning of healing is to bring back a state of balance and wholeness, helping individuals reconnect with their inherent sense of self and well-being. As the definition goes, healing means "to save; make whole, sound, and well." I especially love the word "sound," as it reminds us that we are all instruments in the great orchestra of the universe, vibrating energy.

A healer is someone who helps others realize that healing comes from within and empowers them to reconnect with their true, whole selves.

The Role of a Healer

A true healer adheres to a code of honor, promoting healthy beliefs, feelings, and actions, not only in their clients but also within themselves. It requires wisdom, self-awareness, and understanding.

An energy healer goes a step further — they understand energy and its effects, tuning into the energetic fields that surround and influence us. But being a subtle energy healer involves a unique responsibility. This type of healer interacts with the subconscious mind of their clients, making it crucial to navigate with wisdom, care, and deep respect for the energies at play.

The Energy Healer’s Code of Conduct

Inspired by the Hippocratic Oath — the ethical code originating in ancient Greece — these principles are adapted to guide energy healers in their practices. The Hippocratic Oath has been a standard for medical professionals for centuries, symbolizing a commitment to high ethical standards. Here’s how we translate that into the world of subtle energy healing:

1. Treat only within your expertise
   As an energy healer, never offer advice beyond your knowledge. For example, it’s important to avoid advising a client on medical treatments like chemotherapy unless you're qualified to do so.

2. Protect your clients from harm
   Report any case of abuse or endangerment. If you see harm happening, speak up.

3. Respect your teachers and mentors
   Honor the teachers who guide you on your journey, recognizing that they are pivotal to your growth and wisdom.

4. Handle energy with respect and care
   Every form of healing — whether energy, herbs, words, or light — has a profound effect on the client. Know the consequences of your methods.

5. Maintain your integrity
   In your work, never sacrifice your own well-being or values. You are the vessel through which healing flows.

6. Uphold ethical boundaries
   Avoid engaging in personal or sexual relationships with clients. Keep the energy exchange professional and sacred.

7. Confidentiality is paramount
   Your client’s privacy is sacred. Keep their secrets as your own, maintaining trust and confidentiality.

What Is a Subtle Energy Healer?

A subtle energy healer works with invisible, non-physical energies that influence the body, mind, and spirit. These energies — often called life force, chi, prana, or subtle energy — flow through all living beings and everything around us. As subtle energy healers, our work revolves around balancing and restoring the flow of these energies.

Healing modalities like Reiki, acupuncture, chakra balancing, sound therapy, and crystal healing all address the energetic field that surrounds us. The healer’s role is not to impose healing but to help guide the body back into a balanced, harmonious state.

Subtle energy healing requires both knowledge and intuition. A healer needs to understand the energy anatomy of the body (chakras, meridians, aura) and develop the ability to sense imbalances. It’s about clearing blockages and restoring the natural flow of energy, allowing the body to heal itself.

Essential Values for Subtle Energy Healers

As subtle energy healers, there are a few key principles that guide us in our practice:

1. Deep Knowledge of Energy Anatomy
   A healer must understand the subtle energies and how they interact with the body, mind, and spirit.

2. Understanding the Connection Between Subtle and Physical Bodies
   A healer must grasp how energy affects the physical body and vice versa.

3. Emotional and Spiritual Awareness
   Energy healers should be attuned to the mental, emotional, and spiritual layers of their clients.

4. Intuition and Common Sense
   A good healer develops both their intuitive gifts and uses logical reasoning to support their work.

5. Ongoing Education
   To remain effective, an energy healer must continually educate themselves, stay up-to-date with practices and new research, and refine their craft.

6. Self-care and Energy Maintenance
   Keeping one's energy balanced and healthy is essential. A healer who neglects their own energy is unable to serve others effectively.

Core Values for Ethical Energy Healing

We, as energy healers, must be deeply aware of the responsibility we carry. Here are some values that should guide every practitioner:

1. Cultural Sensitivity and Inclusivity
   Healing should never marginalize or harm any group. It’s essential to approach energy work with respect for all cultural backgrounds and beliefs.

2. Self-care and Sustainability
   Prioritize your own emotional, physical, and spiritual health. Burnout is a real concern, and a healer must maintain their energy to support others fully.

3. Non-attachment to Outcomes
   Every healing journey is unique. As healers, we must practice non-attachment and allow clients to find their own path. Our job is to facilitate, not control.

4. Energy Protection Practices
   Healers must have clear practices to ground, protect, and clear their own energy before and after each session, ensuring that they don’t take on their client’s energy.

5. Referral to Specialists
   When necessary, energy healers must recognize their limitations and refer clients to other professionals when appropriate. A true healer understands the importance of collaboration and the need for specialized care.

Final Thoughts

As energy healers, we are stewards of powerful and transformative energy. Our ethical responsibility is immense. Our work requires us to maintain healthy boundaries, stay grounded, and continually evolve. Most importantly, our role is to honor our clients’ autonomy, guide them on their healing journey, and do no harm in the process.

Author’s Note:

Maya Tiegrah Giri is a Noid and storyteller of Swedish and Sámi descent, with ancestral ties to the first known shamans and the wild songs etched into her bones. Raised between realms, she walks the old ways in a modern world, carrying remembrance, resistance, and reconnection as living medicine.

A guardian and Spiritual Mentor, Maya serves sensitive souls with bold hearts ready to reclaim their power and embody true spirituality in their lives. Through her work, she guides others to reconnect with their deepest selves, unlocking the wisdom and strength needed to thrive as powerful, conscious beings.

If you’re a neurodivergent woman ready to reclaim your shamanic power and align with your true essence, join Maya’s course designed specifically to guide you through this transformative process.

Explore more and begin your journey at TigressMedicine.com, or reach out to start working with Maya directly as your spiritual mentor.