Poster Presentation

resent your research proposal poster.

Ground students must complete a poster to present. Online students must complete an 8- to 10-slide Microsoft® PowerPoint® presentation. Both modalities must include the following:

• Abstract, including the research question
• Prior research: literature review
• Purpose
• Methods
• Expected conclusions
• ReferencesPSYCH 665

  Running head: RESEARCH PROPOSAL

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  RESEARCH PROPOSAL

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  Research Proposal – Introduction

  Reiki is a form of energy healing and is an alternative treatment method. Reiki is a healing technique based on the principle that a Reiki Master can channel energy by means of touch to the client that activates a natural healing process. The goal of Reiki is to move the energy around the patient’s body to restore physical ailments and promote well-being. Reiki is a Japanese technique where there is unseen, spiritually guided life-force energy that flows through us to improve one’s health and enhance the quality of life (The International Center for Reiki Training, 2017).

  The author will perform a literature review based on the submitted annotated bibliography assignment, state the research question and hypothesis, explain the methods used in the sample, procedure, and analysis. Ethical considerations will be considered and reviewed relating to the research question. Expected results will be examined, potential limitations, and conclusions drawn. All references will be cited so readers can follow and locate any sources relative to this study.

  Literature Review

  In the first article, the increasing use of reiki as a complementary therapy in specialist palliative care, the authors examine the development in the last decade the increase in the integration and usage of complementary therapies (CT’s) as an adjunct therapy to conventional medication care and treatment. According to Burden, Herron-Marx, and Clifford (2005), “Documented benefits of relaxation, decreased perception of pain, reduced anxiety and improved sense of wellbeing have been shown to enable an enhanced quality of life, where curative treatment is no longer an option.” (Introduction). Moreover, Reiki is a recent addition to a recognized CT for cancer patients as an energy-healing intervention. Reiki has gained popularity as a non-invasive and non-pharma logical treatment that produces profound relaxation, relief from anxiety, stress, pain, and promotion of a feeling of wellbeing. Although there is no evidence supporting its effects within clinical practice, the article takes the position of Reiki as an emerging CT, but does infer the need for more research. This peer-reviewed article was a blind peer review performed in United Kingdom.

  The next article by Jane Hart, discusses how she started an energy based, medicine practice with therapeutic touch and created a program providing a philosophy of care based on an energy healing technique, also known as a form of Reiki, based in San Antonio, Texas. This article highlights the increasing acceptance of energy medicine as an alternative healing modality as an important healing practice in the medical community. This type of energy medicine therapies is more common and are offered in hospitals as a complementary therapy. Energy medicine is becoming widely accepted and are prescribed part and parcel to patients’ treatment regimens. Even though energy medicine is more prevalent and accepted alternative healing therapies, there is still controversy due to the lack of understanding the physiologic mechanisms behind energy medicine, credibility, lack of high-quality research, randomized controlled trials, and evidence based supporting biofield therapy research. Moreover, there is an increasing need for energy medicine in a medical setting providing physical, emotional benefits, and comfort. According to Hart (2012), “While the field of energy medicine has come a long way, there are still some obstacles to overcome in order to continue advancing in the medical community.” (Conclusion). This research design was experimental, randomized, and performed a pre-test-post-test.

  The third article reviewed discusses the theory of Reiki, historical review, the practice of Reiki and the growing popularity of this biofield energy therapy. According to Miles and True (2003), “Although systematic study of efficacy is scant thus far, Reiki is increasingly used as an adjunct to conventional medical care, both in and out of hospital settings.” (Introduction). The authors do a good job of outlining the use of Reiki in a clinical setting and examine important consideration in establishing Reiki programs within health care industry. The authors performed a significant amount of research literature reviews and evaluated the direction for future Reiki research. Although the authors reviewed over 70 related articles, they reported that the literature currently consists of a limited number of reported cases, descriptive studies, or randomized controlled studies. According to Miles and True (2003), “Although it comes mostly from descriptive studies or randomized controlled trials with design limitations, evidence of the beneficial effects of Reiki makes a compelling case for the need for further research.” (Directions of Future Research). This article’s research consisted solely of literature reviews.

  The last article examined article is different than the others in that is discusses the difficulty in conducting research on the efficacy of Reiki, while outlining the increased success of Reiki as a complementary and alternative healing method to Western medical treatment. This article is similar to the others in its understanding of what Reiki is, the theory behind it, history, and biofield energy alternative treatment that compliments traditional medical care. Out of all the other articles, this article articulates the use of Reiki in a comprehensive medical setting and discusses in depth professional standards, which the other have little or nothing considered. This article is comparative to all the others I’ve reviewed in that is reiterates the lack of studies reported in literature and a limited number of case reports, but does pose the question that out of all the studies conducted, the number of patients reviewed were significantly smaller overall than other related subjects. This article studied randomized, controlled studies with design limitations. As with the other articles, the authors state that there is a need for further research and studies that build upon current research already performed.

  Research Question and Hypothesis

  The following research proposal will examine the author’s hypothesis: Reiki energy healing, using the touch method, as a viable technique in treating anxiety in a patient, when compared to patients receiving normal interventions. Reiki is an alternative healing modality based on the principle that a Reiki Master can channel energy into a patient by means of laying of hands or hovering slightly about a client to activate the life-force energy that starts a natural healing process to restore physical and emotional health.

  Methods: Sample, Procedure, and Analysis

  The methodology for studying this hypothesis will use descriptive research methods, which is considered non-experimental. Descriptive research ethical consideration is critical and has benefits over experimental research designs in terms of ethical concerns (Center for Innovation in Research and Teaching, n.d.). Descriptive research’s primary focus is ensuring the safety of human subjects and that ethical practices are being used through observational, case study, and survey methods. Quantitative research design will be employed that will provide or disprove the hypotheses by a statistical analysis.

  The first sampling will be participants solicited at Reiki Centers, Chiropractor practices, and other non-traditional healing clinics on a volunteer basis. These volunteers will be picked at random for descriptive research through observational and survey methods. In addition, a survey will be employed to participants that answer questions through exit interviews.