Reiki After Goodbye: Supporting Grief and Honoring Animal Souls

As a Reiki practitioner who works closely with animals and their guardians, I sometimes receive requests for sessions after a beloved animal has passed. At first, I hesitated. Supporting animals in transition felt natural, but after death? I found myself asking, who was I to know where their soul had gone? What if I didn’t receive anything? What if the client expected something I couldn’t offer?

Still, the requests kept coming. And every time I showed up with reverence and neutrality, something would shift. It’s not always a message from the animal soul, but often a breath of peace, a softening in grief, a sense that love remained.

Reiki as the Bridge: Energy Beyond Life

Over time, I began to understand something sacred: Reiki becomes a bridge. It connects soul to soul, love to loss, presence to what is unseen. It brings healing to the grieving human and honors the soul of the animal. It doesn’t try to explain or prove, Reiki simply holds what words cannot.

Reiki is universal life force energy, the vibration of the universe flowing through all things. When I open to Reiki, I’m attuning to a frequency beyond time and space, where love, memory, and presence still exist. This is how connection becomes possible, even after an animal has moved on.

In that space, impressions often arise: the sound of paws, the warmth of sunlight on fur, the memory of a favorite toy. I don’t seek these out; they come gently and almost naturally through presence.

Eventually, I recognized this as the Theta brainwave state, a deeply intuitive, subconscious realm where animals naturally communicate through texture, emotion, and energy. Theta is the brainwave state associated with deep meditation, dreaming, and intuitive insight, where the veil between the conscious and the unseen becomes thinner.

Though I haven’t studied Theta Healing formally, Reiki often brings me into this same receptive field. Together, Reiki and Theta create a sacred bridge: a space where grief is witnessed, and love continues to speak.

Before the Session: Tuning In with Integrity

Not every request becomes a session. I always begin by checking in with myself.

• I pause and ask, “Why am I hesitating?” and listen closely for the answer.
• If the hesitation is due to emotional fatigue or misalignment, I respect it.
• I meditate on the request and never force a connection.
• I honor the agency of the animal in spirit, just as I would if they were alive.
• If I receive a clear, reverberating yes, a sense of inner alignment, then I proceed.
• If the energy feels cloudy or unclear, I wait or gently decline.

How I Prepare for the Session (Remotely)

All of my sessions are done remotely. Every session begins long before the actual scheduled time. I prepare by setting a clear intention for love, connection, and healing. I meditate on the session, tuning in without expectation. I create a safe, energetic space, calling in Reiki and the support of Spirit to guide me.

Guiding the Guardian & Letting Reiki Lead

Before the session, I take time to explain the process clearly to the guardian. This is Reiki healing and not mediumship. I make no promises. I may receive impressions, but I do not guarantee messages or clarity from the veil. The purpose of the session is to hold space gently and honestly for whatever healing is ready to happen. This transparency helps build trust and allows deep, meaningful sessions to unfold, free from pressure or performance.

• I begin by opening the space and calling in Reiki.
• I activate the appropriate symbols.
• I allow the energy to move and hold whatever arises.
• I share any impressions or sensations I receive.
• I close the session with gratitude and a clear energetic release.

However, I always let Reiki lead. Every session is unique. The most profound ones are often the least structured, because they are guided by presence, and not by protocol.

Reiki Symbols I Use

• Cho Ku Rei (Power Symbol) – for grounding, protection, and amplification
• Sei He Ki (Mental/Emotional Symbol) – for emotional clarity and release
• Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen (Distance Symbol) – to connect across time and space
• Dai Ko Myo (Master Symbol) – for deep soul healing and connection to Source

While all these symbols carry their unique purpose, they work together in harmony. I may begin a session with Cho Ku Rei for grounding or Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen to bridge the distance across time and space, but I often return to Dai Ko Myo as the central frequency of the session. It is the symbol of the master, the light of soul transformation. In sessions with animals who have passed, this symbol supports the deep remembrance that we are all part of a greater wholeness.

Dai Ko Myo holds the highest vibration. It brings light to the unseen and gently illuminates the path for healing, both for the animal soul and the human heart left behind. When I work with it, I feel like I’m not alone, but rather I’m part of something vast, loving, and wise.

Neutrality and Intuition

One of the core principles in my practice is neutrality. If I receive something from the animal, I do not interpret it. I simply describe what I sense. I always check in gently with the guardian and ask, “Does this mean something to you?”

The guardian knows more than I do. I do not tell them what to believe and instead allow them to be part of the connection. This is how I keep the message clear and free of projection. It also allows the guardian’s truth to unfold. Practicing this kind of neutrality has helped me sharpen my intuition by not trying to be intuitive, but by listening, trusting, and staying present.

After the Session: Releasing with Love

Once the session is complete, I usually write a Love Letter to the guardian. I gently reflect on what came through, offered with compassion and neutrality. I avoid attachment to the message and allow space for the guardian’s meaning to arise.

As the practitioner, I also take a moment to pause and release. Some sessions are heavy. Some stay with me.

I’ve learned to bless the energy, thank Reiki, and let it go. This is part of the practice, too, knowing how to carry what is mine and release what is not.

Honoring the Soul’s Journey Including My Companion Animals

These sessions often open portals to deep reflection for the animals I serve, as well as for the ones who have walked beside me.

People sometimes ask if I connect with my animals who’ve passed. The answer is: only if it’s truly needed. I trust that their souls have evolved. That they’ve moved forward, maybe even returned in new forms. I don’t reach for them. I honor their journey.

I believe they are where they are meant to be.

Each animal that has come into my life has played a sacred role. Some protected me, while others cracked open my heart. Others taught me how to soften, how to stay, and how to love without needing to hold on.

This isn’t theory, it’s something I’ve lived. And because of this, I hold deep reverence for every animal soul I work with. Their journey is not mine to interrupt. But when I’m invited to hold space, I do so with humility, clarity, and love; guided by Reiki.

For Reiki Practitioners Supporting Grief

• You don’t need to offer answers. Reiki will do the work.
• You’re allowed to say no. Honor your body, your heart, and your boundaries.
• Let the animal lead. Respect their soul and timing.
• Hold the client with gentleness and clarity.
• Stay neutral. Allow the truth to unfold for them.

You don’t need special abilities to support someone grieving the loss of a beloved animal. Reiki, rooted in love, is a gentle and powerful way to hold space. Love doesn’t end with goodbye, and healing can still unfold.

In these sessions, I’ve learned to listen without grasping, to trust what I feel without needing to prove, and to witness the softest truths that only energy can reveal.

Sometimes, even in the presence of a grieving client, I find myself smiling. This is not out of disrespect, but because I can feel the energy of love that still exists. That love doesn’t die even after death.

Often, it is that very love that allows the healing. And that, in the end, is what we are truly holding.

Article by PJ Valenciano

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PJ Valenciano—She/Her
Living as a digital nomad in the countryside, surrounded by nature, has allowed PJ to truly appreciate the beauty and simplicity of life.
While she primarily works as a digital marketing professional from the Philippines, she is also a Mental Health Advocate and a Reiki Master.
PJ is passionate about weaving creativity, purpose, and growth into every project. She has collaborated with diverse organizations and individuals across industries, crafting authentic stories and advocating for a community that emanates kindness, compassion, and support for all life forms.
She finds joy in fostering genuine connections and believes that each interaction is an opportunity to learn from one another and create meaningful impact. While her unconventional background may not fit traditional job descriptions, she is intentionally living a life aligned with her soul’s purpose.
Contact: www.linkedin.com/in/pj-valenciano