Our History

In 1995, Kim Fleisher was studying Cultural Anthropology through her university's exchange program in Israel. During her studies, she made a friend whose mother was a Reiki Master. The friend told Kim that he was going to take a Reiki class with his mother, and he invited her to take the class too. Kim knew nothing about Reiki, except that it made energy come out of the hands and the energy helped heal people. She thought it sounded weird and unlikely, but she really liked and respected her friend's Mom, so she decided to take the class.

That class changed her life.

Through her studies in Anthropology, Kim learned about other cultures practices with nature, spirit, healing and love. She always admired and respected other cultures embrace of life, living, spirit and a connectedness to something bigger. Before Reiki, she was intrigued by these ideas, but never thought she could bring them into her own life. Then Reiki really worked, and it was a simple, practical, non-religious practice that gave her a context to explore her own relationship with the universe, and with her own heart.

Eventually Kim returned to the states to finish her undergraduate degree, but returned again to Israel two weeks after graduation to finish her studies as a Reiki Master.

In 1997 Kim came back to Philadelphia and began teaching and practicing Reiki. One of her first students in Philly, George Barrick, eventually became a Reiki Master and co-taught with Kim. Meanwhile, Kim's teacher back in Israel, Yehudit Gruber, was busy crafting a method of training that extended the typical weekend workshop into a several week endeavor that included clinical practice.

George was a preschool teacher. Kim started teaching preschool and later elementary school too. Yehudit came to visit them and explained the method of Reiki training she'd been developing. It made so much sense! Together, over the course of a few years, the three of them developed the curriculum, based in principles of education, for extensive training and clinical practice that The Reiki School and Clinic teaches today.

The Reiki School and Clinic was founded out of a desire to create a community of wellness, and to provide people with thorough, quality Reiki training and sessions that could be easily integrated into their everyday lives. We also wanted to help educate the public about this modality by providing accurate information about Reiki.

In 2003, George left The Reiki School. Kim left elementary teaching to devote more of her time to Reiki. Today, The Reiki School is growing, developing programs, sessions and community outreach not only for adults, but for children and animals as well. Our team is growing too, and it now includes a wonderful group of amazing individuals, who are wonderful Reiki practitioners and teachers! Read more about them on our Meet the Team page.