Small-group Reiki training or one-to-one: which suits you?
By Vanessa Chugani · Updated November 2026
Small-group training suits people who learn well alongside others and value the experience of practising on real people from day one. One-to-one suits anyone who wants the full two days shaped entirely around them, their questions, and their pace. Both include the same attunement, manual, and ongoing support.
Both formats cover exactly the same curriculum at EUR 488 per level: the attunement, the symbols, the manual, and support afterwards. The difference is not what you learn but how the day feels and what you practise on. In a small group, you receive Reiki from classmates and give it back. One-to-one, everything runs at your pace and your questions lead the room. Neither is better in the abstract. The right one depends on how you work.
| Small-group training, practising on classmates | One-to-one training with just the teacher | |
|---|---|---|
| Who else is in the room | Up to five other students, making a group of no more than six in total. You practise giving and receiving Reiki with each other throughout the day. | Just you and Vanessa. All practice is between the two of you. |
| Pace and questions | The day moves at a shared pace. Questions from others often open things you would not have thought to ask. | The day moves at your pace. Every question gets as long as it needs. Nothing waits for the group. |
| Variety of bodies to work with | You finish the day having placed your hands on several different people, which builds confidence quickly. | You work with one person. Depth over breadth. |
| Shared experience | What others notice during their attunement or their first practice round is part of your learning, too. | Your experience stays between you and Vanessa. Some people find that easier to open up in. |
| Scheduling | Arranged around when a small group can meet. Takes a little longer to coordinate. | Arranged entirely around you. Usually the fastest way to get a date that works. |
| Cost | EUR 488 per level, the same as one-to-one. | EUR 488 per level, the same as the group. |
Which one suits you
One-to-one is the right call if your schedule is tight, if you have a lot of specific questions, or if you know you open up more easily without other people in the room. It is also worth considering if you are coming to Reiki from a professional background, say nursing, bodywork, or counselling, and want to spend the day working through how it fits with what you already do. Small-group training is worth choosing if you want the experience of practising on more than one person before you leave, or if you learn by hearing other people's questions as much as your own. Working on classmates is not a shortcut: it is its own kind of preparation, and many students find that what someone else notices during a practice round teaches them something they could not have read in the manual. Both formats are taught live by Vanessa. Neither is a recording. The attunement is the same either way.
Related questions
Does the group format cover less material than one-to-one?
No. The curriculum is identical: the same attunement, the same symbols, the same manual, and the same support after. The difference is in the shape of the day, not in what you receive.
What if I book one-to-one but then want to practise on more people?
Vanessa can discuss what makes sense for you when you get in touch. Some people do their Level 1 one-to-one and their Level 2 in a small group, or the other way around. There is no fixed rule.
Can I join a group if I do not know anyone else attending?
Yes. Groups are made up of people who have each booked independently. Most students arrive not knowing the others. By the end of a full training day, that changes fairly quickly.