Milo, a gentle yellow Lab, quilled by a porcupine, was still in pain and limped after surgery due to a hidden quill. 
Tasha, a Bichon Frise, had painful cysts on her back that recurred after surgeries to remove them. Yum Yum, a Snowshoe Siamese cat, suffered from severe asthma.
Karen McCarthy, a travelling Reiki Master based in Fryeburg, treated each of these pets with Reiki healing energy. Reiki is a holistic healing modality which is believed to help release blockages throughout the energy system. This in turn allows positive healing energy to flow. McCarthy travels to the pet’s home to maximize the client’s comfort for the 30- to 45-minute painless and non-invasive treatment. The number of sessions varies depending on the animal’s response.
“Reiki is not intended to replace traditional veterinary care but can be a helpful adjunct to it,” explains McCarthy, a former nun and retired psychotherapist. “Calming is the most notable thing Reiki does for animals,” McCarthy said. “The practitioner is the conduit for universal life energy. Animals are very receptive to it,” she added. “Reiki reduces anxiety before and after surgery and promotes energetic healing.”
Following Reiki treatments, Milo walked without limping; Tasha has had no new cysts for the past nine years.
“After a single session with Karen, Yum Yum’s asthma attacks lessened from as many as 20 a day to only one mild attack that evening, and she has had ongoing relief,” said the cat’s human mom, Barbara Graham of Sweden, Maine.
This writer wanted Campari, my senior toy poodle who has Cushings Disease, the progressive endocrine disorder, and suffers from PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), to experience the modality. I found McCarthy to be a skilled and intuitive Reiki practitioner. Campari gives her direct eye contact and backs into her hands indicating he wants a hands-on treatment. He totally relaxes, sometimes falling asleep and then indicates when he’s had enough by stretching and sighing. He always seems rejuvenated after a treatment.
Campari is a devotee. McCarthy has a special energetic connection with animals. They seem to respond to her caring manner.
To contact Reiki Master Karen McCarthy, email dragonfly@roadrunner.com or 207.838.1777.
To read the published article on The Portland Phoenix website, click here.