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Alternative Therapy In Hong Kong: Acupuncture, Reiki And More

Posted on 16 May, 2024 | By Alex Purcell Garcia
Health & WellnessPost Category - Health & WellnessHealth & Wellness - Post Category - WellnessWellness
Health & WellnessPost Category - Health & WellnessHealth & Wellness - Post Category - WellnessWellness

From acupuncture to Traditional Chinese Medicine, hypnotherapy, play therapy, Reiki healing and more, here’s where to find alternative therapy for families in Hong Kong.

Long gone are the days when therapy was a hush-hush topic, from family counsellors to child psychologists and a rise in the number of meditation centres, families in Hong Kong are giving higher importance to wellness now more than ever. But the window to therapy is far wider than just verbal communication. From sound healing like gong baths and Reiki to acupuncture, hypnotherapy, play therapy, Traditional Chinese Medicine and more, Hong Kong is packed full of great alternative therapy resources. Take a look at what each one has to offer before deciding what you want to go for, especially if you’re only just paving your way into this whole new realm of wellness.

Jump to:
Reiki In Hong Kong
Acupuncture In Hong Kong
Sound Healing In Hong Kong
Hypnotherapy In Hong Kong
Mindfulness In Hong Kong
Play Therapy In Hong Kong
Art Therapy In Hong Kong
Traditional Chinese Medicine In Hong Kong
Other Alternative Therapies To Consider

Editor’s Note: Alternative therapy is not meant to replace conventional Western medicine or traditional scientific techniques. It can, however, be highly effective when used alongside conventional medicine, and as a preventative approach to certain ailments. You must always consult your doctor if you are unsure and make sure that alternative techniques will not impact or hinder regular medicine or prescriptions.

Read More: Where To Find Counsellors, Psychologists And Therapists In Hong Kong

Reiki – Alternative therapy that uses energy healing

Reiki originated in Japan ( “rei”, universal, and “ki”, life energy in Japanese) and is an alternative therapy based on energy healing. Using energy transferred from the palms of the hands, Reiki healers focus on the seven chakras on the patient’s body to help with the flow of energy. Crystals can also be used to help balance the energy of the patient and also the healing space. Various Reiki techniques (such as Siam Reiki) are also thought to go deeper into a more spiritual level.

What can it help with: It is thought to help chronic pain, anxiety and depression, as well as a complimentary therapy in the treatment of cancer and heart disease among other benefits.

Who can do it: Adults most commonly have Reiki treatments but it can also have positive effects on children as well. Make sure to check with the practitioners when booking.

Where To Go For Reiki In Hong Kong

Alternative Therapy Hong Kong Skati Healing Centre Wellness

Shakti Healing Circle – Reiki, shamanism, meditation and more

Keeping your optimal wellness and emotional and spiritual growth front and centre, Shakti Healing Circle is an award-winning wellness centre best known for Reiki sessions and Reiki classes at all levels, shamanic workshops and meditation classes. Celebrating 17 years since first opening its doors, you’ll find a wide range of alternative therapies here, be it crystal bowls sound healing, hypnotherapy, relationship or career coaching. You can also book individual meditation classes to help create a regular meditation practice in your own time or train as a Reiki healer yourself (Reiki level 1 and 2 and Reiki Master level 3) under the expert guidance of its teachers. Plus, many of its practitioners are parents themselves so understand the pressures that come with having kids!

Shakti Healing Circle, 1206-1207 Yu Yuet Lai Building, 43-55 Wyndham Street, Central, Hong Kong, 2521 5099, [email protected], www.shaktihealingcircle.com

Acupuncture – Alternative therapy using thin needles on pressure points across the body

While some of us might run for the hills at the thought of having needles gently pushed all over our skin, many swear by this ancient technique. Acupuncture is a core therapy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and works by inserting super-thin needles through the skin at various points in the body to help alleviate physical pain and psychological ailments.

The principle of this alternative therapy is to facilitate free-flowing energy and balance your Qi (life force) by removing any blockages in the main pathways (meridians) of which it flows.

What can it help with: For adults, it can be anything from migraines to back pain, insomnia to allergies and more. There is even a whole area dedicated to conception, pregnancy (including the dreaded morning sickness) and postnatal recovery. In babies and children, it may help with colic, skin problems, bedwetting, strep throat, the common cold and more.

Who can do it: Acupuncture can be used by every member of the family, including babies and children (smaller, less intrusive needles are used in paediatric acupuncture).

Where To Do Acupuncture In Hong Kong

Read More: Best Child Psychologists, Therapists And Counsellors In Hong Kong

Sound Healing – Gong bath, crystal bowl healing and more

The theory of sound healing is that the noise and vibrations lower the frequency of the brainwaves. These slow down your thoughts to help you focus and acts as a form of meditation to clear the mind and become more in tune with your own energy. You’ll lay on the floor with your eyes closed while the practitioner hits the gong, Tibetan singing bowls or other instruments.

What can it help: Relaxation, meditation and clearing the mind. It can help to reduce stress, remove emotional blockages and may even stimulate an altered state of consciousness.

Who can do it: Sessions are available for everyone from children to adults. While it seems that it might be ok while pregnant, it’s always best to check with the practitioner to make sure the technique is suitable.

Where To Go For Sound Healing In Hong Kong

Hypnotherapy – Replace negative beliefs and thoughts with positive suggestions

Hypnotherapy creates a deeper and heightened state of consciousness by using words (sometimes accompanied by music or other sounds). Once in this relaxed state, the hypnotherapist helps by offering gentle positive suggestions to replace old, more negative, thought patterns.

What can it help with: From behavioural issues, stress and anxiety, phobias, stopping smoking, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), help during childbirth (see more about hypnobirthing) and even stage fright! There are numerous reasons why it can be used.

Who can do it: Commonly used for adults, teens and some older children, clinical psychologists believe that children as young as five can benefit from it.

Where To Do Hypnotherapy In Hong Kong

Read More: Birth Breathing – Techniques For Labour And Delivery Explained

Mindfulness And Meditation – Alternative therapy to be more present in the moment

Similar to hypnotherapy, meditation has been shown to alter the neural pathways in the brain to help create more positive and focused experiences. Rather than emptying the mind, mindfulness helps to focus more thoughtfully on actions or feelings. From brushing your teeth to having a cup of tea, this practice helps you learn to be more present and appreciate the world around you.

What can it help with: Both help to reduce stress and anxiety, improve creativity, enhance performance, aides self-awareness and increases attention spans. Meditation can also improve sleep, help blood pressure, may help improve memory and more.

Who can do it: Everyone!

Where To Practice Mindfulness In Hong Kong

Read More: Your Guide To Meditation And Mindfulness Centres In Hong Kong

Play Therapy – Child-centred alternative therapy

How about an alternative therapy specifically designed for children? Enter, play therapy. Child-centred play therapy provides a safe environment for little ones to express fears, anxiety and negative emotions in a language that’s best suited to their communication. By exploring repressed emotions through the art of play, the therapist can help with trauma (divorce, grief, illness and more), anger management, and numerous other issues.

What can it help with: It helps to build children’s self-esteem, improve self-control, resolve internal conflict and stabilise emotions.

Who can do it: Sessions are generally aimed at children between the ages of 3 to 10 (and in some cases into tween and teen years).

Where To Go For Play Therapy In Hong Kong

Alternative Therapy Hong Kong Art Therapy Wellness

Art Therapy – Express thoughts and inner feelings with this alternative therapy in Hong Kong

A picture is worth a thousand words, as they say, so unlock your deepest thoughts through this creative technique. Art therapy will engage your body, mind and spirit and provide a platform to express thoughts and inner feelings. Using kinaesthetic, sensory and symbolic techniques, this type of therapy is great for children who may not have the words to articulate themselves or adults who struggle to open up verbally.

What can it help with: Art therapy can help with cognitive and sensory-motor functions, boost self-esteem, strengthen emotional resilience, improve social skills and resolve conflict and distress. It can also help with anxiety, depression, trauma, grief and more.

Who can do it: Fun (and healing) for all the family. You can do individual sessions or book as a family or group as well.

Where To Do Art Therapy In Hong Kong

Read More: Mental Health And Stress – How Your Mind Affects Your Overall Wellbeing

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) – All-encompassing alternative therapy

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a huge all-encompassing alternative therapy with many branches and a very long history. The main principle behind TCM is to treat the body as a whole and take into consideration the whole body when diagnosing and treating an illness. Therapies include acupuncture, moxibustion (the burning of burning dried mugwort on certain points on the body), tui na massage, cupping and/or scraping, Chinese herbs and more.

What can it help with: Digestive health, anxiety, IBS, infertility, arthritis, insomnia, depression, chronic pain, there’s not much that it doesn’t hope to treat!

Who can do it: All members of the family, though you should always check with the practitioner first.

Where To Go For Traditional Chinese Medicine In Hong Kong

Other Alternative Therapies In Hong Kong To Consider

  • Aromatherapy – With the use of essential oils and other aromatic plant compounds.
  • Ayurvedic medicine – An ancient Indian system of natural and holistic medicine, it is also the sister of yoga.
  • Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy (can help with breastfeeding and postnatal recovery for mum and baby) – The practitioner will use a very light touch to “listen” to the body’s intrinsic movements.
  • Facial Reflexology – Gentle pressure is applied to the different reflex zones and reflexology points on the face.
  • Music therapy – Use of music to accomplish individualised goals such as reducing stress and improving mood and self-expression.
  • Tuning Fork Therapy – Vibrations from the tuning forks can relax the muscles, help one to relax, and also boost the body’s lymphatic drainage.
  • Yoga – A combination of breathing exercises, physical postures, and meditation, practised for over 5,000 years.

Read More: Yoga Studios In Hong Kong – Aerial Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Prenatal Yoga & More

Editor’s Note: “Alternative Therapy In Hong Kong: Acupuncture, Hypnotherapy And More” was originally published by Alex Purcell Garcia and most recently updated in May 2024 by Fashila Kanakka.

This article contains editorial selections and paid partnerships. Main image courtesy of Antoni Shkraba via Pexels, image 1 courtesy of Mikhail Nilov via Pexels, image 2 courtesy of Shakti Healing Circle, image 3 courtesy of Thirdman via Pexels, image 4 courtesy of KATRIN BOLOVTSOVA via Pexels, image 5 courtesy of Cliff Booth via Pexels, image 6 courtesy of cottonbro studio via Pexels, image 7 courtesy of Mikhail Nilov via Pexels, image 8 courtesy of Elina Fairytale via Pexels. 

Alex is our Sassy Mama editor, hailing from the UK. Prior to arriving in the 852, she spent four years living and working as an editor in Shanghai while exploring Asia with her adventure-seeking hubby. Before that, they lived in Madrid, soaking up the Spanish sun and drinking copious amounts of tinto de verano (while also writing for an expat media – not always at the same time!). When not doing all things Sassy Mama related (style, beauty, health, wellness, parenting and home), you'll find her travelling, blasting out her favourite songs, or trying the best veggie hot-spots in the city with her baby girl and hubby in tow.

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