By: Natural Healers Staff

Updated: February 2, 2026

Home / Blog / Healing Touch Therapy

Healing Touch Therapy

Ready to learn about healing touch massage?

reclining content patient having neck and shoulder rub

One of the energy-based healing modalities, healing touch therapy is gentle and nurturing, and takes place without invasive procedures, medications or equipment.

The practitioner simply places his or her hands lightly on or just above the individual. The techniques taught in healing touch school enable the practitioner to affect the client’s energy field, encouraging physical, emotional and spiritual wellness.

In this way, healing touch practitioners work together with clients to facilitate their natural ability to heal.

Career Overview

The techniques of healing touch therapy are not just taught in healing touch schools but also in universities, medical schools, nursing programs, and massage therapy schools.

During a session, clients lie on a massage table fully clothed. The practitioner then uses gentle touch or off-body touch (no direct contact) to manipulate and balance the client’s energy field, often resulting in feelings of deep relaxation and peacefulness.

Sessions usually last 40 to 60 minutes. Healing touch massage is used in stress and pain management, recovery from surgery, cancer care, and other acute and chronic conditions.

Training and Education

Healing touch programs are usually aimed at practitioners in a particular field such as health care or bodywork.

What You’ll Study in Healing Touch School

At a healing touch school, you’ll study the body’s energy system and how it relates to health, as well as learning specific techniques of healing touch.

More advanced coursework will also address issues of ethics and professional practice. Some programs may include instruction in related modalities such as Reiki healing touch.

Average Length of Study

A basic course in healing touch therapy takes approximately 16 to 18 hours of study. To become a certified practitioner, you’ll need to complete 5 levels of instruction, which generally requires 100 or more hours of coursework at a healing touch school.

Average Healing Touch Therapy Tuition

A complete practitioner training program in healing touch usually costs between $1200 and $1500, not counting certification fees. Individual courses cost $200 to $500.

Healing Touch Certification

Certification in healing touch therapy is offered by professional organizations such as the Healing Touch Program, whose curriculum leads to certification as a Healing Touch Practitioner (HTP); and Healing Beyond Borders, a nonprofit organization that grants certification as a Certified Healing Touch Practitioner (CHTP).

Both certification programs are endorsed by the American Holistic Nurses Association and the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork.

Career Outlook

Graduates of healing touch schools can expect a positive career outlook, particularly in the fields of massage therapy, nursing, and medicine. According to WebMD, Americans are continuing to turn to complementary and alternative medicine.

And CNN reports that about a third of us are now using alternative methods to supplement the care we get from our doctors. So opportunities should be good for practitioners of healing touch therapy.

Healing Touch Salary

Since graduates of healing touch school come from a range of career fields, earnings for healing touch practitioners can vary widely.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, salaries may vary greatly based on specialization within the field, location, years of experience and a variety of other factors. Per-session earnings for energy healers can be as high as $100.

Massage Therapists

National data

Median Salary: $58,450

Projected job growth: 15.3%

10th Percentile: $33,640

25th Percentile: $43,480

75th Percentile: $78,320

90th Percentile: $100,200

Projected job growth: 15.3%

State data

State Median Salary Bottom 10% Top 10%
Alabama $48,930 $22,250 $91,260
Alaska $134,930 $34,140 $161,400
Arizona $62,400 $37,800 $90,780
Arkansas $39,990 $24,180 $74,530
California $45,970 $34,320 $89,880
Colorado $61,060 $35,990 $101,710
Connecticut $62,260 $34,010 $97,870
Delaware $58,870 $46,250 $98,220
District of Columbia $64,110 $44,130 $134,110
Florida $49,680 $30,310 $79,220
Georgia $50,820 $19,010 $83,130
Hawaii $81,280 $36,660 $166,730
Idaho $60,420 $35,360 $94,610
Illinois $60,490 $33,770 $82,910
Indiana $55,590 $38,140 $83,140
Iowa $57,710 $37,560 $91,570
Kansas $49,990 $31,490 $81,760
Kentucky $59,790 $30,210 $95,290
Louisiana $36,480 $18,080 $59,680
Maine $73,290 $32,450 $119,580
Maryland $62,270 $35,360 $96,440
Massachusetts $63,390 $40,420 $104,510
Michigan $70,960 $32,610 $89,950
Minnesota $63,070 $28,320 $97,870
Mississippi $40,490 $28,820 $103,020
Missouri $62,050 $43,680 $101,900
Montana $53,540 $25,020 $96,740
Nebraska $53,950 $47,360 $93,390
Nevada $53,540 $25,230 $121,980
New Hampshire $80,360 $36,500 $114,400
New Jersey $50,150 $33,280 $81,930
New Mexico $37,840 $29,430 $91,730
New York $62,630 $33,280 $110,210
North Carolina $60,650 $31,050 $96,510
North Dakota $74,140 $34,120 $110,870
Ohio $55,990 $40,340 $78,520
Oklahoma $36,630 $24,790 $101,100
Oregon $86,970 $47,270 $103,630
Pennsylvania $58,300 $31,000 $110,770
Rhode Island $74,960 $43,480 $126,150
South Carolina $58,000 $17,340 $95,540
South Dakota $52,000 $35,720 $56,310
Tennessee $50,070 $36,960 $95,260
Texas $59,370 $34,870 $109,970
Utah $62,130 $23,160 $97,970
Virginia $62,220 $38,070 $119,570
Washington $87,360 $61,850 $115,800
West Virginia $46,600 $22,450 $82,950
Wisconsin $58,070 $20,280 $105,360
Wyoming $61,980 $18,570 $98,090

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 2024 median salary; projected job growth through 2034. Actual salaries vary depending on location, level of education, years of experience, work environment, and other factors. Salaries may differ even more for those who are self-employed or work part time.

Is a Healing Touch Career Right for You?

Healing touch therapy practitioners are devoted to helping patients muster their own positive energy toward the process of healing.

They are caring, patient and sensitive to the client’s physical and emotional situation, whether they work in a hospital or a health spa.

Healing touch school can enhance the career of health care and bodywork professionals who would like to incorporate additional healing techniques into their repertoire that do not rely on invasive procedures or drug-based treatments.

Sources: AHNA Endorsed Programs, Healing Touch International, Inc., Healing Touch Program, An Introduction. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, www.webmd.com/news/20110201/complementary-and-alternative-medicine-on-the-rise