Elise Brenner (she/her), PhD, is assistant teaching professor in public health and sociology at Simmons University in Boston and the co-author of the book, Reiki: A Self-Practice to Live in Peace with Self and Others. As a Reiki practitioner and mindfulness meditation teacher, she is committed to wellness equity in her services. The owner of Brenner Reiki Healing in Newton, Massachusetts, Elise provides Reiki training to physicians, nurses, social workers, physical therapists, and more. Elise has provided training for staff at Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Edith Nourse Rogers Veterans Administration Hospital, and Tufts Medical Center. 

Elise has a clinical Reiki practice in which she provides individualized Reiki treatments to people who are experiencing physical, mental, and emotional distress. She provides Reiki outreach to organizations including the Livestrong Program at the YMCA, Harbor Health Elder Service Plan in Boston, support groups for survivors of domestic abuse, support groups for cancer patients, and more. As an anthropologist, she has researched cross-cultural healing practices, enriching the scope of her Reiki practice.