Table 3.

The understanding and expectations of patients pre-trial

Theme	Sub-theme	Code	Examples from patients
Understanding of Healing	Little understanding		“I didn’t really know what I was going into” P1 M IBS
			“I don’t know [anything about healing]” P2 F IBS
			“No, the only thing was what I read in the mail [newspaper]” P16 M UC
	Awareness of healing	Recommendation	“I have worked with a girl that used to be a beautician and she suggested different things…when Dr [name] mentioned it, I thought I would like to try it” P12 F UC
		Previous knowledge or experience	“I am in the industry myself and that helps” P10 M UC
			“I have done Reiki in the past” P18 M IBS
			“I have had Reiki once before” P20 F IBS
Expectation of Healing	Scepticism		“I must admit I was pretty much sceptical about it” P1 M IBS
			“I didn’t think it could heal you or anything like that” P19 F UC
			“Being realistic I know that nothing is going to cure it” P17 F UC
	Unsure of what to expect	No idea	“I didn’t know what to expect” P2 F IBS
			“I didn’t really know, know what to expect before” P6 F IBS
			“I didn’t know what to expect” P13 F IBS
			“I wasn’t hoping it would heal me because that would be a miracle” P14 F UC
	Openness	Open to it	“I came in with an open mind” P19 F CD
			“I went into it with an open mind…because I just wanted to see what would happen” P20 F IBS
	Some benefit	Being more calm or relaxed	“It has been [being relaxed has been achieved]” P5 F UC
			“I think my stress may be [helped]” P16 M UC
		Sleep better	“To sleep a bit better than I did” P13 F IBS
		Hope that it could help	“If there was a benefit then it would help to relieve the symptoms” P18 M IBS
			“What I really wanted was to come off the tablets” P21 F IBS
		Was told it would be beneficial	“She [a friend who was a therapist] said you need healing a lot” P15 F IBS