What is the difference between therapeutic touch (TT) and Reiki? When I was asked to write a short article about this question for the Oncology Nursing Society’s PNI (psychoneuroimmunology) and Complementary Therapies SIG Newsletter, I thought the answer would be relatively easy. As I turned the idea over in my mind, the task grew quite complex—requiring focus groups, an extensive literature review, and a multicenter clinical trial to inform an exhaustive academic treatise. Alas, because I am a doctoral student with many other demands on my time, I have opted for a more personal, simple, and speculative description of the difference.