This is the first of the 17 modules that
make up Energy Psychology Interactive. After
introducing you to a few of the field’s basic concepts,
this module will lead you through an experience with some of the most basic tools used in energy psychology, providing a subjective
introduction to the methods from a client’s perspective.
Interactive Questions
Click a Question to
Jump to Answer
Note: Clicking any of the questions listed
below leads to an answer, which is followed by another question, and another answer, until
the question and related issues have been explored in some detail. Then you are brought
back to this "Main List" of questions.
Thousands of anecdotal reports (this program is based in part on interviews with more than
30 practitioners of energy psychology) suggest that a broad spectrum of emotional,
psychological, and behavioral problems or goals lend themselves to energy-based
interventions. These interventions often complement more traditional treatment methods,
but energy techniques alone can be effective with numerous conditions.
In the 11 treatment centers in South America
mentioned in the Introduction, where 31,400 patients received energy
psychology treatments, several preliminary clinical trials were
conducted to determine the indications and contraindications for energy
interventions.
Based on this
preliminary systematic observation,
energy-based procedures that focus on the meridian system seem to be particularly
effective with anxiety-related conditions—panic disorders, generalized anxiety, PTSD,
phobias, separation anxiety disorders, and acute distress
disorders—as well as with delimited emotional problems (not involving personality
disorders) related to fear, grief, guilt, anger, shame, jealousy, rejection, painful
memories, loneliness, frustration, love pain, procrastination, and impulse control. An
energy-based approach may be effective as an adjunct to more conventional therapies for
personality disorders, depressive disorders, dissociative disorders,
addictions, and eating disorders, but probably should not be the primary
treatment for these conditions. There is some preliminary evidence that
a meridian-oriented approach is ineffective or contraindicated with
psychotic disorders, bipolar disorders, delirium, and
dementia, but the
integration of energy interventions with other treatments in working
with even these disorders is now being reported.
Because much of the evidence within energy psychology is still anecdotal, any conclusions
regarding the clinical efficacy of energy-based interventions are highly tentative at this
time. The body of clinical reports being published by energy-based psychotherapists is
rapidly expanding, however, and a variety of case treatments are documented on videotape
and available for review and critique.
You may at this point wish to view a sample
energy psychology session.
You must have QuickTime on your computer to play
the video. QuickTime is preinstalled on
many computers or can be downloaded free from
www.apple.com/quicktime/download/
This clip features one of
the "single-session phobia cures" that have brought so much popular attention to
energy psychology while at the same time sparking so much understandable skepticism within
the psychotherapy profession. Thirty minutes after becoming obviously terrified after
walking within 6 feet of a balcony railing, the video shows Nancy, exhilarated, as she
walks all the way up to the rail, learns on it, and looks over. She had been
afflicted with her height phobia for over two decades.
Single-Session
Phobia Cure
It is from an expanding
base of such documented outcomes—certainly not from
early extravagant claims,
odd-looking procedures, or contradictory theoretical explanations—that so many
seasoned clinicians are being drawn to incorporate energy-based techniques into their
practices. In the case on the video clip, when a demonstration session was needed for the
CD, a volunteer who suffered with a phobia was sought during a workshop on the basics of
energy medicine. The video presents the first session that was taped for this purpose; it
is not the "best" of a number of tries, but rather represents a reasonably
reliable outcome for an uncomplicated phobia. On a two-year follow-up,
at the time of this writing, the results were holding.
Videotaped treatment sessions and follow-up interviews conducted by many of the leaders
within energy psychology are available through their respective
websites
and are often instructive as well as persuasive. Two videotaped
treatments showing rapid symptom relief with women who had been raped,
along with follow-up interviews a year later, are available from the
Tapas Acupressure Technique site.
In a poignant videotaped energy-based treatment, a crime victim who has been decompensating for six months despite medication and periods of hospitalization, attains
rapid relief in a single session and has returned to normal functioning within three
sessions. The video is available through msise3@aol.com.
A compelling series of sessions, presented
on video and audio tape, is part of the Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) home study
course (available through www.emofree.com).
Several dozen people are treated for a wide range of physical and psychological problems.
Some of the outcomes are starkly illustrated, as when a woman with a fear of rats, after a
brief treatment, allows a pet rat to lick her fingers as she says, "I don’t
believe I’m doing this. I am doing this!" The treatment of the Vietnam veteran
described in the Introduction is part of this series, which also shows work with several
other men suffering from years of PTSD who are relieved of intense symptoms in the space
of a single session.
Other documented cases venture into medical problems. Since stress is implicated in the
genesis of many illnesses and is a consequence of all illnesses, the medical uses of
energy psychology are an obvious application. Benefits of balancing a patient’s
meridians and chakras before and after surgery have, for instance, been reported. The
methods presented in a training manual,Allergy Antidotes: The Energy Psychology Treatment
of Allergy-Like Reactions, are being applied with good
results in a growing number of clinical settings, demonstrating how an understanding of
the psychological, energetic, and physical factors that are involved in allergies can
result in effective treatments without medication. Successful applications that further
stretch the envelope of energy psychology, such as working with learning
challenges, severe learning disabilities,
and autism, are also being
reported.
By the end of this module, you will have identified a troubling memory and worked with it
using one of the simplest, most fundamental energy-based treatment protocols that has been
formulated. Proponents of this method claim, nonetheless, that it is effective more than
80 percent of the time for certain well-delimited problems, such as uncomplicated phobias.
By the end of the CD, you will know how to apply energy-based
techniques to a range of well-delineated as well as more complex psychological issues.
The strategies for intervening in the body’s energy system by tapping energy gateway
points on the surface of the skin are collectively called "tapping techniques."
The rationale for this approach, and for related techniques that
massage, hold, pinch, circle, or trace over certain areas of the body, will be addressed
in the following modules. For now, you will be asked to experiment with a set of simple
tapping methods without much intellectual overlay.
Several systems for tapping energy points have been developed and taught widely. It is
likely that a number of your clients will have been exposed to them. Protocols from
Thought Field Therapy (TFT), Emotional Freedom
Techniques (EFT), Be Set
Free Fast (BSFF), the Tapas Acupressure
Technique (TAT), the
Negative Affect Erasing Method (NAEM), and Thought Energy
Synchronization Therapies (TEST),
to name a few, have been taught to hundreds of thousands of people, and the numbers are
growing.
Each is based on the underlying principle emphasized in the Introduction:
Whatever the presenting problem, it has a counterpart in the client’s energy
system and can be treated at that level.
Energy psychology treatments focus on the body’s energy responses in relationship to
psychological problems and have both a psychological component and a mechanical/energetic
component. Energy psychology gained notoriety based on widely publicized claims of its
effectiveness in bringing about rapid symptomatic relief, and you will see in this module
that the most basic techniques are quite mechanical and symptom oriented. While
its methods have also been applied to psychodynamic and archetypal
dimensions of experience, Energy Psychology Interactive begins with a focus on more
circumscribed problems.
Once you have learned the mechanics, you can apply the techniques to
broader psychodynamic, existential, and spiritual issues and integrate them with virtually
any other system of psychotherapy for the purpose of making that system more effective.
This program teaches you those mechanics.
One of several ironies within energy psychology is that while many of
its techniques are unarguably mechanical, many of its practitioners admit to a strong
interest in the spiritual dimensions of psychotherapy and healing. It may be that the line
between the world of energy and the world of spirit is a thin one. But at a less esoteric
level, it may be simply that a set of self-applied techniques that readily free a person
from the fears, angers, guilts, griefs, and shames that arise in daily life and keep the
mind from knowing peace, frees the self and the spirit to flourish.
This module presents a basic, "one-size-fits-all" approach to formulating energy
interventions. It appears, however, based on thousands of anecdotal reports and very
preliminary research findings, to produce the desired outcome with some frequency. The
self-experiments presented in this module will give you a more direct basis for evaluating
the methods.
The approach you will learn here traces back to
methods from Traditional Chinese Medicine as popularized in the U.S.
through Roger
Callahan’s Thought Field Therapy (TFT). Many variations of this approach, both
shortcuts and elaborations, have been formulated. Gary Craig’s Emotional Freedom
Techniques (EFT) is probably the most widely known of these, notable for being accessible,
effective (based on preliminary evidence), and easily learned. We will begin by providing
you with enough instruction in EFT so that you can apply it to a personal issue.
After this rudimentary introduction to EFT,
the CD provides an overview of the range of ways energy psychology is practiced and a
broader set of tools that can be adapted to a spectrum of clinical situations.
Specifically, it adds a series of layers to the basic treatment protocol presented in this
module. These additional methods will give you greater flexibility and power to pursue
increasingly complex and recalcitrant psychological problems. When the most basic
basics you are about to learn do not produce the desired outcome, the more advanced
procedures presented in the remainder of the CD can be applied.
Even before focusing on a
psychological issue, a variety of techniques can be used to balance the energies in the
nervous system and optimize their flow. While a more complete set of procedures is
presented in the
Neurological Disorganization module, a
brief sequence of six simple techniques (all six can be completed within 90 seconds) is
taught here. It will in many instances improve the energetic balance of the nervous system
and increase the effectiveness of subsequent energy interventions.
The 3 Thumps
Certain points on your
body, when tapped with your fingers, will affect your nervous system in predictable ways,
sending electrochemical impulses to targeted regions of your brain and releasing
neurotransmitters.
By tapping three specific
sets of points, a sequence called the 3 Thumps, you can activate a series of internal
responses that will help restore you when you are tired, increase your vitality, and keep
your immune system stronger amidst stress. You can tap these points any time you need a
boost.
Do not be too concerned about finding the precise location of each
point. If you use several fingers to tap in the vicinity shown on the chart, you will hit
the right spots. Tap hard enough that you hear the tap, but never so hard as to risk
bruising yourself.
Drawing by Brooks Garten reproduced,
with
permission, from Donna Eden’s Energy Medicine.
K-27 Points
15-20 seconds
Thymus Gland
15-20 seconds
Spleen Points
15-20 seconds
K-27
Thymus
Spleen
Points
This photo shows
stimulation of the spleen acupuncture points. The figure
above shows the stimulation of the spleen neurolymphatic
points. Either can be used. The ones that are most
tender will have the greatest impact.
The 3 Navel Touch
Following the 3 Thumps,
breathe deeply as you perform the:
1. Navel/Skull-Base
Hold
Find
the soft area where the back of your neck merges with the base of your skull.
Place
your thumb and forefinger into this area with a bit of pressure.
Place
the middle finger of your other hand into your navel, push in, and pull up.
Hold for
about 12 seconds.
Navel/Skull-Base
Hold
Navel/Tailbone
Massage
2. Navel/Tailbone
Massage
Simultaneously
hold the tailbone and massage the navel for about 12 seconds.
3. Navel/Third-Eye
Hook-Up
Place
the middle finger of one hand on the third eye (between the eyebrows above the bridge of
the nose).
Place
the middle finger of the other hand in the navel.
Gently
press each finger into the skin, pull it upwards, and hold for about 12 seconds.
Navel/Third-Eye
Hook-Up
A principle illustrated by
this set of procedures is that many energy interventions require very little time to
obtain the desired effect. Some, such as these, are more like flipping a switch; others,
which are more like dredging a river, are more time consuming.
This brief sequence is worth memorizing and
using whenever you are not functioning at your best, physically or mentally. It will
jumpstart your own energy system. And it can help prepare your clients, energetically and
neurologically, for subsequent energy interventions.
Target problems can range from daily concerns to serious disorders. Emotional and physical
reactions, habits of thought, or patterns of behavior that get in a person’s way can
all be shifted using energy-based interventions. Examples of day-to-day problems that lend
themselves to this approach include:
Emotional Reactions, such as: "Every time I see a
large dog, I feel
fear that traces back to having been bitten as a child."
Physical Reactions, such as: "When I think of
confronting my boss, I get a headache."
Habits of Thought, such as: "I worry obsessively that
my daughter will not start a family until it is too late for her to have children."
Patterns of Behavior, such as: "I promise myself,
over and over, that I will stop interrupting people when they are speaking with me, yet
all my relationships continue to suffer from this habit."
The EFT
Basic Recipe is as follows (you can familiarize yourself with the procedures
here; you will be applying them to a personal issue later in the module).
This simple recipe is designed to decrease stress,
deactivate the stress response when paired with a specific stimulus, and
to increase the power of certain positive images. A recipe, of course,
calls for specific ingredients that must be added in a certain order.
This recipe has only four ingredients, and two of them are identical.
Once you have memorized the ingredients, a round of treatment can be
performed in about a minute. The ingredients include:
The set-up affirmation is designed to resolve a
specific form of internal conflict about a desired change, called a
psychological reversal. Psychological reversals involve unconscious
resistance to the treatment goal, as well as a resistance within the
body’s energy system. Until they are resolved, no other therapeutic
intervention is likely to have a deep or lasting effect. While
psychological reversals may operate on many different levels (and an
entire module of this CD is devoted to them), practitioners of
energy-based psychotherapy have developed some deceptively simple yet
apparently effective methods for working with psychological reversals.
EFT offers one of the simplest of these methods for
addressing psychological reversals. It accomplishes this with a blanket
intervention rather than formulating the treatment around assessments of
the specific type of psychological reversal, as you will learn to do in
a later module. EFT is a self-help program whose training manual freely
acknowledges the importance of assessment and diagnosis in clinical
settings, but it offers instead generic treatment strategies that
it claims are, nonetheless, effective with a high proportion of
individuals and their problems.
The two parts
to the set-up affirmation are the affirmation
and an energy intervention
that involves rubbing a specific point on the body.
The AFFIRMATION
includes a few words that are "filled in" based on the target problem
(the remainder of the discussion on the EFT treatment protocol draws
heavily from the EFT training manual—for ordering information, visit
www.emofree.com,
which also provides many free, useful learning aids). The form of the
affirmation is as follows:
Even though I have this _____________,
I deeply love and accept myself.
The blank is filled in with a brief description of
the problem being addressed.
For example:
Even though I have this fear of dogs, I deeply love and
accept myself.
Even though I get a headache when I think of confronting my
boss, I deeply love and accept myself.
Even though I have this obsession about my daughter’s biological
clock, I deeply love and accept myself.
Even though I have this habit of interrupting people, I deeply
love and accept myself.
This is, of course, only a partial list, keyed to the
earlier examples. Virtually any psychological or behavioral problem or
goal can be inserted into this format.
The affirmation is best stated out loud, with feeling
and emphasis. This wording is usually effective, whether or not you
believe it
(reasons for this are discussed in the
Psychological Reversal
module). However, if it is just beyond you to say "I deeply love
and accept myself" with a sense of congruence, other strong, positive,
affirming statements can have the same impact, such as "I fully accept
myself," or "I am open to the possibility that I could accept myself,"
or "I know I am doing my best," or "deep down, I know I am a good
person." An alternative to the phrase, "I deeply love and accept
myself," when working with children, might be along the lines of "I know
I’m a great kid deep inside."
Other alternative wordings could also serve the same
purpose, which is to acknowledge the problem while at the same time
stating an affirmation of self-acceptance despite the existence of the
problem. The format shown in the above examples, however, is easy to
memorize and has been used widely with good reports.
Other formats have also been used. A
popular one emphasizes choice and opportunity rather than self-acceptance, e.g.,
"Even though I have neglected my body, I choose to know that I deserve
to have the time for regular, enjoyable exercise," or "Even though I
still focus on my son’s shortcomings, I choose to know that I deeply and
completely accept him." The strategy is to stimulate energy points that
help pair a negative self-evaluation with a positive cognition or
recognition of an opportunity. In
essence, this programs the negative thought to become a trigger for a
positive choice.
This method can be used even in situations that are
bleak or overwhelming. A depressed client in his first psychotherapy
session developed the affirmation, "Even though my life is hopeless, I
choose to find unexpected help in this therapy." Writing to her
colleagues the day after 9-11 on how to assist people deal with the
psychological aftermath of the attack, psychologist Patricia Carrington
suggested using the Choices Method with phrasings such as, "Even though
I am stunned and bewildered by this terrible happening, I choose to
learn something absolutely essential for my own life from this event,"
or "Even though . . . , I choose to be a still point amidst all the
chaos," or "I choose to have this dreadful event open my heart," or "I
choose to sense the Divine intent for a greater good in all this."
An
ENERGY INTERVENTION is
the second part of the set-up affirmation. As you will be
learning throughout this program, the body’s energy system
can be affected by rubbing, tapping, stretching, holding,
or tracing specific points or areas on the surface of the
body.
The
effectiveness of the set-up affirmation can be increased
substantially by rubbing either or both of two points, called
the "sore spots."
Located
in the upper left and right portions of the chest, you
can find them by pressing in on various points until you
find one or more that are sore. This is the area you will
rub while stating the affirmation 3 times. You may want
to rub an area on each side simultaneously. :
The sore spots are neurolymphatic points where toxins
tend to accumulate, thus blocking the flow of the body’s energies.
Soreness is felt as clusters of toxins are broken apart by rubbing the
points, dispersing them for elimination and opening a flow of energy to
the heart, chest cavity, and entire body. You may want to rub both sides
simultaneously.
Rubbing a sore spot should not cause more
than a little discomfort. If it does, apply less pressure.
Also, if you have had an operation in that area of the chest
or if there is any medical reason that you should not be
probing in that specific area, switch to the other side (or
see alternative energy interventions in the
Psychological Reversal module).
You will later be putting together each
of the elements of the basic protocol and focusing them on a
personal issue.
The EFT tapping
sequence is concerned with the flow of energy through the
body’s meridians, or energy pathways. There are 14
major meridians and each is associated with points on the
surface of the skin that, when tapped or otherwise stimulated,
move the energy through the entire meridian system. As reported
in EFT, only a subset of these points is usually necessary
because the meridians are interconnected and stimulating
one meridian can affect others. Various subsets have been
used. The protocol you will learn here teaches eight points
:
The abbreviations for the
eight tapping points are summarized below in the same order as they are
presented on the chart.
EB (for "Beginning of the
Eyebrow") is at the beginning of the eyebrow, just above and
to one side of the nose.
SE (for "Side of the Eye")
is on the bone bordering the outside corner of the eye.
UE (for "Under the Eye")
is on the bone under either eye, about one inch below the pupil.
UN (for "Under the Nose")
is on the small area between the bottom of the nose and the top of
the upper lip.
Ch (for "Chin") is
midway between the point of the chin and the bottom of the lower lip
(while not exactly on the point of the chin, the term "chin point"
is descriptive enough for people to understand and remember easily).
CB (for "Collarbone")
is the junction where the sternum (breastbone), collarbone, and the
first rib meet (you learned this point earlier as "K-27").
UA (for "Under the Arm")
is about four inches below the armpit, about even with the nipple
for men, or in the middle of the bra strap for women.
KC (for the "Karate Chop"
points) are in the middle of the fleshy part on the outside of
either hand, between the top of the wrist bone and the base of the
baby finger (the part of your hand you would use to deliver a karate
chop).
Note: These
points are based on the Chinese
acupuncture system. Each point has a name within
that system. A trend has begun within energy psychology
to use these traditional names because almost every distinct
approach has developed its own trademark nomenclature for
the same points. Returning to the traditional names (generally
an abbreviation for
the meridian on which the point falls, followed by a
number representing which acupuncture point
it is on that meridian) will give the field a common language.
EB (Beginning of the Eyebrow) = BL-2 (Bladder Meridian)
SE (Side of the Eye) = GB-1 (Gallbladder Meridian)
UE (Under the Eye) = ST-1 (Stomach Meridian)
UN (Under the Nose) = GV-26 (Governing Vessel/Meridian)
Ch (Between Chin and Lower Lip) = CV-24 (Central Vessel/Meridian)
The
tapping points proceed down the body. Each is below the
one before it. This makes them easy to memorize. A few trips
through the sequence, Gary Craig tells his students, and
it should be yours forever.
How
to Tap. Tapping
can be done with either hand, or both
hands simultaneously or in sequence. You can tap
with the fingertips of your index finger and middle finger
or make a "three-finger notch" by including your
thumb. Tap solidly but never so hard as to hurt or risk
bruising yourself.
Tap
about seven times on each of the tapping points or, alternatively,
for the length of a deep inhalation and exhalation. You
will be repeating a reminder phrase (see below) while
you are tapping, so you will not be counting, and it does
not matter if you tap a few more or a few less than seven
times.
Most
of the tapping points exist on both sides of the body. It
does not matter which side you use. And there might be some
benefits to tapping both sides simultaneously. It might
also be beneficial to alternate between the sides, tapping
the left point once, then the right, then the left, etc.
For the last area—the karate chop points—tap the entire
length of the fleshy part of the side of the hand with all
four fingers of the other hand.
Notes
on the Reminder Phrase. Specific
memories, thoughts, or circumstances cause disruptions in
the energy system and elicit related negative emotions.
If the problem from which you want relief is a fear of heights,
that fear is not present while you are thinking about what
to have for lunch. For an energy treatment to impact your
target problem, that problem must be "activated"
within your energy system.
A
problem state can be activated by simply thinking
about it. Bringing the problem to mind disrupts the meridian
energies, which can then be re-established by applying the
treatment. Balancing the meridian energy while thinking
about the problem retrains the body to be able to hold the
thought, or be in the circumstance, without creating the
energy disruption that then impacts thoughts, feelings,
and behavior. When the energy is
not disturbed, the negative emotion associated
with that energy disturbance is not
triggered.
You
may, however, find it a bit difficult to consciously think
about the problem while you are performing the other treatment
procedures. By continually repeating a reminder phrase while
doing the procedures, you keep yourself attuned to the situation
that has been triggering the disruption in your energy system.
This can be compared to keeping a radio dialed to the right
station.
The
reminder phrase is a word or short phrase describing the
problem. Repeat it out loud each time you tap one of the
points in the tapping sequence. This activates the psychological,
neurological, and energetic components of your problem.
The
reminder phrase is often identical with or very close to
the phrase used in the set-up affirmation. For example,
if you were focusing on a memory in which you were humiliated
as a child while performing in front of an audience, the
set-up affirmation might be:
Even though I feel humiliated by what happened at the eighth grade
play,
I deeply love and accept myself.
Within this affirmation, the words: "humiliated by
what happened at the eighth grade play" can be used as the reminder
phrase. Abbreviated versions of the statement, such as "humiliated at
the play" or just "humiliated" will also suffice as long as their full
meaning is clear to you. The reminder phrase may be as simple as
(referencing the earlier examples):
fear of large
dogs (or simply "fear" or "large dogs")
headaches about
confronting my boss (or simply "headaches" or "confronting my
boss")
obsession about
Mary’s biological clock (or simply "obsession" or "biological
clock")
habit of
interrupting people (or simply "habit" or "interrupting people")
The following additional reminder phrases suggest the
range of possible areas for energy interventions:
Craving for sweets, my role in the accident, lower
back pain, anger toward my sister, appearing in court, ambivalence
about my boyfriend, fired, fear of elevators, depression, stock
losses, terrorist attack, divorce.
The more specific the reminder phrase, or at least
the more specific the problem it stands for is in your mind, the more
effective it will be.
Some people who have been trained in the use of
hypnosis or positive affirmations are puzzled that a phrase that
activates the unwanted feeling or response is used in energy
psychology. But that is precisely what is required when attempting to
eliminate a problematic emotional response since the energy intervention
can rewire the response only while the unwanted feeling is active.
Keeping this principle in mind will help you to craft your Reminder
Phrase in the most effective manner. For instance, if the problem you
are tackling is your craving for chocolate, "my love of chocolate" would
be less effective as a Reminder Phrase than a phrase that activates the
feeling of not having chocolate, such as "longing for chocolate."
For
reasons that are not entirely understood, though several
hypotheses have been offered, activities that stimulate
certain areas of the brain increase the effectiveness of
the tapping techniques. Specific parts of the brain are
stimulated when the eyes are moved, and various therapies,
such asEMDR,
utilize this principle. The most widely used eye movement
technique within energy psychology is Roger Callahan’s 9
Gamut Procedure. It is introduced here with the comment
that it is one of the more strange-looking procedures in
energy psychology, with the tapping, eye movements, humming,
and counting all designed to stimulate specific parts of
the brain. While not directly targeting the problem with
a reminder phrase, the 9 Gamut Procedure bridges two tapping
sequences that do.
In the 9 Gamut
Procedure, one of the body’s energy points, the "gamut
point," is continuously tapped while nine simple steps
are carried out. The gamut point is on the back of either
hand, 1/2 inch beyond the knuckles (toward the wrist), and
in line with the midpoint between the little finger and
the ring finger. While tapping the gamut point continuously,
perform the following nine actions :
1. Close
eyes.
2. Open eyes.
3. Move eyes
to lower left.
4. Move eyes
to lower right.
5. Rotate
eyes clockwise 360 degrees
6. Rotate eyes counter-clockwise 360
degrees
7. Hum a tune
for a few seconds (e.g.,
"Happy Birthday," "Row, Row
Your Boat,"
"Zipadee Doo Dah").
In Step 4, you repeat the tapping sequence exactly as you did
it in Step 2.
When you have completed these four steps, you again
assess the intensity of the problem: Close your eyes, vividly bring the
original problem to mind, and give it a rating from 0 to 10 on the
amount of distress it causes you now, as you think about it.
If you can get no trace whatsoever of your previous
emotional intensity, then your work with this issue is completed.
If, on the other hand, you go down to, let’s say, a
4, you would perform subsequent rounds until, ideally, 0 is reached (2
is often all that is required for the problem to essentially be
resolved). Each round requires just over a minute (see instructions for
subsequent rounds).
Sometimes a problem will be resolved after a single
round of treatment. More often, only partial relief is obtained and
additional rounds are necessary. Two simple adjustments need to be made
for these subsequent rounds.
Psychological Reversals. A possible obstacle to
success during the first round of treatment is the re-emergence of
psychological reversals, those internal conflicts the set-up
affirmation is designed to resolve.
After treatment has begun and some progress has been
made, the psychological reversal takes on a somewhat different quality.
It is no longer preventing any change in the condition being treated,
but it may be interfering with further progress.
The wording of the
affirmation needs to reflect this. The set-up affirmation is a self-suggestion targeting the
unconscious mind, which can be highly responsive to the literal meaning
of a statement, so the wording should take into account the fact that
some progress has been made. The addition of two words accomplishes
this. The adjusted format for the set-up affirmation is:
Even though I still have
some of this __________,
I deeply love and accept myself.
The words still
and some shift the emphasis of the
affirmation toward a focus on the remainderof the
problem. The affirmations below reflect adjustments to the affirmations
listed earlier:
Even though I
still
have some
of this fear of dogs, I deeply love and accept myself.
Even though I
still
get a headache
when I think of confronting my boss, I deeply love and
accept myself.
Even though I
still
have some of this obsession about my daughter’s
biological clock, I deeply love and accept myself.
Even though I
still
have some of this impulse to interrupt people, I deeply
love and accept myself.
The Reminder Phrase also needs a minor
adjustment. Simply place the word remaining
in front of the original reminder phrase. Here, as examples, are
adjusted versions of the reminder phrases presented earlier:
remaining
fear of large dogs (or simply "remaining fear")
remaining
headaches about confronting my boss (or simply "remaining
headaches")
remaining
obsession about Mary’s biological clock (or simply "remaining
obsession")
remaining
impulse to interrupt people (or simply "remaining
impulse")
Following each round, do a new 0 to 10 assessment of
the distress you now feel when you tune into the original
problem. If the level of distress continues to decrease, do subsequent
rounds until you reach 0, or until the distress stops decreasing. If the
level of distress is more than 0 and will no longer decrease, you can
apply the more advanced treatment methods that are taught in subsequent
modules.
1. To gain a fair sense of the effectiveness of
these techniques, they must be experienced. Simply reading about
them does not suffice. If you wish to do these personal experiments,
please follow the steps precisely as they are written below. You may
work out shortcuts and adjustments later, but the following is a
good, tested, minimal routine to use while you learn the procedures.
2. Should you become dizzy, nauseous, or tearful
during the process, stop, stretch your arms, legs, neck, and back.
Take a break if you wish. When you feel rebalanced, consider
returning to the steps, this time proceeding a bit more slowly.
Alternatively, if the incident or issue was more than you are ready
to process at this time, note it for future attention and select an
incident or issue that does not hold as strong a charge.
For this first personal
experiment, identify a memory that brings you some discomfort or
evokes in you fear or anger that you consider to be inappropriate or
dysfunctional. It should not be severely stressful or likely to evoke
other highly troubling issues, but it can be substantial: a major
failure, embarrassment, argument, loss, or betrayal. Memories that
hold an emotional charge keep vital energies bound within them and
make a person more reactive when analogous situations arise. The
purpose of this experiment is to remove the emotional charge from the
troubling memory.
Make a mental "movie" of this event or situation;
replay it in your mind in detail; and rate its intensity:
The focus for the rating is
the intensity the movie creates for you now. Write down a
number from 0 to 10, indicating the amount of distress you experience
as you think about the problem, with 10 being extreme and 0 being none
at all.
Give the movie a title:
Based on this title, write
down two to five words that will bring this memory to mind (reminder
phrase).
If your memory is of a time
in your childhood when a dog bit you, you would recreate the scene in
your imagination vividly enough to get a sense of the distress you
feel when you think about the incident, but not so vividly as to
emotionally retraumatize yourself. A way to keep some distance from
the memory is to imagine it through a tunnel, or to simply ask
yourself, "How much distress would I feel if I were to recreate the
scene in my imagination?" Once a number comes to you, suppose it is 8,
write that as the initial rating. Then give the movie or scene a
title, such as "The Day Rocky Took a Bite out of My Innocence," and
summarize it as a brief phrase that brings the scene to mind, such as
"bit by Rocky."
Formulate and state three times a set-up
affirmation while rubbing the chest sore spots (upper left and right
portions of the chest). The structure of the affirmation is as follows
(replace the words in brackets with more specific wording when
possible):
Even though I
[am bothered by this memory],
I deeply love and accept myself.
With the dog-bite example, the set-up affirmation,
stated three times while rubbing the chest sore spots, might be:
Even though I feel
terror when I think of Rocky biting me, I deeply love and accept myself.
Repeat the tapping sequence, again using the reminder
phrase.
Tune into the problem again and rate the amount of
distress it causes. If it is not down to 0, repeat steps 1 through 4,
this time modifying the set-up affirmation with the words "still"
and "some," and modifying the
reminder phrase with the word "remaining."
Repeat for up to five rounds of the sandwich.
If the distress rating is not down to 0 or near 0
after five rounds of the sandwich, you may wish to store the scene for
use in the Advanced Meridian Treatments module.
There are many possible
reasons that improvement can become stalled.
A small proportion
of people do not respond
to tapping the standard energy points.
The problem may
need to be formulated with
more specific
or altogether
different wording.
Other meridians or
other energy systems
may be involved with the problem and need special attention.
Internal
conflict
about resolving the problem may need greater exploration.
Aspects
of the problem that are not being addressed may need to be
identified and treated.
If after five rounds you were not able to
significantly lower your distress around the issue, you may wish to
consider chunking it down into its aspects, and use the earlier
methods on each aspect.
The most common reason the distress rating will not
go down to 0, or near 0, if you are following the instructions precisely,
is that an aspect of the problem
that was not focused on in the energy intervention is involved. In the
dog-bite example, if the person who, as a child, was bitten by Rocky has
now forgotten or repressed that experience and comes in for treatment
for a fear of dogs, the tapping methods might reduce the fear a bit, but
they probably won’t be particularly effective until the experience with
Rocky has been successfully processed. Actually, chances are that in
doing the tapping around the current fear, memories of having been
bitten as a child will emerge and the focus will be shifted to them.
Being bitten by Rocky is an aspect of the "fear of dogs" and will
probably require attention before the fear can fully be resolved.
Aspects can include earlier experiences involved in
the current problem, but they can also slice in from other angles. An
aspect can be a particular feeling or sensory experience that is
involved with the problem, perhaps the feeling of being humiliated or
blaming yourself for being bitten. Seeing your own blood could be an
aspect of the problem. A vivid memory of how Rocky smelled might linger,
or the helplessness of seeing Rocky baring his teeth, about to attack.
This feeling might then tie into other memories of feeling helpless that
must have their emotional charge neutralized before the original problem
can be fully resolved. Most complex psychological goals and problems
have numerous aspects and identifying the most relevant ones to focus on
is part of the art of energy psychology. "Aspects" will be addressed
further in subsequent modules.
Even before focusing on a
psychological issue, a variety of techniques can be used to balance the energies in the
nervous system and optimize their flow. While a more complete set of procedures is
presented in the
Neurological Disorganization module, a
brief sequence of six simple techniques (all six can be completed within 90 seconds) is
taught here. It will in many instances improve the energetic balance of the nervous system
and increase the effectiveness of subsequent energy interventions.
The 3 Thumps
Certain points on your
body, when tapped with your fingers, will affect your nervous system in predictable ways,
sending electrochemical impulses to targeted regions of your brain and releasing
neurotransmitters.
By tapping three specific sets of points, a sequence called
the 3 Thumps, you can activate a series of internal responses
that will help restore you when you are tired, increase your
vitality, and keep your immune system stronger amidst stress.
The 3 thumps
include the K-27 points, the thymus, and the spleen points.
Tap each for 15-20 seconds.
You can tap these points any time you need a boost.
Do not be too concerned about finding the precise location of each
point. If you use several fingers to tap in the vicinity shown on the chart, you will hit
the right spots. Tap hard enough that you hear the tap, but never so hard as to risk
bruising yourself.
Drawing by Brooks Garten reproduced,
with
permission, from Donna Eden’s Energy Medicine.
K-27 Points
15-20 seconds
Thymus Gland
15-20 seconds
Spleen Points
15-20 seconds
K-27
Thymus
Spleen
Points
This photo shows
stimulation of the spleen acupuncture points. The figure
above shows the stimulation of the spleen neurolymphatic
points. Either can be used. The ones that are most
tender will have the greatest impact.
The 3 Navel Touch
Following the 3 Thumps,
breathe deeply as you perform the:
1. Navel/Skull-Base
Hold
Find
the soft area where the back of your neck merges with the base of your skull.
Place
your thumb and forefinger into this area with a bit of pressure.
Place
the middle finger of your other hand into your navel, push in, and pull up.
Hold for
about 12 seconds.
Navel/Skull-Base
Hold
Navel/Tailbone
Massage
2. Navel/Tailbone
Massage
Simultaneously
hold the tailbone and massage the navel for about 12 seconds.
3. Navel/Third-Eye
Hook-Up
Place
the middle finger of one hand on the third eye (between the eyebrows above the bridge of
the nose).
Place
the middle finger of the other hand in the navel.
Gently
press each finger into the skin, pull it upwards, and hold for about 12 seconds.
Navel/Third-Eye
Hook-Up
This brief sequence is worth memorizing and
using whenever you are not functioning at your best, physically or mentally. It will
jumpstart your own energy system. And it can help prepare your clients, energetically and
neurologically, for subsequent energy interventions.
The EFT tapping sequence is concerned with
the flow of energy through the body’s "meridians"
or energy pathways. There are 14 major meridians and each
is associated with points on the surface of the skin that,
when tapped, move the energy through the entire meridian
system. The experience reported in EFT is that only a subset
of these points is usually necessary because the meridians
are interconnected and treating one point will affect another.
Various subsets have been used. The protocol you will be
learning here teaches you 8 points :
EB (for "Beginning of the
Eyebrow") is at the beginning of the eyebrow, just above and
to one side of the nose.
SE (for "Side of the Eye")
is on the bone bordering the outside corner of the eye.
UE (for "Under the Eye")
is on the bone under either eye, about one inch below the pupil.
UN (for "Under the Nose")
is on the small area between the bottom of the nose and the top of
the upper lip.
Ch (for "Chin") is
midway between the point of the chin and the bottom of the lower lip
(while not exactly on the point of the chin, the term "chin point"
is descriptive enough for people to understand and remember easily).
CB (for "Collarbone")
is the junction where the sternum (breastbone), collarbone, and the
first rib meet (you learned this point earlier as "K-27").
UA (for "Under the Arm")
is about four inches below the armpit, about even with the nipple
for men, or in the middle of the bra strap for women.
KC (for the "Karate Chop"
points) are in the middle of the fleshy part on the outside of
either hand, between the top of the wrist bone and the base of the
baby finger (the part of your hand you would use to deliver a karate
chop).
The tapping points proceed down the body. Each is
below the one before it. This makes them easy to memorize. A few trips
through the sequence and it should be yours forever.
For
reasons that are not entirely understood, though several
hypotheses have been offered, activities that stimulate
certain areas of the brain increase the effectiveness of
the tapping techniques. Specific parts of the brain are
stimulated when the eyes are moved, and various therapies,
such as EMDR
utilize this principle. The most well-known eye movement
technique within energy psychology is Roger Callahan’s "9
Gamut Procedure." It is introduced here along with
the comment that it is one of the more strange-looking procedures
in the program, with the tapping, eye movements, humming,
and counting all designed to stimulate specific parts of
the brain. While not specifically targeting the problem
with a "reminder phrase," the 9 gamut technique
bridges two tapping sequences that do.
In
the 9 Gamut Procedure, one of the body’s energy spots, the
"gamut point," is continuously tapped while 9
simple steps are carried out. The gamut point is on the
back of either hand, 1/2 inch below the knuckles (toward
the wrist), and in line with the midpoint between the little
finger and the ring finger. While tapping the gamut point
continuously, perform the following nine actions :
1. Close
eyes.
2. Open eyes.
3. Move eyes
to lower left.
4. Move eyes
to lower right.
5. Rotate
eyes clockwise 360 degrees
6. Rotate eyes counter-clockwise 360
degrees
7. Hum a tune
for a few seconds (e.g.,
"Happy Birthday," "Row, Row
Your Boat,"
"Zipadee Doo Dah").
The steps presented here as
the basic protocol have an internal logic that works.
However, in actual practice there is a dance between
the therapist and the client as the therapist stays attuned to the
client’s psychological and energetic responses to the treatment.
Click here to read a transcript of a session conducted by EFT
founder Gary Craig. In fact, every procedure in the sequence can be and often is modified, expanded, deleted, supplemented, or otherwise adapted according to the clinical situation and the therapist's personal style. For instance, while some use the same reminder phrase on every point as it is being stimulated, others will vary the statements, mixing the reminder phrase in its negative and positive forms (e.g., 'this terrible craving,' 'free from this cravning'), embedding suggestions as other points are tapped (e.g., 'I will succeed here'), and addressing emotional issues related to overcoming the problem (e.g., 'not having this addiction could make me feel empty').
Beyond the basic basics of bringing
a problem to mind while tapping a pre-selected set of points,
the following strategies will increase the effectiveness
of tapping in instances when the simplest approach does
not lead to the desired result. These additional techniques
are presented in the CD’s first nine modules ("Elements
of Treatment"). They include:
Establishing
a more complete electromagnetic and neurological
receptiveness for energy
interventions.
Resolving a
broader range of psychological reversals—internal
conflicts about the treatment goal.
Identifying
the highest priority issue
for the next round of treatment.
Working with
a wider range of treatment points
than those presented in this module.
Identifying
specific treatment points from
within that wider range to focus on.
Using energy
methods to instill affirmations
tailored to the treatment goals.
Using energy
methods to install images
of a successful treatment outcome.
Also addressed in the nine
Elements of Treatment modules are numerous other
clinical issues that may arise when using energy-based interventions
with psychological problems.
The following module presents a technique
called energy checking. Energy checking is used:
1) to assess how the ebbs
and flows of the body’s energies are involved in a
psychological problem, and 2) to select
interventions based on those assessments.
