The single-point approach you have learned (one treatment point for each meridian) is based on a best guess, a point for each meridian that is likely to be effective with the greatest proportion of clients and issues.

The multipoint approach is based on the fact that each meridian has between 9 and 67 acupoints and, in any given circumstance, some of these points are more able to balance the flow of energies in the meridian than others. In a multipoint approach, several potential treatments points are considered for each meridian.

The single-point approach will often get the desired results. You may wish to rely on it and only use the more complex approach taught in this module when it does not. However, the multipoint approach is more flexible, perhaps more reliable, and is easy enough to learn and apply so that many practitioners favor it. Once you are comfortable with the single-point approach, as presented in the previous module, the multipoint method will be quite straightforward to learn.

While some practitioners use only a single point approach and believe it is as effective as the more complex methods, others believe that a multipoint strategy is often more effective, particularly with more challenging issues and with clients whose energies are more disturbed. Research that referees this debate is not yet available, but numerous practitioners are persuaded by their own clinical experience that, in many instances, knowing only a single point for each meridian is not enough.

The proximity of the acupoint to a blockage in the meridian could be involved, although the most effective point is not necessarily the closest to the energy irregularity. In acupuncture, for instance, the "law of opposites" dictates that the left side of the body is sometimes treated for a problem on the right side, and vice-versa.

Another factor involves whether the disturbance in the meridian has to do with over-energy or under-energy. Either can be involved in psychological and behavioral problems. Some acupoints increase the flow within the meridian and others decrease it, so stimulating the wrong kind of acupoint will not lead to an improvement and could potentially exacerbate a client’s symptoms.

Another advantage of a multipoint approach and the assessment it entails of the specific meridians that are involved in the problem is that often, after one disturbed meridian has been corrected, another meridian that did not initially show a disturbance now does show one. The rabbit disappears from one hole and pops up in another. Each time a meridian is balanced, the entire gestalt shifts. Sometimes, for instance, deeper energy imbalances are revealed only after those that are more easily accessed are resolved. It is a bit like the way that, in talk therapy, deeper layers of a problem often emerge only as surface issues are resolved.

A point is finally reached, however, where no additional meridians need correction. That is the objective. Meridian diagnosis allows you to stay in close touch with and work with the entire meridian system until all of the meridians stay in balance while the target problem is mentally activated.

In this module, you will be checking the alarm points, an acupuncture diagnostic technique, to more reliably determine which meridians are disturbed when a problematic thought field is active and which acupoints are most likely to correct the disturbance.

The alarm points are used in traditional Chinese medicine to determine whether the flow of energy in a meridian is disturbed. They are aptly named. Like a smoke detector, an alarm point is activated when there is a problem in the energies of the meridian to which it is associated. Rather than a ringer or siren, the "alarm" is indicated by tenderness at the point:

The technique you will be learning here combines the traditional alarm points with energy checking to determine which meridians are involved in a psychological problem. It

In addition to alarm point assessment, the nature of the psychological problem may in itself provide clues about which meridians are involved with it. Specific meridians are associated with specific emotions. The practitioner might, based on the client’s history and current issues, already have an idea of which meridians are involved in the problem. Energy checking the alarm points (also called the "meridian diagnostic points"), however, provides a more objective way to determine which meridians are disturbed when the problem state has been accessed.

1. Find its alarm point on the Meridian Assessment Chart.

2. Have the client touch this point with the pad of one or more fingers of one hand while the opposite arm is used for an energy check.

This way of checking whether a meridian is involved in the problem state by touching an alarm point is called energy localizing. Energy localizing is based on the principle that when you touch an electrical point you create a circuit and the energy check is localized to that circuit.

Alarm points and acupoints are precisely located on the skin, but because everyone’s anatomy differs, they can be difficult to pinpoint from a chart. To be sure the correct point is being localized, the pads of several fingers can be placed upon the skin in the general vicinity shown on the chart.

When checking an alarm point, while the problem state is "locked in," a firm indicator muscle means:

1. The meridian associated with that alarm point is involved in the problem.

2. Any of several acupoints on that meridian might correct the disturbance.

Later in this module, you will learn how to identify which acupoint to treat. For now, the principles to remember are that:

But after you have locked in the problem, the situation is reversed. If the meridian is disturbed, the indicator muscle stays firm.

If performed in the clear, an alarm point check of a disturbed meridian weakens the indicator muscle, as you would expect. But when the problem state is locked in, it is like a double negative. The problem state itself (the first negative) switched off the flow of energy to the indicator muscle. Touching the alarm point of a meridian that is involved in the problem again switches the flow of energy (the second negative), this time turning it on.

This can seem paradoxical because meridians that are in a balanced state (i.e., not involved in the problem) will energy check as weak while meridians that are in a disturbed  state (i.e., involved in the problem) will energy check as firm.

Have your partner access and lock in a new problem state or the problem state used in the previous module if that problem has not been resolved. "Lock it in" using the Third Eye Up or the Leg Lock.

Using the Meridian Assessment Chart, energy check each alarm point. When testing while a problem state is locked in, a strong indicator muscle means that the energy in the related meridian is disturbed.

Make a note of which meridians need treatment while the problem state is locked in. Switch roles.

When the indicator muscle stays firm while energy localizing a particular alarm point, the next step is to stimulate a treatment point on the meridian associated with that alarm point.

For each of the 14 meridians is a meridian treatment chart showing various points that may be tapped, held, or massaged to treat the meridian, and they indicate which form of stimulation to use for each point. These charts can be accessed through the Meridian Assessment Chart. Alternatively, they may be accessed through the Table of Meridian Treatment Charts.

As already emphasized, there is no one-size-fits-all formula; different points will be more effective for different individuals and for the same individual in different circumstances.

The points on the meridian charts are selected from the many points on each meridian because clinical experience has shown them to be most effective for the largest number of people the largest proportion of the time.

You can determine which point to use in two ways. The first is to choose any one of the recommended points, stimulate it, and re-check. The One-Point-per-Meridian Treatment Chart you worked with in the previous module provides, for each meridian, a point that is a good first bet.

To determine if stimulating the point was effective, re-check by touching the original alarm point to see if the indicator muscle that had checked firm loses its firmness (this would mean the treatment was effective).

If stimulating the first point did not result in a correction, locate other possible points by accessing the treatment chart for that meridian (which will show the point on the One-Point-per-Meridian Treatment Chart as well as viable alternatives).

Stimulate another point, do an energy check, and if the disturbance has still not been corrected, proceed to yet another point. If a series of treatments does not correct the imbalance, neurological disorganization or psychological reversals might have reemerged and should be checked for and corrected, or the formulation of the problem may need to be reconsidered.

The second method for determining which point to use is to energy localize (touch the point and energy check) each of the points on the Meridian Treatment Chart for the meridian being corrected before stimulating any of the acupoints.

If the indicator muscle stays firm while the point is touched, this is a point to stimulate. Because it takes almost as long to do the energy check as to do the treatment, however, the first method—simply treating one of the points on the chart and then checking to see if the treatment was effective—is more commonly used.

Many practitioners openly refer to the meridian treatment charts during treatment sessions. You can also keep a laptop computer nearby, opened to the Meridian Assessment Chart, which not only shows the alarm points but gives instant hyperlink access to the treatment points for each meridian. If it is not convenient to have a computer nearby, the charts are also easily printed and indexed in a binder. The single-page Meridian Treatment Checklist also lists the recommended treatment points for each meridian, and since it is used for back-home assignments, you will probably keep it conveniently located.

After you have worked with the points a bit in practice sessions, you will find that they are becoming familiar. If it is important to you, you can with a few memorization drills readily memorize the points on the Meridian Assessment Chart and the One-Point-per-Meridian Treatment Chart.

The client or the practitioner can stimulate a treatment point by tapping it. Tap with the tips of the fingers during an inhalation and exhalation, stop tapping during an inhalation and exhalation, and then tap again (see Tapping Instruction Sheet). Alternatively, fewer taps (five to ten) without a pause will still be effective a large proportion of the time. Another alternative to tapping is the Touch-and-Breathe method.

Other ways of stimulating a point, such as pressing it, massaging it, twisting it, or holding it, are suggested, where relevant, on the meridian treatment charts.

If you are not working with the same partner, or if some time has passed, repeat Practice Session 1.

Then be sure the problem state is still locked in, or lock it in again. Next, identify the meridians that you noted as needing correction when you checked the alarm points in Practice Session I, and click the meridian name on the Alarm Point Chart (or on the Table of Meridian Treatment Charts) to locate the treatment chart for that meridian.

Treat each meridian using one of the points listed on the chart and re-check the alarm point. If the indicator muscle is weak (meaning that the treatment was effective), go on to check the next meridian. If the indicator muscle remains strong during the alarm point check (meaning this meridian still requires treatment), stimulate another point from the chart for that meridian.

 
If the problematic thought field has been locked in using a technique such as the Third Eye Up or the Leg Lock, it is not necessary for the client to concentrate on the problem state for the acupoint treatment to be effective with that problem.

This makes it possible to focus the client’s attention in other therapeutically beneficial ways. A potent method used within energy psychology is to have the client:

Rather than being generic positive affirmations, the self-suggestions are formulated based on the properties of the meridian being treated.

Each meridian tends to be associated with a specific emotion. The affirmation is tailored so it is meaningfully connected with this emotion and with the target problem. While sample affirmations can be found on each meridian treatment chart (and are also compiled on a Meridian Emotions and Affirmations List), the affirmations that are actually used should be adjusted to the clinical situation and its psychological meaning for the client. This can be a highly creative aspect of the treatment.

For instance, a sample affirmation for the stomach meridian is, "I trust the larger picture." For some people this might be so difficult to conceive that wording which is paced for the client might simply involve an acknowledgement of the "reactive emotion," such as "I am consumed with worry" (see chart). For others, a positive affirmation might fit but need to be reduced in its intensity (such as "I am learning to trust the larger picture"). The affirmation may lead the person a bit, but it should be essentially believable to him or her.

Wherever the sample affirmations have brackets in the charts, such as "I am decisive in [overcoming this problem]," the brackets should be replaced with as specific a statement as possible.

When instructing a client to state an affirmation while stimulating a treatment point, the client should be reminded to breathe fully.

It is not necessary to introduce such a verbal treatment with every acupoint that is tapped. If and when to use these formal self-suggestions is a judgment call. Many clients, however, find the affirmations to be a meaningful and memorable part of the treatment because of the way the verbalization constructively engages the conscious mind in the process.

For instance, a client does not instinctively know what it means to tap a bladder point. But combining the tapping with an understanding that fear is the reactive emotion of the bladder meridian, along with a self-suggestion about "moving forward with courage and trust," facilitates the client’s conscious involvement with the tapping treatment.

So, in addition to the involuntary mechanisms that might be invoked, such as

the affirmations also serve as a bridge to understanding

Tapping the meridian while stating an affirmation is sometimes referred to as "tapping in" the positive idea, as if the tapping opens the energy system to the suggestion.

Review the Meridian Emotions and Affirmations list. Focusing on the same problem used in the previous practice session, or a new problem, experiment with the verbal treatments:

1. Using the alarm points as before, find a meridian that needs treatment when the problem state is locked in.

2. Formulate an affirmation or self-suggestion based on the information provided on that meridian’s Treatment Chart.

3. Have the "client" state this affirmation while stimulating one of the treatment points.

4. Re-check the meridian using the alarm points.

Experiment with different meridians. Change roles.

After correcting the first meridian indicated by an alarm point (i.e., the indicator muscle stays weak when touching its alarm point while the problem state is locked in):

use the alarm point chart (Meridian Assessment Chart) to identify the next meridian needing correction   mouse click the alarm point to find the specific chart for that meridian   make the correction, adding affirmations or self-suggestions as feels appropriate

You will ultimately continue until no further meridians need correction, but on the way, several additional methods might be employed.

In the single-point approach you learned in the previous module, the tapping was routinely followed by a bridging technique and then another round of tapping (the sandwich).

The multipoint approach does not routinely use a sandwich, but rather makes a choice after each tapping sequence (tapping sequence = each meridian that showed a disturbance  based on its alarm point is treated until the alarm point checks show that the meridians are  no longer disturbed). Then another SUD rating is taken, and usually verified with a MUD rating. Each of the assessments leads to another choice point.

After a problem state has been locked in, the core of the treatment in the multipoint approach is to energy check the alarm points and correct each disturbed meridian. Along the way, periodically check the SUD level (and verify it with a MUD rating).

If the SUD has:

1. Decreased but is still above 2:

2. Stopped decreasing and is still above 2:

Check for any intervening psychological reversals (e.g., "I want to be completely over this problem") and their variants based on specific criteria (e.g., "It is safe to be completely . . .," etc.)   Resolve any that are found and return to the alarm points and meridian treatments.   If there were no PRs, check for neurological disorganization (click here for Neurological Disorganization and Psychological Reversal Checks and Interventions List), correct if found, and return to the alarm points and meridian treatments.

3. Stopped decreasing and no PRs or ND is present:

Use one or more of the bridging techniques until the SUD decreases and then return to the alarm points and meridian treatments.   If there is still no further decrease in the SUD rating, explore whether another aspect of the problem requires attention before further progress can be made.

4. Gets down to 2 or less:

5. Reaches 0 or near 0. The additional steps presented in the "Closing Phases" module
    will:

Anchor in the new response   Project the positive state into the future   Fix the gains in the person’s life

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. It is of course likely that memories of being bitten by Rocky will emerge while working with the fear of dogs, and the treatment can then address those memories. 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 different 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.

Sometimes the SUD will go down to 2 or 1 but will not reduce any further. This is not necessarily a bad outcome. Some clients cannot conceive of the SUD going down to 0, so a 1 or a 2 is essentially a 0 in their subjective world. In some circumstances, such as taking a test, a small measure of anxiety increases a person’s ability to function. So while 0 may be thought of as a kind of ideal, it is not always realistic or necessary. In addition, it is often still possible to get the "positive belief" rating (see Closing Phases module) up to the desired 8 or above even with the SUD at 1 or 2.

Variations:

With your partner, review and discuss each treatment choice point that depends upon one of the periodic SUD ratings.

Methods for accomplishing these goals are presented in the "Closing Phases" module.

One of these, however, is initiated at this point in the treatment, which is to provide the client, often in writing, the energy corrections to use if the problem state is experienced in the back-home setting (based on those that were the most effective during the treatment session).

1. Keep notes during the session of the meridians needing correction, the correction points that proved effective, and the affirmations that were used. The Meridian Treatment Checklist is designed to assist you with this.

2. At the end of the session, decide which points you wish to suggest be worked with if/when the problem state returns or as a regular routine for a week or two. This may be done through:

Selecting points on meridians that needed correction more than once.   Emphasizing meridians whose associated emotion and affirmation are most involved with the problem state.   Assigning the last five points that were used to bring balance to the meridians.   Having the client imagine being in a back-home setting that could be challenging, intensifying the imagery until an indicator muscle loses its firmness on an energy check, touching the treatment points used in the session, and selecting those points where the muscle becomes firm during the energy checks.

3. On the Meridian Treatment Checklist, circle the corrections and note or write in the affirmations you are recommending.
    

4. Provide instructions for stimulating the indicated points and using the related affirmations on either a regular basis or when/if the problem state returns. The amount of back-home work to provide, and its nature, are clinical judgment calls.

With your partner, go through a complete session, from 1) the opening phases, to 2) assessing the acupoints needing treatment, to 3) moving through the various choice points based on the periodic SUD ratings for getting the SUD rating down to 0 or near 0, to 4) providing the client with a copy of the Meridian Treatment Checklist. You might also want to keep the Opening Phases and the Meridian Intervention flow charts nearby.

When the SUD reaches 0 or near 0, you will complete the treatment in the Closing Phases module. Considerations if the SUD cannot be brought down to 0 or near 0 are addressed later in this module.

With your partner, switch between the client and therapist roles.

1. Straightforward discussion will reveal that the target problem needs to be adjusted or the client’s relationship to the practitioner and the treatment need to be addressed.

2. Different aspects of the problem are confounding the treatment. Aspects are further addressed in the following module, Closing Phases.

3. Neurological disorganization has emerged and needs correction.

4. Environmental substances are disrupting the client’s energies, estimated to require attention in up to 10 percent of cases, before other energy treatments can have their full effect. The following websites concerned with environmental toxins, allergies and other substance sensitivities, and health and mental health:

5. Another energy system is involved.

6. If the SUD could not be brought down at all, the client may be one of a relatively small proportion of people who seem not to respond to meridian tapping methods. An alternative method such as “Touch and Breathe” or an alternative energy system might be considered.

Working with the meridian system often simultaneously corrects disturbances in other energy systems. The procedures for correcting neurological disorganization, for instance, may also correct for many possible energy disruptions, such as gaps in the auric field or disruption in a chakra.

While other systems (chakras, aura, basic grid, five elements, radiant circuits) may need special attention, if the meridians stay strong and in good balance when the problem state is accessed, improvement will be seen in the vast majority of cases. If the problem persists, the chakras or the radiant circuits are the next systems to consider working with. They lend themselves to the same basic approach used with the meridians and are addressed in subsequent modules.

You might also at this point wish to jump ahead and read some of the cases in the Clinical Illustrations module to see how the techniques you are studying are applied in clinical settings.

The Advanced Multipoint Protocol, developed by Fred Gallo, is a variation on the multipoint approach just presented. While the need to adapt the treatment protocol to the individual is always assumed, Gallo feels the Advanced Multipoint Protocol is the generic approach that will be effective with the greatest number of people and circumstances the greatest proportion of the time. It can also be a more efficient approach, particularly for problems where many meridians are affected.

However, you may want to wait and return to this section after you have mastered the standard Multipoint Protocol. It will usually get the meridians into balance, and the Advanced Multipoint Protocol builds on it.

The Advanced Multipoint Protocol begins with the same preliminaries, through correcting for neurological disorganization, psychological reversals, establishing a SUD rating, "locking in" the problem state, and identifying a meridian that is involved with the problem state (using the alarm points on the Meridian Diagnostics Chart). Then:

1. Energy check the points on that meridian (based on the Meridian Charts).  Touch a point and energy check. If the muscle stays firm, using this point will help restore the meridian’s flow.

2. Tap this point for about 5 seconds (or do whatever other correction is described on the Meridian Chart) in order to "clear" the meridian. Write down the point.

3. Return to checking the alarm points and identify the next meridian that is involved with the problem. Repeat #2 above.

4. Continue until all the meridians have been cleared or until a previously cleared point again shows an imbalance or until 5 points have been identified.

5. The points that have been identified are called a "cluster." Tap each point in the cluster for about 5 seconds.

6. Take a SUD rating and continue as with the other procedure: If the SUD decreased, treat the cluster again. If it did not, check for and correct any intervening psychological reversals. Intersperse with bridging techniques. When the SUD is at 2 or less and will not go down further by working with the cluster, lock in the gains with the eye roll technique.