Index
Thought Field Therapy
&
Emotional Freedom Technique
The New "Emotional Acupressure"
Thought Field Therapy (TFT(tm)) and its "cousin" Emotional Freredom Technique (EFT) are two new and very unusual types of therapy. They could even be considered"alternative" forms of therapy. Actually, they are really what we are beginning to call "Energy Therapies." These therapies are actually based in theories of Eastern medicine or healing, along the same lines as acupuncture or acupressure. In the West we don't have anyway of relating to Eastern medicine, so most traditional psychotherapists would not even consider such different modalities. But remember, these theories and practices have been around for thousands of years in other cultures!
Mike Wright, a psychotherapist who does use these therapies often, has written a little to help you understand these new forms "Emotional Acupressure." He writes:
Acupressure is a wonderful self-care tool that can be learned in minutes because you use only your fingers. While acupuncture is used by doctors, chiropractors and therapists, it requires years of education and experience to use properly. However, acupressure uses the same system used in acupuncture. Points on the body are stimulated to assist healing. The techniques are gentle, quick and painless. They often bring about rapid and lasting relief.
How does acupresure work?
Acupressure works by neutralizing disruptions in your body's electrical
system, which then stops the chemical chain reaction and frees you from
emotional and physical discomforts. As you gently tap or press on a point,
neural receptors under the skin convert the pressure to an electrical impulse
that is transmitted to the brain. It is the same as using a VCR remote
control or tapping a key on a keyboard to send an electrical signal to
the computer. Our thoughts are constantly creating patterns of electrical
energy that cause the release of neurotransmitters, hormones and other
chemicals in the body that we feel as emotions. When there is a disruption
in the body s electrical flow, such as the fight or flight response, we
feel it. If the disruption continues, it can lead to emotional distress
and eventually physical problems. When the disruption is removed, the distress
stops.
What is it used for?
Acupressure has been practiced for over 5000 years in the Orient. Today,
it is used to treat a wide range of issues, including physical pain, stress,
anxiety, fears and phobias, trauma, anger, depression, migraines, fibromyalgia,
asthma and addictions. Acupressure is also used to improve personal performance
in academics, business and sports by removing anxiety, doubt and negative
self-talk.
How does it work?
There is now a great deal of research that supports the idea that the body's
"energy system" is primarily electromagnetic and that it can
be directly adjusted just like VCRs and computers. Using discoveries from
quantum physics, orthopedic surgeon Robert Becker mapped the entire meridian
system in the late 1960s. In the 1977, researchers Fritz Popp and Walter
Kroy demonstrated how cells in the body communicate using low energy light
photons and microwaves. In the 1986, Stanford cellular biologist Bruce
Lipton described the interface between the mind and the cells of the body.
In the late 1980s, psychologist Roger Callahan combined elements of quantum theory, kinesiology and acupressure to begin curing people with phobias and traumatic stress disorders. Callahan has developed his techniques into a variation of acupressure called Thought Field Therapy (TFT). More recently, however, Gary Craig, a businessman, simplified Callahan's techniques into one preocedure that worked for virtually every emotional (and many physical) complaints. Craig's technique is called EFT or Emotional Freedom Technique.
Many have had very positive experiences with TFT(tm)/EFT in the treatment of fears and phobias, anxiety, and traumatic memories. What is even more amazing is that for most problems, the treament is permanent! That is something that "main stream" psychotherapy cannot claim for itself. People have even been helped over the phone, because this is a type of "therapy" you can perform on yourself with few, if any side-effects. The biggest challenge is getting beyond what feels very silly as you do the method. But since it works so rapidly, the "proof is in the pudding!" Within 5 minutes you will usually start to notice a difference in almost every case.
If you are open to "alternative" healing methods and want to know more about these unusual forms of therapies, click here or on the link to the left. You may also go to my "Hot Links" Page and click on "Energy Therapies" to try it out right now!
