EXPERIENCING ENERGY THERAPIES: TFT™, EFT™, TATsm, and BSFF™
Because energy therapies are so new to Atlanta, I am often asked to explain what it's like to experience them. TFT™ (Thought Field Therapy), developed by psychologist Roger J. Callahan, was the first of these therapies. There are now a number of other therapies that began by using somewhat similar methods. Among these are EFT™ (Emotional Freedom Techniques), developed by Gary H. Craig, TATsm (Tapas Acupressure Techniquesm), created by Tapas Fleming, L.Ac., and BSFF™ (Be Set Free Fast), developed by Larry P. Nims, Ph.D. All depended for their effectiveness on stimulation of the energy (meridian) system, while the client focused on the problem they wished to treat.
If you were using one of these therapies, you would focus on whatever troubling feelings you were having that you wanted to change, including feeling "stuck" in some way. Though TFT™ was first developed for treating anxiety and phobias (irrational persisting fears about something), use of these therapies is not limited to treating anxiety and phobias. A few of the problems that have been successfully treated with energy therapies are: public speaking fears, obsessions, self sabotage, rape trauma or early abuse, fear of doctors/dentists, chronic anger, flying/driving fears, rejection, general stress, physical pain, post-traumatic stress, fear of thunderstorms, fear of furry animals, inability to focus on projects or studies, irrational guilt, sex problems, addictive urges. Depression can also be treated when there is adequate follow-up.
In short, with these treatment methods you can get relief or help for almost any upsetting feeling or problem. And it doesn’t matter how long you’ve had the problem or how severe it is--the method can still work. (I have successfully treated problems that had resisted other forms of treatment for more than a decade, or been present for a lifetime.)
Although I use a number of different energy methods, for simplicity I will describe only the theory and treatment with TFT™. Dr. Callahan believes that the energy system becoming unbalanced is what causes any upsetting feelings, rather than our feelings and thoughts causing the energy system imbalance. By re-balancing the energy system--through tapping or touching selected meridian points--we remove the cause of the upsetting feelings and then can go about our lives as we would have without the upset. Although the energy can become unbalanced again--most likely due to exposure to substances that are toxic for that individual—it is easy for the person to re-treat themselves at home, and instructions are given for that.
If you came in to see me as a new client, a session would typically begin with a few minutes of getting acquainted. Then I would spend a few minutes getting familiar with your body’s responses, using muscle testing (as in applied kinesiology or therapy localization, often used in chiropractic). This is done with you seated and fully clothed.
You would choose the problem you wish to treat. Although it is helpful for me to know what kind of problem you want help with, you don't have to reveal details if you prefer not to. You just focus your thoughts on the problem--this is called “tuning in”--and try to connect with the feelings it causes you. You rate the intensity of the feelings on a scale of 0 to 10 (“10” being the most intense it could be, “0” being no intensity at all). Then I check you for “psychological reversal.” This is one of Dr. Callahan’s most important discoveries, because if you are “psychologically reversed” the treatments will not work at all, yet it takes only moments to “un-reverse” you and the very same treatments will then work! You may have wondered why you sometimes do what you thought you intended not to do or don't do what you thought you had intended to do. Chances are you are reversed about that particular intention. Not to worry--I can teach you how to unreverse yourself and begin to do what you intend to do. Like lose weight. Like write that long overdue report. Like take dancing lessons. Whatever. Psychological reversal could be thought of as being sort of like having the batteries in a tape recorder in backwards; there’s nothing wrong with the tape recorder itself, just turn the batteries around the right way and it works again.
Through muscle-testing techniques I can find out which meridian points should be tapped (no needles, just self-tapping!) and in what order, to remove the blockage or imbalance in your energy system. Then I teach you how to find the appropriate points (It’s easy! I show you on my body where you should tap on your body.) And I show you how to do the tapping, and guide you through the process as you apply the treatments yourself.
Again you rate the intensity of your upsetting feelings. This may have been reduced to “0” with one run-through of the tapping sequence, and if so your treatment for this problem is complete. If the intensity is still above “0”, you go through the process again till it does reach “0.” Usually when you reach this zero level there is a feeling of relaxation and peacefulness. It feels so natural you may find it hard to believe anything happened. Yet you feel OK about what was previously disturbing.
As my client you will be guided through the steps of any treatment while in my office. You will also be given written instructions for using the energy treatments on your own. But we can continue our work together as long as that is needed or as long as you prefer. This learning experience will give you a skill that you can use for the rest of your life for whatever uncomfortable feelings and problems come up. (Sort of like an emotional insurance policy!)
For those of you who are already open to alternative types of healing, accepting that this method works may be easy. For people who are more traditional in their belief systems, it may seem like “voodoo” or “hocus pocus” and even after successful treatment it may be hard to believe that the treatment is responsible for the changed feelings.
But even for those who are skeptical the treatment is usually successful, because it doesn’t require belief in the method for it to work—it only requires correct treatment.
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