THE NEW PSYCHOTHERAPY
(This article first appeared in the New Life Journal, Fall 2000)

Psychologists from New York to New Zealand, from Australia to Switzerland are using a remarkable approach to relieving emotional distress, and a host of other psychological problems, that’s simple, safe, rapid, and effective. This is the new Energy Psychology, or Energy Therapy, that’s unlike any form of traditional psychotherapy.

Energy Psychology is a term that covers a variety of techniques that use the meridian system of acupuncture to eliminate such problems as anxiety and panic, fears and phobias, trauma, depression, addictive cravings, and more. There are also reports of relief from migraines, sexual dysfunction, allergic reactions, stuttering, learning disabilities, jet lag and other conditions which resist traditional forms of treatment.

Where Did It Come From?

Energy Psychology has its origins in the Applied Kinesiology movement begun by George Goodheart, a chiropractor, in the 1960’s. By testing the strength or weakness of certain muscles, kinesiologists can determine which organs, glands, systems, etc., need to be rebalanced. Many healing modalities have been developed based on these principles, including Touch for Health, a method of relieving many physical ailments.

Dr. Roger Callahan, a psychologist who had studied Kinesiology (Muscle Testing) and Touch for Health, as well as the meridian system of acupuncture, decided to see if he could apply these ideas to the field of psychology. He discovered that by tapping certain acupuncture points, while focusing on the negative feelings, you could not only relieve emotional distress, but in many cases actually cure psychological problems. In his first book, The Five-Minute Phobia Cure, he showed how long-standing phobias (overwhelming irrational fear with the need to avoid a condition or thing, eg. fear of water, elevators, rodents, snakes, etc.) were rapidly, and permanently eliminated.

From there, Dr. Callahan went on to develop Thought-Field Therapy™(TFT), the first Energy Therapy system which addressed a whole range of psychological problems. Callahan’s method is based on using specific sequences of acupuncture points, called algorithms, which are used for particular issues. There are algorithms for anxiety, trauma, phobia, depression, etc. Therapists who used his method were astonished at the rapid results they saw in their clients. It worked.

The Growth of Energy Psychology

Dr. Callahan is recognized as the pioneer in Energy Psychology, and much appreciation for his remarkable contribution is due him. However, as in all new fields where people are free to experiment and discover new approaches, several of those whom he trained went on to improve upon his work, and develop simpler, more elegant versions of it.

Most significant is the Emotional Freedom Technique™ (EFT) of Gary Craig. EFT uses one standard set of points, in one particular sequence, to tap for virtually any problem, with outstanding results. Gary Craig believes that anyone can learn EFT, and encourages everyone to do so (see his website below) so they can benefit from this technique for themselves.

Of course, for deeper issues, a skilled and experienced practitioner is needed to guide the process and bring the most positive results. Still, the technique is easy to learn, and even children can use it for themselves. It has even been used successfully with animals! There seem to be no limits to the possible applications of Energy Therapy techniques.

Despite numerous reports of positive results, it hasn’t been easy for Energy Therapy to gain credibility. The “tapping techniques” are so unusual that many people find it hard to believe that they could be effective, especially for such serious disorders as panic attacks or depression. In an article on his work with TFT, in the newsletter of the Association of Humanistic Psychology (March,1997), Jeffrey Santee,PhD., addresses this issue. He says, “The treatments, which quickly rebalance the body’s energy system, are so robust and ‘on-line with reality’ that neither the therapist nor the client have to believe in the treatments for them to work.”

In addition to TFT and EFT, there are several other variations including Tapas Acupressure Technique™ (TAT), developed by California acupuncturist Tapas Fleming, and Nahoma Clinton’s Matrix Work™. Using these in combination provides a comprehensive, effective treatment for virtually any problem. The newly formed Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology is now sponsoring research to explore this new field in greater depth.

How Does It Work?

“TFT is based on the realization that the body actually has an energy system and that the most fundamental cause of psychological problems is located within the body's energy system,” says Fred Gallo, PhD., whose book, Energy Psychology, is a basic in-depth text on the subject.

Roger Callahan suggests that our minds generate a thought-field, a field of energy, which has become disturbed by perturbations, glitches, which interfere with our perception, our thinking, and cause us to over-react. By tapping the meridian end-points, he believes, we undo the glitches, smooth out the energy field, and return to normal, healthy functioning.

Another way to understand how Energy Therapy works, is to consider that what Callahan calls a perturbation, is actually an energetic pattern which became imprinted on our body/mind system, usually very early in life. It is this pattern which the tapping techniques release, freeing you from the past.

Although we may not like the idea that we’re still being affecting by past childhood hurts, nevertheless, we are. When we feel overwhelmed by circumstances, or become enraged by the way we’re being treated, when we react with fear, anger, anxiety, etc., now, in the present, it’s almost always due to old energy patterns which are being triggered.

The traumas and pains of our early childhood led us to come to certain conclusions about the world, and to form certain beliefs about ourselves and other people. We carry these thought patterns around, deep inside, where they continue to influence the way we feel, the way we interpret events, the way we react. These core beliefs, fears, and doubts operate unconsciously, attracting people, conditions, and circumstances to us which correspond to them. Thus, our lives become self-fulfilling prophecies of our own making. We get what we expect.

Energy Therapy in Practice

In dealing with these life issues, a traditional therapist might have you talk about your problems with the aim of having you gain some insight. Or he/she might suggest actions or changes in your behavior to get more positive results. Although such approaches may be beneficial, the core beliefs and their underlying energy patterns which gave rise to the problems in the first place, still remain imbedded in your energy system and in the cells of your body.

It is for this reason that the techniques of Energy Psychology seem to be so effective in bringing such profound and lasting effects. For, by accessing the meridians, the lines of energy which run through the body/mind system, you release the original energy patterns. As you “tap away” layer upon layer of fear, anger, confusion, doubt, guilt, and all the other stuff that’s been buried under the surface for so long, suppressed memories and feelings often come to the surface. Long-forgotten incidents may suddenly be remembered, and the emotional impact that they had on you becomes apparent. In fact, the whole story of your life now begins to make sense. For many people, a few sessions of Energy Therapy clear up a lifetime of anguish. As the original energy patterns are dissolved, a shift occurs, you are freed from the past, and new energies begin to flow. Clients say they feel lighter, clearer, more present than ever before.

A Do-It-Yourself Therapy

As a Spiritual Therapist in private practice, I’ve successfully used Energy Therapy for crying babies, traumatized war veterans, and victims of abuse. I’ve helped clients to clear issues of relationships, career, money, physical pain, depression, panic attacks, smoking and other addictions, eating disorders, allergies, phobias and fears. We can also pinpoint and release the emotional and spiritual causes of illness, clearing the way for the body’s healing.

Once you’ve learned how to apply the tapping techniques, you can easily use them for yourself. I use them myself all the time. I’ve sat at red lights tapping away for whatever frustration or irritation has arisen in the moment. And I’ve used the tapping for deeper issues too. I’ve released childhood fears of not being good enough, anger, frustration and disappointment over certain family matters, and I’ve also been able to move through a challenging relationship, emerging stronger and more confident as I “tapped away” any issues as they arose.

Long-term research is still underway, but based on the reports coming in from psychotherapists all over the world, Energy Therapy may be on its way to revolutionizing the field of psychology, perhaps even the whole process of human development. Gary Craig and many others believe that if we all learned to “tap away” the issues that are holding us back, we’d have a world of people who are more whole, more peaceful, more creative and joyful. What a world that would be!