ML JUNHO 2013- EFT PARA JOVENS E CRIANÇAS, COMO AJUDA-LOS A VENCER SUAS DIFICULDADES USANDO ESTA TÉCNICA SIMPLES

Mente Livre de junho, voltado para jovens e crianças, e o uso de técnicas simples que podem ajudar pais, professores e cuidadores de crianças em creches, etc. 

Também matérias sobre e minha primeira história infantil: O Cachorrinho que não quis entrar no céu, dedicado a todas as crianças que sofrem com a perda de um bichinho de estimação.

E se você acha que esta confundindo esperança com medo, leia o editorial: A esperança que paralisa e a esperança que constrói. Tudo isto de nós do Apoiar para você que confia no nosso trabalho

MENTE LIVRE 2013 - NOVA TÉCNICA PARA TRATAMENTO DORES; A ARTE DE DIZER NÃO AMOROSAMENTE; .

Alguns estudos entendem que, pelo menos 90% de nossas dores em um componente emocional que é o gatilho para dor.
Dores de cabeça apresentam diversos aspectos, diversos tipos e muitas vezes não tomamos conhecimento.
O artigo que fala sobre os vários tipos e manifestações das dores, traz um grande insight para pessoas que querem aprender a se livrar das dores de maneira definitiva.
Para isto precisamos aprender a lidar com as emoções.

Dizer NÃO é um hoje grande problema, pessoas dizem demais ou não dizem. As vezes a maneira que é dito o NÃO pode trazer arrependimento remorso e culpa. No entanto, nossas emoções podem ser fruto do medo de não sermos amados e aceitos.

Mais uma vez o auto conhecimento no ajuda a saber como, quando e para quem dizer o NÃO. é um grande mudança que esta relacionada com nossa autoestima e o quanto de tempo estamos dispostos a investir em nossa saúde.

A pergunta de um mestre é: O seu bem estar físico e mental é sua prioridade! se não você esta sujeito a ter doenças físicas e mentais e passar a vida sentindo-se insatisfeito e infeliz.

Todos estes assuntos são tratados no Mente Livre de maneira detalhada e com exemplos de como fazer as. sequencias.

Muita Paz,

Silvana

EFEITOS DO EFT EM 10 MINUTOS OU MENOS

Aline, durante o workshop queixou-se de dor de cabeça, nível 7. Após duas rodadas, sem a necessidade de entrarmos em nenhum problema relacionada a dor, Aline ficou confusa (pois no inicio ela não acreditou que teria resultado), e quando perguntei o nível da dor ela ficou pensando, pensando até comentar que não conseguia mais encontrar a dor.

Em seguida uma das participantes mais tímidas e discretas do curso se propôs a ir na frente e trabalharmos uma dificuldade que ela havia me contado na hora da inscrição e eu pensei - Nossa este vai ser um desafio para mim. O EFT esta sempre me surpreendendo, em poucas rodadas ela começou a dar uma risada super alegre pois havia se lembrado de algo muito feliz que aconteceu na mesma época de sua tristeza.

Depois ela me disse - Nunca imaginei que conseguiria ir na frente falar de meus problemas! Mas a verdade é que começamos a rodada sem ela falar de nada especifico, ela somente se lembrou da época e sofrimento e demos um nome ao evento. 

Eliz e Maria do Carmo trabalhando o medo de barata! Primeira vez  ela se lembrou foi na escola.

Todos treinaram durante o workshop, todos tiveram a chance de ter um de seus problemas discutidos. 

Gislaine Baia Terapeuta que me ajudou no treinamento.

Deus abençoe a todos! Foi uma grande alegria para mim.

Aguardo os próximos Workshop no Rio e em São Paulo.

Transformações para toda vida! EFT mudando corpo e mente!

Por:  Silvana Prado.

 

Participante iniciou com dor nível 8 em poucos minutos ela não  tinha mais nenhuma dor.

Ministrei na última semana de abril outro workshop sobre EFT e posso dizer que cada aula, sinto-me mais fortalecida e feliz de ver pessoas se transformando, não só por algumas semanas, mas por toda a vida. A prática do EFT muda imediatamente o funcionamento do cérebro, libera substâncias que acalmam e, ao mesmo tempo, reduz o nível do cortisol, hormônio ligado ao estresse.

Sinto que este é o início da libertação de nossas dores físicas e emocionais, a libertação do nosso potencial, penso que é como abrir uma pequena fresta para o sol entrar, às vezes até assustamos com seu brilho, mas aos poucos, vemos a imensidão das possibilidades que existem dentro de nós. E como um rio que estava bloqueado... de repente começam a fluir suas lindas águas, correndo serenamente para encontrar o Deus que já existe em nós.

E pensarmos que a dor nos leva a estes encontros tão Divinos.

No início da aula as pessoas estão descrentes, como dizem, pagando para ver, mas quando é feita a primeira demonstração na frente da classe, as mudanças que ocorrem a cada rodada, a transformação na expressão da pessoa, no seu corpo, mas, principalmente, de sua percepção do problema que escolheu trabalhar, é uma prova irrefutável, e com ela vem a esperança.

Não me lembro muito bem onde ouvi pela primeira vez a palavra Milênio, mas dizem alguns mestres que Terra esta passando por uma grande transformação e estão andando pelo planeta, diversas pessoas com mais de 35 anos, que são chamadas de Milênios, pois, vão facilitar a transformação deste mundo de tanto sofrimento para um mundo muito melhor, onde a dor não impere e a paz possa ser mais presente. Quando ensino num workshop de EFT olho para os participantes e vejo pessoas que irão, através desta técnica tão simples e poderosa, levar alivio a tantas dores e ajudar nesta transição e este é um pensamento confortador. Vejo Milênios... Fico sonhando que, quando falam na volta do Cristo, talvez seja a volta, o renascimento do Cristo que existe em nós, quando falam no Consolador será que não somos todos nós Consoladores? Até quando vamos esperar alguém vir nos salvar. E se a salvação estiver realmente dentro de nós e só nós temos a chave para libertá-la?

Quantas pessoas vivem com medo e quando recebem uma sessão de EFT conseguem mudar sua visão do medo, arrancar suas raízes e todas as consequências em suas vidas. Em uma hora uma vida é transformada, não é realmente admirável? Você não acredita... eu também não acreditava, mesmo vendo pacientes melhorarem na minha frente, meu cérebro dizia: O que? Isto não é possível é só coincidência.

Até que estudos e mais estudos foram sendo liberados e eu entendi que não era milagre era só o potencial que existe dentro de nós sendo manipulado, liberado e quando isto ocorre, a cura acontece de maneira natural e simples.

Há poucos dias me procurou uma pessoa com medo de avião ou de voar, ela disse no início da sessão que tinha horror de voar: eu disse ela, que é ridículo, que todo mundo voa, que as chances do avião cair são mínimas, mas meu cérebro só penso nesta chance mínima. Não sei se conseguirei ir nesta viagem com minha família. Depois de algumas rodadas de EFT, ela se acalmou e sua mente ao invés de se focar no medo lembrou-se de algo maravilhoso: Sabe Silvana, disse ela, eu sempre visualizo, quando medito, que Deus está na praia comigo, eu não deveria estar com medo de voar pois, vou encontrar com Deus na praia. A mente dela ao invés de se focar no medo focou-se em algo tão lindo e extraordinário, eu sabia então que o trabalho já estava quase completo e fiz mais uma rodada dizendo:

_- Este final de semana vou encontrar Deus na praia, este final de semana eu tenho um compromisso com Deus, o avião é que vai me levar para este compromisso, e já posso ver meus filhos sorrindo e correndo pela praia, posso me ver andando de mãos dadas com meu marido, enquanto o sol de põe no horizonte.

Quando terminamos ela disse: Nunca consegui pensar em nada lindo como isto que falamos, eu só pensava no medo agora consigo ver estas imagens lindas. Pedi a ela que, novamente, descrevesse como seria andar de avião e ela fez a descrição sentindo pouquíssima ansiedade e quando começamos sua ansiedade era nível 10.

Agora pense numa pessoa que sofreu um estupro, ou um acidente e revive constantemente o evento, sendo impedida de viver feliz, imagine que esta técnica tão simples pode trazer alivio em poucos minutos e, para sempre e a pessoa consegue dizer: Lembro-me do que aconteceu, como se eu visse um filme, mas não me sinto mais preso nele, não tenho as mesmas reações, relembro e estou calmo.

Ou uma criança que esta com medo, mas não sabe como expressar, podemos usar um bichinho de pelúcia e ensiná-la a trabalhar no boneco, e, como já vi diversas vezes, em poucos minutos está bem, sai sorrindo e vai brincar.

Precisamos de muitos Milênios para ajudar a transformar a nossa queria mãe Terra, e espero estar contribuindo, porque tudo que está a nossa volta é criação Divina e merece cuidado e respeito, mas somente aprenderemos cuidado e respeito com nosso próximo quando aprendermos a nos amar e cuidar.

Termino com um pequeno trecho de um procedimento que no EFT é chamado de Integração e foi escrito por Jessica Ortner: Eu sinto a sabedoria em meu corpo; tenho o conhecimento em meu coração, eu sei exatamente o que fazer... Sou mais capaz do que penso... Estou aberto para o fluxo de novas ideias, sinto minha energia e conheço minha verdade. Estou atraindo tudo o que eu desejo agora.

Muito paz!

Autocuidado – a arte de dizer não com auxílio do EFT

Cheryl Richardson

Autor: Cheryl Richardson               Comentários: Silvana Prado

O que é autocuidado? Autocuidado, diz Cheryl, é saber e escolher cuidar das nossas reais necessidades, qualidade de vida, da saúde física e emocional e espiritual. É ter tempo para cuidarmos dos nossos relacionamentos, do ambiente em que vivemos, tudo o que amamos.

Para sermos capazes de fazer tudo isto é preciso que o cuidado com nós mesmos seja nossa prioridade.

Quando o autocuidado não é importante para a pessoa, ela anda com uma voz dentro da cabeça dela dizendo: Esta não é a vida que eu queria estar vivendo, ou: Tem de haver algo melhor do que isto ou: Estou tão frustrada comigo; não tenho tempo para nada, assumi mais compromissos do que deveria.

A pessoa passa a viver num estado de desespero silencioso, e no intimo ela sabe que tudo poderia ser diferente, mas não consegue mudar nada. Ela passa a viver irritada com tudo e com todos, sentindo ressentimentos e outras emoções negativas. Algumas chegam a viver num estado do ressentimento crônico, e o corpo é o último lugar onde o estresse vai se manifestar, é quando aparecem as doenças.

A medicina convencional se fixa em consertar o que está errado com o corpo físico, e a maioria das psicoterapias quer entender o que se passa na cabeça da pessoa para poder resolver tudo. Quando usamos EFT queremos saber qual o estado da vida do cliente/paciente. Qual sua situação financeira, a saúde, seus pensamentos, seus traumas, suas dores físicas.

Tudo isso é importante, porque quando você chega a ficar doente, já existe uma enorme negligência com sua saúde, então sabemos que deixamos de honrar quem somos. Portanto, quando endereçamos esses aspectos, usando o EFT, o corpo e a mente respondem de maneira maravilhosa.

Como o EFT pode ser usado para ajudar a pessoa a cuidar de si mesma?

 O EFT nos dá a chance de entrar em contato com a nossa intuição de maneira rápida e eficiente e assim conseguimos lidar com a(s) causa(s) do problema.

Razões inconscientes que nos impedem o autocuidado.

Uma das coisas é o papel que você aprendeu ou resolveu assumir desde que era criança. Por exemplo:

1 - Se você cresceu numa família onde havia muitos gritos e conflitos, pode ter a tendência de querer evitar situações parecidas. A pessoa passa a ter fobia de conflito, o que a leva a buscar evitá-lo a qualquer custo, então passa a dizer sim quando queria dizer não!

Ela passa a cuidar dos outros o tempo todo, e negligencia a si mesma, porque tem medo de que alguém fique decepcionado ou irritado com ela, e para evitar conflitos ou por medo de não ser amada, deixa suas necessidades de lado.

Se quando ela era pequena era reconhecida ou premiada quando era boazinha, e passou a pensar que só será amada se estiver ajudando e, antes que possa perceber, está ajudando o tempo todo, ajudando demais.

2 - Algumas pessoas querem tanto ajudar, para poderem se sentir amadas, que se intrometem na vida dos outros mesmo quando nada lhes é pedido.

3 - Culpa é outro fator que faz com que as pessoas se esqueçam de si mesmas. A verdade diz Cheryl, é que você não pode esperar a culpa ir embora para mudar. Tem de aprender a não ter culpa, seja amigo da culpa, aceite a culpa. Mas o EFT também ajuda a eliminar a culpa.

Para Cheryl, culpa é uma das faces da ansiedade.

E na verdade todos os três tópicos sobre os quais falamos acima, são relacionados a ansiedade: – Eu me sinto ansiosa quando digo que não posso te ajudar (culpa e ansiedade)! Para não sentir ansiedade você diz sim! Mas se conhece o EFT, quando se sentir mal porque disse não, comece a bater no ponto do osso colarinho (OC), e sentirá o corpo acalmar imediatamente, porque bate nos pontos de acupuntura, seu cérebro libera neuroquímicos que acalmam e também reduz o nível de cortisol, um dos hormônios relacionados ao estresse.

E quando sabemos que temos uma ferramenta (EFT) que nos ajudará rapidamente, e constantemente, nossa vida começa a mudar.

Não podemos confundir uma pessoa generosa com outra que se vê obrigada a dar o tempo todo apenas como forma de ser amada ou evitar entrar em conflito, porque esta pessoa está tomando decisões por se sentir obrigada ou culpada.

Então ela não tem é um relacionamento, é um arranjo.

Relacionamentos bons são aqueles em que podemos ser honestos, as relações são baseadas na verdade e, poucas pessoas, conseguem isto. 

Quando mudamos, escolhemos ser realmente generosos, desde que não haja um custo para nossa alma, e a doação é feita baseada no amor.

Se, como dizem os grandes Mestres, somos seres com poder para criar e até curar, nunca conseguimos exercer estes potenciais, se estamos cobertos de medo, culpas, vivendo uma personalidade que não tem nenhum poder.

Como lidar com a culpa:

• Aprenda a estabelecer limites.

• Você vai decepcionar as pessoas, e é OK, ninguém quer se amado a custa de sacrifícios, e quem quer seu sacrifico não te ama.

• Você precisa se dar permissão para cuidar de si mesmo.

• Tire seis meses para cuidar de si mesmo, avise as pessoas que assumiu esse compromisso consigo mesmo.

• Aceite que algumas pessoas não vão aceitar seu novo eu, e elas vão se afastar abrindo caminho para outras realmente boas entrarem em sua vida.

Aprendendo a estabelecer limites usando EFT: assine o Jornal Mente Livre e receba as matérias completas. 

para saber mais escreva para apoiar@apoiar.org.br 

Clinical EFT as an Evidence-Based Practice for the Treatment of Psychological and Physiological Conditions

Cada dia mais estudos comprovam a seriedade do EFT, não pude ainda fazer o resumo deste material importantíssimo mas para quem entende Inglês, ja pode ser uma ajuda no desenvolvimento do trabalho junto a seus clientes.

Abstract
Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) has moved in the past two decades from a fringe therapy to widespread professional acceptance. This paper defines Clinical EFT, the method validated in many research studies, and shows it to be an “evidence-based” practice.

It describes standards by which therapies may be evaluated such as those of the American Psychological Association (APA) Division 12 Task Force, and reviews the studies showing that Clinical EFT meets
these criteria. Several research domains are discussed, summarizing studies of:

 (a) psychological conditions such as anxiety, depression, phobias and posttraumatic
stress disorder (PTSD);
 (b) physiological problems such as pain and autoimmune
conditions;
(c) professional and sports performance, and
(d) the physiological
mechanisms of action of Clinical EFT.

 The paper lists the conclusions that may be drawn from this body of evidence, which includes 23 randomized controlled trials and 17 within-subjects studies. The three essential ingredients of Clinical EFT are described: exposure, cognitive shift, and acupressure. The latter is shown to be an  essential ingredient in EFTs efficacy, and not merely a placebo. New evidence from emerging fields such as epigenetics, neural plasticity, psychoneuroimmunology and evolutionary biology confirms the central link between emotion and physiology, and points to somatic stimulation as the element common to emerging psychotherapeutic methods. The paper outlines the next steps in EFT research, such as smartphone-based data gathering, large scale group therapy, and the use of biomarkers.

It concludes that Clinical EFT is a stable and mature method with an extensive evidence base. These characteristics have led to growing acceptance in primary care settings as a safe, rapid, reliable, and
effective treatment for both psychological and medical diagnoses.

Keywords: Research, evidence-based, Emotional Freedom Techniques, EFT, exposure, cognitive therapy, acupressure, placebo.Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT; Craig, 2010) has moved in the past two decades from a novel intervention derived from Thought Field Therapy (TFT; Callahan, 2001) to an “evidence-based” practice in its own right. Evidence-based practices are methods that meet formally established criteria for efficacy (Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt, 2005; Beautler, Norcross, & Beutler, 2005).

There are several organizations that define and publish such standards. One of these is the US government’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA; Food and Drug Administration, 1998). Another is the UK government’s National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE; National Institute for Clinical Excellence, 2009). The most influential set of standards in the field of psychology is the one published by
the Task Force on Empirically Validated Treatmentsset up by Division 12 (Clinical Psychology) of the American Psychological Association (APA; Chambless et al., 1996; Chambless et al., 1998, Chambless & Hollon, 1998). For convenience these are referred to as “APA” standards.

The Need for a Definition of Clinical EFT Several million people worldwide have been exposed to, or practice, EFT (Feinstein, 2009). As of 2013 over 1.5 million individuals had downloaded The EFT Manual (Craig & Fowlie, 1995) or The EFT Mini-Manual (Church, 2009/2013) from the internet. Thousands of videos made by hundreds of different individuals appear on Youtube, social networking sites, and individual web sites, attest to the popularity of the method as well as the conviction by practitioners of its efficacy.

This proliferation of sources offering EFT presents both challenges and opportunities. Many of these sources offer variants of EFT. A few sources present the original EFT method as detailed in the manual (Craig, 2008/2010; Church, 2013). Others present methods that share only a name with EFT, while being
devoid of an accurate description of any of its methods. The remainder are found somewhere on a spectrum in between the two extremes. Tangentially, many variants of EFT have been developed by others, and there are even variants on the variants (Feinstein, 2009).

This crowded field of candidates has led to the question of what, exactly, is
EFT? To facilitate review, this paper uses the term “Clinical EFT” to designate
the “evidence-based” form of the method, and defines it as follows: “Clinical EFT
isthe ‘evidence-based’ method described in The EFT Manual (Craig, 2008/2010;
Church, 2013) and validated in research studies that meet APA standards.” These
studies typically apply EFT in the manner prescribed in The EFT Manual (Craig,
2008/2010; Church, 2013), which ensures that the method as tested in one study is
the same method being tested in another study. The studies typically apply EFT
with fidelity to the method described in the manual, and many studies describe
methods of testing therapist fidelity to the method. Training of practitioners is
expected to adhere to the method as described in the manual, and as demonstrated
in research. Clinical EFT identifies 48 distinct techniques described in the manual
and supplementary materials (www.ClinicalEFT.com).
APAStandards,$Fidelity,$and$Implementation
The APA standards were developed in a series of papers (Chambless et al.,
1996; Chambless et al., 1998, Chambless & Hollon, 1998). Methods
demonstrating efficacy according to certain criteria, such as 2 high quality studies
performed by independent investigators, finding the method statistically superior
to a placebo or another method, are said to be “efficacious.” Methodsthat meet
lesser standards are classified as “probably efficacious.”
The APA standards may be summarized as comprising 7 essential criteria
(Energy Psychology Journal, 2012). Studies cannot be evaluated in order to
determine if the method under investigation is “empirically validated” unless they
meet all 7. Chambless & Hollon (1998) also list additional criteria that may be
divided into two further gradations, “highly desirable,” and “desirable” (Energy
Psychology Journal, 2012). The 7 essential criteria are these:
1. Randomized Controlled Trials(RCTs)—subjects were randomly
assigned to the treatment of interest condition or to one or more comparison
conditions.2. Adequate sample size to detect statistically significant (p < .05 or better)
differences between the treatment of interest and the comparison condition(s)
were used.
3.The population for which the treatment was designed and tested must
be clearly defined either through the use of diagnosis by qualified clinicians, or
through cutoff scores on questionnaires that are reliable and valid, or through
interviews identifying the focus of the study’s interest, or through some
combination of these.
4. Assessment tools must have demonstrated reliability and validity in
previous research.
5. Any interview assessments were made by interviewers who were blind to
group assignment.
6.Treatment manualsthat make clear the nature of the treatment being
tested was used. If the treatment was relatively simple, it could be described in
the procedure section of the journal article presenting the experiment in lieu of a
treatment manual.
7. The paper reporting the study provided enough data that the study’s
conclusions can be reviewed for appropriateness, including sample sizes, use of
instruments that detect changes targeted by the study’s design, and magnitude of
statistical significance.
These APA criteria then are a stable, defined, published set of standards by
which the efficacy of a therapeutic technique may be judged. When that technique
is then translated into training, certification, and clinical practice, these criteria
provide reasonable assurance that the method as practiced in the field is the
method that has been validated in research.
EFT$as$an$Empirically$Validated$Treatment
Having defined Clinical EFT, and identified the set of standards upon which
it is based, we can now examine the evidence base that supports its efficacy. For
this report, a literature search for English-language papers was performed using MEDLINE/PubMed, PsycINFO, Google Scholar, and references from the
retrieved papers. Papers "in press" were obtained from professional organizations
in the field. The search is current through May of 2013. Chronologically, the
earliest group of EFT studies performed were outcome studiesthat asked the
question, “Are participants better off after treatment?” Outcome studies of
Clinical EFT can be grouped into three primary categories. These examine
efficacy in:
Psychological conditions such as PTSD, phobias, depression and anxiety;
Physiological problems such as pain and autoimmune conditions;
Performance in sports, business, and academic pursuits.
This paper also summarizesthe key research on the physiological
mechanisms of action of Clinical EFT, showing how EFT works in the body to
effect change. These studies, rather than measuring whether treatment benefits
patients, asks the questions characteristic of basic science such as, “How does this
treatment work?” and, “What is going on in the body as a result of this
treatment?” The final group of studies reviewed investigate EFTs application to
performance issues like public speaking anxiety as well as sports performance.
This report will also investigate whether EFTs somatic component, which consists
of tapping with the fingertips on acupressure points, is an inert placebo, or an
active ingredient in the results obtained. Finally, this paper willseek to derive the
meaning of this whole body of work, and extend it to show the next steps in EFT
research, such as data gathering via smartphone apps, patient tolerance trials,
large group studies, and EFTs application in primary care settings.
Psychological$Health$Outcome$Studies
Clinical EFT has met APA standards as an “efficacious” or “probably
efficacious” treatment for a number of conditions, including anxiety, depression,
phobias, and PTSD (Feinstein, 2012). Since RCTs are regarded as the Gold
Standard of research, and are the type of experimental design usually used to
evaluate a therapy against APA standards, only RCTs are listed in this section on
mental health outcomes. There have been many other studies of EFT for these mental health conditions that were not RCTs; these are referenced outside of this
section on psychological health.
Anxiety. EFT has shown efficacy in several RCTs of anxiety. In one study,
students with fear of public speaking received a 45 minute EFT session and
improved significantly (Jones, Thornton, & Andrews, 2011). In another, high
school students with test anxiety were evaluated before their university entrance
exams (Sezgin & Özcan, 2009). Those who learned EFT improved significantly.
A control group was taught Progressive Muscular Relaxation. The improvement
in the EFT group was significantly greater than that of the control group.
Other studies have also shown statistically significant reductions in anxiety
in a variety of populations. A study of fibromyalgia sufferersfound significant
improvements in anxiety (Brattberg, 2008), as have studies of veterans and
hospital patients with PTSD (Church & Brooks, 2013a; Karatzias et al., 2011). An
RCT of university students with test anxiety found significant improvements after
both EFT and Diaphragmatic Breathing (DB) following EFT treatments (Jain &
Rubino, 2012). EFT was compared to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in an
RCT with female trauma survivors in the Congo (Nemiro, 2013). EFT was found
to be as efficacious as CBT in reducing symptoms of anxiety, depression, and
PTSD.
Three studies of anxiety fail to meet one or more APA standards. An RCT of
psychological conditions in participants in a weight loss program found
reductions in anxiety that closely approached significance (p . < 053) but did not
meet the required p . < 05 threshold (APA criterion #2; Stapleton, Church,
Sheldon, Porter, & Carlopio, 2013). Benor, Ledger, Toussaint, Hett, & Zaccaro
(2010) found significant reductions in anxiety in university students, but class
scheduling conflicts among participants prevented true randomization (APA
criterion #1). Waite and Holder (2003) compared EFT to two sham tapping
interventions and a non-tapping control group. However, the RCT failed to use
valid and reliable assessments(APA Criterion #4), failed to apply EFT with
fidelity to the manual (APA criterion #6), and failed to recognize that the “sham” points chosen were in fact actual acupressure points(APA criterion #6). These
errorsresulted in an inconclusive result, with all three tapping groups improving
relative to the non-tapping group.
Depression.RCTs in which depression was measured before and after EFT
have demonstrated large drops in depressive symptoms. A study examining
college students with moderate to severe depression as measured by the Beck
Depression Inventory (Beck, Ward, Mendelson, Mock, & Erbaugh, 1961) found
that they were in the “normal” range after EFT (Church, de Asis, & Brooks,
2012). The fibromyalgia study also found significant improvements in depression
(Brattberg, 2008), as did the studies of hospital patients and veterans with PTSD
(Karatzias et al., 2011; Church & Brooks, 2013a). An RCT of weight loss
program participants also found significant reductions in depressive symptoms
(Stapleton, Church, Sheldon, Porter, & Carlopio, 2013). The study of Congolese
female trauma survivors also found EFT to be efficacious for depression when
compared to CBT (Nemiro, 2013).
Phobias. Three RCTs have examined the effects of EFT on phobias and
found that a single session is usually enough to resolve a phobia (Wells, Polglase,
Andrews, & Carrington, 2003; Baker & Siegel, 2010; Salas, Brooks, & Rowe,
2011). All three studies included a follow-up period and found that the phobic
responses of participants remained significantly lower than before treatment.
PTSD. EFT has been studied as a treatment for clinical PTSD in three
RCTs. One, in a population of 59 war veterans, found that PTSD symptoms
dropped into the “normal” range after six sessions of EFT and remained that way
on follow-up (Church, Hawk, Brooks, Toukolehto, Wren, Dinter, & Stein, 2013).
A hospital in Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) compared EFT to another
efficacious treatment, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR),
and found that both treatments normalized PTSD in an average of four sessions
(Karatzias et al., 2011). An RCT of abused male teenagers found, on follow-up,
that their PTSD symptoms had been resolved in a single EFT session (Church,
Piña, Reategui, & Brooks, 2011). When EFT was taught to groups of Congolese women with PTSD, EFTs efficacy was found to be comparable to that of CBT
(Nemiro, 2013). As with most PTSD studies, Nemiro (2013) used the PTSD
Checklist or PCL to evaluate symptoms (Ruggiero, Del Ben, Scotti, & Rabalais,
2003). Studies with veterans usually use the military version of the same
instrument, the PCL-M (Weathers, Huska, & Keane, 1991).
Data from Church et al. (2013) were analyzed to determine if telephone
sessions produced the same symptom reductions as office visits (Hartung & Stein,
2012). While 67% of veterans were sub-clinical after phone sessions, a
significantly larger percentage of the sample recovered after office sessions. A
further sub-study based on Church et al. (2013) examined the performance of live
coaches compared to licensed mental health professionals (Stein & Brooks, 2011).
It found larger reductions in symptoms in veterans treated by licensed
practitioners, though the difference did not rise to the level of statistical
significance. These analyses indicate the utility of EFT when delivered over the
telephone, and by practitioners with very basic levels of training.
Physiological Issues:$Pain,$Weight$Loss,$Cravings$and$Physical$Symptoms
The studies of EFT for physical symptoms include a range of experimental
designs, with both RCTs and uncontrolled “within-subjects” designs that compare
symptom levels before and after treatment.
Pain and Physical Symptoms. Veterans were found to experience
significant drops in physical pain after EFT (Church & Brooks, 2013a), as were
fibromyalgia sufferers (Brattberg, 2008). When PTSD symptoms were remediated
in veterans, symptoms of traumatic brain injury (TBI) were reduced by 41% (p <
.0021; Church & Palmer-Hoffman, 2013). An RCT of patients with tension
headaches performed at the Red Cross Hospital in Athens found that the
frequency and intensity of their headaches dropped by more than half after EFT,
and other physical symptoms improved (p < .001; Bougea, Spandideas,
Alexopoulos, Thomaides, Chrousos, & Darviri, 2013). Uncontrolled studies and
case reports showed improvement of a variety of conditions.
One study examined symptoms in 216 healthcare workerssuch as doctors, nurses, chiropractors, psychotherapists, and alternative medicine practitioners
who attended a one-day EFT workshop at one of five professional conferences.
They experienced a 68% drop in physical pain (p < .001). While this was an
uncontrolled study, it examined the 5 different groups separately, making it, in
effect, 5 small studies. In addition, EFT was delivered by 2 different practitioners.
Despite these disparities, all 5 groups showed similar results.
EFT was adopted by a clinic in Britain’s NHS, which performed a “service
evaluation” in order to determine the acceptance of EFT by patients, and its
success in reducing symptoms. This study found a significant improvement in
anxiety, with a mean treatment time frame of 8 sessions. It also found a
significant improvement in overall psychological health and physical functioning
(Stewart, Boath, Carryer, Walton, Hill, Phillips, & Dawson, 2013).
A pilot study of psoriasis symptoms also showed improvement in skin
problems (Hodge & Jurgens, 2011). Case studiesreport success with victims of
motor accidents (Burke, 2010), dyslexia (McCallion, 2012), seizure disorders
(Swingle, 2010), and TBI (Craig, Bach, Groesbeck, & Benor, 2009).
Three studies have examined the effect on insomnia after EFT. The veterans
PTSD study referenced above (Church et al., 2013) found a significant
improvement in insomnia scores, with mean values dropping from the clinical
range to the subclinical range (p < .001). A pilot study of 10 geriatric patients
with insomnia noted a similar reduction in insomnia, along with decreases in
anxiety and depression, and an increase in life satisfaction (Lee, Suh, Chung, &
Kim, 2011). This led to an RCT conducted with 20 participants which compared
EFT to an active control, Sleep Hygiene Education (Lee & Kim, 2013). It
demonstrated significant reductions in depression and insomnia. Insomnia is
related to stress, and to the regulation of the autonomic nervous system; the
improvements found in these studies demonstrate the association between a
reduction in stress symptoms and decreases in insomnia.
Weight Loss and Cravings. Studies have examined the use of EFT for
weight loss and food cravings. An RCT found that EFT improved restraint (Stapleton, Sheldon, Porter, & Whitty, 2011) and that in the year following an
EFT weight loss program, participants lost an average of 11.1 lb (Stapleton,
Sheldon, & Porter, 2012). An uncontrolled study of clients in a six week online
weight loss program found a 12 lb weight reduction during the six weeks of the
program, followed by a further 3 lb drop in the ensuing six months (p < .001;
Church & Wilde, 2013). In the healthcare workers study summarized above,
cravings for substances such as chocolate, sweets and alcohol were reduced by
83% (p < .001;Church & Brooks, 2010). Group application of EFT was also
found to reduce psychological symptoms such as anxiety in a group self-identified
with addiction issues (Church & Brooks, 2013b). A review found that EFT could
also be useful as an adjunctive therapy for weight loss (Sojcher, Perlman, &
Fogerite, 2012).
Sports$and$Professional$Performance
Mental health studies usually measure reductions in conditions such as
anxiety, depression, and PTSD. They typically use reliable and valid assessments,
such as theBeck Depression Inventory (BDI; Beck, Ward, Mendelson, Mock, &
Erbaugh, 1961; Beck, Steer, & Carbin, 1988), the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI;
Fydrich, Dowdall, & Chambless, 1992), the Fear Questionnaire (FQ;
Mavissakalian, 1986), or the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Inventory (HADS;
Zigmond & Snaith, 1983), as called for in APA standards, to measure symptom
levels before and after treatment, to determine if they decrease. The focus of
performance studies is different. They take individuals who are already
performing at a certain threshhold, and seek to determine if their level of
performance can be increased.Rather than a decrease in, e.g., anxiety, they seek
to measure an increase in, e.g., confidence.
Two RCTs have examined EFT’s efficacy for sports performance. One
measured the difference in basketball free throw percentages between an EFT and
a placebo control group and found a performance difference of 38% after a brief
session (Church, 2009; Baker, 2010). Another found similar benefits for soccer
free kicks (Llewllyn-Edwards & Llewllyn-Edwards, 2011). A case study of golf
performance found stress-related errors decreasing after EFT (Rotherham,Maynard, Thomas, Bawden, & Francis, 2012). A twenty-minute EFT session was
found to increase confidence and decrease anxiety in an uncontrolled study of
female college-aged athletes (Church & Downs, 2012).
Several studies summarized in the paragraphs above examined the
application of EFT to professional performance issues such as public speaking
anxiety and test anxiety, and found improvements (Jones, Thornton, & Andrews,
2011; Sezgin & Özcan, 2009;Benor et al., 2010) Fox and Malinowski (2013)
examined positive and negative emotions relating to academic study in a
population of undergraduates, and found significant increases in enjoyment and
hope, and decreases in anger and shame. The NHS service evaluation performed
by Stewart et al., (2013) examined patient self-esteem using the Rosenberg SelfEsteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1989), and mental wellbeing using the WarwickEdinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (University of Warwick and University of
Edinburgh, 2012). It found that both mental well-being and self-esteem improved
significantly (p < .001). A study of university students preparing for exams found
that EFT reduced their anxiety, and improved their test scores (Boath, Stewart, &
Carryer, 2013). Nursing students had reduced stress four weeks after learning
EFT (p < .005), and also exhibited decreases in both the state of anxiety, and the
character trait of anxiety (p < .05; Patterson, 2013). Taken as a whole, this body
of research indicates EFTs robust ability to reduce anxiety whether it is
occasioned by athletic, public speaking, or academic performance stress.
Physiological$Mechanisms$of$Action
Outcome studies, which compare patient results before and after treatment,
are clearly the most clinically important type of research, and usually precede
mechanisms research in the scientific cycle. However, while showing that a
treatment works allows it to be designated as an “evidence-based” practice,
showing how and why it works allows us to understand the physiological changes
that underlie its clinical benefits.
Three studies have used electroencephalogram (EEG) to examine the brain
wave frequencies of participants before and after EFT. These studies provide us with objective physiological evidence, as opposed to the type of subjective selfreport characteristic of mental health studies that use pen-and-paper assessments.
Swingle, Pulos, & Swingle (2004) compared the EEG readings of auto accident
victims before and after they learned EEG, and found a reduction in the
frequencies associated with PTSD. Lambrou, Pratt, & Chevalier (2003) used
acupressure tapping with claustrophobics, comparing them with a nonclaustrophobic group, and found an increase in theta EEG frequencies associated
with relaxation after treatment. Using electromyography (EMG), they also found
significant relaxation of the trapezius muscle.Claustrophobic subjects declined
significantly in anxiety as well, with gains maintained on two-week follow-up.
Swingle (2010) found EFT to be beneficial in the treatment of seizure disorders.
These three studies all reinforce the body of work in acupuncture that uses fMRI
to demonstrate regulation of the fear centers of the brain (reviewed by Feinstein,
2010).
If EFT is regulating the body’s stress response, and the hypothalamuspituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, then it is also logical to look for changes in stress
hormones such as norepinephrine (adrenaline) and cortisol. A triple-blind study
examined the cortisol levels of 83 normal subjects before and after an hour of
EFT (Church, Yount, & Brooks, 2012). A control group received talk therapy
while a second control group simply rested. Comparison of the three groups
revealed significant reductions in cortisol in the EFT group compared to the other
two groups(p < .03). The overall severity of psychological symptoms dropped by
50.5% in the EFT group (p < .001). This study demonstrated a significant
relationship between the reduction in psychological conditions such as anxiety
and depression, and cortisol. Improvements in mental health after therapy can be
reflected in reduced levels of cortisol and regulation of the genes that code for
such hormones (Feinstein & Church, 2010). Scientists studying epigenetics
emphasize the role stress and emotion plays in gene expression (Jirtle & Skinner,
2007; Church, 2010b, Fraga, Ballestar, Paz, Ropero, Setien, & Ballestar, 2005;
Eley & Plomin, 1997).Is$Acupoint$Tapping$an$Active$Ingredient$in$EFT?
EFTs “Setup Statement” is an essential part of the “Basic Recipe.” The
Setup Statement has two parts. One is a statement of the client’s presenting
problem, and clients are instructed to focus on the problem by saying something
like, “Even though I have this problem…” while tapping on a specified
acupressure point. They repeat the name of the problem while tapping on the
other points. This focus on the problem is reminiscent of the exposure techniques
practiced in Prolonged Exposure PE and other exposure therapies. The second
half of the Setup Statement directs the client toward acceptance of conditions as
they are; “… I deeply and completely accept myself.” This cognitive reframe is
akin to the techniques used in cognitive therapies, which seek to modify
dysfunctional client cognitions and emotional responses to events. In a review of
therapies for PTSD, the US government’s Institute of Medicine found that
therapies that use exposure and cognitive shift were efficacious (Institute of
Medicine, 2007). EFTs Setup Statement draws from elements of these two
established therapies.
The third ingredient used by EFT is tapping on points used in acupuncture
and acpressure (acupoints). Is this component of EFT an active ingredient, or is
EFTs efficacy dependent solely on the exposure and cognitive components it
shares with other therapies?
Fox & Malinowski (2013)sought to answer the question of whether tapping
is an active ingredient, or an inert placebo. Their study examined mindfulness,
and study-related positive and negative emotions in an RCT of 20 undergraduates
using the Achievement Emotions Questionnaire (Pekrun, Goetz, Frenzel,
Barchfeld, & Perry, 2011). The EFT group received the Basic Recipe as described
in the manual. The control group received the cognitive and exposure elements of
the Basic Recipe, but without acupoint tapping. Instead, they received an active
control of DB in its place. The intervention lasted 40 minutes, and participants
were re-assessed 7 days later. Significant improvement in study-related positive
emotions such as enjoyment and hope was found, along with decreases in
negative emotions such as anger and shame. No change in mindfulness was detected.
This indicates that EFTs acupoint stimulation is an active ingredient. This
finding supports studies that use fMRI to measure the effects of acupuncture on
the areas of the brain associated with fear (Hui et al., 2005; Fang et al., 2009;
Napadow et al., 2007). These studies uniformly report acupuncture to produce
rapid regulation of these brain regions. They are also consistent with the studies
that use EEG (electroencephalogram) to evaluate EFT. They find that EFT
reduces the brain wave frequencies associated with stress or amplifies those
associated with relaxation, as well as producing other beneficial physiological
changes (Swingle, Pulos, & Swingle, 2004; Lambrou, Pratt, & Chevalier, 2003;
Swingle, 2010). When the established protocols drawn from exposure and
cognitive therapies are paired with acupressure, their effects appear to be
enhanced. It is probable that the amygdala and other fear-processing centers of the
nervous system are being regulated, as stress-laden emotions are calmed (Phelps
& LeDoux, 2005).
EFT$as$Group$Therapy
During the early development of EFT, practitioners reported lower levels of
stress and burnout than they had experienced previously, while administering
therapies other than EFT to clients. This led to the hypothesis that tapping on
oneself while demonstrating tapping to others, or witnessing tapping on others
while tapping on oneself, diminished distress. This phenomenon is known as
“Borrowing Benefits” (Craig, 2010). A series of studies has measured the efficacy
of Borrowing Benefitsfor psychological and physical symptoms.
The first such study was performed by Rowe (2005). Rowe (2005) examined
the psychological symptom levels of participants in a weekend EFT workshop
using a valid and reliable assessment, the Symptom Assessment 45 (SA-45). The
SA-45 has two general scales for the breadth and depth of psychological distress,
as well as measuring levels of 9 common conditions such as anxiety and
depression. Rowe (2005) found a reduction in both general and specific scales,
with participant gains maintained on follow-up.The healthcare workers study cited above (Church & Brooks, 2010) also
utilized the SA-45, with similar results. Most participant gains were maintained at
3-month follow-up (p < .0001). The physical pain of subjects was reduced by
68%, and their cravings were reduced by 83% (both p < .0001). At follow-up, this
study also compared the relative symptom levels of participants who had used
EFT frequently with those who had not. It found greater improvements in more
frequent users. Another study also found that EFT was effective in groups taught
by a variety of trained practitioners (Palmer-Hoffman & Brooks, 2011),
suggesting that the improvements were due to the EFT method itself, rather than
the unique gifts of any one practitioner. The addiction study summarized above
found similar improvements from Borrowing Benefits, with durable gains
(Church & Brooks, 2013b).
PTSD symptoms were examined in a study of 218 veterans and spouses who
attended seven-day group retreats(Church & Brooks, 2013a). On pretest, 82% of
veterans and 29% of spouses met the criteria for clinical levels of PTSD
symptoms. After the retreat, at six-week follow-up, only 28% of veterans and 4%
of spouses were PTSD-positive (p < .001). The study compared the results of 5
such retreats, reporting in effect the results of 5 individual sub-studies. Similar
symptom declines were noted in all 5 groups. This study points to EFTs ability to
reduce PTSD symptoms in large groups of people simultaneously.
While these were uncontrolled studies, several RCTs also utilized a group
therapy design. The study of college students with depression (Church, De Asis,
& Brooks, 2012) offered the EFT intervention in four group counseling sessions.
The study of depression in weight loss subjects also taught participants EFT in
group classes (Stapleton, Church, Sheldon, Porter, & Carlopio, 2013). Two of the
studies of depression (Jones, Thornton, & Andrews, 2011; Sezgin & Özcan, 2009)
also provided EFT instruction to participants as a group. In two of the studies of
sports performance, Church (2009) and Llewellyn & Llewellyn (2012), the EFT
cohort received at least part of the intervention as a group. EFT was also provided
in groups of 10 in the Congo RCT of traumatized females, and found to be as
effective as CBT in reducing PTSD, anxiety, and depression (Nemiro, 2013). The insomnia RCT also administered both EFT and the active control in group format
(Lee & Kim, 2013).
These studies are notable in that significant reductions in symptoms occurred
when EFT was delivered as group therapy, as opposed to individual counseling. If
EFT is able to consistently reduce psychological symptoms by 45%, as the five
groupstreated in Church and Brooks (2010) demonstrate, EFT may be unusually
effective when delivered to groups. The number of veterans from recent Middle
East wars with PTSD is estimated at a minimum of 500,000; according to a
September 2012 report from the Department of Veterans Affairs, almost 30% of
the 834,463 Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans treated at VA hospitals and clinics
over the course of the previous decade have been diagnosed with PTSD (Veterans
Health Administration, 2012). This is in addition to the estimated 479,000
Vietnam veterans with PTSD (Dohrenwend et al., 2006). Each veteran with PTSD
is estimated to cost society $1,400,000 (Kanter, 2006), implying a social cost of
about a trillion dollars to treat these two cohorts. Therapies like Clinical EFT
which produce symptom reductions without the need for lengthly individual
courses of psychotherapy, or chronic use of prescription drugs, are simultaneously
efficient and cost-effective.
Simultaneous$Symptom$Reduction
Most psychological research seeks to isolate a single condition and excludes
multiple diagnoses(Seligman, 1995). For instance, a study of PTSD might
exclude clients with co-morbid major depression or generalized anxiety. EFTs
client-centered approach focuses on the distress as experienced by the client,
rather than the primacy of diagnosis by the therapist. EFT is often successful at
treating several diagnoses simultaneously. An RCT found that EFT was
efficacious for PTSD in six sessions, with 86% of veterans sub-clinical after six
sessions (Church et al., 2013). Data from the same study were later analyzed to
reveal that EFT simultaneously reduced anxiety and depression (Church, 2013).
Furthermore, EFTs pervasive treatment effects encompass both psychological and
physiological symptoms. Analysis showed that TBI symptoms diminished
significantly and continued to decline throughout the follow-up period, cumulatively reducing 41% from pretest baseline (p < .0021; Church & PalmerHoffman, 2013). Physical pain was reduced by 41% (p < .0001; Church, 2013).
Two early pilot studies of EFT for PTSD found that not only did PTSD symptoms
drop significantly, but anxiety and depression symptoms declined in parallel
(Church, 2010a; Church, Geronilla, & Dinter, 2009). EFT is thus extraordinarily
efficient, addressing multiple symptom domains simultaneously. Scholars have
noted that most clients present with a complex of disorders, rather than a single
problem (Gorman, 1998).
Safety
EFT also appears to be safe when administered by a therapist or life coach,
or self-administered. Therapists treating victims of childhood approach preferred
energy psychology treatments such as EFT because they found the risk of
abreaction low (Schulz, 2009). Mollon (2007) reports a general reduction of client
distress during acupoint tapping, while Flint, Lammers and Mitnick (2005)
remark on the absence of abreactions during energy psychology treatments. Most
studies of EFT have been performed after Institutional Review Board (IRB)
review. IRB procedures require that studies be designed and conducted in a
manner that protects human subjects, including a requirement that participants me
monitored for adverse events. Cumulatively, over 1,000 subjects have participated
in trials of EFT without a single adverse event being reported, indicating a high
degree of safety.
Research$Reviews
Many review articles about EFT have been written. Reviews systematically
gather together the evidence for a method, and ask, “What does this mean?” and,
“What does this body of research, taken as a whole, suggest?” Notable reviews
include those of Feinstein (2012) on the evidence for the efficacy of acupoint
tapping; Lane (2009) on the physiological mechanism of action of energy
therapies; Feinstein (2010) for energy psychology as applied to PTSD; Feinstein
& Church (2010) showing how successful psychotherapy can be measured
physiologically, Church & Feinstein (2012) emphasizing that EFT in clinical
practice is fast and effective, and Feinstein (2008) for the effects of acupoint tapping for survivors in disaster zones. The body of primary research summarized
and evaluated in these review articles, as well as the studies reviewed above,
allow us to draw several conclusions about Clinical EFT:
1. It reduces symptoms for a variety of psychological conditions including
phobias, PTSD, anxiety, and depression.
2. It improves physical symptoms such as pain, and autoimmune conditions
such as psoriasis and fibromyalgia.
3. It aids in reducing cravings and promoting weight loss.
4. It produces physiological regulation of the autonomic nervous system
and the HPA axis.
5. It can simultaneously reduce a range of psychological conditions
simultaneously, e.g. diminishing anxiety and depression along with
PTSD.
6. It can simultaneously reduce both psychological and physiological
problems, e.g. fibromyalgia or TBI, concurrent with PTSD, anxiety and
depression.
7. It is safe, both when self-administered, or administered by others.
8. It is efficient and cost-effective, showing efficacy when delivered to both
groups and individuals.
9. It works quickly. Treatment time frames range from one session for
phobias, to six sessions for PTSD.
10. Early evidence points to its efficacy when delivered online.
11. It can play a useful part in early intervention following human-caused
and natural disasters.
Future$Research$Directions
Having met APA criteria as an “efficacious” or “probably efficacious”treatment for several conditions, such as phobias, PTSD, anxiety and depression,
what are the next steps for EFT research?
Larger Trials. Most of the RCTs conducted have had a small number of
participants. Because of EFTs robust treatment effects, studies are able to achieve
statistical significance with a small number of participants. However,
confirmation with trials involving 100 or more participants per group will provide
strata of information that is not possible with smaller groups, such as whether
EFT is more effective with certain demographics.
Institutional Trials. Most studies have been conducted in outpatient settings
by private foundations. Studies within institutions such as large hospitals will
provide a framework for institution-wide implementation of EFT.
Online Application. There are only two studiesto date in which EFT has
been delivered online (Brattberg, 2008; Church & Wilde, 2013). The results of
these studies were encouraging, showing improvements in depression and anxiety
in both fibromyalgia sufferers and weight loss program participants. Yet this early
research only hints at the possibilities. Much more work is needed to determine
how EFT can be applied effectively in online programs. Emerging technologies
like smartphones allow EFT to be used portably during times of heightened stress.
There are several EFT iPhone apps, but none has been subject to experimental
testing. Given the low cost of delivery and ease of automated data gathering,
online trials of EFT are a logical next step.
Medical Applications. Only one of the trials of EFT for physiological
functioning, the cortisol study, had a large number of participants (Church, Yount
& Brooks, 2012). The three EEG studies (Swingle, Pulos, & Swingle, 2004;
Lambrou, Pratt, & Chevalier, 2003; Swingle, 2010) all had a small number of
participants, yet all four studies taken together point to EFTs potential as a
medical intervention. Cortisol is known to correlate with HPA arousal, heart rate
variability (HRV), and other stress-regulation systems in the body. Depression
and anxiety are associated with many diseases. Yet the existing studies of EFT
only hint at EFTs potential to affect the course of such diseases. Medical trials could explicitly identify EFTs utility as a medical intervention for conditions such
as hypertension, diabetes, cancer, and cardiac events, all of which are stressrelated. Such studies could ask research questions like: Does EFT
Speed wound healing?
Reduce cardiac events markers like C-reactive protein?
Increase circulatory cytokines?
Reduce hypertension?
Reduce chronic pain?
Slow aging by decreasing telomere loss?
Downregulate oncogenes?
Raise levels of cell repair hormones like dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)?
Promote healthy balances of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine?
If EFT is able to demonstrate any of these effects, it can be introduced into
primary care as an auxiliary behavioral treatment that is safe and free of side
effects.
Patient Tolerance Studies. Behavioral interventions such as meditation,
yoga, diaphragmatic breathing, and EFT are rarely integrated into regular patient
care. Research can determine how to effectively introduce patients to EFT and
encourage compliance with a health-promoting stress-reduction regimen. Might
outpatients benefit from using an EFT app loaded into their smartphones before
an appointment? Might patients preparing for surgery benefit by being taught EFT
as a stress-management tool to use before and after a procedure? These and other
questions could be answered by research aimed at improving patient care.
Group Scale Studies. EFT is notable in its ability to improve symptoms
when delivered to groups. However, the optimal group size has not yet been
tested. The group evaluated by Rowe (2005) comprised 259 participants, with 102
providing complete data, while some of the groups in other studies have been as
small as 10 (Church & Brooks, 2010). What is the minimum size to produce a group effect? What is the optimum size for each condition? Is there a group size
at which the effects diminish? Research that answers these questions of scale will
assist institutions using group therapy to optimize their use of Clinical EFT.
Pervasive Symptom Focus. While research has tended to isolate conditions
like chronic pain or depression, EFTs ability to reduce both psychological and
physiological symptoms in tandem might push research toward measuring clientcentered reports of symptom clusters, and away from reliance solely on observerrated clinical diagnoses.
Biomarkers for Psychological Change. Feinstein & Church (2010)
advocate salivary cortisol testing as an objective measure for the efficacy of
psychotherapy. An holistic approach means that physiological markers might
become a standard measure of efficacy. As cheaper and simpler gene assays
become available, the effect of EFT and other therapies on gene expression might
be measured by these objective biomarkers.
The$Maturing$Field$of$Clinical$EFT
Clinical EFT, as validated in many RCTs and outcome studies, has
established itself as an efficacious treatment for both psychological and physical
conditions. Clinical EFT enjoys a large and growing body of research that has
validated it as an “evidence-based” practice that is safe, fast, reliable, and costeffective. Clinical EFT is supported by professional training programs that teach
practitioners to deliver the method as validated by research based on The EFT
Manual (Craig, 2008/2010; Church, 2013). The literature demonstrates sufficient
clinical benefit from EFT to argue for its adoption as a front-line primary care
intervention in a wide variety of settings and populations.
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