words to tap by: the use of language in energy psychology

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Words to Tap By: The Use of Language in Energy Psychology Protocols By David Feinstein, PhD, DCEP W hen I took my first training in energy psychology with Fred Gallo in 2002, I had already been a practicing psychologist for 30 years. e outcomes I was witnessing during the demos in Fred’s four weekend training series as well as in my own practice sessions were unprecedented in my experience. Combining tapping with the kinds of exploration and direction I was already accustomed to offering my clients seemed to supercharge my interventions. Now offering my own trainings, the question I hear most frequently is “How do you know what words to ask your clients to repeat as they tap?” is is a central concern, and not only to people who are just mastering a basic tapping protocol; it is also an ongoing challenge for the most experienced practitioners. Many tapping practitioners and approaches use only minimal or formularized wordings, having the client instead attune to a pertinent emotion or a “felt sense” about the target problem. It is remarkable, actually, that this is oſten enough to produce strong positive outcomes, even with PTSD. It also makes the approach wonderfully portable and may be particularly useful for swiſtly countering the effects of trauma and other emotional wounds. Simple tapping protocols have, in fact, been swiſtly taught to local care workers in post-disaster situations, with great success. Nonetheless, combining tapping with well-craſted, highly-personalized language leads to a therapeutic tool that many claim is unequaled. When it comes to changing the internal models and patterns that fuel self-defeating thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, effective wording can add tremendous power, precision, and nuance to acupoint stimulation. Continued on page 2 Energy Field THE FALL 2019 Words to Tap By: The Use of Language in Energy Psychology Protocols David Feinstein, PhD, DCEP Page 1 Dear ACEP: You Changed My Life Reginald Wesley Page 5 From the Desk of the Executive Director Robert Schwarz, PsyD, DCEP Page 8 Profile: Thought Field Therapy in Iraq Suzanne Connolly Page 10 Holding the Vision – for Energy Psychology and Beyond John Freedom Page 11 Moving EP into the Mainstream Page 14 Research Review John Freedom, CEHP Page 16 Book Review: The Science Behind Tapping John Freedom Page 19 Taking a Breath Page 22 THIS ISSUE WWW.ENERGYPSYCH.ORG

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Words to Tap By: The Use of Language in Energy Psychology ProtocolsBy David Feinstein, PhD, DCEP

When I took my first training in energy psychology with Fred Gallo in 2002, I had already been a practicing psychologist for 30 years. The outcomes

I was witnessing during the demos in Fred’s four weekend training series as well as in my own practice sessions were unprecedented in my experience. Combining tapping with the

kinds of exploration and direction I was already accustomed to offering my clients seemed to supercharge my interventions.

Now offering my own trainings, the question I hear most frequently is “How do you know what words to ask your clients to repeat as they tap?” This is a central concern, and not only to people who are just mastering a basic tapping protocol; it is also an ongoing challenge for the most experienced practitioners.

Many tapping practitioners and approaches use only minimal or formularized wordings, having the client instead attune to a pertinent emotion or a “felt sense” about the target problem. It is remarkable, actually, that this is often enough to produce strong positive outcomes, even with PTSD. It also makes the approach wonderfully portable and may be particularly useful for swiftly countering the effects of trauma and other emotional wounds. Simple tapping protocols have, in fact, been swiftly taught to local care workers in post-disaster situations, with great success.

Nonetheless, combining tapping with well-crafted, highly-personalized language leads to a therapeutic tool that many claim is unequaled. When it comes to changing the internal models and patterns that fuel self-defeating thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, effective wording can add tremendous power, precision, and nuance to acupoint stimulation.

Continued on page 2

Energy FieldTHE

F A L L 2 0 1 9

Words to Tap By: The Use of Language in Energy Psychology ProtocolsDavid Feinstein, PhD, DCEPPage 1

Dear ACEP: You Changed My LifeReginald WesleyPage 5

From the Desk of the Executive DirectorRobert Schwarz, PsyD, DCEPPage 8

Profile: Thought Field Therapy in IraqSuzanne ConnollyPage 10

Holding the Vision – for Energy Psychology and BeyondJohn FreedomPage 11

Moving EP into the MainstreamPage 14

Research ReviewJohn Freedom, CEHPPage 16

Book Review: The Science Behind TappingJohn FreedomPage 19

Taking a BreathPage 22

THIS ISSUE

WWW.ENERGYPSYCH.ORG

The Energy Field | www.energypsych.org 2

THIS ISSUE

Words to Tap By: The Use of Language in Energy Psychology Protocols, 1

Dear ACEP: You Changed My Life, 5

From the Desk of the Executive Director, 8

Profile: Thought Field Therapy in Iraq, 10

Holding the Vision – for Energy Psychology and Beyond, 11

Moving EP into the Mainstream, 14

Research Review, 16

Book Review, 19

Taking a Breath, 22

Consider, for instance, the difference between tapping on an emotion or physical sensation and tapping to remove the charge on complex issues with wordings such as “I had to layer over my vulnerability and get tough!”; “My need to be beyond criticism keeps me always feeling anxious”; or “My self-judgment is like training wheels I don’t need anymore.” When you watch a skilled practitioner bring about profound and persuasive changes, not just in recent trauma or current stressors but in lifelong patterns — within a relatively brief tapping session — it can be dazzling.

I always want to increase my effectiveness. That perfectionism is both a blessing and a curse, but on the blessing side, it has caused me to ask some very interesting questions. In the energy psychology arena, I have been puzzling about the impact of the wording I ask my clients to repeat as they tap. That questioning led me to want to delve into trying to answer the questions raised, through some sort of systematic analysis, so I decided to engage in a qualitative research study of some of my own sessions.

Qualitative research is primarily an exploratory form of research, deepening understanding about the characteristics of whatever is being investigated. Qualitative research is often a first step in systematically examining a topic, preceding “quantitative research.” Quantitative research then gathers statistical or other numerical data about a topic, such as using psychological tests to assess symptoms before and after a treatment or to compare two treatment approaches. While much emphasis is put on quantitative research, however, qualitative research is a critical first step to actually understanding something about what it is we are studying – and to directing us to the relevant focus for systematic data collection with larger numbers of subjects.

Energy psychology is wide open for qualitative studies about any dimension of treatment that might be of interest for clinical, scientific, or training purposes. For example, questions such as, “What do clients report that they actually experienced, when a SUD score for anxiety about driving goes from a 10 down to a 0? Or, when a specific technique designed to correct for neurological disorganization has been applied? How does a therapist decide whether a psychological reversal is present, or when to shift the focus from the presenting issue to its roots in the client’s history?” Such qualitative research can provide a deeper look into any area of interest, and it leads to more grounded and relevant quantitative research.

While watching videotapes of sessions I have guided, I began to carefully track the clients’ responses to my statements. I then began to code the statements based on the functions they were apparently intended to serve. This was fascinating. The specific wordings seemed to shepherd the client’s experiences in therapeutically beneficial ways that were often more powerful than was my apparent conscious intention when I was formulating them.

In the first seven videotaped sessions I analyzed, I identified 62 functions of the phrases the client was asked to repeat. In the next three sessions I watched, however, I didn’t need to add new categories. My statements in these last three sessions were all aimed at serving one or more of the 62 functions already identified.

I found that these 62 functions of language during tapping sessions fell into three major categories. Each is actually well-represented in the clinical literature, whatever the terminology used to describe it: as a therapist, you attune yourself with the client and to what the client desires and experiences during your work together; you explore the issues related to the client’s needs and goals to deepen your own and your client’s understanding of them; and you lead the client toward more effective ways of addressing the pertinent issues.

These three groupings are particularly useful to organize the 62 language functions. First, though, to make it easier to get a handle on the 62 functions, I sorted them into 10 primary categories, all of which fall under attune, explore, or lead. The list that emerges is instructive:

Attune:1. Restate the problem from multiple angles.2. Keep the process safe and aligned with the here and now

of the therapeutic relationship.

Explore:3. Identify and examine roots of the problem, its aspects,

and related symbolism.4. Investigate the problem’s costs or double binds it creates.5. Articulate dilemmas around overcoming the problem.

Lead:6. Enhance emotional safety and self-acceptance.7. Bolster confidence.8. Build positive meaning or otherwise come to terms with

Continued on page 3

Continued from page 1

The Energy Field | www.energypsych.org 3

THIS ISSUE

Words to Tap By: The Use of Language in Energy Psychology Protocols, 1

Dear ACEP: You Changed My Life, 5

From the Desk of the Executive Director, 8

Profile: Thought Field Therapy in Iraq, 10

Holding the Vision – for Energy Psychology and Beyond, 11

Moving EP into the Mainstream, 14

Research Review, 16

Book Review, 19

Taking a Breath, 22

aversive life events.9. Particularly as arousal decreases, establish effective mental

strategies for resolving pertinent issues.10. Move toward desired outcomes.

Taking the video analysis findings from an academic exercise to a practical application, I have been incorporating this analysis of the functions of the language used during tapping into some of my training events. For instance, I might show the class a videotape of a session and hit “pause” at a point that feels like a

“teaching moment.” I tell the class members what type of statement the therapist will say next and then have them roleplay the next few minutes of the session, challenging them to formulate statements that serve the function I have identified. Then we continue the video to see what the therapist actually said and again, pause for discussion. This type of active micro-focusing seems to be quite instructive in helping practitioners develop more effective languaging skills during tapping sessions. I also invite researchers or doctoral students looking for dissertation topics to replicate the study to see if other scorers who are

Continued from page 2

observing the videos of other therapists find similar categories for the functions of the wordings used.

An issue to keep in mind is that teaching the effective use of language to facilitate change is very different from imposing the therapist’s agenda. Rather than programming the client like a computer, in fact, the art of using tapping protocols involves finding language that is so highly attuned to the client’s inner world that the direction of the therapy is dictated by the client’s natural propensities for healing and growth.

I recently published a full-length paper describing this study and exploring the questions in more detail (see reference below.) It describes all the 62 functions of language that were identified, listing examples of each. By arrangement with the journal’s publisher, the full paper is being made available free to readers of The Energy Field. Click here to get the free download.

David Feinstein, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist, has received nine national awards for his books on consciousness and healing. He and his wife, Donna Eden, have built the world’s largest organization teaching Energy Medicine. EnergyPsychEd.com

Reference: Feinstein, D. (2019). Words to Tap By: The Use of Language in Energy Psychology Protocols. Energy Psychology: Theory, Research, and Treatment, 11(1), 41 - 56.

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The Energy Field | www.energypsych.org 5

THIS ISSUE

Words to Tap By: The Use of Language in Energy Psychology Protocols, 1

Dear ACEP: You Changed My Life, 5

From the Desk of the Executive Director, 8

Profile: Thought Field Therapy in Iraq, 10

Holding the Vision – for Energy Psychology and Beyond, 11

Moving EP into the Mainstream, 14

Research Review, 16

Book Review, 19

Taking a Breath, 22

Dear ACEP: You Changed My LifeBy Reginald Wesley

This is an edited excerpt of a conversation that Cynthia Joba, ACEP Director of Outreach & Communication, had with ACEP (Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology) member Reginald Wesley. It’s an inspiring and illuminating glimpse into the untold stories of our members, the role ACEP can play in transforming life stories, and the reason we need to keep reaching out to more people.

I grew up in a very abusive situation. There was a lot of molestation, verbal abuse, physical abuse, mental abuse. I don't remember a time when there wasn't a situation where

I was fearing just being present in my own body.I was an athlete, so I tried using that to get the frustration and

the trauma out of me. Needless to say, that didn’t work very well. I was a very angry young man, very violent. Once, I almost killed a young man. I lost it, blacked out and woke up with a young man laying on the ground bleeding. That traumatized the hell out of me. There was this part of me that I had no control over, that was just angry and I didn't understand why. Well, I knew why, but there was another level in me that would take over.

From kindergarten on, I was in behavioral classes, learning disability classes. I didn't get a normal education. All my classes were designed to just occupy me, so they didn't have to worry about me destroying the room. But this taught me to learn in a different way. I can hear, see and feel my way through a lot of things, and I get information from Source. At the time I really didn't know this.

I had a very hard time reading, but it intrigued me. It got to a point where I wouldn't do any work in class because it was so frustrating. So they asked me what I wanted to do and I said, "I just want to read those books over there, those psychology books." And that's what they would let me do.

I started learning about what I was going through by looking through these books and figuring things out. That's all I ever wanted to do — help people. I wanted to help people understand this. But I was feeling things in a different way, too. I could feel people's emotions; how they were feeling their anger, their resentment. I could feel how they felt about me, but I didn't know that their stuff was their stuff. When they were going through different things, I thought that's how they were feeling about me.

There was a lot of anger and resentment and pain going on around me, and I felt that from everybody. I thought I was a very bad person because they used to call me a devil child, I guess because of the way I would act, or what their perception of my energy was. After a while, I started to believe these things. I started to think that I was these things. But there was this other part of me that said, "No, they're wrong. That's not how you are. You're a very loving and compassionate young man. They just don't understand."

I can remember very vividly getting horrific beatings. Part of the beatings I would take, because if you cried they would whip you harder. I would not remember feeling the pain because there was a presence next to me that was holding me. It felt like, "I have you. Everything is going to be okay."

It was like a presence would come over me and I would just be there. I could feel my body feeling something, but I could not feel the pain until afterwards. Then the pain I would feel was the anger and resentment inside. I didn't understand, so I would just sit on the edge of the bed and that's when I would weep. I would weep until I passed out, but even when I was doing that there was this presence right there, holding me and saying, "It's okay, everything is going to be all right. You're going to be okay."

I grew up alone, with this light guiding me through life. It would tell me to hang out with this person, don't be around this person, I need you not to go there. It guided my life and I got used to it. It never was wrong about anything, and any time I tried to go against it and something happened wrong, well it would be like, it's in your face.

That’s how I grew up and spent most of my life until I got to high school; by myself and with that spirit. In high school,

Continued on page 6

Reginald Wesley with Nora Baladerian at the 2019 Energy Psychology Conference

The Energy Field | www.energypsych.org 6

THIS ISSUE

Words to Tap By: The Use of Language in Energy Psychology Protocols, 1

Dear ACEP: You Changed My Life, 5

From the Desk of the Executive Director, 8

Profile: Thought Field Therapy in Iraq, 10

Holding the Vision – for Energy Psychology and Beyond, 11

Moving EP into the Mainstream, 14

Research Review, 16

Book Review, 19

Taking a Breath, 22

I just wanted to be accepted, so I started hanging around the wrong people. To be accepted, I did things that I'm not proud of. I used to beat up people, start fights. I had no will to live, to be completely honest. People used to get a kick out of it. I would fight anybody at any given point in time. I was hoping to die. I was in so much pain inside that I just didn't care.

By graduation, I had already tried to kill myself five times. Three of those times were before I was 10. Two of them happened when I was in high school. I was institutionalized for both. I was just one of those individuals who had no will to live. I thought I would be dead by 21.

There is way too much to my story to get into it all here. A whole lot more struggle and pain. But let’s fast forward 17 years. I got a certified nursing assistant job working in a hospital. All I wanted to do was treat these people with so much love and compassion that when they left they would think, "That was the nicest man I have ever met in my life. He was compassionate with me and allowed me to heal." Lincoln, Nebraska is not a very diverse place. There are a lot of people from small towns who come in and they're not always cordial. They have a perception, or a judgment, or an ideal. I wanted to break every last one of them with so much love and compassion that they had to look back at me and think, "I need to rethink how I perceive that culture."

I would come at them with so much love; I would spend so much time with my patients. When I bathed them, I gave them extra time. When I cleaned their room, I would converse with them. I wouldn't make them feel like they were just a patient. I would talk to them about whatever came up, and after a while things just started happening around me. People would start opening up to me in weird ways. And I thought, "Why are they talking to me like this? Why are they acting like this? Why are they being like this?"

At the time I knew about the heart chakra, but I thought, “Ha-ha, yeah, whatever.” And then one day there was this very bad patient. I sat with them and I sat with them. They were in so much pain. I just wanted so badly to love them and take the pain because they were really good people. All of a sudden, my heart chakra area started looking out and going towards this person. I thought, "What the hell? What is going on here?" But I couldn't move. That presence that's always been there with me and that's always guided me said, "Chill out, we're just about to have a little fun." And I thought, "Okay." I looked around, making sure it was just me and the patient in the room at the time.

This mist started coming out of my chest and going into this person. They turned back and looked at me like, "Ahhh." I freaked

out a little. That's the first time that started. Consciousness came through and said, "Don't worry about this, it's all good."

When I was growing up, people would walk by someone, feel their energy, and be ready to fight. We didn’t know that we could feel other peoples’ energy — their stuff. If they could know that the energy they were feeling from the other person was hurt and pain, and not that that person was trying to threaten them, they wouldn’t feel threatened, and they could be more loving and compassionate. I always wondered, "If they could really see what I see, people wouldn't fight each other like that. They wouldn't kill each other. They'd see that we're all just hurting."

But that wasn't cool. You didn't talk like that where I come from. That would get your butt kicked. I had to play that role growing up, so I did. But I could see all this stuff happening and just wondered if I was crazy.

When I started researching healers, the chakras and biofield, I discovered that what I was experiencing wasn't crazy. I thought, "Oh my goodness. That's what's been going on. I thought I was crazy. But this is what I'm about; wow."

As things started developing within me, as I became more conscious and aware of what was inside of me, more of this started happening. It was just happening unconsciously; I didn't do anything. I would just be standing near someone and it would start happening. Over time, it became pretty crippling to me because I started taking on things, energy, and stuff like that. I was depleting myself and having to balance the energy, doing all this work. It rocked my world to the point where I was sick.

I hadn't talked to anybody about all this except a therapist, and I knew that they thought I was crazy. But it was becoming so heavy on me. I wanted to talk to my wife Jill, a psychiatric nurse, but I was beside myself because I thought, "She’s going to think I'm crazy. She's going to not want to be with me anymore. She's going to tell me I need to be on medication." And then one day I said to her, “I need to talk to you. I can heal people." She said, "Is that it? You're hysterical like this because you can heal people? Don't worry about this. We'll research more and we'll figure this out together.” So I signed up for a class at the community college, Energy 101. But I got frustrated. I was seeing and experiencing more things than they were talking about, and I wasn’t learning what I could do with it. I thought, "How dare you give me all this information about what's going on and not give me the tools to use what's going on?"

I was sitting at the table one day, extremely frustrated, to the point where I started to cry. I didn't want Jill to know, so I

Continued on page 7

Continued from page 5

The Energy Field | www.energypsych.org 7

THIS ISSUE

Words to Tap By: The Use of Language in Energy Psychology Protocols, 1

Dear ACEP: You Changed My Life, 5

From the Desk of the Executive Director, 8

Profile: Thought Field Therapy in Iraq, 10

Holding the Vision – for Energy Psychology and Beyond, 11

Moving EP into the Mainstream, 14

Research Review, 16

Book Review, 19

Taking a Breath, 22

had my head in my hands on the table. Jill was about to throw a magazine away into the recycling bin and instead said, "Oh babe, I think you may want to see this." It was the ACEP brochure for the International Energy Psychology Conference in San Antonio.

I opened the brochure and was in awe. I flipped the page and thought, "You were right, you were going to send me what I needed. Oh my God, you did send me what I needed! Oh my God, how are we going to do this?" And I started screaming at Jill, "Jill, Jill this is it, this is what I'm talking about. This is what I need to go to. This is what I've been asking for." These were all the things I'd been trying to get hold of, but no one around here did these things.

Jill had just finished nurse practitioner school, and had just been hired. I was a certified nursing assistant (CNA). We didn't have any money, so we didn't know how this was going to happen. We had one credit card left that we hadn't put anything on; it was for emergencies. I'll never forget her saying this, I love this woman so much. She said, "Honey, if this means so much to you, then we've got to go. We'll make this work."

All the people I met at the conference were so loving and compassionate. I had never felt that before outside of myself. I still get giddy about it. There was a sign at the conference that’s still on my refrigerator—HOPE (Hold on, pain ends)—and when I saw that I knew I was in the right place, that I was going to heal the way I needed to heal. There was something spiritual about me that I could not explain or talk to anyone about, but every last one of these people knew exactly what I was talking about.

The first year ACEP reimbursed me for my conference registration. The second year ACEP gave me a scholarship. The third year ACEP gave me an honorary scholarship. There would have been no way I could have gone without them. The first time I wasn't even expecting a reimbursement. I just thought, "You know what, universe said go, I'm going because I know you. I know that you know that this is what I need. You gave it to me, and if I don't go, then I am walking away from the life that I was meant to live." And I sacrificed and I proved to the universe that this is what I wanted and it went, "Okay."

I'll never forget the day I got the check from ACEP that first year, reimbursing me for conference tuition. I hadn't received the email from Bob Schwarz (ACEP’s executive director) telling me about the scholarship. It went to spam. I got this check in the mail and just started bawling again.

It was the universe saying, “You did what I asked you to do, now here's your money back.” The level of healing that has happened since then, working and training with various practitioners — wow. It’s been just three years, and I'm happy

to say I started my own energy practice about four months ago. Because of ACEP, I'm able to help others heal themselves, giving them the tools they need, so they don't have to feel like they need to be in pain, or like they have to be dealing with these phobias and anxieties. I'm doing workshops anywhere that will let me. We're just relentless, trying to get this out there because it works.

And that’s because of ACEP. Three years ago I was a CNA, stressed out, didn't know what the heck was going on, didn't know what was going to happen. And I came to your conference. Three years later I have my own practice, wow. Seriously, wow. That's the power of light.

What do I envision for my future? I will continue to work on myself with the practitioners that I'm guided to work with, so that I continue to heal. I want to learn as many modalities as I can. I know my community. And I know not everybody is the same when it comes to healing. That way, when I go in there and work with them, I can honor their spirit better.

I have come to understand that the more I honor people's spirit, the better the results. And that's mainly just being in that space and allowing them to be where they need to be without any influence. It’s been absolutely wonderful.

This organization (ACEP) helps the truth come in and it helps people heal their soul. You're just not healing problems; you're healing your soul.

I don't know how to show my gratitude because I have so much. I am so thankful. I am happy. And I wasn't supposed to be here. I wasn't supposed to be happy, I wasn't supposed to experience joy and here I am. If I can do it, with the level of trauma I went through, without the tools I needed to be a functional person in life, everybody can do it.

I have peace in my heart, I love myself. I used to beat myself to death because I thought I was worthless. I had no hope; now I have hope, I have joy, I have life. I want to give it back to everybody.

It's okay to be happy, it's okay to be joyful. It's amazing how many people don't understand that that's okay. It's okay to feel pain, it's okay to feel hurt, but for a lot of people it's not okay to feel joy and love and compassion. I had to retrain myself to feel that it was okay. A lot of us are experiencing that. We feel it's not okay, it's not safe to love and to feel joy. But guess what? I do because of you and your organization. Thank you.

It is so healing to be able to tell you my story. I lay in bed a lot just thinking about ACEP, how far I've come, and I feel gratitude. And I couldn’t have done it without your organization. So it's like I wake up to ACEP every morning. There's not a day that goes by that I'm not showing gratitude, and I thank you.

Continued from page 6

The Energy Field | www.energypsych.org 8

THIS ISSUE

Words to Tap By: The Use of Language in Energy Psychology Protocols, 1

Dear ACEP: You Changed My Life, 5

From the Desk of the Executive Director, 8

Profile: Thought Field Therapy in Iraq, 10

Holding the Vision – for Energy Psychology and Beyond, 11

Moving EP into the Mainstream, 14

Research Review, 16

Book Review, 19

Taking a Breath, 22

From the Desk of the Executive DirectorBy Robert Schwarz, PsyD, DCEP

First of all, if you are reading this, let me say thank you! There is so much going on in the world

competing for your attention. I am honored that you are taking your valuable time to read the Energy Field.

In this edition you will be well rewarded.It would seem that the theme of this edition answers the

question, “Are we making a difference in the world?” I know this is a question I often ask myself. And I suspect that many of you do as well. Now this was not a plan. It’s just how the articles have synergistically come together. I love how that happens.

I hope you will read all of the articles because they will take you on a trip around the world, from making a difference in healing trauma in Iraq, to the personal transformation of a traumatized young man into an energy healer, to dreams and visions of ACEP members for a transformed world.

Speaking of transformational change, I have to mention the conference that took place outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico in May. It was the largest conference we have ever held. It was incredible. It would seem that we are just getting bigger and better all the time. I certainly hope you will mark

your calendars for the 2020 conference. May 14-18, 2020 at the Hyatt Regency Inner Harbor in Baltimore, Maryland.

We’ve just launched our free monthly trainings for ACEP members. These are presentations from our past conferences – audio with slides. Members have the entire month to watch and listen and then you will get a whole new training the following month. We are super excited about providing this valuable training to our members.

For those of you who are not yet members, we hope you will join the ACEP family. It does not matter what type of energy modality you practice. I like to think that membership is good for your soul as well as your pocket book. There is even a discount for your first year of membership. Not only can ACEP be your energy family – you will help us make more of a difference in the world.

I hope you enjoy this month’s issue.

Namaste,Bob

P.S. We are also excited about our new online course coming this October, the Science of Energy Healing 2. It’s all new material. You are going to love it, so stay tuned to your emails.

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THIS ISSUE

Words to Tap By: The Use of Language in Energy Psychology Protocols, 1

Dear ACEP: You Changed My Life, 5

From the Desk of the Executive Director, 8

Profile: Thought Field Therapy in Iraq, 10

Holding the Vision – for Energy Psychology and Beyond, 11

Moving EP into the Mainstream, 14

Research Review, 16

Book Review, 19

Taking a Breath, 22

Profile: Thought Field Therapy in IraqBy Suzanne Connolly

Dr. Pegah Seidi is a lecturer and researcher at Garmian University in Kurdistan in northeastern Iraq.

She began using Thought Field Therapy (TFT) in 2018 after taking an online training with Suzanne Connolly. After

practicing TFT on relatives and friends she has committed herself fully to using, teaching and disseminating TFT. She recently wrote, “I use TFT almost every day for my clients and students, and more and more people are asking me about this method every day.” Dr. Seidi added:

I'm already writing a case study with one of my colleagues in the UNC, where I have put my experiences of more than five years of using CBT, and the benefits of TFT as a better intervention for societies who have experienced war and political conflicts, and for low-income societies.

Dr. Seidi has designed a project in which she plans to use TFT to treat Yazidi women who had been kidnapped by, and subsequently escaped from, ISIS. She is planning to train some of the Yazidi women to use TFT to treat other Yazidi women, who have been victims of various forms of torture. ACEP members and TFT practitioners have raised nearly $4,000.00 toward this future project. Currently she writes that she is attempting to publish a book, a documentary and a few articles that contain TFT content, in order to draw potential sponsors' attention to her proposed project.

Dr. Seidi has also generously agreed to work along with

a group of authors on a systematic literature review and meta-analysis of lay-counselor facilitated mental health interventions in low and middle-income countries. Four of these authors are ACEP Research Committee members and all are volunteering their time and talent to this effort.

Dr. Seidi is truly doing important humanitarian work in her country and in the world and we are proud that she is incorporating TFT in her efforts to help others.

Check out this article and slide show depicting Dr. Seidi’s current project in a camp for internally displaced persons in Northern Iraq: http://www.advanceaccessanddelivery.org/news/2019/1/15/aaampd-team-members-visit-camp-for-internally-displaced-people-in-northern-iraq

Suzanne Connolly, LCSW, LMFT, has trained over 2,000 people worldwide to use TFT and to integrate TFT into clinical settings. She has served on the ACEP Board.

See page 18 for information on her TFT training.

Dr. Pegah Seidi, presenting a talk on TFT in Kurdistan (Northern Iraq).

The Energy Field | www.energypsych.org 11

THIS ISSUE

Words to Tap By: The Use of Language in Energy Psychology Protocols, 1

Dear ACEP: You Changed My Life, 5

From the Desk of the Executive Director, 8

Profile: Thought Field Therapy in Iraq, 10

Holding the Vision – for Energy Psychology and Beyond, 11

Moving EP into the Mainstream, 14

Research Review, 16

Book Review, 19

Taking a Breath, 22

Holding the Vision — for Energy Psychology and BeyondBy John Freedom

This article grew out of two conference call discussions with our ACEP Research Committee and with FREA: Finding Recovery and Empowerment from Abuse. I felt it would be useful and relevant to share these with our wider audience, to encourage people to engage in “visioning” of their own. As this was a discussion, I have tried to quote people using their own words and ideas.

Visions are “big picture ideas,” “outrageous dreams,” long-term goals we’re working to achieve over the next 50-100 years — or longer —

which excite, move and motivate people to action. Martin Luther King shared his Vision for a more just society in his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, where he talked about living in a world where people are “judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character….” It is unlikely that this dream will be achieved in our lifetime; some Dreams and Visions may take many generations to be achieved. And yet, even while they are not yet realized, Dreams and Visions motivate and inspire and give meaning to our lives now, in the present.

I find Visions to be useful. When I feel confused about what to do, or feel bogged down by the minutiae of life and ask “Why am I doing this?” My Visions remind me of my direction, my values, my purpose, what I’m working toward, and what is truly important in my/our lives. Whether holding a vision of yourself, your practice, ACEP, healing in general, or the world, a vision clarifies your sense of purpose and direction. Engaging in it collectively, it also strengthens our collective consciousness and efforts around healing. It is in this spirit that I offer the following thoughts – excerpts from our discussions.

This article is an invitation for you to ask those questions of yourself: “Why am I doing what I am doing? What is the bigger meaning of my purpose? What is my greatest wish regarding what could come out of my own work, growth or learning? Of the work of all of us, collectively, are doing? Of

ACEP as an organization?” I invite you to share your own thoughts and reflections with me; my email is below.

“Research is not an end in itself.” It’s wonderful to learn about all this stuff and figure it out and understand how it works, but we don’t do research just for knowledge; we do it because, among other things, it enables us to plan and predict, it helps us control the world around us, and it alleviates suffering.”

“In Jewish mysticism there’s an idea called “Tikkun Olam,” which translates as “Repairing the World.” An ancient myth says that at one time our Universe was like a great shining mirror, but then the mirror was shattered into millions of tiny bits and shards. Each of us is like a tiny shard still holding the original Light of that mirror. This brokenness shows up as wars and conflicts, divisions and separations, hatred and violence and intolerance. So, it is incumbent on each of us to participate in whatever ways we can to repair our world: in our own circles of influence with our clients, families, colleagues, etc.”

“My Vision is to see TFT accepted by the World Health Organization. The way to peace is to end trauma. There are lots of people working with the WHO to eradicate trauma. Most of the studies I’ve been reviewing use professionals, but in low- and middle-income countries most professionals are already over-burdened. So, we need more lay people trained and involved. I’ve seen laypeople in Rwanda do amazing work treating trauma. If the WHO would get behind this, then we could train more laypeople to do this work and treat each

Continued on page 12

The Energy Field | www.energypsych.org 12

THIS ISSUE

Words to Tap By: The Use of Language in Energy Psychology Protocols, 1

Dear ACEP: You Changed My Life, 5

From the Desk of the Executive Director, 8

Profile: Thought Field Therapy in Iraq, 10

Holding the Vision – for Energy Psychology and Beyond, 11

Moving EP into the Mainstream, 14

Research Review, 16

Book Review, 19

Taking a Breath, 22

other and begin to end the cycles of intergenerational abuse.”“EP is part of a bigger Vision towards healing a lot of

the awful things that have happened. It’s hard for people to be caring and compassionate when they’re stuck in their trauma. EP is not just healing people from trauma, but helping people to f lourish, to make the leap to better, richer and more fulfilling lives of meaning, happiness and deep well-being.”

“According to David Hawkins’ research, the level of consciousness of most human beings is only about 200 on his scale, which is very low. Many humans are stuck at a low level of awareness, struggling just to get their basic needs met, and don’t have the energy or awareness to do more. My overarching Vision is Ascension, increasing the vibratory rate of all humans, and from that a greater societal shift can take place. If we can raise our collective consciousness through yoga, meditation, EP etc., all our human activities would arise out of that higher Awareness….”

“Here in the U.S. we’ve had an ideal of ‘rugged individualism,’ of ‘every man for himself,’ in which we’ve got to fight each other in a ‘dog eat dog’ world of chronic competition. This has been extolled as a ‘virtue.’ The ideals of rugged individualism may have been necessary and valuable at one time in the old Wild West, but now this epidemic of unbridled selfishness and narcissism separates people, destroying our planet and causing millions incalculable pain and suffering.”

“Rabbi Michael Lerner in Berkeley holds a Vision of what he calls “The Caring Society.” The concept is very simple: Imagine a World where we all care for each other, and where we all care for our planet. How will our Society be different, when we all care for – and actively take care of – each other? … And value, and cherish, and support, and love each other?”

“My goal is to help alleviate suffering. There is so much suffering in the world. There are going to be challenges, but there’s no need for suffering. This is a very traditional Buddhist goal. Every day millions of Buddhists pray: “May all beings be happy. May all beings be free of suffering. May all beings know peace.” We are aligning ourselves with individuals, groups, and people throughout the world who are dedicated to alleviating suffering and extending

compassion to all people.”“It’s not just about alleviating suffering, but also about

creating Connection. Where we can all relax out of Fight/Flight and co-exist in a larger Field of Compassion and Connection. A question I hold: How do we create Connection to our Higher Selves, our Spiritual Nature, to our Universe and to each other?”

“I envision a world where these ideas and techniques are taught in public schools. Where kids learn about energy and are taught how to regulate their emotions from an early age. Where children are taught intuitive skills, and where their intuitions are honored. If kids were taught to use these tools, they might grow up into mature, loving and response-able people who relate to each other as adults.”

“We’re all familiar with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Food, clothing and shelter are our most basic needs, then safety and security needs, and then social and intimacy needs. When a person is starving, they can’t think about their needs for connection or self-esteem, all they can think about is getting something to eat. We can’t satisfy our “higher” needs until our “lower” needs are met. I’m seeing a World where everyone’s basic needs for food, clothing and shelter and safety are met, where all humans are fulfilling their potentials and flourishing, where all people are supported in being all they can be.”

“Much of the seemingly senseless violence and abuse we see in the world is the result of cycles of intergenerational trauma. What would it be like to live in a world where PTSD has been eradicated, just as smallpox has been eradicated? A World where childhood trauma is recognized and treated as soon as it is recognized. A World where people are “trauma aware” and “trauma informed,” especially our schools and institutions. A World where people have access to EP tools, and we are ending the cycles of intergenerational violence. A World where all humans respect and value and cherish each other, and where all Life is seen as Sacred and valuable.”

“What’s the Tipping Point to effect a massive shift in Consciousness? We’ve all heard about the hundredth monkey effect. The TM studies called “the Maharishi Effect” needed only 1% of a population meditating to lower

Continued from page 11

Continued on page 13

The Energy Field | www.energypsych.org 13

THIS ISSUE

Words to Tap By: The Use of Language in Energy Psychology Protocols, 1

Dear ACEP: You Changed My Life, 5

From the Desk of the Executive Director, 8

Profile: Thought Field Therapy in Iraq, 10

Holding the Vision – for Energy Psychology and Beyond, 11

Moving EP into the Mainstream, 14

Research Review, 16

Book Review, 19

Taking a Breath, 22

crime rates in Washington DC. I think shifting the awareness of as few as 10% of the population could trigger a sea-level uprising in consciousness….”

“I have a Vision of living in Alignment with Peace: Peace within our own bodies, and Peace in the World. The ultimate Vision is a world of Peace. As within, so without. We begin inside and then that can extend out into the World. We can learn to live in Alignment with our inner nature.”

“We have many natures. It’s a process of choosing what part of us we’re going to focus on. There’s an old Native American story that says we’re born with two wolves, one of aggression and anger, and one of Peace and Love. Which one will win? Whichever one we feed. I want us to feed those parts of ourselves that are aligned with Peace.”

“A really good model is the Tao Te Ching. When we live in alignment with the Tao, all is taken care of. There is an awareness of the beauty of nature and the natural flow of energy, and when we live in alignment with the way nature is, when it’s time to hunt, we hunt; when it’s time to gather, we gather. There’s a time for every purpose under the heaven.”

“Our orientation can be one of connection to Peace, with those parts of ourselves that are Peace-based, and also to support those aspects outside in the physical world that are rooted in Peace and Connection.”

“I hold a Vision for a Radical Re-Awakening, the recognition that we are all interconnected, that all human beings are brothers and sisters and part of a greater human family, where all people deserve respect and kindness and cherishing and love. Where there is a recognition that injustice against any of us hurts all of us. We all love our own children and our own families. What happens when we shift our perspective and expand our focus to loving all children and all people as our own family? We would live in a very different world.”

John Freedom is the chair of the ACEP Research committee. [email protected]

Continued from page 12

The Energy Field | www.energypsych.org 14

THIS ISSUE

Words to Tap By: The Use of Language in Energy Psychology Protocols, 1

Dear ACEP: You Changed My Life, 5

From the Desk of the Executive Director, 8

Profile: Thought Field Therapy in Iraq, 10

Holding the Vision – for Energy Psychology and Beyond, 11

Moving EP into the Mainstream, 14

Research Review, 16

Book Review, 19

Taking a Breath, 22

Moving EP Into the MainstreamThis column highlights ACEP members’ efforts and achievements in bringing energy psychology to the wider world. It has two purposes. 1. Acknowledge and celebrate these achievements.2. Inspire you, the reader, to think of ways within your own

sphere that you might help make more people aware of energy psychology and its benefits.

Please let us know about things you or others are doing that we can share.

• Ange Finn was invited to be one of a group of practitioners offering wellness resources at the one-year remembrance ceremony in Santa Fe, Texas. At that event she introduced tapping to members of the community, including some of those directly affected by the shooting.

• Amy Frost and Cindy Baker have been sponsoring Community Connector Calls monthly for the Humanitarian Committee. One regular participant is Chaplain Michael D. Thrower, President/Chapter Coordinator of Adopt-A-Cop (ACC). Their mission is to assign law enforcement officers to a family, group, or individual who will pray for them, and send a note of encouragement, support and a thank you for their service to the community. What a beautiful way to help increase the use of energy psychology.

• Fred Gallo presented on EFT and Tapping in Denver and Colorado Springs to over 90 health and mental health care professionals. He'll be presenting next on EDxTM and Strategic Energetic Coaching (SEC) in northern Germany.

• Jennifer Groebe reports that recently her pet groomer talked about her experiences with 2 husbands who have debilitating mental illnesses as well as a neighbor who is an Afghanistan war vet. The neighbor is self isolating. Jennifer briefly discussed EFT and the benefits for vets. The groomer left with two Emotional First Aid brochures, one for her neighbor and one for herself.

• Aviva Chansky Guttmann has initiated a new Holistic Support and Connection Group in the Mid Hudson Valley in New York State. Twelve practitioners in a wide range of healing modalities attended. Aviva introduced the group to ACEP and talked about including EFT in her own work.

• Kristin Miller presented ACEP’s new model for emotional first aid at the Foster Grandparents Program to 51 people who sit with children in every school in Shasta County and 8 who work with elders. She will also be a part at the Unity Church Memorial of the Carr Fire and have a table with ACEP resources at the Redding Chamber Event around the year anniversary of the Carr Fire. In addition, she has joined a local group in her area, the Shasta Wellness Committee, which is exploring ways to bring energy psychology to all the local systems.

• Kerri Morrison, ACEP Massachusetts State Rep volunteered as an exhibitor for ACEP during the 19th Annual Youth At Risk Conference in Salem, MA. The conference was attended by 300 people from a variety of local service organizations; including law enforcement, the Department of Children and Families, school and community agency providers, and many mental health providers. 90% of people who came to the table were not aware of energy psychology prior to ACEP's presence at this conference, and many people indicated that they would be looking into ACEP further.

• Betsy Muller volunteered to assist fellow member Lori Leyden, PhD with an EFT training for therapists in Parkland, Florida. It was a deeply valuable experience, especially witnessing how well EFT neutralized very traumatic memories for many who are working directly with the victims of the Feb. 14, 2018 mass shooting.

Continued on page 15

The Energy Field | www.energypsych.org 15

THIS ISSUE

Words to Tap By: The Use of Language in Energy Psychology Protocols, 1

Dear ACEP: You Changed My Life, 5

From the Desk of the Executive Director, 8

Profile: Thought Field Therapy in Iraq, 10

Holding the Vision – for Energy Psychology and Beyond, 11

Moving EP into the Mainstream, 14

Research Review, 16

Book Review, 19

Taking a Breath, 22

• Prabha Nagaraja attended a recent national meeting of a network which works towards reducing domestic violence in India. "Attended by 47 people from 29 organisations, we conducted a session on understanding the importance of burnout prevention and self-care. We were able to make a strong case for self-care and also introduce participants to some simple energy techniques — we began the session with thymus thumps, the cross crawl, crown pull and figure eights and ended with the heart focused breathing exercise — all of it was very well appreciated.

• Resources for Resilience, a project of ACEP’s Humanitarian Committee, not only has a website that includes videos and instructions for energy practices to address immediate trauma and build resilience. The website includes a downloadable brochure available in English and Spanish. You can also order high quality printed versions of the English and Spanish versions of the instructional brochure through the website. Check it out here.

• Ulf Sandstrom and Gunilla Hamme have founded a permanent Trauma Tapping Technique unit in the Kitrinos Healthcare Medical Clinic, in the Moria refugee camp at Lesbos in Greece.

• ACEP Executive Director Robert Schwarz is on the main faculty of the 13th Congress on Ericksonian Approaches to Hypnosis and Psychotherapy Dec. 11-14 in Phoenix, AZ. He will be doing a workshop on integrating energy psychology and Ericksonian approaches for trauma, a clinical demonstration integrating EFT with narrative approaches, and a panel on trauma.

• Peta Stapleton presented at the 2019 Nutrition Summit in Australia in July. Her presentation covered her research in using EFT for food and weight issues. She also participated in podcast interviews and provided a video for the Australian TV show Medicine or Myth?, all related to EFT.

• Suzan Thompson helped distribute energy psychology-related materials and Resources for Resilience information to local media following the shooting in Virginia Beach, VA on May 31. Suzan's practice also assisted in "A Day of Healing" on June 22nd for survivors, their families, and first responders of the May 31st shooting in Virginia Beach. The event was held at a farm, where equine therapy, EFT, Reiki and other healing modalities were available.

• Susan Warren shared the heart hold with breathing technique as she was called in to work with 150+ people affected by an office shooting in Tucson. It calmed everyone down in just minutes. She is also partnering with Samuel Schoonover to start the “Holistic Military and Veteran Project (H-MVP)” which will be on Facebook. They began teaching in August.

• Suzanne Velasquez-Sheehy introduced how to use EP techniques in the classroom at the "Twenty-sixth International Conference on Learning: Learning to Make a Social Difference" at Queen’s University in Belfast, sponsored by the Learner Research Network. Their mission “is to explore the meaning and purpose of education with a focus on innovative pedagogies and a view to new social possibilities through education.” The presentation introduced how to apply basic EFT and how it can be used to help with academic stress and anxiety.

• Jondi Whitis held a 2-day tapping practicum for 24 Native American school teachers, including Emotional First-Aid elements for self-care and student care. Prior to this, while teaching in an indigenous community, a tragedy unfolded, affecting the entire band. She was very happy to provide them with ACEP Emotional First Aid brochures and briefing workshops to support the mental health and wellness professionals and first responders during this time.

Continued from page 14

The Energy Field | www.energypsych.org 16

THIS ISSUE

Words to Tap By: The Use of Language in Energy Psychology Protocols, 1

Dear ACEP: You Changed My Life, 5

From the Desk of the Executive Director, 8

Profile: Thought Field Therapy in Iraq, 10

Holding the Vision – for Energy Psychology and Beyond, 11

Moving EP into the Mainstream, 14

Research Review, 16

Book Review, 19

Taking a Breath, 22

Research ReviewBy John Freedom, CEHP

The Ninth Annual ACEP Research Symposium was held on Thursday, May 2 at the 2019 International Energy Psychology Conference near Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Symposium was an international event, with presenters from Japan, Russia, Uruguay and the UK as well as the US. Dr. Melinda Connor delivered the keynote presentation “Energy Medicine: Overview of an Emerging Field”. Just as psychiatry is a branch of medicine, so also energy psychology is a branch of energy medicine. She discussed current research on energy healing; caveats regarding the use of the term “medicine”; and initiatives to unify the different schools of energy healing under one banner.

In her research presentation Melinda raised the question, “Can energy healing be measured?” She described a study documenting and measuring the effects of subtle energies, and the measurable effects of energy healing. Melinda has developed a suite of empirical tests to measure the effects of practitioners of different forms of energy healing including Reiki, EEM, Therapeutic Touch, Healing Touch, and Reconnection. The tests include demonstrating the ability to generate DC currents with each hand, demonstrating ability to produce oscillatory effects in the RF field, changing the pH of water, and creating changes in one’s personal field and a client’s field. The publication of this study will be a major step in documenting and validating healing effects of energy therapies.

We also heard the following presentations:• “Making the Case for Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT):

A Review of EFT Case Studies and How To Write and Publish Them,” presented by Elizabeth Boath, PhD.

• “Utilizing Community-as-Agent-of-Change: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis of Lay Mental Health Counselor Facilitated Mental Health Interventions,” presented by Suzanne Connolly, LCSW, LMFT, LISAC.

• “Effects of SuperBrain Yoga Exercise on Behavior Indicators Leading to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): A Pre-Post Comparative Study,” presented by Maria Elena Garcia-Terra, Lic. Psych.

• “How Do EP Modalities Work? An Energy-Based Theoretical Model,” presented by Deborah Greene, PhD.

• “Somatic Emotion Energy Release: An Energy Psychology Protocol to Reduce Somatic Activation: A Pilot Study,” presented by Susan Kane-Ronning, PhD.

• “Significant Applications of Thought Field Therapy Diagnostic Methods in Clinical Practice,” presented by Yuriko Kawagishi, MA.

• “Evaluation of a Stress Relief Technologically Created Subtle Energy Pattern on Animal Stress Level and Locomotion,” presented by Yury Kronn, PhD.

• “Changes in Psychological Symptoms After Treatment With a Novel Therapy: The Phoenix Protocol, A Pilot Study,” presented by Ron Masters, MA and Jess Troxel, LSW.

• “The Efficacy of a New Self-Training Program of Heart Rate Variability, Biofeedback and Thought Field Therapy to Improve Anxiety, Insomnia, and Quality of Life,” presented by Ayame Morikawa, PhD, Naoko Okamoto, PhD and Yokuda Iwao, MA.

Continued on page 17

The Energy Field | www.energypsych.org 17

THIS ISSUE

Words to Tap By: The Use of Language in Energy Psychology Protocols, 1

Dear ACEP: You Changed My Life, 5

From the Desk of the Executive Director, 8

Profile: Thought Field Therapy in Iraq, 10

Holding the Vision – for Energy Psychology and Beyond, 11

Moving EP into the Mainstream, 14

Research Review, 16

Book Review, 19

Taking a Breath, 22

• Suzanne Connolly and her colleagues Jan Warner and Michelle Vanchu-Oroscco will be submitting their paper on “Utilizing Community-as-Agent-of-Change: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis of Lay Mental Health Counselor Facilitated Mental Health Interventions,” for publication soon.

Our thanks to all the researchers for their tireless efforts in developing these studies and sharing them at our Symposium.

Recent EP Research Publications

The evidence base for energy psychology continues to grow in both quantity and quality. Here is a list of EP research studies and articles published in the first six months of 2019:

Bach, D., Groesbeck, G., Stapleton, P., Sims, R., Blickheuser, K. & Church, D. (2019). Clinical EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) Improves Multiple Physiological Markers of Health. Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine 24. https://doi.org/10.1177/2515690X18823691 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30777453

Church, D., & Clond, M. (2019). Is online treatment as effective as in-person treatment? Psychological change in two relationship skills groups. Journal of Nervous & Mental Disease 207(5):315-319. DOI: 10.1097/NMD.0000000000000975

Feinstein, D. (2019). Words to tap by: The use of language in energy psychology protocols. Energy Psychology: Theory, Research and Treatment. 11(1).

Nicosia, G., Minewiser, L, & Freger, A. (2019). World Trade Center: A longitudinal case study for treating Post Traumatic Stress Disorder with Emotional Freedom Technique and Eye Movement. Work, 63(2), 199-204. DOI: 10.3233/WOR-192921.

Stapleton P, Buchan C, Mitchell I, McGrath Y, Gorton P, Carter B. (2019). An Initial Investigation of Neural

Changes in Overweight Adults with Food Cravings after Emotional Freedom Techniques. OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine 2019;4(1):14; DOI:10.21926/obm.icm.1901010. https://bit.ly/2UaSX8H

Vural, P. I., & Aslan, E. (2019). Emotional freedom techniques and breathing awareness to reduce childbirth fear: A randomized controlled study. Complementary Therapy in Clinical Practice, 35, 224-231. DOI: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2019.02.011. Epub 2019 Feb 15.

Yount, G., Church, D., Rachlin, K., Blickheuser, K., Ippolito, C. (2019). Do noncoding RNAs mediate the efficacy of energy psychology? Global Advances in Health and Medicine, 8(1-8). DOI: 10.1177/2164956119832500

ACEP Website Research Updates:

• We have recently updated the research section of our ACEP website. Research studies with abstracts can be referenced chronologically, by condition, and by types of studies (RCTs, meta-analyses, reviews, etc). See: www.energypsych.org/research

• The Science of Energy Psychology Quick Facts reference sheet has been updated. There are now over 50 RCTs and over 50 pre-post (non randomized) outcome studies, as well as five meta-analyses and 13 systematic reviews of EP studies. Access the Quick Facts.

In service,

John Freedom, CEHP Chair, ACEP Research Committee [email protected]

John Freedom is chair of ACEP’s Research Committee and organizes the annual Research Symposium, which is held before the International Energy Psychology Conference. [email protected]

Continued from page 16

The Energy Field | www.energypsych.org 18

PLANNED GIVING

Remember ACEP in Your WillMany ACEP members have wills and trusts.  Particularly if you are writing or revising yours, please consider including a bequest to ACEP.  It’s an easy way to help ensure the continuity of your organization, dedicated to increasing the credibility, research and use of energy psychology throughout the world.  Bequests, like other donations, can be earmarked for Highest Need, Research, and/or Humanitarian funds.  If you need assistance, feel free to contact Bob Schwarz at [email protected]

Thanks!

Not only can you save more money than it costs to be a member, you will be supporting ACEP’s work to integrate energy psychology methods seamlessly as a standard part of healthcare.

Member Benefits• Up to $160 discount on annual conference

• Up to $200 off fees for certification in Comprehensive Energy Psychology (CEP)

• 66% off email blast advertising

• Listing in web based Energy Psychology Therapist Locator

• Posting your EP related workshops on the website.

• Discounts on journals and other programs

Click here to check out our 4-minute video from the experts on why you should join ACEP

Join or renew your membership today

www.energypsych.org

IT PAYS TO BE A MEMBER OF ACEP

Suzanne will donate $100 to ACEP for every individual who registers for the online TFT course using the link above.

Suzanne Connolly, LCSW, MFT, LISAC, has been teaching the easy-to-learn basic level of TFT throughout the world since 1996. She has led numerous trauma relief training and interventions in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Mexico, and the U.S.

Learn to use Thought Field Therapy (TFT)the original tapping therapy. Quickly treat trauma, fear, anxiety and more.

Online Certification and13 CE’sfor RNs, MFTs, Counselors, Social Workers

www.ThoughtFieldTherapy.net/acep1/

Thought Field Therapy

The Energy Field | www.energypsych.org 19

THIS ISSUE

Words to Tap By: The Use of Language in Energy Psychology Protocols, 1

Dear ACEP: You Changed My Life, 5

From the Desk of the Executive Director, 8

Profile: Thought Field Therapy in Iraq, 10

Holding the Vision – for Energy Psychology and Beyond, 11

Moving EP into the Mainstream, 14

Research Review, 16

Book Review, 19

Taking a Breath, 22

BOOK REVIEW

The Science Behind Tapping: A Proven Stress Management Technique for the Mind and BodyBy Peta Stapleton, PhD

Reviewed by John Freedom

Meridian tapping – Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), Thought Field Therapy (TFT) and their derivatives—needs no introduction to the readers

of these pages. What does often need an introduction is the research underlying it. When I am discussing tapping with non-energy psychology professionals, they will usually listen politely, wait for me to pause, and then pop the question: “This all sounds very convincing. But, is there any research on this stuff?”

There have been over 100 research studies published in peer-reviewed journals, and over 200 published articles (including studies, meta-analyses and review articles). Abstracts of these studies can be found on the ACEP website, in the research section (www.energypsych.org/research). Over 100 books have been published on different aspects and applications of meridian tapping, but none have attempted to address the research underlying it—until now. The Science Behind Tapping is the first book to focus on this important area.

Many people have the idea that research is dry, dull and boring. When you can read and decode what researchers are saying, the effect is exactly the opposite. Peta Stapleton takes us behind the curtains of scientific jargon and reveals exactly what tapping therapies do and how they work. She describes the history and “how to” of EFT, including case histories and suggestions for success. Stapleton’s style is authoritative, yet accessible. Whether discussing the arcane details of p values and effect sizes, or concepts like epigenetics and neuroplasticity, she has the gift of building bridges with other disciplines, making research both approachable and understandable.

In a provocative section entitled “Are all therapies created equal?” Stapleton discusses and challenges the “Dodo Bird Verdict” — the idea that all therapies are equally effective. After reviewing the first “three waves” in psychotherapy, she describes EFT as part of the “fourth wave” in psychotherapy

— somatic therapies. EFT has three features that distinguish it as a “fourth wave therapy”: it is a somatic therapy; it can produce rapid results (in one or more brief sessions); and it can permanently shift outdated emotional learnings via the mechanism of memory reconsolidation, as described by Bruce Ecker and colleagues.

I found the chapter on food cravings and weight issues especially fascinating. Stapleton is the world’s leading authority on the use of EFT for eating disorders. She delves deeply into the reasons why people overeat, including: eating as defense, the desire to avoid “wasting” food, and the dynamics of intergenerational epigenetics. She also explores common themes in overeating, such as feelings of abandonment, deprivation, inadequacy, loneliness, and stress; she then demonstrates how to create “setup statements” and eliminate these issues with tapping.

For several years, Stapleton had dreamed of conducting research using brain scans. A high point of The Science Behind Tapping is the section where she describes her Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging research. FMRI is a scanning technology that measures neurological activity in different parts of the brain. It works by detecting changes in blood oxygenation and flow that occur in response to neural activity. Stapleton and her colleagues conducted a research study with 15 obese adults who were randomized into two groups. One group received four group sessions of EFT, and the other received no treatment. Both groups received fMRI scans early in the morning, before and after the treatment schedule, on empty stomachs (they were only allowed a cup of coffee or a coke, to keep them alert) while watching random, repeating images of high-calorie foods.

The results: scores for craving carbs reduced significantly in

Continued on page 20

The Energy Field | www.energypsych.org 20

THIS ISSUE

Words to Tap By: The Use of Language in Energy Psychology Protocols, 1

Dear ACEP: You Changed My Life, 5

From the Desk of the Executive Director, 8

Profile: Thought Field Therapy in Iraq, 10

Holding the Vision – for Energy Psychology and Beyond, 11

Moving EP into the Mainstream, 14

Research Review, 16

Book Review, 19

Taking a Breath, 22

BOOK REVIEW

the EFT group, and the craving for fast-food also decreased significantly for the EFT group compared to the control group. The second set of fMRI scans in the tapping group showed a marked reduction in activation of the parts of the brain called the superior temporal gyrus (associated with cognition and thought) and the lateral orbitofrontal cortex (associated with reward). The scans of the control group showed no changes. This ground-breaking research is the first to document visually apparent changes in neurological activity before and after group treatment with EFT. It also suggests that meridian tapping catalyzes durable neurological changes, as well as psychological the ones already documented in previous studies. (Full color, high-resolution images of these scans can be seen at: www.petastapleton.com).

Peta Stapleton is a clinical psychologist, associate professor and director of the clinical psychology program at Bond University, Queensland, Australia. She describes herself as having been a “mainstream clinical psychologist” until a

colleague introduced her to that “weird tapping stuff.” Since then, she and her colleagues have conducted numerous research studies documenting the efficacy of EFT for anxiety, depression, food cravings, pain and trauma. Peta is also the author of an online program for teachers called “Tapping in the Classroom.”

Having served as chairman of ACEP’s research committee for over ten years, I am intimately familiar with EP research. Yet while reading Peta’s book, I began seeing and appreciating this field with new eyes. Her love and enthusiasm for research, as well as her respect for other researchers and professionals, is palpable. The result is a book that is authoritative and evidence-based, while remaining engaging and enjoyable. For anyone interested in the science behind tapping, this is a must-read.

John Freedom, CEHP is the author of Heal Yourself with Emotional Freedom Technique, and the Chair of the ACEP Research Committee.

Continued from page 19

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The Energy Field | www.energypsych.org 21

THIS ISSUE

Words to Tap By: The Use of Language in Energy Psychology Protocols, 1

Dear ACEP: You Changed My Life, 5

From the Desk of the Executive Director, 8

Profile: Thought Field Therapy in Iraq, 10

Holding the Vision – for Energy Psychology and Beyond, 11

Moving EP into the Mainstream, 14

Research Review, 16

Book Review, 19

Taking a Breath, 22

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Taking a BreathThe Energy Field is filled with great information, which we hope you find useful. And… we also want to offer you the space to relax, let go, and allow beauty to permeate your awareness even more fully. May your days be filled with grace.

Presence

©2003 Cynthia Joba

www.cynthiajoba.com

You are invited to meditate with this image if you wish. One way to do so is to take a few deep

breaths, relax, and gaze at the image with soft eyes. Allow the colors and forms to permeate your

awareness on all levels. You can then either continue to gaze at the image or close your eyes as

you relax further. Let your experience unfold for as long as you’d like.