Category: stress

TFT Relieves 16-Year Old’s Trauma from Uganda Massacre

Photo-AfricanFace19094933.thbSuzanne Connolly, LCSW, TFT-Adv, shares the following story from the ATFT Foundation‘s recent mission to Rwanda:

Kamal holds his hands to his head and says with wonder, “It’s gone! I can’t remember it!” He jumps up and gives me a hug and won’t let go. He dances around the room so we dance around the room hugging tight.

Kamal is 16 and been through more than anyone of any age should have to go through. He was born while his mother was still studying at the University so he lived with his mother’s sister.

When Kamal was three years old his mother died. When he was six his aunt, the only mother he had known, was killed, leaving him and his cousin Abdul orphaned.

He and Abdul were sent to a refugee camp in Uganda and while there he witnessed a horrific massacre. Until now he could never get it out of his mind, and he felt constant sadness and could trust no one. He thought anyone could change at any moment and kill him. He lived in constant fear of danger.

“I know it happened still” he says, “but I can’t think about it!” “Oh I am so happy!” Thank you!  Thank you” “Murakoze.”  He hugs me again and we do the dance for the second time. He finally lets go and we say good bye.

I see Kamal later in the school yard. He has changed to a dress shirt and walks like he has springs attached to his feet. Sometimes he almost skips. He comes back to thank me once again.

It is great to be able to share this moment with Kamal, and to be able to share it, like so many moments, with you. So many beautiful moments shared here in Rwanda, thanks to TFT and the wonderful ATFT members who have contributed to this mission.

There are so many stories, Kamal’s (not his real name, of course) only the most recent.

To go to Suzanne’s blog about this mission to Rwanda, click here.

TFT After Cougar Attack

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Martin Law, C.Psych, describes how he used the TFT trauma technique to relieve his wife’s severe trauma after having witnessed the killing of their dog by a cougar:

It was a beautiful Fall Saturday in November 2001 when my wife (Viv) decided to go for a walk into a forested area close to our acreage west of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Our one year old Samoyed dog (Nakoda) happily trotted along with her.

One of our twin sons (David) tagged along as well, then decided to turn around for home after walking for 75 metres. To this day we are thankful that he chose to turn back for home.

About a half-hour into her walk a flash of light brown came bolting from behind a tree, knocked Viv to the ground, suddenly did a 90 degree turn and pounced on Nakoda.

Totally stunned and bewildered, Viv stood up to witness the cougar mauling Nakoda. The sights and sounds of Nakoda’s death were seared into Viv’s brain as she began to take in what was happening. In a panic she fled the scene, feeling helpless, confused and disoriented, as well as guilty for leaving her beloved dog to the mercy of this wild animal.

I was with our oldest son 60 kilometres away at a tennis tournament when all this took place. Fortunately, a distant neighbour who lived close to the site of the attack was home when Viv came crashing through the bush. He drove Viv home.

While this was a short drive, Viv was panicking, not knowing if David had made it home safely. Fortunately he had and for the rest of the day, Viv and our twins stayed with our neighbour until I got home.

Up until this time, we had no idea that cougars would be anywhere near our acreage. We later deduced that this particular cougar had actually been prowling around our home!!

When I arrived home, I heard the whole story. Not surprisingly, Viv was incredibly shaken up. We talked about what happened and I basically followed the standard protocols for defusing following a critical incident (per the Jeff Mitchell CISM model).

That evening Viv could not sleep, with classic flashbacks to the event, a re-living of the sights and sounds of Nakoda’s last minutes. The next day we Continue reading “TFT After Cougar Attack”

TFT Relieves Autistic Boy’s Terror of Water

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By Mary Cowley, PhD, TFT-VT:

During a family vacation last week, I had the opportunity to share the miracle of TFT with another family whose son was severely traumatized by water. The following account was written by my son, Rick Cowley, who witnessed the event:

Last week we had a family reunion on the island of Kauai. One day my mom and sister and I walked down to the local beach where we met my wife and 4 year old daughter. One corner of this beach has a man made sea wall which blocks the waves and makes for a perfectly calm and safe children’s pool about 50 feet in diameter. The bottom is sand. The depth varies with the tides and this day it was about 18 inches deep.

Deep enough for my daughter to swim around a bit, and then stand up whenever and wherever she wanted to.

We were sitting on the beach and noticed a father holding his son’s hand and running up and down along the water’s edge. The boy looked about 3 years old. He was screaming the whole way. I couldn’t tell if the screaming was excitement or panic. The father saw us watching them and said to us as they ran by us, “He’s afraid of the water.” So it was definitely a panicked scream.

My mom said to me, “TFT would probably help that boy.”

After a few laps the mother brought the boy into 8 inch deep water, sat down and held him in her lap. This time there was no mistaking his scream: sheer terror. He fought and struggled and screamed and kicked while his mom grappled him and tried to reassure him that it was okay in the water. His dad was playing in the pool with his baby brother, who was thoroughly enjoying the water.

It was obvious that his parents were determined to help him overcome his fear, but I was afraid that the trauma of being forced to endure the water was going to have the opposite effect. (I teach surfing and many of my adult students confess to me that they are terrified of the water because of some traumatic childhood experience in the ocean.)

We talked for a few more minutes but we couldn’t help but watch the struggle in front of us.

I said to my mom, “Why don’t you go see if you can help them with TFT?”

My mom got up and walked over to the mother, still sitting in shallow water, pinning her screaming son to her lap. My mom leaned over and talked with them for a moment and then motioned a tapping sequence which the mom did on the kicking and screaming boy.

I was really curious what would happen right then with the boy. After the sequence, while the mother and my mom were talking, the boy broke free and ran to higher ground. My mom kept talking with her for a few minutes.

I’m fairly skeptical of TFT. For myself I’ve experienced both good results and no results. At first I was disappointed that the boy didn’t calm down immediately and sit with his mom in the water. “It didn’t work,” I thought, “bummer…”

What unfolded during the next few minutes however was a miracle.

The boy stayed higher up for a few minutes playing in the sand while his mom and my mom talked, and his dad and baby brother played in the water.

Then the boy began approaching the water of his own volition, at first going in just up to ankle deep. His dad saw this and began enticing him by holding out a bucket of water for him to take. The boy slowly walked out in knee deep water to his dad.

This kid 5 minutes before was screaming in terror at running in wet sand. After one TFT sequence he was walking out by himself in knee deep water!

The whole family happily played in the pool together for the next 30 minutes.

Mary Cowley: I learned from the mother that her son was also autistic. I only had time to show her the first 4 tapping points before he jumped off her lap onto the sand. As I was teaching her how to finish the technique so she could try it with him later, we noticed he was in the water, happily playing with his Dad! Needless to say, the mother was ecstatic to see this profound shift in her son–and I was grateful for the opportunity to share and witness TFT’s healing power once again.

TFT Relieves Rwandan Orphan’s Fear of the Dark

Dr. Caroline Sakai describes how TFT relieved the terrifying fear of the dark that kept a Rwandan orphan from playing–and how he showed his profound gratitude. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbqsJFBZloQ&feature=channel_page&rel=0]

This boy was one of 400 Rwandan orphans, including survivors of the 1994 genocide, who greeted the ATFT Foundation trauma relief team with song:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IW74_sMl2k&feature=channel_page&rel=0]

TFT Helps Suicidal Young Man

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Retired fireman Bruce Ramsay describes how TFT relieved a suicidal man’s depression and trauma:

I have taught TFT algorithms to over two hundred people in native communities. They range from psychologists to elders, social workers, addiction counselors, nurses, fire fighters, tribal police officers and community members and leaders. It is very well accepted and the requests keep coming for more training.

I was recently back in a community where I had done the training previously and again a lady showed up who had had the Algorithm course. She said she came back to refresh and practice. She told a wonderful story of a suicidal young man who she had done TFT with.

He had come in depressed and traumatized and since they had no mental health facility the intake person had called for transport from the closest facility. My student heard about him, went and did TFT and by the time the transport arrived he was calm, reasoned and eating a meal with some elders.

The transport team had a mental health person and she examined the young man and declined to take him saying she could find no distress in him at all. He is doing fine and now volunteers at the elder center and is back in school. Says he wants to be a social worker.

Thank you again Dr. Callahan. TFT is amazing. It amazes me almost weekly. I will continue teaching it as long as I am able. Your vision at giving me this opportunity has been realized in many native communities and the word spreads. Your gift to all of us is truly wonderful. I have used it thousands of times to help others.