Category: Trauma

TFT Healing at 20th Anniversary of Rwanda Genocide

 

Since the year 2004, 10 years after the Rwanda genocide took place, April 7 has become an annual Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Rwanda Genocide. The commemoration actually lasts the entire month of April and commemorates the deaths of 800,000 people who were murdered during the 1994 genocide. Celestin Mitabu is a TFT practitioner and trainer who is dedicated to relieving the suffering of his fellow Rwandans. The video above is a synopsis of how he and others helped heal trauma with TFT during the 2014 commemoration, the 20th anniversary of the genocide.

Following is a further description:

By Celestin Mitabu, TFT Trainer, Greats Lakes, Rwanda:

During the first week of the commemoration on 7th 4/2014 we send our team to Amahoro National Stadium to help people. Many of our therapist that served at Amahoro stadium are University Students survivals of the Genocide known as ARG. TFT–Have trained many of the ARG students and we have been working well with them and they are very committed to help people during this time.

We have a total number of 184 TFT therapists who helped people during this period of commemoration, and they have been giving me daily reports after every treatment. I have received many encouraging reports from practitioners….We are planning to have a common meeting at the end of the commemoration which will include all 184 therapists and we will hear testimonies because they treated many people and they have different testimonies. Some told me that after treatment some of the clients asked them contacts so that they will meet another time which to me is very good.

Sandrine told me that when she was treating some one in Nyamirambo Stadium there came a Medical Doctor working with the Ministry of Health he is an Egyptian man he was like confused while watching Sandrine practicing TFT until he told her to leave the client alone, but Nancy, who is in charge of Mental Health at the Ministry of Health, told Sandrine to continue and the results was positif at the end.

Last year during the commemoration, TFT started at the grass root level (Villages, Cells, Sectors, and Districts), but this year we started at the National level (National Stadium of Amahoro, Regional Stadium of Nyamirambo, and famer site of Nyanz Kicukiro among others). Last year, because we started at the lower level wherever we went, TFT controlled the treatment, but this year, because we started from the top and were mixed with different teams (Medical Doctors, Mental Health agent, different Humanitarian Organizations: Ibuka, CNLG, Haguruka, etc.), we all worked under the control and protocol  of the Ministry of Health. That is why, before starting to get involved in the treatments at the top level, we applied to the Ministry in charge and CNLG for recognition. And we did the TFT Campaign ahead of the treatment, and the campaign was taken to the Universities where you find people that are in charge of the Humanitarian work/helping.

Another great thing that we did during this first commemoration week is that  I taught TFT to two different Rwanda Community Radios: Musanze/Ruhengeri Community Radio and Rubavu/Gisenyi community Radio. Each Radio station gave me one hour and fifteen minutes. The topic was Trauma Control. At Musanze, I was interviewed by a journalist first to tell the listeners what TFT means and how it came about. Then how we do our activities and what are the results. Then I taught the Trauma Algorithm. I told them about the Major treatments of trauma, the 9G , 2 reversals, and how to set the SUD. Our listeners called us asking questions for help. They are still calling. At the end of the teaching, the chief Editor requested if we can have a permanent teaching on the Radio, saying the teachings are very relevant and appropriate to the event.

From Musanze/Ruhengeri we went to Rubavu, which is a different District, and we had the same teachings and the same methodologies, but we were interviewed by the Chef Editor and another Journalist. After teaching we were asked more questions by the Journalist and listeners–more than the first interview. At the end, the Chef Editor said to us it would be good for every village in Rwanda to have at least two therapist trained in TFT.

To us this is a great achievement, to spend 2hrs and 30 minutes teaching TFT on different Radio stations and have million(s) listening to us, especially that the teachings took place at 5:00 and 8:00, when everybody is at home after work relaxing.

Some of the pictures taken from the studio, it as still day time but the second teachings at Rubavu /Ruhengeri it was night and pictures are dork but the journalist who is working for our documentary told me that he will add light to those night pictures.

 

TFT Efficacy Following Large Scale Traumatic Events

journalphotoTHOUGHT FIELD THERAPY EFFICACY FOLLOWING LARGE SCALE TRAUMATIC EVENTS

Ann L. Dunnewold

Abstract

Thought Field Therapy Efficacy Following Large Scale Traumatic Events: Description of Four Studies Thought Field Therapy (TFT) has been shown to reduce symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress (PTS) with trauma survivors in four studies in Africa.

In a 2006 preliminary study, orphaned Rwandan adolescents, who reported ongoing trauma symptoms since the 1994 genocide, were treated with TFT. A 2008 Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) examined the efficacy of TFT treatments facilitated by Rwandan Community leaders in reducing PTS symptoms in adult survivors of the 1994 genocide.

Results of the 2008 study were replicated in a second RCT in Rwanda in 2009. A fourth RCT in Uganda (in preparation for submission) demonstrated significant differences in a third community leader-administered TFT treatment. The studies described here suggest that one-time, community leader-facilitated TFT interventions may be beneficial with protracted PTS in genocide survivors.

To view the full article from Science Publications, click here. 

Cite this Article: Dunnewold, A.L., 2014. Thought field therapy efficacy following large scale traumatic events. Curr. Res. Psychol., 5: 34-39.

excerpted from Science Publications, Current Research in Psychology. Volume 5, Issue 1

TFT and Loss of a Child

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The following is a case study submitted to Joanne Callahan as part of TFT-Dx certification:

Case Study:

Female in her mid 30’s: lost her son at the age of 4 due to a rare genetic disorder less than a year ago. It is coming up on the first anniversary of his death. He was completely dependent on his mother and was not mobile at all. Fed by tube feeding, suction machines and continuous 24/7 care. Diagnosis was given with an undefined outcome of not knowing what each day would hold and the outcome being death.

So her life was a ticking time bomb for 4 years.

Current condition: She was feeling anxiety and fear of not knowing, not knowing how she will cope with the first anniversary. Anger for losing her son in the first place, why did this happen to her??

Algorithms used – Complex trauma with anger and guilt and she went from a 10 to 3.5.

I then corrected for level two reversal and repeated the algorithms. Ending SUD was a ZERO- there was no feeling of anxiety when thinking of the first anniversary or thinking of his death.

We finished off with ER- Floor to ceiling eye roll.

Comments: Client B was nervous and found it extremely difficult to hum the tune of Happy Birthday in the beginning. She fought back tears and somewhat choking in her throat. Her SUD dropped steadily and with a great response.

I found that she was humming without a prompt and more ease, without me having to remind her to hum the tune. No evidence of PR or Apex problems and she was extremely open to the treatment and findings.

During the treatment Client was swaying from side to side, she felt at peace, light and carefree.

Excerpted from “The Thought Field”, Volume 23, Issue 3

TFT Relieving a Mother’s Trauma

Jennifer Harp is a graduate of the TFT Boot Camp. Following is the story of her first experience with using TFT to facilitate healing:

Sara is a 45 year old mother of two daughters, age 15 and age 13, as well as one son, age 17. She resides in Wyoming with her live-in boyfriend and her daughters. Her son resides with his biological father in Florida. Sara has endured a lengthy history of sexual, physical, emotional and mental abuse at the hands of her biological father from ages 5-18.

She was later assaulted physically by numerous boyfriends as an adult. Her ex-husband raped her on numerous occasions. Her grief was compounded 8 months ago when she was told by her daughter that her son sexually molested her on a visit to Florida last summer. Her son is currently undergoing criminal proceedings for the assault. Sara sought counseling 5 months ago to assist her in managing her feelings of despair, shame and anger.

In working with her, I utilized the algorithm of complex trauma with anger and guilt [editor’s note: the protocol taught on this blog] to address her thought field of the perpetration of her daughter by her son. I chose the algorithm for two reasons 1.) it was my first time using TFT in my own practice and I was more confident with the technique 2.) I thought that this would be a good place to begin with her symptoms of intense trauma as the algorithms have been tested and proven with so many clients.

Prior to going through the sequence, her SUDS level was a 10 on a scale of 1-10. After the first time of using the tapping sequence she experienced a reduction in SUDS to an 8. At this time, we corrected for specific reversal by adding the karate chop [sh: side-of-hand] to the beginning of the sequence. After this process her SUDS dropped to a 5. Another correction for recurring reversal was added to the sequence by rubbing the sore spot, this dropped the SUDS to a 2. The 9 gamut sequence was provided and then repeated the sequence of complex trauma with anger and guilt. To finish, a floor to ceiling eye roll was facilitated. Sara’s final SUDS level was a 1 [no symptom].

No identifiable toxins were detected with Sara.

Upon administering this treatment, Sara commented that the technique was “unbelievable.” It took her several minutes to be able to identify her final SUDS level as she “could not feel it anymore.” Sara continues to tap on a daily basis with various algorithms as required for her symptoms.

Sara was the first client that I had utilized the TFT techniques with. It was remarkable the immediate relief that she felt in 7 minutes of TFT therapy that she did not receive in 2 months of cognitive behavioral therapy prior to the algorithms. Sara and I frequently tap in session; I use both TFT diagnostic and algorithms to address her symptomology.

Jennifer Harp LPC-850, Northern Star Counseling, LLC, Cheyenne, WY 82001

TFT: The Missing Link

Figure 1. A representation of the medical model conceptualisation of the relationship between “symptoms” and “treatment.”
Figure 1. A representation of the medical model conceptualisation of the relationship between “symptoms” and “treatment.”

Thought Field Therapy – The missing link to effective trauma-informed care and practice

By Christopher Semmens Clinical Psychologist Perth, Western Australia

All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident. Arthur Schopenhauer

There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things. Niccolo Machiavlli

Trauma- informed care and practice is a framework for the provision of services for mental health clients that originated in the early 1990s and has especially been put forth as a sensible service model since Harris and Fallot’s 2001 publication Using trauma theory to design service systems. Trauma-informed care can be seen to be characterised by three main considerations in regard to the provision of treatment services:

  1. That they incorporate a recognition of the reality that there is a high incidence of traumatic stress in those presenting for mental health care services.
  2. That a comprehensive understanding of the significant psychological, neurological, biological and social manifestation of traumatic and violent experiences can have on a person.
  3. That the care provided to these clients in recognising these effects is collaborative, skill-based and supportive.

In Australia these ideas were the focus of a consciousness raising conference: Trauma-Informed Care and Practice: Meeting the Challenge conducted by the Mental Health Coordinating Council in Sydney in June 2011. The conference was part of an initiative towards a national agenda to promote the philosophy of trauma-informed care to be integrated into practice across service systems throughout Australia.

It has only really been since studies such as Continue reading “TFT: The Missing Link”

Resolving Trauma Without Painful Reliving

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Resolving Trauma Without Painful Reliving

By John Plester

I was doing some supervision work with a newly qualified hypnotherapist this morning who was talking through a complex case study that had involved hypnotic regression to the initial sensitizing event in order to reprocess past trauma, and he was expressing the difficulties encountered with the client who was reluctant and guarded in going back to the initial traumatic event. This reminded me of the old days pre TFT, when this kind of method was the most effective way to work with such events. I felt a sense of relief that this exhaustive and sometimes complex methodology was something I rarely had to do anymore.

I was reminded of a client I did some intensive work with before Christmas. This was a complex case with multiple layers of trauma and abuse spanning over 40 years.

In particular, she reported a possible sexual abuse event, that she had an instinct that it had occurred, but had no memory of the event. She did report a strong negative emotion whenever she was in the company of men with pony tails but had no idea why she had such a dislike. There was no negative memory consciously of any event occurring with a character with a pony tail.

In the old hypnotherapy way of working, we would have had to induce deep trance to regress back to any initial event, that if found would have been most disturbing. It would also be questionable whether the unconscious would have permitted such access to a memory, because after all, if there was an event the unconscious mind was clearly protecting her from it.

Furthermore, false memory syndrome could have created an event, that might not have actually happened and there has been much reported cases such as this in the media in recent years. Finally, if there was an event and it was identified through hypnotic regression, then there would be a lot of work required to reprocess this event in such a way as to ensure it was dealt with.

Fortunately, TFT came to the rescue, in particular diagnostic TFT. All that was required was to tune into the thought field around the possible abuse and the whole men with pony tail feeling, sure enough diagnostic TFT revealed that there were perturbations in those thought fields and revealed a number of sequences, unsurprising beginning of the eyebrow for trauma and Index finger for guilt and under eye for fear appeared in the sequence.

TFT enabled me to deal with this completely within 30 minutes with no need to go back and uncover any traumatic past events.

Needless to say the client was amazed at the speed and the fact we could do the work without detailed knowledge of the event. A couple of weeks after our session, I received a call from her partner who thanked me for the work I had done and told me how much she had changed. Truly transformational work that as TFT therapist, I often take for granted, as this is expected. However this case reminded me of the true gift of diagnostic TFT to surprise and amaze when working with some of the most complex cases.

I am eternally grateful to Paul McKenna who originally introduced me to TFT when I used to assist him on his NLP training courses in the late 90’s and early 2000’s and of course both Roger and Joanne whom I had the good fortune to have been able to train extensively with over the years. TFT truly transformed my therapy practice when I introduced it into my interventions back then, now I have the privilege of being able to share my experiences and learning when I train the TFT Boot Camps in the UK for other therapists to help their clients in a similar way.

Excerpted from “The Thought Field”, Vol. 23, Issue 1