Trauma – Page 6 – TFT Trauma Relief

The Best PTSD Treatment?

from Psychology Today, Oct. 13, 2011, by Susan Heitler Ph.D.:

Energy Therapy Acupoint Tapping: The Best PTSD Treatment?

Vets may quickly find themselves free of PTSD with this new treatment method

PTSD, post traumatic stress disorder, is akin to choking. When food gets stuck during the process of swallowing we call it choking. When the emotions that are raised by an intensely negative experience do not get digested by the mind’s usual means (talking about it, dreaming about it, coming to a way of understanding it that makes it digestible) the negative emotions continue to emerge as quickness to anger, anxiety, marriage problems, flashbacks and other means for a very long time after the triggering incident.

Fortunately, while ptsd symptoms can be long-lasting, new energy psychology treatments can be short to administer and thorough in the relief they bring. Attempts therefore are currently underway to establish these treatment methods as standard procedures for treatment of military-induced ptsd. Still, far too many veteran treatment facilities do not yet use these new techniques.

Acupoint Stimulation: The Tapping Cure

The most intensively researched of the new energy therapies is the group of treatment methods referred to as acupoint stimulation, also known as tapping treatments. Interestingly, the techniques, though usually administered by a mental health professional, can also be self-administered as in this teaching video.

Psychologist David Feinstein PhD conducted an excellent broad metastudy of this research reviewing 3000 studies of tapping techniques. Published in the Review of General Psychology (August 12, 2012), this excellent article focused on the 50 or so studies that met Dr. Feinstein’s criteria for presenting clinical outcomes and having undergone peer review.

Dr. Feinstein concluded that EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique)* and other similar protocols for tapping with fingers on acupoint points successfully released the emotional pain associated with traumatic memories, and did so faster and more comprehensively than most traditional treatment methods:

These studies have consistently demonstrated strong effect sizes and other positive statistical results that far exceed chance after relatively few treatment sessions. Investigations in more than a dozen countries by independent research teams have all produced similar results.

Use of tapping techniques in Europe

From Norway, Mats Uldal wrote in response to initial publishing of this blogpost:

In Norway we have been treating more than 10000 people in my clinic the last 16 years. I have developed a direction of TFT called Simplified TFT with advanced questioning techniques (AQT) and I can wholeheartedly say these techniques work.

I have been doing traumawork on Kosovo war survivers, Katrina survivers in New Orleans, human trafficking survivrs in Moldavia, and violence and poverty survivers in Uganda all as part of a large-scale 2012 study. If you want the best for your clients, free yourself from your sceptisism and try for yourself. When you start using it, tapping proves itself…

The Bottom Line

Energy psychotherapies are to traditional psychotherapy as the alternative physical therapies like acupuncture are to medical treatment. We do not really know how or why they work, but the potency of their healing impacts are clearly evident.

I have written this posting in hopes that all who work with people who have suffered trauma from disasters, including vets and prisoners of war, or who suffer with chronic feelings of anxiety, anger or other negative emotions, will take these new energy psychology healing methods seriously.

*EFT is an offshoot of TFT

TFT Research in Uganda Published

Uganda TFT Class 2012 — *Uganda TFT training of local community members*

The most recent research in TFT, by R. Howard Robson, Phyll M. Robson, Roger Ludwig, Celestin Mitabu and Caitlin Phillips, has been published in “Science Publications“. Below is the abstract. For the full research paper, click here.

Effectiveness of Thought Field Therapy Provided by Newly Instructed Community Workers to a Traumatized Population in Uganda: A Randomized Trial

Abstract: Thought Field Therapy (TFT) is a promising treatment for posttraumatic stress in a resource poor environment. This study further explores the benefits of this treatment in a rural population in Uganda, which had suffered from the psychological consequences of previous violent conflict. Thirty-six local community workers received a two-day training in TFT trauma intervention and treated 256 volunteers with symptoms suggestive of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) who had been randomly allocated to a treatment or waitlist (control) group. Assessment was by the Posttraumatic Checklist for Civilians (PCL-C). One week after treatment, the treated group scores had improved significantly from 58 to 26.1. The waitlist group scores did improve without treatment, from 61.2 to 47, although significantly less than the treatment group, but improved markedly to 26.4 following treatment. There was some evidence of persisting benefit 19 months later. This study supports the value of TFT as a rapid, efficient and effective therapy, empowering traumatized communities to treat themselves, although repeated treatment may still be needed.

TFT Case Study

The following is a case study submitted by a recent TFT algorithm course graduate:

Client 1a: 1a is a 40 year old male with emotional seizures, PTSD, anxiety disorder, schizoaffective disorder. When he gets very anxious, he starts to hear voices that tell him he is no good and no one likes him; he gets flashbacks of his childhood when his father beat him.

I have known 1a for several years; he has caseworkers, a psychiatrist and a neurologist on his team. I have spoken to each of these professionals and have been encouraged to try tapping with him.

I could see that 1a was upset; his face was red and his eyes were wide and had an intense look that I recognized from past experiences. He said he was hearing voices that were telling him he was no good. I could tell he has close to having an emotional seizure. 1a had some tapping experience with a former therapist.

I did the algorithm for anxiety: e, a c.

I chose this algorithm because it was simpler and I thought it had the best chance of reducing the SUDs.

• Baseline and intermediate SUD(s) – 8

I did the simple PR first thing right off the bat, because I did not know how long I could hold 1a’s attention, and wanted to be as effective as possible as soon as possible

• Final SUD(s)

1a’s SUDs went right down to a 1

After 1a’s SUD went down to a 1, he was able to think of the myriad supporters and loved ones in his life; he was able to name his family and friends who love him; he was able to think of something he could do that day that was both good for him and fun; he was smiling. He was able to see that he could get through a tough time like he had just done.

I am very happy to have TFT in my tool kit; when 1a was so anxious, talk therapy may not have been able to reach him. Tapping was the thing that got him to readjust his body and mind.

excerpted from The Thought Field, Vol 24, Issue 10

TFT for Trauma in Belgium

Belgium Attack
The TFT Foundation offers its sincere condolences to those in Belgium affected by the recent terror attacks. Please let anyone you know that has been traumatized by this tragic event about our site, which has the instructions for the TFT trauma relief technique in 15 languages, including French. Here is the link you can pass along: www.TFTtraumarelief.com.

La fondation TFT présente ses sincères condoléances à ceux en Belgique qui ont été affectés par les récentes attaques terroristes. Faites connaître notre site s’il vous plait, à toute personne de votre connaissance traumatisée par cet événement tragique. Il contient les instructions de la technique TFT d’allègement des traumatismes dans 15 langues différentes dont le français. Voici le lien que vous pouvez diffuser largement: www.TFTtraumarelief.com.

I’m happy to announce that the TFT Foundation’s Uganda PTSD study has been published by Science Publications and will be available in print in about one month. It can now be accessed online by clicking on the title: Effectiveness of Thought Field Therapy Provided by Newly Instructed Community Workers to a Traumatized Population in Uganda: A Randomized Trial. (abstract below)

Many thanks to author Dr. R. Howard Robson for an excellent job! Much gratitude also goes to fellow research participants Phyll M. Robson, Roger Ludwig, Celestin Mitabu and Caitlin Phillips

Uganda2009-3357873875_f7331dc3f3

Abstract: Thought Field Therapy (TFT) is a promising treatment for posttraumatic stress in a resource poor environment. This study further explores the benefits of this treatment in a rural population in Uganda, which had suffered from the psychological consequences of previous violent conflict. Thirty-six local community workers received a two-day training in TFT trauma intervention and treated 256 volunteers with symptoms suggestive of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) who had been randomly allocated to a treatment or waitlist (control) group. Assessment was by the Posttraumatic Checklist for Civilians (PCL-C). One week after treatment, the treated group scores had improved significantly from 58 to 26.1. The waitlist group scores did improve without treatment, from 61.2 to 47, although significantly less than the treatment group, but improved markedly to 26.4 following treatment. There was some evidence of persisting benefit 19 months later. This study supports the value of TFT as a rapid, efficient and effective therapy, empowering traumatized communities to treat themselves, although repeated treatment may still be needed.

TFT Relief for Flood Victims in Chile

Floods at III Region, Copiapó, Chile – May 2015

by Mariela Prada, PhD

The purpose of this paper is to describe briefly the experience of one week of mental health workshops with a company’s employees and their families who were suffering from the effects of a devastating flood.

The events happened in Copiapó, Chile, located in the III Region, 800 kilometers north of Santiago, Chile. On March 23 and 24, 2015, there were 4 floods that caused much destruction. There were a lot of people who suffered damage or loss of their homes, household goods and even some deaths.

After the flood the community itself responded to the basic needs in three major groups; families, neighbors and co-workers. There were no governmental social services avail- able during the first weeks.

Considering this situation, a company asked a team of specialists to provide some help to
their workers and their families. Thought Field Therapy (TFT) was chosen as the most appropriate tool to provide a quick and effective healing experience. The group of mental health professionals asked for some advice from a TFT expert, Mariela Prada, to design an adequate trauma relief algorithm, which was part of the workshop program.

The team designed a workshop with three areas of intervention to work with them: emotional education, trauma healing tools and networking analysis. The workshop included the TFT algorithm, a relaxation routine, and a working group analysis of individual and social resources.

For a period of five days there were 8 workshops and 75 attendees who shared their experiences. They learned about trauma and learned a routine to deal with anxiety. The people followed the instructions in spite of never having seen anything similar to TFT. They practiced the TFT technique without any resistance.

They demonstrated they felt relief and gratitude. Their faces at the beginning of the workshop showed anxiety and tension. At the end of the workshop their faces showed relaxation, and some were even smiling. It is interesting to note that the therapists experienced the benefits of tapping as well. Because they were using the tapping itself during demonstrations they felt energized instead of exhausted.

The final evaluation of the workshop showed a level of success. This was a single intervention with no plan for a follow up workshop. This was a time of peace and reflection about the tragedy and time of recovery after the flood. Each one learned something useful and maybe they will use tapping again.

excerpted from “The Thought Field,” Vol. 24, Issue 10