If you feel no relief, or only partial relief, after completing the TFT trauma relief technique, do the “collarbone breathing” technique (click here)–and then repeat the TFT trauma technique. If still no relief, please ask questions on this blog. We will answer you as soon as possible. If you’d like a list of TFT practitioners for consultation, click here. Those with the designation “TFT-VT” or “TFT-Adv” can work over the phone.
Getting different instructions from various people. Some say..Speak aloud positive statements regarding the ailment; here, you say just think about it before doing tapping. Which is best?
I followed your instructions twice and didn’t notice a reduction in pain
In Thought Field Therapy you only need to think about the problem with the intent of being over it, before you tap. The trauma relief algorithm given on this blog is for trauma, not pain. TFT has other algorithms for pain. You could read Dr. Callahan’s book “Tapping the Healer Within” for other algorithms. Or work with a TFT practitioner (see http://www.atft.org/membership-directory.html). Practitioners trained in diagnostics (TFT-Dx) can help even when standard algorithms don’t.
Thank you I will continue to utilize the technique and information
Please let us know if it helps.
Hello Mary,
I have been following along with your video and it is very helpful. Thank you!
That’s great to hear, Martha!
Hello, I first studied TFT 12 years ago and now getting back into practice and updating my skills, it is an amazing therapy and look forward to meeting new people at the upcoming training courses.
TFT has greatly evolved in the last 12 years. I encourage you to go to another training course so you can catch up on the new developments. They’re very exciting!
Hi I have purchased Roger callahans book tapping the healer within. I bought it a while back & i have tried many times to work on pain i have followed all his instructions and nothing is working for me at all. I have tried so many times & nothing at all no change pain has remianed at 9-10. what else can i do.
Hello. First of all, if there’s an organic cause of the pain, TFT will not remove the pain as it’s the body’s way of letting us know there’s a problem. If you’ve checked this out, and the algorithms in Dr. Callahan’s book are not working for you, I highly recommend that you talk to a diagnostically trained TFT practitioner. When the algorithms don’t work, the person often needs a sequence diagnosed specifically for her with the specific problem.
There also may be Individual Energy Toxins (IET’s) involved. A diagnostically trained practitioner should be able to determine what they are so that you can avoid them, freeing your body’s own healing system to function more effectively. You can find a list of diagnostically trained TFT practitioners at http://www.atft.org/member-directory/. Look for the designations TFT-Dx, TFT-Adv, and TFT-VT. The latter two can work with you over the phone. TFT-VT is the highest level of training.
I hope you find relief soon and encourage you to pursue TFT at the diagnostics level. It has had remarkable success with relieving pain.
Hi Mary,
Thank you so much for this site. I have CFS, brought about thru chronic stress i believe. How do i resolve this …..what do i focus on…..the illness or all the events leading up to it…..traumas in childhood OR the traumas that perpetuated it…..teenagers acting out very destructivley OR just the illnesss itself….no energy to have a life.
TFT does not treat diagnosed illnesses. It is very effective, however, in relieving the stress that research has demonstrated makes us vulnerable to illness. You already have a very good idea of what to focus on while using the technique. You can try it with all past traumas and memorable upsets. You can also focus on your current symptoms, which understandably cause more stress. We know of no instance where doing this TFT technique causes any harm so you can use it with whatever thoughts bring you distress. You might also want to read “Tapping the Healer Within” by Dr. Roger Callahan to learn more about TFT, beyond the one technique taught in this blog. Dr. Callahan’s most recent book, “Tapping the Body’s Energy Pathways”, is a compilation of stories about how TFT has been used to heal trauma, anxiety and disease. Wishing you excellent health and vitality!
I appreciated the information provided. I have had some success with EFT (for myself and patients), but TFT may have some additional “pieces of the puzzle.” And, Dr. Cowley was very personable and helpful in the video.
I suggest that, while going through the procedures, one keep alert for “indicators,” such as deeper breathing, sighs, yawns, tearing of eyes, a sense of a mental shift (see Gendlin and the “Focusing” technique)..which communicate to us that the process is occurring. Very helpful during other processes, such as psychotherapy and hypnotherapy, too. These phenomena (or signs) equate to neurofeedback which is an invaluable part of such processes.
In Thought Field Therapy you only need to think about the problem with the intent of being over it, before you tap.
I find this aspect of the technique to be very interesting. Some other “tapping” approaches seem to have very complicated preliminaries. What success I have had with similar methods have involved what Dr. Eugene Gendlin spoke of as a “felt sense” of the problem. Nothing complicated at all.
I will finish by saying that these approaches can be a powerful adjunct to regular psychotherapy and to, say, NLP and hypnotherapy. They give the other techniques “extra punch,” and the results can be very dramatic. E.g., I worked on a patient with fear of heights, and we were both surprised to see maybe 80% of the anxiety gone after a half-hour of work. Good luck!!
Thank you for your comments, Dr. Halle. Although somewhat similar, as EFT is an offshoot of TFT, the two approaches differ in a few ways. I’ll only mention the main one here, which is that if a particular standardized sequence does not relieve a person’s upset or stress, someone trained in TFT diagnostics can diagnose the specific sequence needed for that person in that particular thought field, similar to a key fitting into a lock.
The “indicators” you mention are fascinating to observe. Often there is also more color that comes to the face. All of them suggest an unblocking of energy, enabling a freer flow of information in the mind-body-spirit system.
Thinking about the problem is like tuning into a particular radio station that carries its own unique frequency and energy matrix. The “perturbations” or blocks in this matrix are then detected through diagnostics and subsumed or released through the determined sequence and technique. Some diagnosed sequences have been so successful with specific problems shared by many people, that they have been standardized into algorithms that are more accessible to more people without the necessitation of diagnostics.
Yes, TFT is a powerful adjunct to other kinds of therapy, both psychological and medical. We have many TFT trainees from the fields of allopathic and holistic medicine, as well as varied psychological healing arts and transformational approaches.
I would imagine that certain key principles found in other branches of alternative medicine are applicable with TFT, such as the importance of “intention;” how an experienced therapist brings not only technique and experience but something like “additional energy” or “consciousness” to the table; and a safe, “space” wherein change can occur.
The “being” of the therapist always effects the space and energy of a therapeutic session. At the same time, as demonstration of the power of the technique itself, TFT can often be done very effectively without the presence of a “therapist”, a fact that encouraged the development of this blog and its efforts to relieve the effects of trauma, allowing for greater peace and fulfillment in the world.
What if the problem is, none of this stuff works for me? (stuff being any technique to help oneself) I am not effective at doing things?
I feel as I am in a bit of a catch 22 whereas my problems are programs that have built in defense mechanisms. I am sure that you have the expertise to handle these kind of self protecting problems. Thanks in advance.
What you describe sounds like what Dr. Roger Callahan, the founder of TFT, refers to as “psychological reversal”. And yes, TFT can handle that. The TFT technique that corrects it in most cases is simply tapping the side of the hand (where you would do a karate chop) about 20 times. Sometimes you also need to tap under the nose about 20 times. You can do this before doing any other technique or even whenever you think of it throughout the day. A TFT practitioner who does diagnostics (Dx or VT levels) can help you determine what might be causing the reversal. You can find a list of practitioners at http://www.TFTpractitioners.net.
I give you and your foundation a standing ovation for the work you are doing amongst trauma survivors in Africa. I am still at the beginning of my learning journey with Energy Psychology, but working with trauma, with children, and more specifically in the developing world is a huge passion of mine too, I have worked with abandoned and disadvantaged children for over 10 years and also spent a year in Mozambique, Thank you for making this information available to as many people as possible. On with my learning… in the hope that I will have opportunity to put these valuable tools to good use in ways that resemble your fine example!
We thank you for your acknowledgment. It’s wonderful that you’re learning how to include this powerful healing technique in your work with traumatized children. If you’d like a schedule of TFT trainings, you can go to http://www.rogercallahan.com/training.php. We wish you well with your inspiring endeavors!
HI, WOuld you be able to clarify the location of the collarbone point for me please? Where is it in relation to the joint where the collarbone joins the sternum? Is it just immediately under the collarbone but out where it’s soft? When I measure on me I seem to end up a long way to the side compared to the video. I have the book Tapping the Healer Within book and am having variable success. Some things just go and others don’t. I am certainly a complex case but even so am finding little bits of freedom I haven’t had in years! For that I am grateful. Thanks for the video I can see I could tap a bit more gently than I have been. Megan
Hi Megan. Did you watch the video demonstrating the cb2 technique? The location is described there as well as shown. Simply, go down the front of the neck with your finger. When you reach the v-notch of the collarbone, go down about 1″ and over to either side about 1″. It does soften a bit there. Don’t be too concerned about getting the exact spot. If you’re using a few fingers to touch, you’re probably covering it.
We’re glad to hear that you’re finding some freedom through TFT. If you’d like personal consultation you can look for a TFT practitioner at http://www.tftpractitioners.net.
These “indicators” also generally equate to a shift from a SNS (Sympathetic Nervous System) to PNS (Parasympathetic Nervous System) dominance. For those of us living in a pretty intensely competitive, stressful world, this is “just what the doctor ordered.” What I mean to say is that not only does this shift suggest one is on the “right track” in therapy, but one is more generally addressing stress (and supporting the human immune system). Finally, for those diagnosed with hypertension, pretty much any techniques which move one in this direction (psychotherapy, meditation, TFT/EFT, chiropractic, etc.), along with some supplements, could prove helpful.
Thank you for your comment. Indeed, TFT has been found to be exceptionally effective in balancing the ANS (Autonomic Nervous System) as demonstrated by Heart Rate Variability (HRV).
I am delighted. I experienced a most challenging period of my life when my 25 year marriage ended at vert short notice six months ago. i am just getting to a better place and have now started “tapping” – i am feeling better . I am doing the tapping exercise (following the video sequence) first thing in the morning and last thing at night. Thank you. David
davidjenkinson@icloud.com
22 Artesian Rd
London W2 5DA
UK
Dear David, thank you for sharing how TFT is helping you. Doing it on a regular basis as you are, is an effective way to use it. Hope to hear from you again.
I have extremly a lot of tramatic events in my life and I feel as if my mind and health are in jeopardy I’m trying to runaway from the damage it causes me. I’m really exhausted and I would like to know what to do.
i did that long time a go no result anything else.
Did you also try the collarbone breathing technique, then repeat the TFT trauma relief technique? If still no relief, I recommend you consult with a TFT practitioner. You can find a list of them and their locations at http://www.TFTpractitioners.net.
As a holistic practitioner for more than twenty years, with grounding in a number of diff. traditions, I would like to comment.
1. Absolutely rule out any organic problems, such as infection.
2. Though TFT/EFT technique can often work as a kind of emotional problem short-cut, some problems are best handled with psychotherapy and other “processing techniques.”
3. My experience is that if a present “cranio-sacral” problem is handled first, the TFT protocols work MUCH BETTER. Same with acupuncture, incidentally. C-S problems tend to very significantly disrupt the nervous system (NS), mak-ing the use of “subtle” techniques somewhat problematic. Let me be more specific. If you are very stressed out (and stuck in an obsessive pattern), and are suffering from a serious headache, TFT or acupuncture may provide some relief. Yet, a better course of action–generally speaking–would be to have an osteopath or chiropractic doctor first adjust the cervical spine…then turn to the TFT process.
4. When you have had some experiences with TFT, I suggest you observe closely what works for you. People vary, and a few notes along these lines could prove most helpful “down the road.”
5. Another technique which may be helpful is drawn from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). This very simple process involves your quickly and lightly massaging your arms and legs, up and down, to stimulate the Chinese acupuncture channels. This tends to help unblock energy and shift one from old patterns (“being stuck”). It will also tend to energize you and enhance initiative, which many of us find we lack at times. When I find myself very sluggish in the morning and can hardly move myself to rise from the bed, I will resort to this process…along with some TFT moves…and also some material drawn from Applied Kinesiology and EMDR. Next thing, I’m out of bed and into the kitchen or bathroom…and things are “working” again. I encourage you to “get creative” in using various techniques.
Thank you for your suggestions. The purpose of this blog is to promote peace and relieve suffering by predominantly focusing on trauma. It is not meant to be a comprehensive TFT or healing site, which would inhibit its accessibility to all the traumatized people in the world who have no access to professional help. We’ve had exceptional success relieving the debilitating effects of trauma throughout the world with just the simple TFT trauma relief technique taught on this site, in 14 languages so far. It can be done successfully by anyone, regardless of age, education, and “expertise,” which demonstrates the power of TFT, even at this simple level. In our instructions we recommend that if someone does not find enough relief after completing all the steps, they consult with a professional practitioner.
Will this technique work for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ?
It may help relieve the symptoms of OCD. Try doing the trauma technique and the collarbone breathing technique a few times a day for a few days and see if you experience any relief. You may need to consult with a practitioner who’s been trained in diagnostics. Go to http://www.tftpractitioners.net to find a practitioner.