Introduction to
Thought Field Therapy
by Barbara Stone, Ph.D.
Fear is at the root of most psychological disorders.
Anxiety is its offspring, and trauma is its sequel.
Healing from these disorders is often a long, painful journey. But
a new, powerful treatment called Thought Field Therapy
has developed a method of eliminating these painful emotions
and related physical symptoms by tapping on a series of
specific energy meridian points that correspond to the
internal
organs affected by these disorders.
Oriented Medicine mapped out the energy lines for each
organ thousands of years ago. Just as a house has a wiring
diagram with an energy line to each room, the body has a
wiring diagram with energy flowing to each organ through
a pathway called a "meridian." Everybody
knows that fear locks up the stomach. Thought Field
Therapy gives us the key to unlock the stomach by gently
tapping on a point on the stomach meridian.
TFT treats the same acupoints as acupuncture; however,
rather than puncturing the point with a needle, TFT simply
taps
gently on the point a few times. Incredible emotional
relief can come from this simple treatment, which helps
dissolve the imbalances in energy which created the disturbing
emotions in the he first place.
This new energy psychotherapy, developed by psychologist
Dr. Roger Callahan, utilizes applied kinesiology to detect
the presence of limiting beliefs, meridian imbalances,
and
neurological disorganization. Treatment with this
simple method appears to be too good to be true. However,
the quick and lasting Therapeutic results of Thought Field
Therapy have brought this new "power therapy" to
the attention of therapists all over the country.
About the author:
Dr. Barbara
Stone, a bilingual psychotherapist working in Spanish and
English at Harrington Memorial Hospital
in Southbridge, Massachusetts, and in private practice,
provides training in the Meridian System and Thought Field
Therapy, Levels I, II, and III. She studied Thought
Energy Synchronization Therapies with Gregory Nicosia,
Ph.D.., and is trained at the diagnostic level. Dr.
Stone's book, Cancer as Initiation: Surviving the
Fire is the autobiography of her personal experience with
breast cancer seven years ago. Dr. Stone holds a
Ph.D.. in Clinical Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute
in Carpinteria, California. You
can reach her via email at mcstone@ma.ultranet.com.
TFT Practioner:
Dr.
Daphne
Stevens
is
a
practioner
of
Thought
Field
Therapy.
If
you
are
interested
in
this
therapeutic
approach
or
feel
you
could
benefit
from
it,
please
contact
Daphne
by
email
at daphne@daphnestevens.com.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
(EMDR)
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
is a revolutionary approach to the treatment of anxiety,
stress,
mood disorders, and trauma-related problems like Post Traumatic
Stress Disorder (PTSD). It is effective, powerful
in its capacity to bring immediate and lasting relief,
and it
is generally non-invasive. In order for EMDR to be
effective, the patient, who has often been "therapized
to death" in search of relief, can choose how much or
how little s/he wants to talk about the actual memories and
events which
perpetuate
the distress.
EMDR was created by Francine Shapiro, a clinical psychologist
who made a rather serendipitous discovery when she realized
that certain repetitive eye movements gave her instant
relief from anxiety and troublesome thoughts. As she
continued to test the method on others, she discovered that
they almost universally experienced relief from symptoms when
she directed them in simple eye movements. They reported
relief from depression, anxiety, traumatic memories, obsessive
thinking, intractable guilt and grief, and a host of other
conditions treated regularly by psychotherapists.
EMDR is based on the theory that symptoms are caused by traumatic
memories that get stored in short term memory instead of
in
long term memory. When we remember a painful event that
occurred a long time ago, we generally feel a tinge of sadness
or regret, but we see the whole situation, too--ways that
we have grown from the event, happy memories of the person
who has died, etc. We see it in the larger context
of our entire life.
When an event is stored in short term memory, no matter how
long ago the actual event happened, it causes the symptoms
associated with ongoing, immediate trauma. Chronic anxiety,
re-living of the event through flashbacks, nightmares, poor
concentration, an intensified "startle" response,
guilt, inability to think toward the future without fear of
another traumatic event, are all symptoms of Post Traumatic
Stress Disorder. Although PTSD is often associated
with life events such as war, rape, natural disaster, and
witnessing
a violent death or crime, such symptoms can also result from
recurring memories of childhood abuse, a traumatic car accident,
loss of a loved one through death or divorce, or the experience
of life threatening illness.
EMDR, in layman's terms, facilitates the shift of the traumatic
issue from short-term to long-term memory. Patients
report an instant shift toward well being, a sense
of release, a feeling of peace and acceptance, and a deep
appreciation
for their own strength after EMDR therapy.
For more information about EMDR, contact
Daphne Stevens, Ph.D.. through email: daphne@daphnestevens.com
or contact her office in Macon, Georgia, at (478) 474-8379.
Psychodrama
Psychodrama is a unique approach to psychotherapy.
A supportive community is created in which problem situations
or relationships, past traumas, and rehearsals for future
challenges can be enacted in an atmophere of comfort, safety,
and trust.
Psychodrama addresses problems and symptoms in a group setting on a cognitive, emotional, physical, and spiritual level. People leave psychodrama groups with an experience of much-needed release from old patterns of feeling and behaving, and with a sense of confidence about addressing problems in new ways in the future. Psychodrama will not change you, but it will help you to remember who you are--and to reclaim your birthright as a whole human being.
Psychodrama holds that there is stillpoint at the center of each person, where safety, sanity, and holiness lives. Very few of us learn how to find that stillpoint within our families growing up. The gift of psychodrama is the capacity to return again and again to that place of safety, to be "real" instead of "perfect," to increase spontaneity, and to enhance our repertoire of responses to others.
Psychodrama groups can be held over a course of regular weekly sessions, or in more extended formats of a weekend or several days. We offer them in a number of different settings for groups focusing on spiritual direction, 12 step work, mental health service providers and patients, and churches.
For more information, or to arrange a session for your agency or group, contact us via email at daphne@daphnestevens.com
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