Blog Archives
Research into the benefits of EFT
I was pleased to see this article by Dr Mercola on the research and benefits of Emotional Freedom Technique.
I’m looking forward to seeing new clients in 2012 and introducing EFT to people who would like to try something that is so effective for a wide range of issues.
New Research is Shining a Light on the Benefits of EFT
I have been a fan of energy psychology for many years, having witnessed its effectiveness in my medical practice and in my own personal life. However, studies have been few and far between as science has been trying to “catch up” with clinical experience.
All of that is changing now.
The Emotional Freedom Technique, or EFT, is the psychological acupressure technique I most highly recommend to manage stress and optimize your emotional health. Several studies have recently been published that show just how safe and effective EFT really is. For example, the following three studies show remarkable progress in a very short amount of time for people with a history of trauma:
- A 2009 study of 16 institutionalized adolescent boys with histories of physical or psychological abuse showed substantially decreased intensity of traumatic memories after just ONE session of EFT.
- An EFT study involving 30 moderately to severely depressed college students was conducted. The depressed students were given four 90-minute EFT sessions. Students who received EFT showed significantly less depression than the control group when evaluated three weeks later.
- A study of 100 veterans with severe PTSD (Iraq Vets Stress Project) showed an astounding reduction of symptoms after just six one-hour EFT sessions. After completing six sessions, 90 percent of the veterans had such a reduction in symptoms that they no longer met the clinical criteria for PTSD. Sixty percent no longer met PTSD criteria after only three EFT sessions. At the three-month follow-up, the gains remained stable, suggesting lasting and potentially permanent resolution of the problem.
[The Iraq Stress Project is still recruiting veteran volunteers. If you are a veteran and interested in participating, you can get more information here.]
Compare these EFT studies to the studies about antidepressant drugs, and you will see the stark contrast!
If you think EFT could benefit you please get in contact to give it a go.
Stacey
The use of Emotional Freedom Technique for Recovery
This week I had the opportunity to introduce EFT to a group of service users at Park House residential treatment centre in Birmingham with great feedback. I was able to quickly help with the thoughts and emotions they were dealing with there and then including Cravings, Frustration, Stress and Agitation.
Here’s more about how it can be used and be especially beneficial for people in recovery.
Various complementary therapies and talk therapies have been used historically within drug treatment. Some work on a physical level to help people feel more relaxed and to aid the detoxification process. Others work at an emotional/psychological level. Emotional Freedom Technique does both.
EFT is an Energy Psychology which combines a talk therapy with tapping on meridian points on the body similar to the points used in acupuncture.
The tapping begins to move energy around the body. When this shifts it helps to free and clear any blockages and therefore the issues.
EFT also works on a psychological level as it is combined with a talk therapy with the use of affirmations and statements helping to tune into specific issues.
I used to use auricular acupuncture which I always felt worked well to get people in a relaxed state and feedback was always positive about better sleep, less anxiety, reduced cravings etc.
After I became a trainer I missed my one to one work and looking back on it felt that more could be done to address the emotions that were leading to drug use. By fluke I discovered Emotional Freedom Technique which helped me personally immensely with a phobia I had.
I soon got myself on the courses to become a practitioner and due to my experience in the substance use field realised how beneficial it could be. I have now been using EFT for two and a half years both on others and on myself. That is one of the other beauties of it. As well as getting to the root of issues with a Practitioner it can be used as a coping strategy day to day whenever negative emotions including Anxiety, Fear, Stress and Sadness arise and more importantly to alleviate cravings.
I set up EFT for Recovery as a Community Interest Company in order to give more people the opportunity to experience and learn the technique and whilst it’s great for everyone I knew that it could be valuable for people with goals around their own recovery.
You can see more info on EFT for Recovery on my website here. It can have really amazing results.
Stacey
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) for Recovery
Since setting up Inspire Health and Mind in 2009 particularly last year we spent a lot of time working on our marketing materials especially with regards to the awareness work with young people in schools and training staff in the community. My plan for this year was to expand the EFT side of the work I do and as well as EFT for all, EFT for Recovery. I decided that the best way would be to set up EFT for Recovery as part of Inspire Health and Mind but as a Community Interest Company (CIC). I figured this may mean I could reach and therefore help more people in the community.
The CIC status came through last week which I was chuffed about and now it’s about getting the message out there. I’m lucky to have really great contacts locally due to my previous DAAT role as well as nationally thanks to lovely Twitter. It’s great now I can really get the ball rolling. I had/have a fear that people would feel I was bandwagon jumping on the Recovery agenda. Speaking to someone yesterday (who knows who he is) I felt much better about this. I know I’m doing this for all the right reasons. Those that volunteer for me and the service users I have had the pleasure of supporting and working with also know what I’m all about. My background shows my passion for helping people to recover from dependency and challenging the attached stigma. EFT helps people more holistically in that it can help with all aspects of someone’s life that needs improving. I think I’m trying to justify myself too much here. There are plenty of EFT Practitioners out there but not so many who are as willing to work with a client group perceived to be more challenging, maybe even less worthy. In fact I found one EFT forum with someone who said that working with ‘addicts’ would be ‘professional suicide’! Errrrr what?? I shan’t start a rant but I’m sure you can guess what I think of that.
Masha Bennett is well worth checking out in the professional sense as she is an international trainer who has done some great work with EFT for addictions, recovery and with women in custody. She enhances the credibility of EFT as a technique as she is also a well respected psychotherapist and an NLP Master.
Here‘s a good Wired In article to have a read of which shows her in action.
You can see my own post about why I chose EFT as a technique to learn here.
Why try EFT to support Recovery?
- Deals with a lot of issues that can be experienced by someone with a previous or current dependency and common emotions such as; Anxiety, Guilt, Fear, Sadness, Grief as well as helping to quickly alleviate cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
- Encourages positive and forward thinking, great for motivation, goal setting and removing the barriers and limiting beliefs which hold people back.
- It works a lot quicker than other forms of talk therapies and complementary therapies.
- EFT can be used as a self help tool, which can be empowering and allow the person to be back in control, something that those learning to lead healthier, happier lifestyles will find useful.
So we’re on the lookout for:
- People with current or past dependency on Drugs including Alcohol who want to try something new and fun
- People affected by the drug or alcohol use of a loved one
- Service user groups both in the community and attached to treatment agencies
- Drug & Alcohol treatment agencies looking for something new to offer to support positive outcomes
If you are any of the above then do get in touch and see the info flyer here.
Stace x
Twitter: @InspireHandM
Facebook: www.facebook.com/inspirehealthandmind
Why Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)?
Some of you may know that as well as my Drug & Alcohol Training I’m also an Advanced EFT Practitioner.
Here’s a bit more about it and my reasons for doing it.
EFT was developed from a similar technique called Thought Field Therapy. It is an Energy Psychology and put simply is a combination of tapping on points of the body. Sounds a bit strange? Well yes, initally I did too when I first experienced it over two years ago now.
Never being one much for ‘out there’ fairy land ideas I hadn’t even heard of EFT so I has no preconcieved ideas. Whilst at a friend’s random tarot evening (another thing I am still unsure about) the bearded older man who had read our cards was just about to leave and was giving out his business cards. I saw on it that he helped with phobias amonst other things. The question I asked next would prove to be an important one.
‘What do you do for phobias?’. (Not realising what I was letting myself in for!)
Now, if you thought I was strange before then you definitely will now.
‘Eggs’, I told him.
Now I think people use the term phobia quite lightly sometimes. My phobia was a true phobia. Even someone talking about eggs would make me heave or even sick. I couldn’t even say the words ‘boiled egg’ or ‘fried egg’ without a physical reaction.
He took my hand with no explanation and started tapping it. I remember in my head immediately thinking…
‘I bloody hope there’s no eggs in the fridge!’
He tapped on my head and on my face and asked me to repeat sentences and after a couple 0f minutes asked how I felt. I realised that I had relaxed. Well, to cut a long story short, within five miuntes I was actually holding a dreaded egg in my hand. (There had been eggs in that bloody fridge). I can’t repeat the words I used to indicate my amazement that it had worked but needless to say I was freaked out. Before that experience there was no way I could even begin to even think that I would hold an egg EVER!
I’m not saying my phobia was completely cured in that short time but massive progress had been made. EFT can in a lot of cases work much more quickly than other therapies and techniques. I decided whilst lying in bed that night that I wanted to be able to do that for other people and found out more about EFT and its uses. Weirdly the next day I had a Facebook request from and old school friend who turned out to own a Coaching business with her partner and they offered EFT Training. The rest, as they say, is history. As part of my training I was able to continue to delve into my phobia as well as all sorts of other issues. Due to my background in substance use I knew that it would work for that too hence I have now set up EFT for Recovery as part of Inspire Health and Mind.
Stace x
