Nob Hill Wellness Center - Energy Psychology

Energy Psychology

What is Energy Psychology?

“Science is a series of peaceful interludes punctuated by intellectually
violent revolutions in which one conceptual world view is replaced by another… A revolutionary would appear, often a young scientist not indoctrinated in the accepted theories, and sweep the old paradigm away.”
Thomas Kuhn, Philosopher

Cleve Backster was the Director of the Keeler Polygraph Institute and worked for the CIA on interrogation tactics. In 1966, he attached a plant to the polygraph machine while thinking the thought/intention, “to burn the leaf.” He watched in amazement as the polygraph pen moved rapidly to the top of the chart. Thus began 40 years of research in the area of thought and cellular communication.

On January 30, 2002, Dr. Myra Crawford, Ph.D. of the University of Alabama-Medical School, visited Cleve’s lab in San Diego where her in vitro white cells were tested. Following her return to Birmingham, Dr. Crawford was asked by the book editor about her experience in Cleve’s lab, “What do you feel you learned?” Her reply: “I have been shown, in a scientific demonstration, the reality of conscious, nonlocal, instantaneous communication between my thoughts and my cells.”

For more information about Cleve Backster’s work, see www.PrimaryPerception.com

As part of my practice, I incorporate methodologies that appear to have promising mental health benefits, but have yet to be fully researched by the academic community. This section will provide some basic information about one of those methods called Energy Psychology, and how it is an option in our work together.

The prevailing premise of Energy Psychology is that the flow and balance of the body’s electromagnetic and more subtle energies are important for physical and emotional health, and there are energy-based methods that help in fostering that well-being. Or, as Gary Craig, founder of Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) very simply says, “The cause of all negative emotions is a disruption in the body’s energy system.”

There appears to be an interactive effect among the following:
thoughts …beliefs …emotions …behavior …biochemistry …bodily sensations …electromagnetic fields … subtle energies.

These influence each other and each may promote health and well-being. The relationship you have to others, your community, the environment, and spirituality may also impact your health and well-being. Our sessions may focus on any combination of these in order to most effectively help you to attain your goals.

"Some day the medical profession will wake up and realize that unresolved emotional issues are the main cause of 85% of all illnesses. When they do, EFT will be one of their primary healing tools .... as it is for me."

Back to the top of the page...

What is Subtle Energy?

The relevance and interactive effect among all these aspects has been researched from the Western scientific perspective, except for the role of subtle energy. You may have heard of subtle energy through such terms as life force, chi, meridians, chakras, biofields, or auras. These energies are called “subtle” because they are not easily detectable and scientists have not been able to develop instruments to reliably measure them. However, many people for centuries and across cultures have described seeing or feeling subtle energies to varying degrees.

Measurable energies are the fabric of our existence. Electrical, chemical, and nuclear energies are some of the more common forms of measurable energy with which we are familiar. For example, doctors measure electromagnetic fields or energies of the body through EKGs, EEGs, and MRIs. These measurable energies are clearly an important part of our everyday health and well-being.

Physicists have been dramatically changing our understanding of energy. For example, Einstein proposed that all mass is comprised of energy. That is, all “solid” objects, including our bodies, are comprised of molecules in constant motion that can be influenced by outside forces. Despite the advancement of physics, we still don’t understand certain ever-present fields of energy, such as gravity. Much remains to be learned about the energetic functioning of our world and universe.

Subtle energy is one of those forms of energy still being explored. It can be considered part of the ever-present energy from which all matter is derived, in the sense of Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, E=mc², i.e., matter is a form of energy. Some scientists believe our physical bodies emerge from a field of subtle energies. In many healing traditions, the “life force” that distinguishes life from death is understood as involving the presence of subtle energies. Energy Psychology suggests that by promoting balance and flow in these fields of subtle energy, the health of the body is enhanced.

Despite not fully understanding the nature of subtle energy, there are numerous methods designed to influence these energy systems such as acupuncture, yoga, acupressure, reiki, and tai chi, to name just a few. Many Asian cultures have studied these energies and methods for centuries and have successfully applied them to both physical and emotional health.

Subtle energy is being taken more seriously in this country. Many hospitals in the United States now include methods (e.g., Reiki and Acupuncture) to help with the healing of a variety of conditions. Further investigation is being conducted by the U.S. National Institute of Health through a center of research called The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Their report on Energy Medicine indicated that western science has not validated 2,000 years of subtle energy practice, but they have cited some promising studies that warrant further investigation. Another example of the increased professional interest in subtle energy is the formation of an organization of psychotherapists, the Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology (ACEP), whose annual conference brings in hundreds of therapists from around the world. Their web site, www.energypsych.org has up-to-date research articles on the role of such energies in psychotherapy.

“With increasing globalization there has been a growing curiosity in psychological practice about non-Western methods of dealing with disturbances within the human organism. Not based on Western rationalism, these methods do not rely on insight and understanding, but on shifting internal states of bodily experience. Energy Psychology techniques and procedures can bring about remarkably rapid changes in the way people feel and move through the world.”

Bessel A. van der Kolk, M.D.
Medical Director, The Trauma Center
Brookline, MA
Professor of Psychiatry,
Boston University School of Medicine

"EFT offers great healing benefits."

Back to the top of the page...

Applied Energy Psychology

You are probably aware that chemical imbalances are involved in psychological problems such as anxiety and depression. Evidence is mounting that the body’s energies are also involved in emotional disturbances, and that interventions into the body’s energy system can shift the brain chemistry in a way that helps overcome many psychological problems. The interventions you will be learning have been effective in a wide range of situations, including helping people during major disasters and the aftermath of trauma. They make use of a simple process you already know: comforting yourself using your own hands and your own words.

Your hands carry an electromagnetic charge. Your body’s energies include the electrical charge in every cell and organ, the electrical pathways in the nervous system, the electromagnetic fields surrounding every organ as well as the entire body, and also more subtle energies such as the chi spoken of by acupuncturists and the prana spoken of by yoga practitioners. With psychological problems, an experience you regularly encounter causes your brain to send out electrical signals that lead to an emotion (perhaps anxiety, depression, or anger), a perception, or a behavior that is not appropriate for the current situation. The triggering experience may be one you encounter with some frequency, such as situations where you are being confronted or tested. It may also be internal, a recurring memory, image, or thought. One way to approach the problem is to work directly with the energies that maintain the pattern in your brain’s response to the triggering experience. This is the approach used in Energy Psychology.

After gathering information about how the energies in your body are involved in your problem, any energy disturbances that are identified can be corrected through a variety of procedures I will be showing you. For instance, if every time you think about a particular situation, certain parts of your brain become over-stimulated, leading to emotions that get in your way, we can have you think about the situation while you touch or tap or massage trigger points that alter the dysfunctional response in your brain. This retrains your body and brain so that the thought or situation no longer causes the over-reaction. The trigger points, incidentally, are often the same points that are used in acupuncture, though needles are not necessary to achieve the desired effect. This process alone can overcome many emotional and psychological problems, but we will be using it within the context of other treatments as appropriate.

“The techniques of Energy Psychology have provided me with invaluable tools for working with trauma. No therapist can afford to remain ignorant of this new and exciting field.

Nathaniel Brandon, Ph.D.
Author of The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem

Back to the top of the page...

What is EFT?

Watch the Introductory Video

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) is a type of “psychological acupressure” that uses gentle tapping on certain meridian endpoints on the body to relieve psychological distress and physical pain. While verbalizing the identified problem, the client taps on designated points located on the face and body, which restores balance to the energy system. This then, neutralizes emotional conflicts at their source.

Developed by Gary Craig, a personal performance coach from California, EFT
(www.emofree.com) is an Energy Psychology technique based on the premise that “the cause of all negative emotions is a disruption in the body’s energy system.” Notice the power of this statement, and more specifically, what it does not emphasize. It does not assert that a negative emotion is caused by the memory of some traumatic event or early childhood crisis. This is very important to recognize, since conventional psychological theory draws a direct parallel between traumatic memories and negative emotions. In some therapeutic approaches, the client is directed to recall or even relive the painful emotional event in order to “treat the memory.” EFT, by contrast, respects the memory, but addresses the true cause…a disruption in the body’s energy system. These memories may contribute to an unwanted emotion, but they are not the direct cause. Thus, there is relatively little emotional upheaval involved with EFT. You may experience some discomfort while recalling an incident, but there is no need to relive the pain. In fact, with EFT, generating strong emotional distress is discouraged.

The distinction can be illustrated here:

Conventional Psychological Approaches:
traumatic event/memory   →   negative emotions =
treat the traumatic memory

Energy Psychology/EFT:
traumatic event/memory   →   psycho-energetic disruption   →   negative emotions  = treat the psycho-energetic disruption

What is a Psycho-Energetic Reversal?

Your energy system is subject to a form of electrical interference which can block the balancing effect of tapping procedures. When present, this interfering blockage must be removed or any intervention will not be effective. Technically speaking, this interference takes the form of a polarity reversal within your energy system. This is not the same thing as energy disruptions which cause your negative emotions. Consider a typical hand held electronic device such as a tape recorder. Like all such devices, it needs batteries to work and, equally important, the batteries must be installed properly. You’ve noticed, I’m sure, that batteries have + and – marks on them. Those marks indicate their polarity. If you line up those + and – marks according to the instructions, then the electricity flows normally and your tape recorder works fine. But what happens if you put the batteries in backward? The tape recorder will not work. It acts as if the batteries have been removed. That is what happens when polarity reversal is present. This polarity reversal is called Psycho-Energetic Reversal and represents a fascinating discovery with wide ranging applications in all areas of healing and personal performance. It is the reason why some diseases are chronic and respond very poorly to conventional treatments. It is the reason why some people have such a difficult time losing weight or giving up addictive substances. It is, quite literally, the cause – and effect - of self-sabotage.

Psycho-Energetic Reversal is caused by self-defeating, negative thinking which often occurs subconsciously and thus outside of your awareness. It doesn’t create any feelings within you, so you won’t know if it is present or not. Even the most positive people are subject to it. When it is present, it will stop any attempt as healing, including EFT, dead in its tracks. Therefore, it must be corrected if the rest of the process is going to work. Not to worry. There are several simple, short corrections that can be made to clear any reversals in a matter of a few seconds.

Back to the top of the page...

Introducing Muscle Testing (Energy Checking)

One way to assess whether a Psych-Energetic Reversal is present is through muscle testing, sometimes called Applied Kinesiology. Information about how your body’s energies are involved in your problem can be gathered using a simple procedure in which I apply some pressure to your outstretched arm. In this way, we can gauge the relative firmness of your muscle while you are thinking about your problem versus when you are thinking about something else. Your muscles and your nerves work together, so that when you have an upsetting emotion, it causes a change in your muscles as well. The muscles tend to become firmer with positive thoughts or emotions and somewhat weaker with negative thoughts or emotions. It isn’t that the muscles are really weak at such times, just that the electricity moving through the nerves gets interrupted so that the muscle temporarily cannot function at its best.

This method involves checking the firmness in a shoulder muscle while you hold your arm out straight. I’ll ask you to think about a problem that you want help with to see how this affects the muscle. I’ll also have you touch certain places on your body that are like circuit breakers and check the muscle in response to certain statements. I may ask you to do some other things, like moving your eyes in different directions, humming and counting. These tasks are done to enlist different parts of your brain. We will be working together to learn how your body’s energies are responding to various aspects of your problems and to their treatment.

For More Information about Energy Psychology and Related Research

For a summary of the current state of scientific evidence: www.EnergyPsychologyResearch.com

For many articles about Energy Psychology:
www.EnergyPsych.org

Back to the top of the page...

Organizations

Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology: www.EnergyPsych.org

The International Society for the Study of Subtle Energies and Energy Medicine:
www.issseem.org

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: www.nccam.nih.gov

Developers of Energy Psychology Methods

Roger Callahan developed Thought Field Therapy (TFT): www.tftrx.com

Asha Clinton developed Energy Psychology methods working with chakras: www.seemorgmatrix.org

Gary Craig developed Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT): www.emofree.com

Donna Eden’s Energy Medicine has direct application for Energy Psychology: www.innersource.net

David Feinstein, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist, author, and Executive Director of the non-profit Energy Medicine Institute, and the designer of the Energy Psychology Interactive CD training series: www.innersource.net

Fred Gallo, Ph.D. developed Energy Diagnostic and Treatment Methods (EDxTM): www.EnergyPsych.com

Note: Information for this section, What is Energy Psychology? was borrowed generously from excerpts of David Feinstein’s Orienting a New Client to an Energy Psychology Approach and Douglas J. Moore, Ph. D.'s Informed Consent for Energy Psychology. Many thanks.

"Important note: While EFT and other Energy Psychology techniques that Dr. Roush uses have produced remarkable clinical results, they must still be considered to be in the experimental stage and thus practitioners and the public must take complete responsibility for their use of them. Further, Dr. Roush is not a licensed health practitioner and offers EFT and other Energy Psychology methodologies as a Life Coach."

Back to the top of the page...

Copyright KL Roush - 2009