My Blog

Drug-Free Behavioral Therapy Improves Both Mental and Physical Illness

06/26/2011 15:26:00

Drug-Free Behavioral Therapy Improves Both Mental and Physical Illness

Hi everyone, when I found this I just had to post it! EFT is finally being recognised and acknowledged for the amazing things that it can do! I'll post the press release below. Great stuff!

Santa Rosa, CA. A drug that can eliminate the symptoms of fibromyalgia, pain, depression, anxiety, and PTSD might seem like a medical impossibility. Yet there's an "evidence-based" treatment backed by scientific studies that does just that, and more. It's not a drug or a therapy; it's a self-help method that can be learned in just a few minutes. It's called Emotional Freedom Techniques or EFT for short, and it's used by an estimated six million people worldwide.

EFT uses elements of proven psychotherapy techniques like cognitive therapy and exposure therapy, but with a twist. It adds the element of acupuncture point stimulation, but without needles. EFT users simply tap or rub on the points themselves. Clinical psychologist David Feinstein, PhD, the author of several scientific papers on the subject, believes that this physical acupoint stimulation enhances the effect of psychological interventions to rapidly calm the body and reduce stress.

EFT was developed by a Stanford-trained engineer named Gary Craig. He posted the basic methods on a free online web site in the 1990s, and over one million people downloaded them. Craig then published a softcover version of his method, called The EFT Manual, which is available from online and independent bookstores. The EFT web site contains thousands of case histories written by people who've used EFT to recover from a range of ailments, sometimes very rapidly (www.EFTuniverse.com). Its success at relieving the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder or PTSD has come to the attention of therapists working with veterans, rape victims, homeless people, and other groups with high levels of PTSD. A number of veterans clinics and VA hospitals now offer EFT to their patients, and a large network of private therapists and coaches offer free sessions through the Iraq Vets Stress Project (www.StressProject.org).

The EFT Manual contains the basic instructions for learning EFT, and cases of people who've experienced relief with the method. It also has an outline of the scientific basis of EFT written by researcher Dawson Church, PhD. Church explains in detail how reducing stress with EFT can affect the nervous system, calming the body's fight-flight response, and reducing mental anxiety. "Anxiety is the common denominator in many medical and psychological problems," he observes, "and by reducing anxiety, EFT can have a positive impact on both." In addition to the many existing studies of EFT published in peer-reviewed professional journals, several new ones are underway, including a clinical trial at Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC), and a study to determine which elements of EFT are most effective at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. These studies are expected to yield new insight into the unique ingredients that make EFT so effective.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Treatment

03/15/2011 00:38:00

Hey, I don't know if everyone knows my story of how I came to be the therapist I am today. It all began when I fell ill with ME/ chronic fatigue syndrome, and became bedridden. It was a terrible time, and there was no hope of getting treatment. I was skeptical of every supposed 'cure' and it let me down time and time again. But i hope that my story below can show you that you can actually heal yourself, or at the very least alleviate your symptoms. You don't have to always take sessions with a therapist, which is why I composed all of the treatment and information into the 'Self help for ME/CFS using EFT' Ebook available at a cheap price. I want everyone who suffers to find relief like I did.

In February 2006 I skidded out of control in my car and crashed violently into a set of railings. My car was written off, but I exited unscathed and felt particularly lucky to only have suffered a bit of whiplash. A week later while styling a client’s hair in my hairdressing salon I collapsed suddenly. Never before had something of this nature happened to me and it was so strange and frightening. From that day onward I continued to get worse. I began fainting once or twice a day which built quickly to five or six. I suffered head rushes, constant dizziness, severe sweating, intense nausea and an exhaustion I never knew existed. At its worst I could barely walk, and standing for more than one or two minutes would cause me to collapse. My life truly fell apart around me. I went from being a lively stylist and manager of a busy salon who was full of health and fun, to the equivalent of an elderly bedridden woman, and at the age of nineteen it was a transition much faster and more abrupt than I could accept.

I wasn’t willing to go down without a fight. I saw several different G.P’s up to seven times, I visited every local hospital in the area as both an in and out patient and went through extensive tests, then also at three specialist hospitals in the city. As you can imagine, even getting out of the car to the doors of the hospital caused considerable difficulty and I eventually gave in to a wheelchair. In summer 2007 I was finally diagnosed with M.E/ chronic fatigue. Sadly however, being diagnosed did not mean that I could receive treatment. There was no treatment available through the NHS and they suggested I might have it all of my life. I tried everything; a chiropractor, Bowen therapy, herbal supplements, acupuncture, neuro linguistic programming, cognitive behavioural therapy, and mickel therapy amongst others. Some made little dents in it, others made none but I continued to search, some might say obsessively. I was very aware that I had my health in my own hands and that if I didn’t do something about it, no one else would. I did however enjoy the searching; it gave me a sense of hope. I had always had a real passion for self help techniques and alternative therapies and to be honest reading all those books gave me something to fill those long days. It kept my mind active and productive and it’s only now that I realise how vital it actually was.

Suddenly I started to notice ‘emotional freedom technique’ was popping up in front of me quite often and I had ignored it for some time because, by my own admission, I thought it might have been new age or religious. It stuck in my mind and one day I found myself in the familiar spot in my local bookshop – in the mind, body and spirit section – where I was browsing what I hadn’t already read when there it was again, annoyingly protruding in front of all the other books. I gave in, picked it up and skimmed the back of the book and found myself pleasantly surprised that this was exactly the type of book that would really interest me.
I got home and delved in straight away. It hooked me so strongly that I could hardly read fast enough. I didn’t’ want to fool myself and be carried away by something too good to be true – every other therapy has started with great optimism that THIS would be ‘the one’. There was a sense of exciting recognition. I raced to the method, read it through a few times, reminded myself not to get too excited and had a rough try at the anxiety that had been plaguing me since long before my illness began. At first I thought I was crazy. It had definitely made a difference. I worried that perhaps I was so incredibly desperate for a cure that I had in some way imagined it. I checked, and double checked, and triple checked. It had definitely made a change.

My symptoms began to improve immediately. Although I was better, but to be honest still ill, I booked myself a month later on an EFT practitioner course in Birmingham with one of only 28 EFT masters in the world, Karl Dawson. I found myself in my hotel room the night before the course wondering how it all had happened so fast and it seemed, with no effort at all.
The course was mind blowing. I saw such amazing things that weekend that I never thought I could attribute to an ‘alternative therapy’. I remember waiting at the airport in the departures area waiting to go home and literally just sitting for about an hour watching everyone around me. I saw all of the aches and pains in people and I had never been aware of them before. I felt so empowered. I wanted to work my way through every single one of them, helping them with this amazing therapy that would give them results like nothing they had ever experienced before. There was a sense of peace and security within me that day, knowing that I had a resource that could change lives for the better – my own included.

Through the following months I worked both with other practitioners and on my own on gradually getting myself back to full health. And here I am. It was in no way an overnight cure, but EFT truly gave results where nothing else did. Looking back, EFT was a fork in the road for me. The life that I might still be living if it wasn’t for EFT doesn’t bear thinking about. That illness was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to go through, and although there were times I was so sure I was going nowhere, I was still moving forward. It has given me a compassion that did not exist so deeply within me beforehand. It has given me a career that truly means something to me, and is of incredible value to those that I treat. I feel that I am making a difference to this world, and that alone is invaluable to me.

If you are interested in treatment, we offer world wide treatment via Skype, and we also have 'Self help for ME/CFS using EFT' Ebook available in our online store.

Is graded exercise and pacing helpful for sufferers of ME/Chronic fatigue syndrome?

03/02/2011 17:11:00

Hi guys,

I just came across an article through CHIS, which had a bit of information about graded exercise and pacing for sufferers of ME/CFS. I know its a bit of a controversial and confusing thing to consider when you are unwell so here is some guidance. I should also mention that this is only my opinion from what I have learned from my own experiences and also working with others suffering from the condition.

A study was conducted to test behavioural therapy and graded exercise for sufferers of ME and chronic fatigue syndrome. The article stated that:

"Of the 2,763 people with ME who took part in our 2008 survey, 82% found pacing helpful, compared with 50% for cognitive behavioural therapy and 45% for graded exercise therapy.

"Worryingly, 34% reported that graded exercise therapy made them worse."

It was noted in the article that the charity Action for M.E said that the conclusions were exaggerated and they didn't back them. I would absolutely agree that not only 34% would have been made worse by graded exercise, but that the percentage was probably much much higher due to my experience of working with patients with this condition. I was also told to do graded exercise and I feel that it is a bad idea for most people. If the body is already in a heightened stress state, any form of exercise or struggling against the condition could only put the body into a higher state of emergency and burn out, contributing to increased and more intense symptoms. This is what I have found to be true for most of my clients, and myself also.

I tend to feel that rather than do exercise to get better, use a form of therapy to retrain the stress response and return the body to more normal levels, (in my opinion, EFT is a fantastic and simply way to do this) and then introduce exercise as your body is able in a gentle way. Gradual exercise is in no way a cure and to me could only really worsen the state the patient is in, however if anyone has found this helpful I would like to hear more about it. I'd like to know of others experiences. I think that because the medical profession have nothing to offer as far as therapy and treatment goes, gradual exercise is the only advice generally going because they simply don't have any knowledge or training for the condition.

We can only hope that over time more knowledge and awareness will become commonplace in the doctors office, and that hopefully people will try alternative options too.

:) Kelly

EFT for chronic conditions (when it doesn't seem to work)

02/21/2011 16:00:00

I came across this great article by Karen Stark discussing working with chronic issues and I thought it might be good to post for all those tapping away on chronic ill health, or in particular, ME and CFS. It is so important to remember that you are unlikely to get one minute wonders when tapping on chronic issues, but i think this article gives a bit of hope. I should also mention that as of yet, I haven't found anyone who took months to shift with EFT, EVER! But what she says in the article is very helpful to remember, and should help to keep you hopeful.

Kelly :)

This is a discussion for better understanding on how to deal with chronic and stuck issues when people do not seem to have results with EFT.

The process of EFT has been described in many different ways now. However, a lot of people struggle with chronic conditions that seem to be very difficult to get any changes and results with. I wrote this article specifically for people who are new to EFT and feel disappointed when EFT does not provide the fast results that they were expecting. Also, beginners do not have access to the more advanced EFT techniques and might get discouraged rather fast and might think that EFT does not really work for them. I have heard these kinds of comments many times now.

I am finding that chronic conditions often need a lot more work and often do not respond to fast tapping. Instead it is better to tap much more slowly. My explanation for that is that sometimes chronic conditions might have very thick energy layers that need to get dissolved. The issues might be heavily engrained in the energy field of the person and form a significant part of the personality. There could be a large resistance towards change. Changing the energetic vibration then might mean changing certain personality traits. Often the person is not aware of such dynamics and is very resistant to change and EFT does not seem to work. For people who struggle with chronic issues, I recommend to tap slower, to hold the tapping spots longer and start observing of what one might feel and what insights might come to mind. In my experience, it can take up to several hours for a new insight to emerge. Other times, I have observed that the new information shows up a day or even several days later when one is involved in other activities. In one instance, I experienced a significant change on an issue that I had worked on six months earlier. At the time, I thought that nothing had worked and there was no change in the energy field. I did not feel anything and had no new insights. But when the change occurred I was able to connect it to the treatment six months earlier right away. I would like to say that the Universe is always smarter and knows when the time is right for change.

In a way, the person is being energetically prepared to be open to new insights about themselves and in relation to others. Part of the process of EFT is learning new ways about life in a way of ever expanding our horizons of understanding. I found that it sometimes means that people take on a new hobby or classes and read books they would have never read before so that the learning and healing can take place through new ways of understanding. Perhaps the interaction with other people is needed for the new learning and growing phase of a person instead of resulting directly out of the EFT process.

Based on my collected EFT experiences I have observed three distinct stages to dissolving very stubborn issues:

Stage 1:

When one starts tapping for the first time on an issue, one has started the process. This is the beginning even if one might not feel any physical changes. With difficult or hard-to-dissolve issues the first rounds of tapping often bring a distance to the issues. Sometimes when the issue is ‘very heavy’ - a feeling of distance can be very subtle and is hardly recognisable. At times the issue seems to get stronger and more intensive for a while before it starts to diminish in intensity. This can go on for several months depending on how ‘thick’ the energy layers are that need to be resolved. Buddhist traditions often teach the ‘vibrating off’ energies in order to clear unhealthy energies. According to Buddhist practitioners, this can take up to two years depending on the conditions. My experience is that also with EFT, a certain number of people have to go through this ‘vibrating off’ phase in order to clear the disturbing energies. Feel out your tapping spots which is the best tapping spot for you to hold in order to ‘vibrate off’ energy. If you do this regularly every morning and evening for a few minutes to one hour, you will feel changes with time.

It is important to keep tapping and tapping until the distance to the issue becomes more noticeable and less and less intensive. This is an indication that the ‘energy’ is changing. Look at this as success and keep tapping even if this means that you might have to tap on the same issue day after day for several months. One day a significant shift will occur.

Another way of looking at this might be: Wounds get covered by crusts that later develop into scars. A crust can be hard and thick. When dealing with a crust it might take a while for it to fall off. Sometimes we have to tap through crusts to get to the wound. Also, sometimes when we peel a crust we rip off the new skin and the wound starts to bleed again. However, once we have reached the wound it heals much faster with tapping. Other times the crusts have already developed into scars. Scars can be very thick. With big scars it takes extra medical effort and special tools to remove them. Perhaps when one deals with a thick scar, the work with a skilful EFT practitioner is needed who has a lot more tools than a beginner. For a person who works with EFT on their own this might then take a lot more effort and time in order to get to the healing results.

It seems like that stage 1 is often the most ‘work intensive’ stage for issues that are hard to work on. Based on my experience this is where most people give up.

Additional Note:

Sometimes, I have cleared issues with only going through the negative without any positive statements. Saying the negative over and over with tapping clears the energy for some issues. Once the negative is cleared the healthy way just shows up. And one does not have to struggle with the so called 'positives.' Often our subconscious mind is very resistant to the 'positives' and just will not accept them. When I notice such a strong resistance then I tap only with the negative. And it works – with time.

Stage 2:

Anyways with time (this can be hours, weeks and even months), for all of the sudden the issue then enters Stage 2. It is like having cleared this ‘layer of energy,’ peeled off the ‘crust,’ or softened the ‘scar’ to reach the next level. Depending on how thick this energy layer, the crust or the scar is, it might take only a few rounds of EFT or many more. I have tapped on some issues over three days in order to reach Stage 2, others have taken several months and others continue to be an on-going process. Some newsletter contributions have clearly indicated that people had to tap for months and even up to two years in order to reach success. This means continuous tapping on the issue several times a day with several rounds. I have found that sometimes just acknowledging the problem over and over leads to progress instead of finding new ways of expressing yourself about the issue. Try what works best for you. For others a large variety in expression might be more useful.

It you feel that the issue is not moving at all, try and find a different viewpoint or feeling on it. Sometimes this makes all the difference and the ‘energy’ of the issue starts to move.

Even though I have this problem, I truly love and I accept myself.

Repeat as many times as necessary until you feel a shift.

For all of the sudden the memory images start to fade and get fuzzy. When that happens this is a clear sign that you are really making progress. Sometimes, the issue completely fades with a few rounds of tapping or only after many more rounds of tapping. Sometimes, one has to complete such a clearing over several days. Once the clearing is complete, Stage 3 shows up automatically. At times I have found again that acknowledging the problem over and over leads to progress and complete clearing.

Even though I have this problem, I truly love and I accept myself.

Repeat as many times as necessary until the fading is complete.

Stage 3:

When one has worked the way through stage 1 and then stage 2, stage 3 automatically appears. For all of the sudden, the issue completely disappears, the greater insight appears and / or the healing takes place. This is the best part of EFT and the greatest reward. I would like to suggest to people who are struggling with big issues to stop working on them for a while. Instead, chose some smaller issues that might be easier to work on so that you can have the experience of Stage 3. This might give one a boost of confidence and it makes it easier to then tackle the bigger issues again. The smaller issues are important steps on the learning curve to be able to work with EFT in a bigger way.

When you do not seem to get instant results, my suggestion is to become a very keen observer to notice ‘a distance to the issue’ and / or a new insight and to keep tapping until the fading starts to appear. Once you reached that point just keep tapping and eventually stage 3 will show up automatically. As Gary Craig reminded us often: be persistent!!!

'The Ultimate EFT tapping Guide' Self Help Ebook!

02/14/2011 15:30:00

Hi guys, I'm excited to let you know the 'The Ultimate EFT Tapping Guide' has now been added to our range of downloadable self help ebooks!

Its taken a lot of hard work and time but it's finallly finished and available to purchase in our online store and also on kindle.

Would You Like To Overcome Physical Pain or Illness, and Banish Emotional Issues and Traumatic Memories Forever?

Now you can with The Ultimate EFT Tapping Guide, and you can take healing into your own hands, healing all by yourself with this fantastic all round self help guide.

This book is suitable for newcomers to EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) - a fingertip tapping treatment developed using ancient Chinese acupressure points with a modern day twist for almost 98% success rates! EFT has been known to often work where nothing else will for a range of problems. It is a universal healing aid in that it works on the basis that stress causes the modern day body to adapt, resulting in aches and pains, illness and ailments and emotional problems and upsets.

Learn how to use this amazing self help tool simply and easily for yourself and live to your full happy and healthy potential. You'll love it!

:)

Can EFT tapping affect your DNA? Bruce Lipton

02/07/2011 01:07:00

I'm so fired up after watching this Bruce Lipton video through the Tapping world summit. If you don't know who Bruce Lipton is, he's a very famous cell biologist, I find his videos really exciting and interesting, and thats saying something!

In this video he discusses how our minds work in relation to changing problems with positive thinking and why we repeatedly try to change our lives and it doesn't work. I sat through the whole video nodding my head and understanding. I can really see how science and energy therapies are just about to merge and they'll seem such an obvious fit where before the idea seemed impossible.

Enjoy!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1Tt0yGMm88

Kelly x

Affirmation for Love

02/01/2011 13:02:00

I read this lovely affirmative prayer in the Science of Mind newletter today. It really helps you focus on love. I thought I'd include it here. Let me know your thoughts, or any affirmations you find helpful to focus on the love in your life :)

Affirmation
I am immersed in Love. Love is God, and God is infinite, eternal, and omnipresent. Therefore Love is infinite, eternal and omnipresent, the creative Principle back of everything. I feel Love as a stream of light flowing from God, through me, out to everything I think about today. I know this loving light is bringing peace and joy to all it touches.

The infinite tenderness of Divine Love sustains me today and every day. Nothing but Love and lovely things can come to me, and I insist on seeing the Love in all people and all things. I know that in Love there can be no separation, for Love unites. I know the Love I express blesses all who are in any way touched by it. It heals every condition and harmonizes every experience. I am immersed in Love, the highest gift of heaven and the greatest good on Earth.

Excerpted from A Holmes Reader on Practical Wisdom, by Ernest Holmes, Science of Mind publishing.

The power of intention (growing finger)

01/30/2011 18:26:00

Hi guys, came across this video while I was reading about Quantum Entrainment. Try out the video - I tried it and my finger definitely did seem to have grown (twice) but it's pretty weird. Try it out and let me know your results and what you think!

If it's genuine, it's a fantastic example of how intention affects energy. Certainly got me thinking..

Kelly

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sz6uDcTbaJA

Discussing ME and CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome)

12/23/2010 14:42:00

I wanted to talk a bit about ME and CFS in this post, being that this is close to my heart.

I struggled with ME/CFS myself for around 3 years, and this is what brought me to be doing what I am today. I do treat lots of other conditions and problems too but ME and CFS are really important to me. There just isn't enough support around for sufferers, or even solutions. When I was ill I felt very much that I was not believed when I approached the medical profession. Everyone seemed to be very sceptical of me and my condition and this made it so much harder to get diagnosed. Instead I was offerered a psychiatrist and anti depressants with the belief that it was psychosomatic. It was devastating for me to be honest when no one believed me, and it even made me question myself at points and wonder if I was actually going crazy.

In the simplest terms, I believe ME and CFS begins when the individual goes through a period of stress. I'll make this as easy to understand as I can. Also I should note that this is purely my belief of what happens, but the cause of the condition itself is very controversial. This is what I have found to be true for me and my clients. During this period of overloaded stress the body goes into a bit of a red alert and begins sending signals in the form of physical symptoms. It may initially have sent signals in the form of emotions and feeling but when we either didn't listen or didnt know what else to do. Luckily for me, I found a solution, but there are soo many people out there who probably don't even know whats happening to them. So, here are the most common symptoms.

Symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and ME -

Fatigue - often profound physical and cognitive fatigue and exhaustion

Cognitive Impairment - poor concentration and memory, speech difficulties

Flu like symptoms

Pain - muscle pain (sometimes twitches), joint pain, headaches, fibromyalgia

Sleep disturbances - insomnia, unrefreshing sleep, early wakening, constant sleeping, disturbed cycles
Digestive troubles - nausea, stomach cramps, diarrehoa/ constipation, food intolerance

Other symptoms can be:

fluctuation temperature
vertigo
dizziness and headrushes
alcohol intolerance
sensitivities to light or sound
recurrent sore throats/ ears

EFT is an effective treatment for CFS and ME. The great thing about it is that it can be self applied. Financial difficulties become very real for sufferers in the same cycle that I was caught in myself. You can't work because you are too ill. You can't make money to pay for treatment to get well again to be able to work. It's a vicious cycle. Therefore I created the 'Self help treatment for CFS/ME using EFT' Ebook program. I want to encourage sufferers that they actually CAN help themselves! EFT is really simple and with a bit of reading you can begin working away on your symptoms immediately. You no longer have to rely on anyone else and can take healing into your own hands. It's a fraction of the cost and you have nothing to lose because if you are in the same position that I was in you have a good lot of time on your hands to fill everyday. You will also be able to contact me via email for support and guidance throughout when you have purchased your Ebook.

Learn more about the program on our 'store' page or alternatively you can download from Amazon or Amazon's Kindle.

Good luck with your healing journey and know that you can contact me for support or with questions or for more information. I'm happy to help.

Kelly :)

Our Self Help Books are on Amazon & Kindle!!

12/17/2010 21:41:00

Hi Everyone!

I'm so delighted to announce that we have been published on Amazon's Kindle (Ebook reader) and you can also purchase our Ebooks on Amazon now too. I'm hoping that it will introduce more people in need of help to the support that is there in our books.

Currently, we have all three of our self help Ebooks on Kindle -

Self Help Treatment for CFS/ME using EFT

Weight Loss with EFT

Overcome Stress, Anxiety and Panic Attacks using EFT

I'm also hoping that this will particularly help spread the word on our Chronic fatigue syndrome Ebook, which can also be used for conditions such as fibromyalgia. It's really important to me that I get this book out there to the masses of people who can't find effective treatment that works. Plus the fact that sufferers end up unable to work due to the condition, which leaves them with not enough money to be able to pay for therapy anyway. Thankfully now people can use the Ebook to heal themselves and can just work away at it, at their own pace.We've sold soo many copies of that particular Ebook which I'm sure is because it is affordable to sufferers.

Anyway, hope you guys check us out on Kindle. I'm really proud that we're published on there. It's a big step forward.

:) Kelly x