EMOTIONAL FREEDOM TECHNIQUES RESEARCH
How Emotional Freedom Techniques works:
Stimulation of acupoints is believed to send a signal to the limbic system, and reduce limbic hyper arousal. This in turn, leads to “rapid reciprocal inhibition” and “long-term counter conditioning”.
EFT can decrease activity in the Amygdala (small almond shaped mass located deep in the brain's medial temporal lobe, believed to be the integrative centre for emotions, emotional behaviour, and motivation.
EFT results in a decrease in cortisol levels.
The process of EFT has possible effects on the body’s physiological systems that regulate stress, emotional intensity and associated neural transmission frequencies.
Suitable to use with children, teens and adults dealing with trauma, social and emotional issues.
PD and CPD available: Generalised points if programs matches your annual learning plan.
UNDERPINNING THEORIES:
CONDITIONING (PAVLOV) ;
COUNTERCONDITIONING (WOLPE);
BEHAVIOUR THERAPY (SKINNER);
COGNITIVE (ELIS, BECK);
CLIENT CENTRED (MASLOW, ROGERS);
EXPOSURE THERAPY;
THOUGHT FIELD THERAPY (CALLAHAN);
MINDFULNESS;
PHYSICS (EINSTEIN – ENERGY AFFECT MATTER)
Clinical EFT as an Evidence-Based Practice for the Treatment of Psychological and Physiological Conditions. Dawson Church National Institute for Integrative Healthcare, Fulton, USA
Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) has moved in the past two decades from a fringe therapy to widespread professional acceptance. This paper defines Clinical EFT, the method validated in many research studies, and shows it to be an “evidence-based” practice. It describes standards by which therapies may be evaluated, such as those of the American Psychological Association (APA) Division 12 Task Force, and reviews the studies showing that Clinical EFT meets these criteria.
Several research domains are discussed, summarizing studies of:
1) psychological conditions such as anxiety, depression, phobias, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD);
2) physiological problems such as pain and auto-immune conditions;
3) professional and sports performance; and
4) the physiological mechanisms of action of Clinical EFT. The paper lists the conclusions that may be drawn from this body of evidence, which includes 23 randomized controlled trials and 17 within-subjects studies. The three essential ingredients of Clinical EFT are described: exposure, cognitive shift, and acupressure. The latter is shown to be an essential ingredient in EFT’s efficacy, and not merely a placebo. New evidence from emerging fields such as epigenetics, neural plasticity, psychoneuroimmunology, and evolutionary biology confirms the central link between emotion and physiology, and points to somatic stimulation as the element common to emerging psychotherapeutic methods.
The paper outlines the next steps in EFT research, such as smartphone-based data gathering, large-scale group therapy, and the use of biomarkers. It concludes that Clinical EFT is a stable and mature method with an extensive evidence base. These characteristics have led to growing acceptance in primary care settings as a safe, rapid, reliable, and effective treatment for both psychological and medical diagnoses.
Copyright © 2013 Dawson Church. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. For full article see below.
research_clinical-eft-as-an-evidence-based-practice-for-the-treatment-of-psychological-and-physiological-conditions.pdf
Acupoint stimulation in treating psychological disorders: Evidence of efficacy. Feinstein, David
Review of General Psychology, Vol 16(4), Dec 2012, 364-380. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0028602
Abstract: Energy psychology is a clinical and self-help modality that combines verbal and physical procedures for effecting therapeutic change. While utilizing established clinical methods such as exposure and cognitive restructuring, the approach also incorporates concepts and techniques from non-Western healing systems. Its most frequently utilized protocols combine the stimulation of acupuncture points (by tapping on, holding, or massaging them) with the mental activation of a targeted psychological issue. Energy psychology has been controversial, in part due to its reliance on explanatory mechanisms that are outside of conventional clinical frameworks and in part because of claims by its early proponents—without adequate research support—of extraordinary speed and power in attaining positive clinical outcomes. This paper revisits some of the field's early claims, as well as current practices, and assesses them in the context of existing evidence. A literature search identified 51 peer-reviewed papers that report or investigate clinical outcomes following the tapping of acupuncture points to address psychological issues. The 18 randomized controlled trials in this sample were critically evaluated for design quality, leading to the conclusion that they consistently demonstrated strong effect sizes and other positive statistical results that far exceed chance after relatively few treatment sessions. Criteria for evidence-based treatments proposed by Division 12 of the American Psychological Association were also applied and found to be met for a number of anxiety-based conditions, including PTSD. Neurological mechanisms that may be involved in these surprisingly strong findings are also considered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)
The effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Emotional Freedom Techniques in reducing depression and anxiety among adults: A pilot study. Integrative Medicine: A clinician's journal.
Citation only: Chatwin, H., Stapleton, P.B., Porter, B., Devine, S., & Sheldon, T. (2016). The effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Emotional Freedom Techniques in reducing depression and anxiety among adults: A pilot study. Integrative Medicine, 15(2), 27-34.
Abstract:
Context: The World Health Organization (WHO) places major depressive disorder (MDD), or depression, as the fourth leading cause of disability worldwide. Some studies have found that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) represents the most superior approach in treating mild to severe symptoms. Recent literature has indicated a number of limitations to this therapeutic approach. An approach that has received increasing attention within the literature is the emotional freedom technique (EFT).
Objective: The current pilot study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of CBT and EFT in the treatment of depression and comorbid anxiety. Design: The research team designed a pilot study structured as a randomized, controlled trial with 2 intervention arms. Setting: The study took place at Bond University in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. Participants: Participants (n = 10) were local community members who had screened positive for a primary diagnosis of MDD. Intervention: Participants were randomly assigned to an 8-wk CBT or EFT treatment program, the intervention groups. A sample of individuals from the community was assessed for comparative purposes (control group) (n = 57).
Outcome Measures: Pre- and post intervention, all participants were interviewed using the Mini- International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) 6.0, and they completed the following validated questionnaires: (1) the Beck Depression Inventory, second edition (BDI-2) and (2) the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS-21). Results: Findings revealed that both treatment approaches produced significant reductions in depressive symptoms, with the CBT group reporting a significant reduction post intervention, which was not maintained with time. The EFT group reported a delayed effect involving a significant reduction in symptoms at the 3- and 6-mo follow-ups only. Examination of the individual cases revealed clinically significant improvements in anxiety across both interventions.
Conclusions: Overall, the findings provide evidence to suggest that EFT might be an effective treatment strategy worthy of further investigation.
Citation Information: Hannah Chatwin, Peta Stapleton, Brett Porter, Sharon Devine, et al.. "The effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Emotional Freedom Techniques in reducing depression and anxiety among adults: A pilot study" Integrative Medicine: A clinician's journal Vol. 15 Iss. 2 (2016) p. 27 - 34 ISSN: 1546-993X
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/peta_stapleton/81/
© Copyright 2016 Integrative Medicine A Clinician's Journal. All rights reserved
Food for Thought: A randomised controlled trial of emotional freedom techniques and cognitive behavioural therapy in the treatment of food cravings.
Citation only: Stapleton, P., Bannatyne, A. J., Urzi, K-C., Porter, B., & Sheldon, T. (2016).
Abstract: Addressing the internal determinants of dysfunctional eating behaviours (e.g. food cravings) in the prevention and treatment of obesity has been increasingly recognised. This study compared Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) to Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for food cravings in adults who were overweight or obese (N = 83) in an 8-week intervention. Outcome data were collected at baseline, post-intervention, and at 6- and 12-months follow-up. Overall, EFT and CBT demonstrated comparable efficacy in reducing food cravings, one’s responsiveness to food in the environment (power of food), and dietary restraint, with Cohen’s effect size values suggesting moderate to high practical significance for both interventions. Results also revealed that both EFT and CBT are capable of producing treatment effects that are clinically meaningful, with reductions in food cravings, the power of food, and dietary restraint normalising to the scores of a non-clinical community sample. While reductions in BMI were not observed, the current study supports the suggestion that psychological interventions are beneficial for food cravings and both CBT and EFT could serve as vital adjunct tools in a multidisciplinary approach to managing obesity.
Citation Information: Peta Stapleton, Amy Bannatyne, Keri-Charle Urzi, Brett Porter, et al.. "Food for Thought: A randomised controlled trial of emotional freedom techniques and cognitive behavioural therapy in the treatment of food cravings" Current Research in Psychology (2016) ISSN: 1758-0854
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/peta_stapleton/80/
Emotional freedom techniques in the treatment of unhealthy eating behaviors and related psychological constructs in adolescents: A randomized controlled pilot trial.
Citation only: Stapleton, P., Chatwin, H., William, M., Hutton, A., Pain, A., Porter, B., & Sheldon, T. (2016). Explore: The Journal of Science & Healing, 12 (2), 113-122
Abstract: Context In Australia and throughout much of the world, rates of obesity continue to climb as do the prevalence of eating disorders, particularly in adolescents. Psychological consequences of childhood obesity include low self-esteem, depression, body dissatisfaction, and social maladjustment (Young-Hyman et al., 2012). Objective and Intervention This feasibility study sought to examine the impact of a six-week Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) group treatment program upon eating behaviours, self-esteem, compassion, and psychological symptoms. Design: Forty-four students were randomly allocated to either the EFT group or the waitlist control group. Results Results revealed a delayed effect for both groups at post-intervention, with improved eating habits, self-esteem, and compassion at follow-up. Findings provide preliminary support for EFT as an effective treatment strategy for increasing healthy eating behaviours and improving associated weight-related psychopathology.
Citation Information: Peta Stapleton, Hannah Chatwin, Mary William, Amanda Hutton, et al.. "Emotional freedom techniques in the treatment of unhealthy eating behaviors and related psychological constructs in adolescents: A randomized controlled pilot trial" Explore: The Journal of Science & Healing Vol. 12 Iss. 2 (2016) p. 113 - 122 ISSN: 1550-8307 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/peta_stapleton/78/ Copyright 1999–2017 bepress.™
All rights reserved. © Copyright, Elsevier Inc., 2016
Secondary psychological outcomes in a controlled trial of Emotional Freedom Techniques and cognitive behaviour therapy in the treatment of food cravings
Citation only: Stapleton, P., Bannatyne, A., Chatwin, H., Urzi, K. C., Porter, B., & Sheldon, T. (2017). Secondary psychological outcomes in a controlled trial of Emotional Freedom Techniques and cognitive behaviour therapy in the treatment of food cravings. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 28, 136-145.
Abstract: Objective: Examining the effectiveness of psychological interventions in treating secondary psychological outcomes of obesity has become prioritized in recent times. The objective of the present study was to compare an eight-week Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) intervention program, in the treatment of food cravings and secondary psychological outcomes among overweight or obese adults (N = 83).
Method: A controlled non-inferiority trial was performed comparing group-delivered CBT to group-delivered EFT. Participants completed the Patient Health Questionnaire at pre- and post-intervention, and at six and 12-months follow-up.
Results: The CBT group did not report any significant changes in anxiety scores over time, but the decrease in depression symptoms pre-to post-intervention was significant and this was maintained at 6-and 12-months. Anxiety and depression scores significantly decreased from pre-to post-intervention for the EFT group, and was maintained at 6- and 12-month follow-up. Somatoform scores significantly decreased from pre-intervention to all follow-up points for the CBT group, while the EFT group did not report any significant changes in somatoform symptoms. Results also revealed that EFT is capable of producing reductions in anxiety and depression symptoms, and may be comparable to gold standard approaches such as CBT.
Conclusion: The current study supports the hypothesis that psychological intervention is beneficial for treating psychological comorbidities of obesity and points to the role mental health issues may play in this area.
Citation Information: Peta Stapleton, Amy Bannatyne, Hannah Chatwin, Keri-Charle Urzi, et al.. "Secondary psychological outcomes in a controlled trial of Emotional Freedom Techniques and cognitive behaviour therapy in the treatment of food cravings" Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice Vol. 28 (2017) p. 136 - 145 ISSN: 1744-3881 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/peta_stapleton/85/
Information on Neuroscience, Epigenetics and Quantum Physics - Dr Joe Dispenza