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On Tap: Calm Feeling: Area Proponent Says Alternative Technique Can Help Person Cut Stress, Refocus Energy

Posted on: Tuesday, 21 March 2006, 09:01 CST

By Cheryl Powell, The Akron Beacon Journal, Ohio

Mar. 21--Whether she's stuck in a traffic jam or feeling jitters before a big presentation, Holly Timberlake has found a way to tap into an inner sense of calm, focused energy.

In those situations, the holistic psychologist from Stow simply taps on strategic acupuncture points on her head, hands and chest while saying words of affirmation -- sometimes aloud, other times just to herself.

Within minutes, she said, the method works.

"I end up feeling more relaxed," said Timberlake, president of Nakaia Wellness Center and Holistic Psychological Center in Stow. "Then I'm free to focus on what I need to focus on. I feel brighter. I feel more energized."

Not only does she use the technique herself, Timberlake has been integrating the alternative therapy, known as Emotional Freedom Technique or EFT, into her practice since 1999.

Those who embrace the concept say tapping helps clear negative emotions that disrupt or block people's energy systems.

The technique is part of an alternative approach to health care known as "energy psychology," based on ancient Chinese medicine. The theory is that disruptions in people's energy system can cause people to experience a host of mental and physical problems.

Gary Craig, an engineer from California, developed EFT in the early 1990s by adapting and simplifying a related method known as Thought Field Therapy.

Thought Field Therapy, like EFT, involve tapping on the same energy or "meridian" points used in acupuncture -- but without the needles.

"The goal is to get people beyond their emotional issues," he said. "When you do that, it turns out their physical issues start fading as well."

Dissenting voices

Not everyone agrees.

Dr. Stephen Barrett, a retired psychiatrist who runs www.quackwatch.org, said this and similar types of therapies should be avoided. His Web site explores the validity of medical claims and warns against using unproven methods.

American Psychological Association spokeswoman Pamela Willenz said that consumers of any mental health service need to ask: "Has this treatment been proven effective by well-designed, peer-reviewed studies and through the clinical experience of credentialed providers?"

"We are not aware of any controlled studies on the so-called emotional freedom therapy technique," she said. "In other words, we know of no research that proves that the therapy is effective."

Still, modern health-care practitioners increasingly are paying attention to ancient mind-body techniques.

Multiple studies have shown that emotional traits -- negative or positive -- influence a person's susceptibility to infection, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, a branch of the National Institutes of Health.

Finding sore spots

In EFT, tapping sessions begin with participants identifying the issue they want to overcome.

Participants rub a spot on their chest known as the "sore spot" while saying, "Even though I have this issue (name the issue), I completely love and accept myself."

Then they tap on the meridian points, starting at the top of their head and working their way down and to the hands. At one point in the session, they follow a series of eye movements and then hum a familiar song, such as Happy Birthday, while tapping a spot between their ring finger and pinky.

During the first round of tapping, they say the issue they're trying to overcome. (Someone who is afraid of losing his job, for example, might say, "Fear of losing my job.")

In subsequent rounds, they say statements of affirmation. ("I am a sea of calm and tranquility," for instance.)

"There's not anything you couldn't work with and, I think, help," Timberlake said. "The only time I found these methods not to work is when people say, 'I don't want to change.' "

Used to relieve stress

While some supporters of EFT say it can help with anything from simple fears to chronic illnesses and cancer, others are more cautious.

Betsy Muller, a business adviser and coach from Strongsville, said she uses EFT with "emotionally strong" clients to help them relieve stress and achieve personal growth. Her promotional materials advise people with serious emotional trauma to seek a competent, licensed therapist.

"I'm not out there talking about psychological problems," she said. "But all of us have anxiety and stress every day. This is a powerful way each of us can manage that.... It's bringing a positive state of mind to these people who are weary and lacking energy."

On a recent evening, Muller led a tapping session with a couple dozen leaders from Akron General Medical Center.

The group of hospital administrators and department heads gather for informal meetings each month to share ideas and solve problems.

Christopher McGowan, director of partial hospitalization for Akron General, organized the well-attended EFT session to share a new stress-management technique.

"It's just an interesting technique to allow yourself to de-stress or refocus," he said.

McGowan said that Akron General's leadership doesn't endorse EFT, nor does it suggest the alternative therapy replace conventional therapies.

His advice: "Follow your physician's recommendations. This is to accentuate wellness, not to replace a treatment plan."

More information, including a free manual on the technique, is available at Craig's Web site, www.emofree.com.

Cheryl Powell can be reached at 330-996-3902 or chpowell@thebeaconjournal.com

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Akron Beacon Journal, Ohio

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Source: Akron Beacon Journal (Akron, Ohio)

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