Healing trauma: emotional freedom techniques
People suffering with PTSD, related to war, natural disaster, or other causes, can use emotional freedom techniques (EFT) to recover so that they can go on to live symptom-free lives. Healing trauma using EFT has been found through peer-reviewed, clinical, scientific research to be an effective and rapid treatment. In as little as six weeks and sometimes less, people using EFT have been helped with lasting effects. EFT meets the American Psychological Associations’s standard as an evidence-based practice, and it has been described as “transformative” by some. Many studies show its beneficial effectiveness to heal PTST, Anxiety, and Depression as well as pain and addictions.
Emotional freedom techniques, sometimes known as tapping, makes use of 12 acupuncture pressure points on the body to alter the neural pathways that are involved in the presenting psychological problem. Tapping while verbally expressing the problem leads to a decrease in cortisol causing the neurochemical change to occur that alter the neuropathways leaving the individual with feelings of calmness. A 2010 study in the Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease supported the finding of a decrease in cortisol levels in subjects following the use of EFT, showing that changes occur biochemically in the body when this approach is used.
Dawson Church, PhD, award-winning author and scientific researcher, has been at the forefront in EFT studies. His work has been published in the peer-reviewed psychiatry Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, Traumatology, Counseling and Clinical Psychology, the Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine and other prestigious, professional publications. Church authored the best-selling book “The Genie in Your Genes”, which describes the breakthrough understanding of how our emotions affect our genetics. This is the science of epigenetics in action. He has worked diligently to get EFT treatment into VA hospitals, and through his Stress Project, he connects veterans and their families with EFT therapy. People living with others who suffer PTSD also find EFT useful since, often, they have transferred PTSD.
On Thursday, Aug. 9 at 1 p.m. at Central Hall in Dover-Foxcroft, NAMI Piscataquis County will show its second offering from the Sounds True-Healing Trauma Summit called “EFT to Heal Trauma,” featuring speaker Dawson Church. This video presentation will be helpful to those experiencing intrusive memories of bad events, insomnia, nightmares and flashbacks. Avoidance of particular people or situations that are triggers will be addressed as well as use of emotional numbing activities used to get through the day or night.
“PTSD does not have to hold you in it’s grip forever. You can recover,” Church explains.
This free event is for community members wishing to learn about EFT. The Healing Trauma Summit programs are of interest to professionals, those experiencing past or present traumas, those living with others who are dealing with trauma, and those wanting to know how to address possible future traumas. Those experiencing anxiety, depression or pain are encouraged to attend, as well as those with PTSD, so that they can learn the technique to help themselves.
Church has an uplifting presentation style and a passionate, positive attitude. His wealth of information as a result of his research is impressive. He will demonstrate EFT while attendees participate to learn EFT. A page-long, illustrated EFT handout will be available.
If you plan to attend this program, please RSVP to nami.piscataquis@gmail.com or call 924-7903.