Emotion Code- holistic and integrative help at Soul Healing Counselling

Emotion Code helps you to get rid of emotional baggage from the past. Releasing trapped emotions makes conditions right for the body to heal- so psychical and emotional difficulties often disappear or become much more manageable.

What is Thought Field Therapy® (TFT)?

TFT is a system that facilitates healing as it accesses and resolves, through a combination of our thoughts and the meridian system, the essence and root cause of a problem, whether emotional or physical. As a clinical psychologist, Dr. Callahan began

working with negative emotions, phobias, anger, guilt, grief, trauma, addictions, depression, etc. These negative emotions and many physical problems are condensed information in energy form, bound in what he calls a Thought Field. The active information in this Thought Field creates the distress by controlling the negative emotions, and subsequently our behavior.

Because most people are understandably skeptical that tapping on acupuncture spots

or energy spots on their own body will be of any help, neither the placebo effect (the

belief by the client and /or therapist that a treatment will work) nor positive thinking

seem to play a part in the results achieved in Thought Field Therapy. The fact that it

works on infants and animals would negate it being placebo. In this regard, Dr.

Callahan has commented that Thought Field Therapy "probably doesn't get its fair

share of placebo effects" because people ordinarily don't have faith that the procedure

will help. In spite of this lack of placebo effect, the most common questions asked by

clients after successful Thought Field Therapy treatments are "How long will it last?"

and "How does it work?"

The answer to the first question is that the results appear to be permanent in most

cases. Dr. Callahan's first patient treated with Callahan Techniques, what he later

termed Thought Field Therapy or TFT, was a patient he refers to as "Mary." "Mary"

was treated with Thought Field Therapy over forty years ago for a water phobia and

remains, by her own self-report, "cured." Most TFT therapists have witnessed the

long standing results of TFT in their practice, the trauma relief studies conducted in

Rwanda with victims of the 1994 genocide suggested that the positive effects of one

TFT treatment administered by newly trained Rwandan Community leaders lasted

and improved over the course of two years.

Although Thought Field Therapy utilizes the same system as acupuncture, they are

different in that TFT operates directly on the thought field or informational field (the

negative or positive emotions and the accompanying sensations of a specific thought),

while acupuncture is more often used for physical problems.

It is known from the work of various researchers (Becker & Seldon,1985) that specific

energy points located on the surface of the human body, do in fact exist and that they

are virtually the same spots identified by the ancient Chinese thousands of years ago.

The Chinese identified twelve pathways along with various connecting channels, and

a myriad of energy points located within this system.

Life is like a tree

and its root is consciousness.

Therefore, once we tend the root,

the tree as a whole will be healthy.

~Deepak Chopra

There is growing evidence to support the effectiveness of Thought Field Therapy (TFT)

as a psychological intervention:

An article entitled: Mental health interventions by lay counsellors: a systematic review

and meta-analysis (Connolly et al., 2021) was published in the August 2021 issue of

The Bulletin of the World Health Organization. Of the 19 randomized controlled trials

that met the inclusion criteria three studies explored the use of TFT (Connolly & Sakai,

2011, Connolly et al., 2013, & Robson et al., 2016). Of the three included TFT studies,

two were conducted in Rwanda and one in Uganda. Two of the included TFT studies

demonstrated high effect sizes and one included TFT study demonstrated a medium

effect size. The three TFT studies were found to have the fewest days of training and

the least amount of treatment time. In a qualitative follow up, Edwards (2016) reported

the lay counselor’s satisfaction with their continued use of the TFT intervention.

was found to show promise in the treatment of children recovering from the 1994

Genocide, and, in another 2019 outcome study by Dheepa, V., Prabavathy, S., &

Renuka, K., the authors reported that in their experience TFT mediated stress in

schoolchildren. And in a third TFT study with children, (Barraza-Alvarez, 2021), a quasi-

experimental study conducted in the nursing unit of the “Del Bosque” Childhood

Integration and Connivance Center, S.C., Community Neighborhood Nursery No. U-

1327 of the Mexican Social Security Institute, located in Texcoco, Mexico. Barraza-

Alverez found that TFT significantly reduced reported levels of anxiety and fear in the

fourteen females participating in the study.

Two European RCT studies were conducted in a hospital setting in Norway, (Irgens et

al., 2012, & Irgens et al., 2017). In the first study, TFT delivered superior results when

compared to CBT for the treatment of anxiety. In the second Norwegian study, TFT was

found to be a promising treatment for agoraphobia when compared to a waitlist group.

A recent study conducted in the war-torn Kurdistan Region of Iraq (Seidi et al., 2020),

found TFT treatments to be preferred by the local population and more effective when

compared to CBT. In another middle eastern study, a study of dental anxiety (AlAwdah,

et al., 2021), conducted in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the King Saud University

College of Dentistry Primary Clinics, the authors found that TFT significantly reduced

dental pain when compared to other anxiety reduction techniques.

And in Japan, a recent study by Morikawa, et al., in 2021 found that TFT sessions

averaging 36 minutes significantly reduced stress and improved heart rate variability in

university students.

In addition to the Connolly, et al. study published by the Bulletin of the World Health

Organization mentioned at the beginning, TFT studies have been included in several

globally important literature reviews meta-analyses.

Brown et al., 2017 included the Sakai et al., 2010 study with street children in their

review, Psychosocial interventions for children and adolescents after man-made and

natural disasters: a meta-analysis and systematic review. These authors found that the

TFT intervention had the highest effect size when compared to other interventions such

as EMDR and CBT. In Effects of current treatments for trauma survivors with

posttraumatic stress disorder on reducing a negative self-concept: A systematic review

and meta-analysis, Banz, et al., found 25 studies that met their inclusion criteria. The

meta-analysis included the Connolly & Sakai, 2011 TFT study, which demonstrated a

strong effect size in reducing negative self-concept.

Morina et al., 2017, included Connolly & Sakai, 2011 in their Meta-analysis of

interventions for posttraumatic stress disorder and depression in adult survivors of mass

violence in low- and middle-income countries, as did Bangpan et al., 2019. Bangpan

included Connolly & Sakai, 2011, in Mental, health and psychosocial support

programmes for adults in humanitarian emergencies: a systematic review and meta-

analysis in low and middle-income countries and also in Bangpan, et al., 2017, in The

humanitarian emergencies: A systematic review.

In 2014, Dunnewold reviewed four studies of TFT in Africa (Connolly & Sakai, 2011,

Connolly et al., 2013, Robson et al., 2016 and Sakai, et al., 2010) in Thought Field

Therapy efficacy following large scale traumatic events. and concluded that together

they demonstrated the efficacy of this technique and recommended further research.

And, in 2022, Ntlantsana V, Molebatsi K, Mashaphu S, et al., included Connolly and

Sakai, 2011 in Post-traumatic stress disorder psychological interventions in sub-

Saharan Africa: protocol for a systematic review of the literature, and noted its

effectiveness.

Two Cochrane Reviews included TFT studies in their extensive meta-analyses. Purgato

et al, 2018, included Connolly and Sakai, 2011, & Connolly et al., 2013, in Psychological

therapies for the treatment of mental disorders in low- and middle-income countries

affected by humanitarian crises. And Van Ginneken et al., 2021 included Connolly &

Sakai, 2011 in Primary‐ level worker interventions for the care of people living with

mental disorders and distress in low‐ and middle‐ income countries.

References:

AlAwdah, A. S., AlHabdan, A. H., AlTaifi, B., & AlMejrad, L. (2021) The effect of

Thought Field Therapy on dental fear among Saudi women during restorative

treatment. EC Dental Science 20 (5).

Bangpan, M., Dickson, K., Felix, L., & Chiumento, A. (2017). The impact of mental

health and psychosocial support interventions on people affected by humanitarian

emergencies: A systematic review. Humanitarian Evidence Programme. Oxford:

Oxfam GB.

Bangpan, M., Felix, L., & Dickson, K. (2019) Mental health and psychosocial support

programmes for adults in humanitarian emergencies: A systematic review and meta-

analysis in low and middle-income countries. British Medical Journal Global Health.

4:e001484. 22618

Banz, L., Stefanovic, M., von Boeselagera, M., Schäfer, I., Lotzin, A., Kleim, B., &

Ehring, T. (2022). Effects of current treatments for trauma survivors with posttraumatic

stress disorder on reducing a negative self-concept: A systematic review and meta-

analysis. European Journal of Psychotraumatology. Vol. 13, 2122528

https://doi.org/10.1080/20008066.2022.2122528

Barraza-Alvarez, F.V. (2021). Callahan’s Thought Field Therapy and the management

of emotions associated with stress. World Journal of Biology, Pharmacy, and Health

Sciences.7 (2), 60-68. Doi: 10.30574/wjbphs.2021.7.2.0045.

Brown, R. C., Witt, A., Fegert, J. M., Keller, F., Rassenhofer, M., & Plener, P. L.

(2017). Psychosocial interventions for children and adolescents after man-made and

natural disasters: A meta-analysis and systematic review. Psychological Medicine, 47,

1893–1905. doi:10.1017/S0033291717000496

Connolly, S. M., Vanchu-Orosco, M., Warner, J., Seidi, P. A., Edwards, J., Boath, E.,

& Irgens, A. C. (2021). Mental health interventions by lay counsellors: A systematic

review and meta-analysis. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 99(8), 572–582.

retrieved from https://doi.org/10.2471/BLT.20.269050

community resources to treat PTSD: A randomized controlled study using Thought

Field Therapy.

African Journal of Traumatic Stress, 3(1), 24-32. Retrieved from

http://doi:10.13140/RG.2.2.14793.44644.

Connolly, S.M., & Sakai, C.E. (2011). Brief trauma symptom intervention with

Rwandan genocide survivors using Thought Field Therapy. International Journal of

Emergency Mental Health, 13(3), 161-172. PubMed Retrieved from

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22708146

Dheepa, V., Prabavathy, S, & Renuka K. (2019). Thought Field Therapy on stress and

anger in schoolchildren. International Journal of Advanced Research.

doi: http://dx.doi.org/:10.21474/IJAR01/8859

Dunnewold, A. L. (2014) Thought Field Therapy efficacy following large scale

traumatic events. Current Research in Psychology, 5(1): 34-39. doi:10.38/crpsp.

Edwards, J. (2016) Healing in Rwanda: In the words of the therapists. Wholistic

Healing Publications., 16(1) Retrieved from

https://irpcdn.multiscreensite.com/891f98f6/files/uploaded/IJHC-16-1%20Edwards.pdf

Irgens, A. C., Hoffart, A., Nysaeter, T. E., Haaland, V.O., Borge, F.M., Pripp, A. H.,

Martinsen, E. W., & Dammen, T. (2017). Thought Field Therapy compared to

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and wait-list for agoraphobia: A randomized, controlled

study with a 12-fonth follow-up. Frontiers of Psychology, 20,

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01027 PubMed

Irgens, A., Dammen, T., Nysaeter T., & Hoffart, A. (2012). Thought Field Therapy

(TFT) as a treatment for anxiety symptoms: A randomized controlled trial. Explore. 8

(6) 331-337.

Morikawa, A., Takayama, M., & Yoshizawa, E. (2021). The efficacy of Thought Field

Therapy and its impact on heart rate variability in student counseling: A randomized

controlled trial. EXPLORE, 2021. (In press)

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.explore.2021.09.005

Morina, N., Nickerson, A., Malek, M., & Bryant, R. (2017). Meta-analysis of

interventions for posttraumatic stress disorder and depression in adult survivors of

mass violence in low- and middle-income countries Depression and Anxiety 34(8)679-

691. doi: 0.1002/da.22618

Ntlantsana V, Molebatsi K, Mashaphu S, et al. (2022). Post-traumatic stress disorder

psychological interventions in sub-Saharan Africa: Protocol for a systematic review of

the literature. BMJ Open. 2022;12:e052903. doi:10.1136/mjopen-2021-052903

Purgato, M., Gastaldon, C., Papola, D., van Ommeren, M., Barbui, C., & Tol, W. A.

(2018). Psychological therapies for the treatment of mental disorders in low- and

middle-income countries affected by humanitarian crises. Cochrane Database of

Systematic Reviews 7. Art. No.: CD011849. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD011849.pub2

Effectiveness of Thought Field Therapy provided by newly instructed community

workers to a traumatized population in Uganda: A randomized trial. Current Research

in Psychology. Doi: 10.3844/crpsp.201

Sakai, C., Connolly, S., & Oas, P. (2010). Treatment of PTSD in Rwanda genocide

survivors using Thought Field Therapy. International Journal of Emergency Mental

Health, 12(1), 41-49. PubMed. Retrieved From:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20828089/

Seidi, P. A., Jaff, D., Connolly, S. M., & Hoffart, A. (2020). Applying Cognitive

Behavioral Therapy and Thought Field Therapy in Kurdistan Region of Iraq: A

retrospective case series study of mental-health interventions in a setting of political

instability and armed conflicts. EXPLORE.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.explore.2020.06.003

van Ginneken, N., Chin, W. Y., Lim Y. C., Ussif, A., Singh R., Shahmalaker, U., &

Lewin, S. (2021). Primary‐level worker interventions for the care of people living with

mental disorders and distress in low‐ and middle‐income countries. Cochrane

Database of Systematic Reviews 8. Art. No.: CD009149. DOI:

10.1002/14651858.CD009149.pub3.

TFT citings of note for future reference.in future studies

In 2019, Sullivan, et al. cited Sakai, Connolly, & Oas (2010) in Using simple

acupressure and breathing techniques to improve mood, sleep, and pain management

in refugees: a peer-to-peer approach in a Rohingya refugee camp. Sullivan noted

“Acupressure point stimulation has been used effectively in adolescent survivors of

genocide in Rwanda (Sakai, Connolly,

& Oas, 2010) but has not been systematically studied.

Bagchi, et al. (2019) published a protocol for a potential review of the training of lay

counselors. The authors quoted Connolly, et al, 2021 as one of several examples of

there not being enough published about the methods of training lay counselors.

References

Bagchi, A. D., Hargwood, P., Saravana, A. DiBello, A.M., Alonzo, K.D., & Jadotte, Y.

(2022). Methods of training lay individuals in the use of evidence-based services for

the management of mental and behavioral health disorders: A scoping review

protocol. JBI Evid Synth 2020; 18(0):1–11.

Sullivan, J., Thorn, N., Amin, M., Mason, K., Lue, N., & Nawzir, M. (2019). Using

simple acupressure and breathing techniques to improve mood, sleep, and pain

management in refugees: a peer-to-peer approach in a Rohingya refugee camp.

Intervention, 17(2), 252-258. https://doi.10.4103/INTV.INTV_13_19