The various types of talk psychology all try to heal the wounds of painful childhood experiences through dialog.
Unfortunately, many patients find that talk therapies are not able to completely heal the original emotional wound.
The pain is unresolved because intellectual understanding is often not sufficient to release emotional memories from the subconscious.
Since emotions are a subconscious physiological phenomenon, a body-based approach can be a more direct and effective way to resolve emotional conflict.
Meridian tapping therapy, also called Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) offers an innovative new therapeutic method to address this problem.
EFT is an energy-based healing technique based on acupuncture that has been found to be very effective in healing past traumas.
Due to its remarkable effectiveness, this new therapy is starting to gain acceptance by the traditional psychotherapeutic community.
EFT meridian tapping therapy involves tapping on a series of acupuncture points while mentally focusing on the issue being treated.
The actual technique is relatively easy to learn, and can be self-applied with minimal training.
If you have substantive mental health issues you should consult an experienced EFT health care practitioner to get the results you need.
If you want to try out EFT for yourself, please read on.
To start your EFT self-healing, recall a past experience that still holds a strong emotional charge when you think about it.
Replay the event in your mind as though it were a movie.
If you could give this memory/movie a title, what would it be? For instance a memory of a parent yelling might simply be "Rage!" The main point is that the title fits how you see and feel the memory when you recall it.
Next, give the memory a rating from 1-10 on how strong an emotional charge it holds for you, 10 being very charged, 1 being very little.
This will help you to assess where you are and how many tapping repetitions are needed.
Now, begin the tapping sequence as follows: With the three middle fingers of one hand, tap on the outside edge of the palm of your opposite hand.
This outside edge is called the "karate chop point".
While tapping on the karate chop point, say to yourself, "Even though I have this _____(movie title, for example, "Rage!"), I deeply and completely accept myself.
" (This is called the "set-up.
") The next part is to tap 7-9 times on each of the rest of the EFT points of the sequence while repeating the reminder phrase.
1) Begin tapping on the beginning of the eyebrow (closest to the nose) and repeat, "This ______ (movie title)".
2) Tap the outside of the eye bone socket and repeat "This______".
3) Tap under the eye and repeat "This________".
4) Tap on the area between the nose and the upper lip, and repeat "This ________".
5) Tap on the chin below the lower lip, repeat "This_______".
6) Tap where the collar bones meet the breastbone, repeat "This_____________.
" 7) Tap at the bottom of the armpit, repeat "This_________.
" 8) Tap at the top of the head, repeat "This _________".
Now check in with yourself.
Think about the memory-how charged does it feel to you now? It should feel slightly less charged.
If it feels more charged, you are getting more in touch with feelings that were buried below the surface.
What number would you give it now? Continue repeating the entire process until the memory holds very little charge for you.
This may take several repetitions if you have a very charged memory.
Be patient with the process and be patient with yourself.
Remember, this experience has stayed with you for a long time.
It may take a few repetitions to eliminate its hold on your psyche.
Also, give the process time to work -- you may not notice the full benefit of the tapping until a few days have passed.
Go for it! Try this healing technique on yourself-you have nothing to lose and everything to gain!