Recent News
ACEP news release: APA rejects request for CE approval for Energy Psychology despite evidence of effectiveness
- Published 01/20/2010
Washington, D.C., January 20, 2010 APA rejects ACEP’S request for CE approval for Energy Psychology despite evidence of its effectiveness in treating PTSD and other disorders
On December 28, 2009 the American Psychological Association (APA) denied the appeal of The Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology, a non-profit association of practitioners and researchers in Energy Psychology, to provide APA Continuing Education credit for Energy Psychology. This action sends a potentially chilling effect on the utilization of one of the most promising treatments for PTSD and trauma at a time when hundreds of thousands of our returning soldiers are suffering from PTSD and more effective treatments are desperately needed. Energy Psychology methods have been used successfully throughout the world to treat thousands of traumatized disaster survivors and US soldiers and have been adopted by three international disaster relief organizations as a core modality in working with the mental health needs of disaster survivors.
One “Energy Psychology” technique involves the stimulation of acupuncture points by tapping on them at the same time that a traumatic memory or stressful trigger is brought to mind. The procedure is believed to send signals to the brain that counteract the stress response. Early research is finding it to be surprisingly effective. A paper presented at the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine Conference in San Jose last September, for instance, showed that symptoms of traumatic stress were dramatically reduced in 19 military veterans with PTSD after six hour-long sessions using the method, and that 16 of the 19 of the veterans no longer scored within the PTSD range. Scores for a comparison group that did not receive treatment were unchanged. These outcomes are stronger than outcomes reported for conventional treatments such as Cognitive Behavior Therapy, where a 50% success rate with PTSD after twelve sessions is considered a highly favorable response.
Despite findings such as these the APA forbids any of its CE providers to give credit for course offerings in Energy Psychology. For the last 2 years The Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology, has been working to end this practice by becoming the first APA approved CE provider offering courses in Energy Psychology. First one application was denied; followed by a second that was denied, followed by a request for reconsideration that, too, was denied.
The essence of the CE Committee’s (CEC) denials that prompted the appeal was that Energy Psychology remains “controversial and of uncertain acceptance” and that, “the CEC decision found that sufficient controversy existed to render uncertain the credibility of their claims and theory in the broader communities.”
Continuing education is one of the primary ways a profession introduces new developments to its members. A course meets the APA’s published standards for CE credit if it meets any one of four criteria. The first is that the psychological community has been studying or applying the approach. More than two dozen papers on energy psychology have appeared in peer-reviewed mental health journals, most of them showing favorable outcomes in systematic studies of the method. Meanwhile, at least three international disaster relief organizations have adopted energy psychology as a core modality in working with the mental health needs of disaster survivors.
Another criterion that would define a course as appropriate for APA CE credit is if its “program content has peer-reviewed, published support” beyond publications devoted primarily to the promotion of the approach. Besides the numerous papers mentioned earlier, the APA’s own prestigious journals, such as Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, have published highly favorable assessments of energy psychology.
In June, 2009, ACEP filed an appeal with the APA that was accompanied by a 80 page brief listing 17 counts establishing that the APA CE committee’s decision was 1) arbitrary, capricious or otherwise not in accordance with the standards and criteria and the procedures of the Committee; or (2) not supported by substantial evidence
On Dec 14, the appeal was heard. During that meeting the representatives of the APA CE committee claimed that they followed proper procedure and that the Committee gave our application careful review. Upon further questioning, the CEC Committee Chair stated that the CEC Committee did not have measurable criteria for their decision and that it was based solely on their “professional judgment”. ACEP repeatedly asked what the threshold was for Energy Psychology reaching credibility in their eyes. They stated that there was “no line”.
Despite the substantial evidence submitted by ACEP and their admission that there was no measurable criteria used by the Continuing Education Committee, the APA appeal panel upheld the original decision of the APA CE committee. This ban is antithetical to APA’s stated CE objective of “the encouragement of psychology in all its branches in the broadest and most liberal manner.”
Greg Nicosia, PhD the President, Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology and Member of the American Psychological Association stated, ”Frankly we were stunned by the APA’s lack of ability to give a measurable objective that could be used to demonstrate the effectiveness of energy psychology. We wonder can this bode well for any new therapy that could be effective. Has the APA become so large and powerful that all it can do is defend their status quo? Because continuing education is one of the primary ways a profession introduces new developments to its members, we can only hope that the APA will someday see fit to stop defending its errant position and support the education of psychologists in a method that has the potential to significantly improve treatment for our soldiers and other suffering individuals. Our response now is to raise the funds necessary to conduct the state-of-the-art research that cannot be ignored.”
Dr. Nicosia is available for interviews.
For Information contact: Dr Robert Schwarz, Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology, Executive Director. Acep_ed@energypsych.org 610-203-9262
The Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology Website: www.energypsych.org
On December 28, 2009 the American Psychological Association (APA) denied the appeal of The Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology, a non-profit association of practitioners and researchers in Energy Psychology, to provide APA Continuing Education credit for Energy Psychology. This action sends a potentially chilling effect on the utilization of one of the most promising treatments for PTSD and trauma at a time when hundreds of thousands of our returning soldiers are suffering from PTSD and more effective treatments are desperately needed. Energy Psychology methods have been used successfully throughout the world to treat thousands of traumatized disaster survivors and US soldiers and have been adopted by three international disaster relief organizations as a core modality in working with the mental health needs of disaster survivors.
One “Energy Psychology” technique involves the stimulation of acupuncture points by tapping on them at the same time that a traumatic memory or stressful trigger is brought to mind. The procedure is believed to send signals to the brain that counteract the stress response. Early research is finding it to be surprisingly effective. A paper presented at the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine Conference in San Jose last September, for instance, showed that symptoms of traumatic stress were dramatically reduced in 19 military veterans with PTSD after six hour-long sessions using the method, and that 16 of the 19 of the veterans no longer scored within the PTSD range. Scores for a comparison group that did not receive treatment were unchanged. These outcomes are stronger than outcomes reported for conventional treatments such as Cognitive Behavior Therapy, where a 50% success rate with PTSD after twelve sessions is considered a highly favorable response.
Despite findings such as these the APA forbids any of its CE providers to give credit for course offerings in Energy Psychology. For the last 2 years The Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology, has been working to end this practice by becoming the first APA approved CE provider offering courses in Energy Psychology. First one application was denied; followed by a second that was denied, followed by a request for reconsideration that, too, was denied.
The essence of the CE Committee’s (CEC) denials that prompted the appeal was that Energy Psychology remains “controversial and of uncertain acceptance” and that, “the CEC decision found that sufficient controversy existed to render uncertain the credibility of their claims and theory in the broader communities.”
Continuing education is one of the primary ways a profession introduces new developments to its members. A course meets the APA’s published standards for CE credit if it meets any one of four criteria. The first is that the psychological community has been studying or applying the approach. More than two dozen papers on energy psychology have appeared in peer-reviewed mental health journals, most of them showing favorable outcomes in systematic studies of the method. Meanwhile, at least three international disaster relief organizations have adopted energy psychology as a core modality in working with the mental health needs of disaster survivors.
Another criterion that would define a course as appropriate for APA CE credit is if its “program content has peer-reviewed, published support” beyond publications devoted primarily to the promotion of the approach. Besides the numerous papers mentioned earlier, the APA’s own prestigious journals, such as Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, have published highly favorable assessments of energy psychology.
In June, 2009, ACEP filed an appeal with the APA that was accompanied by a 80 page brief listing 17 counts establishing that the APA CE committee’s decision was 1) arbitrary, capricious or otherwise not in accordance with the standards and criteria and the procedures of the Committee; or (2) not supported by substantial evidence
On Dec 14, the appeal was heard. During that meeting the representatives of the APA CE committee claimed that they followed proper procedure and that the Committee gave our application careful review. Upon further questioning, the CEC Committee Chair stated that the CEC Committee did not have measurable criteria for their decision and that it was based solely on their “professional judgment”. ACEP repeatedly asked what the threshold was for Energy Psychology reaching credibility in their eyes. They stated that there was “no line”.
Despite the substantial evidence submitted by ACEP and their admission that there was no measurable criteria used by the Continuing Education Committee, the APA appeal panel upheld the original decision of the APA CE committee. This ban is antithetical to APA’s stated CE objective of “the encouragement of psychology in all its branches in the broadest and most liberal manner.”
Greg Nicosia, PhD the President, Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology and Member of the American Psychological Association stated, ”Frankly we were stunned by the APA’s lack of ability to give a measurable objective that could be used to demonstrate the effectiveness of energy psychology. We wonder can this bode well for any new therapy that could be effective. Has the APA become so large and powerful that all it can do is defend their status quo? Because continuing education is one of the primary ways a profession introduces new developments to its members, we can only hope that the APA will someday see fit to stop defending its errant position and support the education of psychologists in a method that has the potential to significantly improve treatment for our soldiers and other suffering individuals. Our response now is to raise the funds necessary to conduct the state-of-the-art research that cannot be ignored.”
Dr. Nicosia is available for interviews.
For Information contact: Dr Robert Schwarz, Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology, Executive Director. Acep_ed@energypsych.org 610-203-9262
The Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology Website: www.energypsych.org
EFT World Hub Tribute to Gary Craig, EFT Founder
- Published 01/10/2010
Starting January 10, for seven days Gary Williams, founder of the EFT World Hub, will be hosting a celebration of Emotional Freedom Techniques and paying tribute to EFT creator Gary Craig. The first day will feature a recorded interview with Gary Craig, who discusses his new film based on his work with war trauma and veterans, questions being asked about his retirement and Web site, and other topics.
During the seven-day event, EFT World Hub will provide free access to interviews with well-known EFT practitioners from around the world. These experts include Patricia Carrington, Sophia Cayer, Judy Byrne, Pamela Bruner, Steve Wells, Maryam Webster, Ingrid Dinter, Alina Frank, Carol Look, Jacqui Crooks, Gwyneth Moss, Emma Roberts, Sasha Allenby, Ann Adams, Rick Wilkes, Karin Davidson, Paul Zelizer, Tania Prince, Rue Hass, Gwenn Bonell, Marie Holliday, Tapas Fleming, Andy Bryce, and Sue Beer.
After the event, a recording of the tribute will be available in the EFT World Hub library for download for a small fee.
You can also join Gary Williams for three live broadcasts at 3 p.m. EST (8 p.m. GMT) on:
Sunday, January 10
Thursday, January 14
Sunday, January 17
Click here to sign up for the tribute
During the seven-day event, EFT World Hub will provide free access to interviews with well-known EFT practitioners from around the world. These experts include Patricia Carrington, Sophia Cayer, Judy Byrne, Pamela Bruner, Steve Wells, Maryam Webster, Ingrid Dinter, Alina Frank, Carol Look, Jacqui Crooks, Gwyneth Moss, Emma Roberts, Sasha Allenby, Ann Adams, Rick Wilkes, Karin Davidson, Paul Zelizer, Tania Prince, Rue Hass, Gwenn Bonell, Marie Holliday, Tapas Fleming, Andy Bryce, and Sue Beer.
After the event, a recording of the tribute will be available in the EFT World Hub library for download for a small fee.
You can also join Gary Williams for three live broadcasts at 3 p.m. EST (8 p.m. GMT) on:
Sunday, January 10
Thursday, January 14
Sunday, January 17
Click here to sign up for the tribute
2010 ACEP energy psychology conference open for registration
- Published 01/5/2010
Registration for the Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology (ACEP) 12th International Conference on Energy Psychology is now open. The conference, titled Evolving Tools for Healing Mind, Body and Spirit, will be held June 3-6 at the beautiful Loews Coronado Bay Resort in San Diego, California.Confirmed keynote speakers include:
William Bengston, PhD, researcher in energy healing of cancer
Norman Doige, MD, author of The Brain that Changes Itself
Dean Radin, PhD, author of The Conscious Universe and Entangled Minds
Donna Eden, author of Energy Medicine and Energy Medicine for Women
David Feinstein, PhD, author of Energy Psychology Interactive and The Mythic Path
Debbie Ford, author of The Secret of the Shadow and The Spiritual Divorce
Click here for information
Register before February 15 to get the best price.
EFT founder Gary Craig retiring January 15
- Published 01/5/2010
Gary Craig, founder of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), announced his January 15, 2010 retirement in a blog post dated December 12. Many in the EFT community were stunned, as evidenced by the hundreds of blog comments. Craig's emofree.com Web site, which contains valuable articles, stories, testimonials, case studies, and training materials, is scheduled to close March 1.
In his post, he points to an intriguing view of the future, describing EFT as "but the doorstep to a far grander Palace of Possibilities." Following is the excerpt.
The Future – Where to From Here?
EFT has two important features: (1) What it does and (2) Where it points. The vast majority of EFT’ers are fascinated by what it does and are forever delivering ooohhs and aaahhs as EFT does its magic. This is fine. However, this is nowhere near as important as where it points.
EFT is but the doorstep to a far grander Palace of Possibilities. It is way outside our normal experience and its results cannot be properly explained by medicine or conventional science. As remarkable as it now seems, EFT is actually a toy that will someday be tossed away as a mere introduction to the exquisite beauty that is our birthright. It points to a future mental state where disease, war and resentments do not exist. This level cannot be reached, however, by...
- more tapping points or,
- the "latest and greatest" options for delivering EFT or,
- any of the other varied offerings that have found their way onto the EFT scene.
Read the entire post
2009 Canadian Energy Psychology Conference Begins October 15
- Published 10/1/2009
The 11th Annual Canadian Energy Psychology Conference takes place October 15-19 at the Novotel Toronto Centre in Toronto. This year's conference is titled Integrative Healing and Transformation and features keynote speakers David Feinstein, Ph.D., Joe Dispenza, D.C., and Sam Menahem, Ph.D.Special events held Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings are open to the public. Presenters are Donna Eden with David Feinstein (Energy Medicine: A Hands-on Demonstration), Steve Bhaerman as Swami Beyondananda (Wake Up Laughing: The Up-Wising Has Begun) and Joe Dispenza (Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself - A Workshop for Personal Change).
Get the details here
The following invitation is from conference director Sharon Cass Toole:
"Join us at this unique event and further explore the powerful connection between science, consciousness and healing.
Thursday evening, October 15th you are invited to join us for an evening of Energy Medicine with the unmatchable Donna Eden along with David Feinstein. Energy Medicine is both a complement to other approaches to medical care and a complete system for self-care and self-help.
Our exceptional lineup of star presenters provides an excellent opportunity to meet and learn from the best of the best in the field of Comprehensive Energy Psychology. Feed your intellect, nourish your soul and satisfy your professional Continuing Education requirements all in an atmosphere of collegiality, collaboration, compassion and fun.
We will explore the fascinating connection between energy psychology and the mind/body phenomenon as a neural integration process with Dr. Joe Dispenza, D.C. Find out how mental rehearsal, meditation, and intentional mind training, can physically prepare the brain and body ahead of an actual experience.
The question of why Energy Psychology works with PTSD has seemed a mystery. Focusing on the surprising effectiveness of EP with PTSD, David Feinstein, Ph.D will examine what is happening in the brain before, during, and after tapping treatments. will wrap up many of the issues covered in this conference in a humorous, positive, uplifting manner with full audience participation.
This conference is open to all mental health professionals including Psychologists, Psychotherapists, Psychiatrists, Physicians, Nurses, Naturopaths, Chiropractors, Social Workers, Counselors, Educators, Clergy, Human Resource Professionals, EAP Counselors, Trauma Specialists, Coaches, Police & Correction Workers, Energy Medicine Practitioners, Alternative Health Care Providers, massage therapists.
The conference is also open to anyone interested in their own healing and personal growth.
Our conference sessions and our pre and post conference workshops feature some of the best-known and talented educators in the field of Energy Psychology.
We look forward to greeting you in the beautiful city of Toronto!"
Get the details here
The Energy Psychology conference is sponsored by the Canadian Association for Integrative and Energy Therapies (CAIET) and supported by the Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology (ACEP).
Featured Articles
EFT resolves woman's fibromyalgia - Try It On Everything documentary
- By Lana Walker
- Published 11/30/2008
- Energy Psychology
- Unrated
Nick Polizzi, director and editor of the EFT documentary Try It On Everything, has put together a special video that shows the experience of a woman with fibromyalgia. Carol Look, a long-time EFT practitioner and Licensed Clinical Social Worker, helps the woman uncover the emotional roots.
Learn more about the documentary at tryitoneverything.com.
Video: Dr. Larry Nims Explains Why BSFF Is An Effective Self-Help Tool
- By Lana Walker
- Published 11/15/2007
- Energy Psychology
- Unrated
Watch this portion of the Be Set Free Fast DVD Personal Instruction For Everyday Freedom With Dr. Larry Nims. Dr. Nims is the developer of BSFF.
Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) Introductory Video
- By energy-connections editor
- Published 10/8/2007
- Energy Psychology
- Unrated
Want to learn about Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT)? Watch this introductory video from EFT founder, Gary Craig, who calls the technique an emotional version of acupressure. 
Unique Acupressure Technique Alleviates Symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Chemical Sensitivities
- By energy-connections editor
- Published 10/6/2007
- Press Releases - EFT
- Unrated
San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), people with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) must constantly monitor their condition in an effort to cope with “the severe, changing and unpredictable symptoms of varying severity.” However, an increasing number of patients are turning to Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) and getting remarkable results.Conventional treatment for CFS is a complex combination of drug and non-drug therapies. EFT simply involves fingertip tapping on select acupressure points while focusing on the physical or emotional symptom in question. EFT claims an 80% success rate in calming symptoms associated with serious diseases like CFS and cancer. It can be learned without cost by downloading the free EFT Manual at http://www.emofree.com.
EFT works because it addresses the unresolved negative emotions that may be contributing to the illness. When anger, guilt, shame and fear are repressed and unchecked, the stress of these issues weakens the immune system, thus making way for illnesses like CFS to develop. When EFT is used to collapse the negative issues, the body’s immune system is able to do its repair work. Symptoms typically subside, sometimes immediately and often permanently.
The Center for Disease Control maintains, “Unresolved emotions and stress can make symptoms (of CFS) worse, interfere with pharmacological therapies and make recovery harder.” But EFT theory goes one more step to say that the unresolved emotions and stress are the root cause of the symptoms.
Dr. Eric Robins, who uses EFT in his daily medical practice, agrees with this theory. He says, “At least 85% of medical problems are physical manifestations of how stress, anxiety, and past traumas are held in and processed by the body. I recommend that patients ask themselves questions like: a) what unresolved issues exist in my life that may be contributing to this disease and b) what kinds of things am I stressing myself out over. The best technique to address these issues and to clear them out of the body is EFT.”
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome symptoms may include severe sleep problems marked by complete exhaustion but an inability to sleep well. CFS sufferers may also have physical aches and pains, cognitive dysfunction as well as depression and allergies. A recent study indicated that 14 months of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy reduced fatigue severity in CFS patients.
However, after just over two hours of on-camera EFT to treat her CFS, Annie Fisher reported, “I felt fantastic … there was no pain, no heaviness and my energy was very high.” Two weeks after the treatment she claimed she was “a different person”; she slept like a baby every night; sometimes for ten hours. She no longer had allergic reactions to household cleaners and her persistently aching legs had cleared up.
EFT founder, Gary Craig recently released 40 hours of live seminars throughout which he demonstrates how this simple acupressure procedure alleviates symptoms associated with most serious diseases. To witness Annie’s on-camera EFT sessions, the combined set of DVD’s, which contains 40 hours of instruction and demonstrations, costs only $72 at http://www.emofree.com.
The Chronic Fatigue Association of America (CFIDS) is “dedicated to conquering chronic fatigue syndrome.” Craig says, “We have spent a decade chronicling cases where people use this simple procedure to gain complete relief from the symptoms of serious diseases such as CFS, MS, diabetes, arthritis and cancer. It is time for the associations representing people with these diseases to explore ways that EFT can be used to benefit their membership.”
Over 350,000 people have downloaded Craig’s free training manual and another 10,000 download it each month. Known as The EFT Manual, it has been translated by volunteer practitioners into nine languages. The EFT website is the fifth most actively visited natural health site in the world.
The EFT Manual gives anyone all the basics so they can apply it right away. It can be freely downloaded at http://www.emofree.com.
Identify and Clear Self-Limiting Beliefs through NET
- By Lana Walker
- Published 09/30/2007
- Energy Psychology
-
Rating:
Did you know that the biggest impediments to realizing the life of your
dreams may be the limitations programmed into your subconscious? Your
genetically programmed instincts and your beliefs learned from your
parents and society form the subconscious mind—and it’s your
subconscious, operating behind the scenes, that primarily drives your
behaviors.For example, you may consciously want to lose 25 pounds, but your subconscious may contain a belief that being slim is somehow a threat. Or maybe you want to make $150,000 per year, but a subconscious belief says that well-to-do people are bad. With these subconscious beliefs, it will be extremely difficult to lose the weight or make the money you want.
In a recorded interview, Lana Walker-Helmuth explores this intriguing subject with Susan Kimball, a psychotherapist and Neuro Emotional Technique (NET) practitioner, who helps clients discover the subconscious beliefs that may be stopping them from creating the life they want.
Q&A About BSFF
- By Lana Walker
- Published 09/27/2007
- Energy Psychology
- Unrated
Be Set Free Fast (BSFF) is an energy therapy method developed by Larry Nims, Ph.D. According to Dr. Nims, BSFF eliminates the emotional roots and self-limiting belief systems that are embedded in the subconscious mind, and which automatically determine and control most of our experience, self-expression and behavior.Don Elium, an MFT who assists with BSFF training, answered the following questions in a recent e-newsletter:
- How does BSFF differ from other popular energy psychology techniques?
- In your experience, do you find BSFF results lasting?
Featured Book: The Genie in Your Genes: Epigenetic Medicine and the New Biology of Intention
- By energy-connections editor
- Published 05/26/2007
- Products & Books , Energy Medicine
-
Rating:
What if you could have...- Enormous increases in your immune system function
- A huge energy boost at the start of the day
- Understanding of how to turn certain of your genes on or off at will
- The ability to defuse emotional trauma in minutes
- A spike in the desease-prevention biochemistry of your body every single morning
These are just some of the breakthroughs that scientists and physicians describe in The Genie in Your Genes by Dawson Church, PhD. Breaking free of the old view that your DNA runs the show of your body and mind, programming you for disease and decay, they represent a new understanding of biology. Backed by more than 300 scientific studies, this new view of DNA shows that by using the magic lamp of your intentions, you can directly affect your genes to support your health and well-being.
Dawson Church coins the new term "Epigenetic Medicine" to describe healing techniques with epigenetic effects. He also summarizes the science behind the infant fields of Energy Psychology and Energy Medicine, both of which offer promising epigenetic medical therapies, and describes a few of the thousands of powerful personal breakthroughs that are being achieved by therapists, doctors and lay people praticing these techniques.