Thought Field Therapy clinical applications: utilization in an HMO in behavioral medicine and behavioral health services

The efficacy of thought field therapy and its impact on heart rate variability in student counseling: A randomized controlled trial

CONTEXT

Thought Field Therapy is an evidence-based method validated by 17 clinical trials, including five Randomized Controlled Trials. This study investigates whether a single Thought Field Therapy session can improve psychological issues such as stress, depression, and performance anxiety in university students.

METHODS

Fifty university students were randomly assigned to an intervention group or a waitlist control group. The intervention group received a single counseling session of Thought Field Therapy and was assessed by Subjective Units of Distress and Heart Rate Variability before and after the session. The waitlist group received Thought Field Therapy and was administered the Profile of Mood States Second Edition. All participants completed the latter after a waiting period of 1-3 weeks.

RESULTS

The 39 students who received Thought Field Therapy showed significantly higher Heart Rate Variability post-compared to pre-therapy (p < .001). The 33 students who were assessed for Subjective Units of Distress also reported significant improvements (p < .001) by a 91% reduction in distress for an average duration of 36 minutes. The Profile of Mood States Second Edition score did not show significant improvements in the intervention group (n = 24) as compared to the control group (n = 15).

CONCLUSION

A brief intervention of Thought Field Therapy can reduce stress and psychological distress among university students, and increase their physiological resilience in a limited timeframe, after a single session of counseling. However, the single session did not suffice to significantly improve their psychological conditions over the long term.

Acupoint Stimulation in Treating Psychological Disorders: Evidence of Efficacy

Energy psychology is a clinical and self-help modality that combines verbal and physical procedures for effecting therapeutic change. While utilizing established clinical methods such as exposure and cognitive restructuring, the approach also incorporates concepts and techniques from non-Western healing systems. Its most frequently utilized protocols combine the stimulation of acupuncture points (by tapping on, holding, or massaging them) with the mental activation of a targeted psychological issue. Energy psychology has been controversial, in part due to its reliance on explanatory mechanisms that are outside of conventional clinical frameworks and in part because of claims by its early proponents—without adequate research support—of extraordinary speed and power in attaining positive clinical outcomes. This paper revisits some of the field's early claims, as well as current practices, and assesses them in the context of existing evidence. A literature search identified 51 peer-reviewed papers that report or investigate clinical outcomes following the tapping of acupuncture points to address psychological issues. The 18 randomized controlled trials in this sample were critically evaluated for design quality, leading to the conclusion that they consistently demonstrated strong effect sizes and other positive statistical results that far exceed chance after relatively few treatment sessions. Criteria for evidence-based treatments proposed by Division 12 of the American Psychological Association were also applied and found to be met for a number of anxiety-based conditions, including PTSD. Neurological mechanisms that may be involved in these surprisingly strong findings are also considered.

Biomedical Teleacupuncture between China and Austria Using Heart Rate Variability-Part 2: Patients with Depression

It has been shown in previous studies that the autonomic nervous system can be affected by acupuncture. Within this study, teleacupuncture between China and Austria is used for quantifying the effects of heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) in 33 Chinese patients (27 females, 6 males; mean age ± SD 49.5 ± 13.1 years; range 22–72 years) suffering from depression. Electrocardiographic signals before, during, and after acupuncture at the acupoint Baihui (GV20) were recorded in Harbin and analyzed in Graz using teleacupuncture. HRV data were analyzed in the time and frequency domain. Mean HR decreased significantly (P < 0.05) during and after acupuncture, whereas total HRV increased significantly after the third acupuncture stimulation period (P < 0.05) and also 5–10 minutes after (P < 0.05) acupuncture. The study shows that HRV could be a useful parameter for quantifying clinical effects of acupuncture on the autonomic nervous system.

Evaluation of a meridian-based intervention, Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), for reducing specific phobias of small animals

This study explored whether a meridian-based procedure, Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), can reduce specific phobias of small animals under laboratory-controlled conditions. Randomly assigned participants were treated individually for 30 min with EFT (n = 18) or a comparison condition, diaphragmatic breathing (DB) (n = 17). ANOVAS revealed that EFT produced significantly greater improvement than did DB behaviorally and on three self-report measures, but not on pulse rate. The greater improvement for EFT was maintained, and possibly enhanced, at six- to nine-months follow-up on the behavioral measure. These findings suggest that a single treatment session using EFT to reduce specific phobias can produce valid behavioral and subjective effects. Some limitations of the study also are noted and clarifying research suggested.

Raising and lowering of heart rate variability: some clinical findings of Thought Field Therapy

This clinical report presents some of the findings in Thought Field Therapy (TFT) that show both raising and lowering of heart rate variability (HRV). TFT algorithms are effective, but the specificity of diagnosed treatment gives results that are superior to algorithms. Some TFT treatments take only seconds to yield improved results on HRV. Toxins can undo a cured problem and lower HRV. TFT can overturn the effect of some toxins. It is hypothesized that TFT works by inputting a specific code that addresses and effects the healing system. HRV may be a measure of general physical and mental health.

Sakai et al. is not an adequate demonstration of TFT effectiveness

Sakai et al. (2001) report an uncontrolled case series of TFT treatments applied to a wide range of psychological complaints in a large health maintenance facility. They analyze verbal report measures of symptom severity and conclude that the specific treatment is effective for a wide range of psychological problems. A review of the theory and research on TFT efficacy indicates that the theoretical basis for the specific treatment is unfounded and that adequately controlled efficacy research has yet to be conducted. The authors' conclusions about effectiveness and applicability are not supported by either theory, prior research, or the findings of their clinical application.

"Echo attributions" and other risks when publishing on novel therapies without peer review

A special series on Thought Field Therapy in the Journal of Clinical Psychology provides an opportunity for psychologists to learn about techniques and theories outside the mainstream of our field. Unfortunately, by publishing this series of manuscripts without meeting the standards of peer review, the Journal also provides an avenue for the misuse of its good reputation and the improper promotion of untested methods. "Echo attributions" can be made whereby an author attributes the source of his own words to the professional journal in which the text appears. Historical examples illustrate that such misuse of scientific journals and institutions occurs. A formal statement of guidelines is needed to instruct authors on appropriate versus unethical representations of their publications.