Most Energy Psychology protocols include a component in which the client is guided in the use of personally tailored wording related to a target problem or goal. These phrases are stated simultaneously with the stimulation of selected acupuncture points (acupoints) via tapping. Thought Field Therapy (TFT) and its popular derivative, Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), are the most well-known variations of the acupoint tapping approaches. These therapies have been validated for their efficacy and unusual speed in resolving psychological and physical conditions in more than 100 clinical trials and several meta-analyses. Clinicians and life coaches wanting to incorporate acupoint tapping into their practices can readily learn the basic protocols but are often unsure about how to formulate the most effective wording to accompany the client’s self-tapping. This paper presents a qualitative analysis of videotaped statements that were judged to move the treatment forward in relationship to three process outcomes: (a) the statement resulted in the practitioner becoming better attuned to the client’s intentions for and experience with the therapy, (b) it explored the issues relevant to the client’s needs and goals in order to deepen both the client’s and the practitioner’s understanding of them, and/or (c) it led the client toward more effective ways of addressing pertinent issues. These three categories—attune, explore, lead—were derived from the 62 therapeutic functions of language that were identified as the videotaped wording was being coded. The list is only an initial formulation, based on one clinician’s sessions as analyzed by that clinician. It is intended as a first step toward a more comprehensive investigation of the use of language in Energy Psychology sessions, its impact on client outcomes, and its implications for practitioner training.
Electromyographic responses from the stimulation of the temporalis muscle through facial acupuncture points
