What is Thought Field Therapy (TFT)?
Discovered and developed by Dr. Roger Callahan PhD, a Californian clinical psychologist with over 40 years of experience, Thought Field Therapy (TFT) is a totally unique form of meridian therapy. It is best described as a natural, drug-free, non-invasive system to eliminate the cause of negative emotions. Read more…
How was TFT discovered?
Dr. Roger Callahan had been in practice as a conventional psychologist for many years but was constantly troubled by the fact that he rarely cured any of his clients. He helped them understand their problem, he helped them learn how to manage or cope with their problem, he improved their quality of life – but he seldom cured “the problem”. During the 1970s he explored unconventional approaches that others were ignoring, including Applied Kinesiology (AK). It was during his study of AK that he developed a treatment for Psychological Reversal, the tendency for individuals unconsciously to sabotage their own recovery. Knowing that he was onto something he experimented further and made the initial breakthrough with a client named Mary. Read more…
What is a Thought Field?
A “field”, in scientific terms, is defined as “an invisible sphere of influence”, magnetic fields and gravitational fields being familiar examples. In this case, when we think about a situation a Thought Field (a manifestation of the body’s energy system) becomes active. Effectively, the Thought Field has been “tuned in” to that specific thought. The body responds to its influence by reproducing, to a greater or lesser extent, the nervous, hormonal, chemical and cognitive activity that occurs when we are in the real situation. If that Thought Field contains perturbations then the response is inappropriate. For example, someone with acrophobia (fear of heights) may feel intense nausea and be in a state of complete panic when simply thinking of climbing a few steps of a ladder, something that would not trouble a normal individual.
What are perturbations?
The generating power behind the nervous, hormonal, chemical and cognitive activity associated with negative emotions. Such activity is not the fundamental cause of the negative emotions; it is the perturbations themselves. Removal of the perturbations, therefore, has a knock-on effect – restoring those activities to normal with the consequent loss of the negative emotions.
What is Psychological Reversal?
A state or condition which blocks natural healing and prevents otherwise effective treatments from working. The psychologically reversed state is usually accompanied by negative attitudes and self-sabotaging behaviour. In everyday life, psychological reversal is often recognised as the “psychological block” which prevents us from accomplishing certain tasks with ease. TFT offers rapid and simple treatment for this problem.
Is TFT painful in any way?
Not at all. No needles or other instruments are used, nor does it require you to talk at length about your problem, something that can cause considerable distress and emotional pain in itself.
What does a treatment involve?
Quite simply, the patient is first asked to think about their particular problem which, amongst many others, can be an anxiety state, a phobia, a trauma, a loss, or a feeling of anger or of guilt. They are then asked to quantify their feelings on a scale of 1 to 10, with a 10 representing maximum distress. Next, they are asked to tap on his or her own body in specific places, or energy points, in a defined and precise order. Following the treatment the patient is asked, once again, to think about their problem as clearly and as negatively as possible. Typically, the patient reports that they cannot do so at all! At this point the patient is now free of their problem as they can no longer evoke the psychological distress they once experienced. A true cure has been effected.
Is TFT suitable for children?
Very much so. Children are particularly responsive to, and indeed enjoy, the treatment. The simplicity and safety of TFT makes it especially suitable for nervous children who might find conventional approaches intimidating.
Does TFT work with animals?
Although still in the experimental stage, early findings indicate that animals such as dogs, cats and horses do respond to application of TFT.
What are TFT algorithms?
Determined using TFT causal diagnostic procedures, the algorithms are precise treatment sequences that are known to have a curative effect when applied to specific problems.
Does TFT have any side-effects?
By side effects, most people mean unpleasant side-effects. The answer is simply “No”. The only unusual side effect is that after a successful treatment you will find that thinking about your previous problem appears to be very difficult. Some people find this rather confusing, but it reflects the fact that the emotional charge that was once liked to those thoughts is no longer present. The thought is still there – it’s impossible not to think about something when your attention is brought to it – but the associated discomfort is significantly reduced or absent. This creates the illusion of “not thinking about it”.
Will TFT work for me?
As with all therapeutic approaches, it’s impossible to say whether or not TFT will work for an individual. In fact, if anyone claims they know for certain that a therapy will work for you, then that person is lying. TFT has a very high success rate, far beyond that of conventional psychotherapeutic approaches, but it also has a small failure rate. Anyone opting for TFT treatment should be aware of this possibility.
How long will it take?
Twice as long as when the treatment is halfway through! Joking aside, and as with the question “will TFT work for me?”, if anyone claims they know how many sessions of therapy it will take to solve your particular problem, then that person is lying. Some simple problems can be resolved in one session, more complex problems can take many sessions. If you wish to estimate cost ahead of seeing a TFT practitioner, your budget should allow for a minimum of 5 hours consultation. TFT either works immediately or does nothing. If the treatment does not yield results in the first session, then TFT is unlikely to work for you. Unlike other conventional approaches you won’t have to undergo (and pay for) many sessions of treatment, only then to find out that your treatment doesn’t work!
What if TFT doesn’t work for me – could I end up worse off?
Absolutely not. TFT either works or it does nothing. The worst thing that can happen after an unsuccessful TFT treatment is you’ll experience no change.
I’m a die-hard sceptic. What if I don’t believe the treatment will work?
It makes no difference. TFT bypasses the conscious mind so the treatments work whether you believe in them or not.
If TFT is so revolutionary, why haven’t I heard of it before now?
In common with many other ground-breaking discoveries, TFT has met with considerable resistance and opposition to acceptance despite the continuing build-up of evidence in its favour. One possible reason for this negativity is that TFT theory will inevitably, as a consequence of its own success, demand a complete rethink of many therapeutic approaches in psychological medicine, and upon which many “experts” have built their careers. It is worth bearing in mind that chemical anaesthesia was first discovered in the mid-1800s yet it took almost 50 years for its use to become universally accepted.
“Faced with the choice of changing one’s mind and proving that there is no need to do so, almost everyone gets busy on the proof.
J.K. Galbraith
Has any research been carried out on TFT?
Yes, not only on TFT but also on a number of other “tapping” therapies that have been derived from TFT. Read more…
But I’ve read an article on the internet that debunks TFT completely – who’s telling the truth?
It is quite natural for those using conventional therapies to attempt to discredit anything that flies in the face of their own work – many have built their careers around their work. However, the same could be said of proponents of TFT, of course, so how does one get at the truth? The answer is extraordinarily simple – try TFT for yourself! There is nothing like personal experience as the ultimate in proof.
Download a self-help guide to treating stress or simple trauma here.
Can TFT really cure psychological problems?
A cure is defined variously as:
- recovery or relief from disease or disorder,
- to restore to health,
- something that corrects, heals or permanently alleviates a harmful or troublesome situation,
- to free from something objectionable or harmful,
- to rectify an unhealthy or undesirable condition,
- successful remedial treatment.
As TFT can achieve all of the above it is reasonable to claim that it offers a cure. In a successful TFT treatment all trace of the original problem disappears – by the patient’s own report. In the event of a return of the problem, this doesn’t mean that a cure was not achieved in the first place, only that it has been undone. For example, a person taking aspirin to cure a headache will, in all likelihood, be cured. If that person then suffers another headache a few days later it does not mean that the original dose failed to effect a cure, only that the headache has returned. Retreatment leads to cure once again.
How long does the effect last?
Once all aspects or complexities of a problem have been successfully treated and anything that may have undone the cure has been identified and eliminated, the effects appear to endure over time. Mary, Dr. Callahan’s first client treated with TFT, remains free of her severe hydrophobia over 30 years later.
I’ve heard that “energy toxins” can undo a successful treatment. Why?
The exact reason is unknown but it is clear from experience that if a successfully treated individual is exposed to certain exogenous toxins (not “poisons”, but things to which an individual shows a sensitivity), their problem returns. Once the toxins have been identified and eliminated the problem, once again, can be cured and stay that way. The individual need not be allergic to the toxin but sensitive to its effects on the Thought Field. Such toxins are often “natural”, e.g. endogenous chemicals of plants with which they deter insect attack. Recent developments in TFT treatments have shown that it is now possible to resolve these sensitivities with a very high degree of success.