By Pamela Lipe, MS
Licensed Psychologist
There were a number of striking events in 1981: Panera Bread opened its first bakery, the Dodgers
defeated the Yankees in the World Series, and IBM introduced its first personal computer. In the psychology
arena, Roger Callahan, Ph.D., discovered Thought Field Therapy (TFT). He learned a way to apply the
ancient science of energy meridians to eliminate modern problems such as phobias, anxiety, depression,
extended grief, anger, trauma and addictive urges. It involves tapping acupressure points in a specific
sequence combined with actions that balance right and left brain. Emotional distress, that had been resistant
to months of therapy, was resolved within a session or two. Even more astounding, some of these issues can
be resolved in minutes!
While I was recently trained in the use of this magnificent healing tool, I first heard of TFT in the early 1990’
s. I was skeptical—very skeptical. My therapist showed me a process of tapping, humming, looking around the
room and counting out loud so that I could overcome emotional distress. I found the process to be so odd that
I was unable to concentrate on it or do it properly. We were terminating therapy with that session, so I didn’t
have an opportunity to use the method again. Throughout the years, I heard of TFT off and on but continued
to be highly skeptical. I thought it was too good to be true and we all know what they say about things that
seem too good to be true.
On March 28, 2009, I participated in an all-day training to learn how to use TFT in clinical practice. In the
ensuing 15 years from my first exposure, I had learned that the peculiar humming, counting and looking around
the room that my therapist had me do, was accessing various parts of the brain which is a good thing. Axiom
I: The more brain mass that we can contribute to a problem, the better. The odd tapping she had me doing
was balancing the autonomic nervous system. The Chinese refer to these as energy meridians and Chi.
Axiom II: The more focused energy we have the better for solving problems and getting over issues. It is a
quick and quirky way to feel better and not be distressed by your own emotions.
For example, during this all day workshop taught by Jill Strunk, EdD, LP, TFTdxVT in Minnesota, a variety
of delicious donuts, cookies, fruits and cheeses were available throughout the training. My bane and
irresistible temptation has been donuts. I can keep myself from eating the donuts all day, but I keep thinking
about them. I get distracted and spend a fair amount of time fighting off urges. So when Jill instructed us to
focus on an issue we wanted to overcome, I knew immediately what I needed to target—the tasty pastries and
my urge to gobble them up. So, as instructed, I focused on the problem, rated its intensity on a scale of 0 to
10 with 10 being the highest level, and went through the particular series of tappings, rubbings, hummings, and
eye rolls.
The skeptic in me was still alive and well but I put doubt aside and did what I was told. I tapped, I hummed,
I looked around the room. I no longer wanted a donut. I was no longer troubled by an urge to eat a donut. I
continued in the few hours of training left and still did not want a donut. I walked over and browsed the table. I
did not feel compelled to have even just a little bit of donut. I looked them over and selected some fruit and
cheese.
I was still dubious. Maybe I had just become distracted from thinking about the problem. This really was
too good to be true. It was too fast. I love donuts. How could I no longer want one? They remind me of my
Mother and sweet childhood memories. I have probably eaten a million donuts over my lifetime.
Nevertheless, I no longer crave pastries or donuts. I still have my sweet childhood memories of my mom—
minus the donuts.
I have learned that TFT has been used successfully with people who lost family members on 9/11. TFT
has helped traumatized people who were in the bombing of the American Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya in 1998.
Science has shown that TFT does, in fact, correct for imbalances in the autonomic nervous system. It works for
most people. It can be used with children. Whoopi Goldberg was taught TFT in a recent The View television
show to overcome her long standing fear of flying. Look for her whole treatment on YouTube. You can go to
http://www.rogercallahan.com/ also.
In my clinical practice as a psychotherapist, I have used TFT to rid my clients of grief, anger, sadness,
trauma reactions, fears, and anxiety. I have used it in marriage counseling. An angry, intense couple could
not settle down to learn the skills of conflict resolution. There had even been threats of violence. I taught
them both the same TFT techniques at the same time. They use the procedure to calm themselves during a
Time Out.
For myself, I recently went to the bakery section of my grocery store. I did the TFT procedure as I walked
around looking at cakes, cream puffs, éclairs, pies, bars, cinnamon rolls, and other delicacies too splendid to
even describe. I feel like I am cured of the pastry thing but the skeptic in me will keep an eye out for those
urges—just in case. Sorry Panera Bakery.
In my therapy practice in North St. Paul, MN, I use TFT to solve many emotional problems that have
caused my client’s problems. To find a TFT Therapist near you, google “Thought Field Therapy” followed by
your state or town.
How I Lost my Love of Donuts by Using Thought
Field Therapy (TFT)
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