People used to think that emotions resided entirely in their brain. Now we know that other parts of the body can hold emotional charges too. Have you ever felt butterflies in your stomach before a speech? Have you referred to something as a “pain in the neck?” Have you ever felt a “lump in your throat?” Clearly emotions happen in our body, not just our brain.
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Subsequently, the EMDR method has been expanded to include other varieties of stimulation besides eye movements.

EMDR has also proven effective in relieving anxiety, stress and other psychological issues in addition to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Integrating elements from different treatment approaches – imagery, cognitive, emotional and body awareness – EMDR seems to have a direct effect on the way that the brain functions. Incidents and issues that evoked stress at the beginning of a session can be processed in a rapid way so that a new, more resourceful perspective is achieved. A painful memory may be resolved as it is associated with a more positive thought and belief about oneself; for example, “I did the best I could.”
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The Psych-K® process can change habitual negative beliefs rapidly and permanently, so that new behaviors and possibilities can occur. Using a muscle-testing procedure (kinesiology) as a psychological tool to communicate directly with the subconscious, beliefs that do not support conscious goals can be identified. Then, with balancing techniques that facilitate the communication between the conscious and subconscious mind, conflict or stress is quickly resolved. The results are immediate, verifiable and long-lasting.Early childhood experiences are the foundation of our beliefs, perceptions and habits. Along with instincts and conclusions drawn from previous experiences (such as a bad relationship or a trauma), these early “programs” are stored in the subconscious mind. Since the subconscious accounts for about 95% of our neurological processing abilities (according to current research), attempts to take charge of one’s life and change negative behavior using willpower or positive thinking alone are limited at best.

Emotional Freedom Techniques, or EFT, breathes fresh air into the emotional therapy process by borrowing from the Chinese meridian system. While acupuncture, acupressure and the like have been primarily focused on physical ailments, EFT stands back from this ancient process and points it directly at emotional issues. These, in turn, often provide benefits for performance and physical issues. It is dramatically different from conventional therapy practices and that is why it often works where nothing else will. If you are looking for something conventional, you came to the wrong place.

In essence, EFT is an emotional version of acupuncture, except we don’t use needles. Instead, we use a simple two pronged process wherein we (1) mentally “tune in” to specific issues while (2) stimulating certain meridian points on the body by tapping on them with our fingertips. Properly done, EFT appears to balance disturbances in the meridian system and thus often reduces the conventional therapy procedures from months or years down to minutes or hours.

Hypnosis is “A state of consciousness involving focused attention and reduced peripheral awareness characterized by an enhanced capacity for response to suggestion.” (As defined on the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis ASCH website)

While there is agreement that certain effects of hypnosis exist, and with imaging different parts of the brain are shown to be firing when a person is using hypnosis, there are still some differences of opinion within the research and clinical communities about how hypnosis works. Research does demonstrate, however, that hypnotic communication and suggestions effectively change aspects of the person’s physiological and neurological functions.

The primary ways clinical hypnosis brings about change are:

1. With mental imagery which may be symbolic
2. With suggestions offered during a state of concentrated attention that are compatible with the patient’s desired goals
3. With unconscious exploration of of underlying motivations or past experiences which may contribute to current problems

The effectiveness of hypnosis appears to lie in the way in which it bypasses the critical observation and interference of the conscious mind, allowing the client’s intentions for change to take effect.

The BodyTalk System™ is a comprehensive system of energy medicine first developed in the 1990’s by Dr. John Veltheim of Australia. Based on the principle that the body is capable of healing itself at all levels, it can be used to address physical, mental and emotional health issues, either on its own or integrated with other treatment modalities.

BodyTalk asks the body what its health needs are through a biofeedback technique similar to muscle testing. The Yes/No communication established works through the BodyTalk protocol to identify the areas and details that need attention. The areas (e.g. organs, endocrines, body parts, etc.) are linked in the sequence indicated, thereby constructing a formula to reestablish optimum communication among all the systems of the body. A tapping procedure on the brain (to ‘fix’ the faulty communication) and on the heart (to ‘store’ the fix) facilitates the body’s ability to restore and maintain better balance.