Kate Munden

Energy is a vital, living moving force that determines much about our health and happiness. Energy Psychology (EP) is a remarkable discovery that blends ancient and modern concepts for health and well-being.

Energy Psychology builds on growing scientific knowledge (and body of scientific evidence) of the human bio-energy system and is a unique approach to easing psychological and physical distress. In Energy Psychology energy is our medicine and it is also the patient. In simple terms, when your energy is balanced and runs clear, your emotional distress disappears.

You are probably aware that chemical imbalances are often involved in psychological issues such as depression or anxiety. There is mounting evidence that the body’s energy systems also participate in emotional disturbances and that energy interventions allow brain chemistry to shift enough to overcome many psychological issues.

Energy Psychology (EP) is rapid and effective whilst being gentle and non-invasive. EP can provide an efficient way to deactivate the stress responses associated with disturbing thoughts and memories and pair them with calmer emotional states. We can learn to let go of anger, shame and despair and move towards, comfort, strength and peace.

This is a new approach to therapy that dramatically reduces emotional distress and restores harmony by clearing the flow of the body’s electro-magnetic energy system.

The energy systems are a major system of the body just as the skeletal, nervous and endrocine systems and have been virtually ignored until recently as a psychological intervention. When disturbed the energy systems start a domino effect throughout the mind-body-spirit.

EP combines cognitive interventions e.g. imaginal exposure to traumatic memories with interventions to rebalance components of the human bio-energy system (meridians, chakras and biofield). These then facilitate rapid, positive change and optimal psychotherapeutic outcomes e.g. extinguish negative emotions (anger, sadness, guilt etc) associated with thoughts or memories or help in the attainment of performance goals.

Psychological or physical problems can have their beginnings and solutions in the energy systems. It is the subtle energy flow that provide the basic nutrients of the whole mind-body-spirit continuum. We can heal the body by activating its natural healing energies and also by restoring energies that have become weak, disturbed or out of balance.

It is also very compatible with other psychological approaches and can compliment traditional medical care. However it can also be a complete and easy system of self care. Use it every day and feel the difference.

These techniques also teach you how to work with your own energy and evaluate and balance many of the subtle energy systems within. Within one EP session we can both learn about ourselves and also heal. Our bodies will naturally heal themselves when provided with the right assistance.

Sometimes it may be necessary to have an expert to facilitate and guide the process, but it may not always be essential. It is also important to note that the results will grow and strengthen if you use the techniques between sessions. Similar to working out at the gym – it takes more than one session to build muscles and an expert trainer can help you get the best results in the least time. I use EP techniques every day. They can be self applied when you are boiling the kettle!

Picture Tapping is a therapeutic intervention which is a fusion of Art Therapy and EFT Emotional Freedom Techniques that can bring impressive resolution for hard to identify or long standing emotional issues or addictions. Read how I finally stopped smoking using PTT here.

Picture Tapping is a different way of using EFT and has many benefits. It is an ingenious and creative way of releasing negative emotions (anger, fear, sadness, guilt, shame etc) and frequently provides faster resolution for global issues such as depression or generalised anxiety. When we create images, our unconscious mind will often present a multitude of issues in one drawing, that, when we combine EFT to the process are worked on at once.

In the years that I have used Picture Tapping I have found that it often provides ‘breakthrough’ moments for many clients.

PTT is a way of using EFT along with the power of metaphor and imagination to reach gently but deeply into the psyche and help to release long held limiting beliefs which may be difficult to express verbally. Sometimes we just can’t find the words, and with PTT we don’t need to.

Emotional Eating 7 - 'resistance' 001

It doesn’t matter what kind of drawings you produce, it is not an art competition. Just let your unconscious mind lead you, it may just be a jumple of colours or shapes (mine are!) However, clients are frequently delighted by the gentle resolution achieved.

It is also extremely useful for work with children or for adults who suffered trauma before conscious awareness and who may not be able to verbalise their feelings effectively. For my own healing journey this combination of art therapy and EFT was incredibly helpful to enable me to reach important pre-verbal issues that plagued me and needed to find integration and resolution. With one session of PTT I took huge steps to release a long standing issue that I thought could never be resolved.Emotional Eating 5 'nebula' 001

Once learned properly, clients can also use Picture Tapping for self care with very good results. Many clients, can with practice, create pictures in their minds and tap on them as they ‘come up’ for resolution. It can be a wonderful pathway to integration.