Written by: Dr. Adriana Popescu, Senior Level Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
I recently presented a workshop at the annual ACEP (Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology) conference and have been reflecting on what makes Energy Psychology so different, valuable, and vital to the future of mental health.
What makes energy psychology different?
As a psychologist in private practice in California, the clinical director of a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center, the founder and CEO of Firebird Healing (an innovative trauma treatment center), and an empowerment coach with thousands of clients around the world, I have seen and experienced the tremendous value of Energy Psychology in action over the last twenty-five years.
I would like to introduce you to the many gifts and benefits of Energy Psychology and share with you some of what I have observed in my own life and what has greatly helped and contributed to clients.
Energy psychology (also known as cognitive somatic practices) encompasses a myriad of mind-body methods that rapidly reduce stress, trauma and emotional pain while increasing peace, calm and overall wellbeing. Calming the body (where stress is stored) is a major factor in facilitating rapid change, transformation and empowerment (ACEP, n.d.).
Energy Psychology (EP) practices weave together cognitive interventions with somatic techniques that influence the human bio-energy systems including meridians, chakras and the biofield as well as the subtle body systems.
How does it work?
Practitioners of Energy Psychology view symptoms as systemic, interactive bio-energetic patterns. This involves constant complex communication among neurobiological processes, electrophysiology, consciousness, and bio-energy systems. EP helps people shift the flow of information and energy throughout these systems to facilitate healing, change and growth. Clients also learn these as self-help techniques they can use themselves to handle issues outside of the therapy session.
Energy psychology methods, including EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques), are based on the premise that imbalances or disruptions in the body's energy system can contribute to emotional and psychological distress. These techniques involve tapping on specific acupressure points while focusing on a particular issue or emotional state. Tapping on these points can help release emotional blockages, reduce negative emotions, and promote healing.
There is a ton of research on the efficacy of EP which has demonstrated that tapping techniques such as EFT and TFT (Thought Field Therapy) are highly effective evidence-based practices. (see ACEP’s website here.
What can you use it for?
EP has been used successfully treat a number of psychological conditions including depression, anxiety, phobias, unresolved trauma and PTSD, eating disorders, addictions, weight issues, etc. as well as a number of physical issues including allergies, chronic pain, infertility, and enhancing sports, work, and school performance. EP has even been used with animals.
This wide array of applications and efficacy is a stark contrast to traditional talk therapy where the emotional realm of feelings, thoughts, and emotions are explored without incorporating the physical or spiritual aspects of what may be underlying a person’s mental or physical distress.
EP is especially effective in healing trauma
There are many benefits to this holistic, EP approach, especially when it comes to addressing trauma. Many of my clients continue to experience trauma or recreate traumatic experiences over and over again until these holistic approaches are incorporated into our therapy work. I have found that with EP techniques, we can reduce and eliminate the effects of trauma more quickly and effectively than traditional talk therapy because we are actually getting at the roots of the trauma and distress in the body itself. Once these roots are addressed and the energy associated with them released, the stress and upset around the trauma no longer impacts a client so dynamically. We are essentially able to extinguish trauma responses in this way.
This approach is extremely cost-effective for clients and insurance providers, as the length of treatment is shorter and the results are greater. We can actually create lasting positive changes with far fewer sessions than traditional therapy. This truly benefits everyone involved.
Also rewarding is the fact that through this process, clients are able to access the insights and positive memories and feelings that are obscured by trauma. This allows for a greater sense of confidence, self-esteem, and post-traumatic growth; where individuals can find gratitude for their past experiences and use the awareness gained as a catalyst to move forward in life.
Additional Benefits
These EP techniques are able to be used by clients outside of therapy sessions. People learn skills that they can continue to practice on their own to regulate their own nervous systems, change the way they are thinking and feeling, and create more positive changes. In other words, the benefits extend far beyond any one treatment session. This is so different from the traditional talk therapy dependence on the therapist and sessions. Energy Psychology in this way contributes greatly to a person’s sense of self-control and empowerment.
Finally the sense of calm, peace, and positivity that clients discover in EP sessions is all accomplished without medication, drugs, or alcohol. Many individuals find that the consistent use of EP tools significantly reduces their proclivities towards drugs, excessive alcohol consumption or other addictive behaviors. I actually published an article discussing the use of one EP technique, EFT, and its effectiveness in drug and alcohol rehabilitation. You can find that article here.
Final thoughts
It was wonderful to present this information and gather with my fellow ACEP members and practitioners of Energy Psychology at this year’s conference. I wonder what new insights and discoveries will emerge? I wonder what it would take for everyone in this field to know that these EP tools exist and begin to incorporate them in their work? I know that when so many of us look to the future of mental health, there will be an increasing prevalence of EP techniques coming into mainstream use and understanding.
If this topic has piqued your interest and you are curious about Energy Psychology, you can find some great information and resources on my podcast Kaleidoscope of Possibilities: Alternative Perspectives On Mental Health.
I also talk about EP in my new book, What If You’re Not As F***ed Up As You Think You Are?
And if you’d like to discover more about the important work we are doing with EP and trauma at my trauma treatment center, Firebird Healing, go here.
Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Adriana!
Dr. Adriana Popescu, Senior Level Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dr. Adriana Popescu is a licensed clinical psychologist and empowerment coach with over 25 years of experience in the mental health field. She specializes in treating addiction, co-occurring disorders, and trauma, and has directed a number of treatment programs in the San Francisco Bay Area. Adriana has a private practice in San Francisco and travels around the world coaching and facilitating transformational and empowering workshops. She coauthored the Conscious Being, Conscious Recovery, and Conscious Creation Workbooks, and she hosts a fascinating podcast called Kaleidoscope of Possibilities – Alternative Perspectives on Mental Health. She loves to empower people to overcome their imagined limitations, release their self-judgments, and discover the brilliance within – creating a life of infinite possibilities.
