By Susan Courtney

Energy psychology presents a revolutionary paradigm shift from conventional models of psychological change. It is based on the principle that every distressing memory, upsetting emotion, or limiting thought is associated with a corresponding disturbance in our subtle energy system - that invisible vibrational matrix which permeates and surrounds us, and which different healing systems identify variously as meridians, chakras, aura and other levels of universal life energy.

In the early 1970's Dr Callahan began to integrate the knowledge and skill of clinicial psychology, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Applied and Behavioural Kinesiology, and the theoretical work of quantum physicist David Bohm and biologist Rupert Sheldrake, to develop Thought Field Therapy. Callahan discovered that the simple act of stimulating a number of acupuncture points while connecting with the unhelpful emotion, thought, impulse or memory can initiate a cascade of healthy neurological, chemical, emotional, cognitive, and physical effects.

One of Callahan's most important contributions to his field has been the concept of psychological reversal, the energetic cause behind much of what has conventionally been seen as therapeutic resistance or self-sabotage.

Callahan discovered that these apparently wilful negative behaviours are often caused by reversals in the flow of energy through the acupuncture meridians. He devised simple treatments, including tapping on the 'karate chop' side of the hand, to correct these reversals, thus allowing many clients to free themselves from the obstruction of their willpower by the power of reversed energy.

According to Dr Richard Gerber in Vibrational Medicine, the Tiller-Einstein model (it was Einstein who coined the term 'subtle energy') indicates that subtle energies are negatively entropic in nature. This means that, in common with all living biological systems, they develop in the direction of increasing order and complexity, and with increasing ability to dissipate entropy or disorder.

So, working with the subtle energies also helps us to develop increasingly complex internal structures to order and store these flows of subtle energy and to allow disordered energies and forces to flow through and out of our system. At a practical level this ever-increasing capacity for energy fluxes means that we can handle more and more of what life offers us, increasing our range of experience.

To experience the transformative power of energy psychology for yourself, become aware of any sense of tension you may feel as you think about a problem area in your life or an area you want to expand into in greater depth.

• Touch the beginning of the eyebrow and take a slow, deep breath in and out
  
• Touch the outside corner of your eye and take a slow, deep breath in and out
  
• Touch under your eye and take a slow, deep breath in and out
  
• Touch under your nose and take a slow, deep breath in and out
  
• Touch your mouth and take a slow, deep breath in and out
  
• Touch the third eye point (centre of forehead) and take a slow, deep breath in and out
  
• Take a moment to reflect on how much calmer you feel and how much more open you are to whatever it was you might have feared

This is an extract from an article written by Susan Courtney, first published in issue 56 of Caduceus, a printed magazine with an online version at www.caduceus.info.

Susan Courtney practices as a holistic, healing psychotherapist in Central London and Kent and teaches Energy Psychology. She can be contacted at www.TrueChange.org. See also the Association for Meridian Energy Therapies site, www.TheAMT.com