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Using energy psychology to remediate emotional wounds rooted in childhood trauma: preliminary clinical guidelines

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood, such as violence, abuse, severe neglect, or mental health problems in caregivers. The negative physical and mental health consequences of severe or multiple ACEs provide a major challenge for the health ca...

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Autor principal: Feinstein, David
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Frontiers Media S.A. 2023
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10619750/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37920741
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1277555
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author Feinstein, David
author_facet Feinstein, David
author_sort Feinstein, David
collection PubMed
description Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood, such as violence, abuse, severe neglect, or mental health problems in caregivers. The negative physical and mental health consequences of severe or multiple ACEs provide a major challenge for the health care community. Psychotherapies that utilize a mind–body approach in treating ACE-related conditions are seen by their proponents as having advantages for bringing healing and restoration compared with talk, introspective, interpersonal, and exposure therapies that do not intervene at the body level, as famously encapsulated by Bessel van der Kolk’s observation that “the body keeps the score.” A mind–body approach whose use has been rapidly increasing in clinical settings as well as on a self-help basis is called “energy psychology.” Energy psychology combines conventional therapeutic techniques such as cognitive restructuring and psychological exposure with the stimulation of acupuncture points (acupoints) by tapping on them. A review of the development, efficacy, and plausible mechanisms of energy psychology is presented, and several strengths are enumerated, such as how integrating acupoint tapping into conventional exposure methods enhances the speed and power of outcomes. The impact of energy psychology protocols on the three brain networks most centrally involved with ACEs is also examined. Finally, recommendations are offered for using an energy psychology approach at each stage of therapy with individuals who have endured severe or multiple ACES, from establishing a therapeutic alliance to assessment to treatment to follow-up.
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spelling pubmed-106197502023-11-02 Using energy psychology to remediate emotional wounds rooted in childhood trauma: preliminary clinical guidelines Feinstein, David Front Psychol Psychology Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood, such as violence, abuse, severe neglect, or mental health problems in caregivers. The negative physical and mental health consequences of severe or multiple ACEs provide a major challenge for the health care community. Psychotherapies that utilize a mind–body approach in treating ACE-related conditions are seen by their proponents as having advantages for bringing healing and restoration compared with talk, introspective, interpersonal, and exposure therapies that do not intervene at the body level, as famously encapsulated by Bessel van der Kolk’s observation that “the body keeps the score.” A mind–body approach whose use has been rapidly increasing in clinical settings as well as on a self-help basis is called “energy psychology.” Energy psychology combines conventional therapeutic techniques such as cognitive restructuring and psychological exposure with the stimulation of acupuncture points (acupoints) by tapping on them. A review of the development, efficacy, and plausible mechanisms of energy psychology is presented, and several strengths are enumerated, such as how integrating acupoint tapping into conventional exposure methods enhances the speed and power of outcomes. The impact of energy psychology protocols on the three brain networks most centrally involved with ACEs is also examined. Finally, recommendations are offered for using an energy psychology approach at each stage of therapy with individuals who have endured severe or multiple ACES, from establishing a therapeutic alliance to assessment to treatment to follow-up. Frontiers Media S.A. 2023-10-18 /pmc/articles/PMC10619750/ /pubmed/37920741 http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1277555 Text en Copyright © 2023 Feinstein. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
spellingShingle Psychology
Feinstein, David
Using energy psychology to remediate emotional wounds rooted in childhood trauma: preliminary clinical guidelines
title Using energy psychology to remediate emotional wounds rooted in childhood trauma: preliminary clinical guidelines
title_full Using energy psychology to remediate emotional wounds rooted in childhood trauma: preliminary clinical guidelines
title_fullStr Using energy psychology to remediate emotional wounds rooted in childhood trauma: preliminary clinical guidelines
title_full_unstemmed Using energy psychology to remediate emotional wounds rooted in childhood trauma: preliminary clinical guidelines
title_short Using energy psychology to remediate emotional wounds rooted in childhood trauma: preliminary clinical guidelines
title_sort using energy psychology to remediate emotional wounds rooted in childhood trauma: preliminary clinical guidelines
topic Psychology
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10619750/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37920741
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1277555
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