Recently, a paper from Dr. David Feinstein was published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology. This new 2022 review article serves as a deep dive into how energy psychology and EFT Tapping can be used to effectively support disaster relief efforts.[1]
I am so honored to be able to share that our work with The Tapping Solution Foundation was highlighted in this incredible article. I’m proud to be featured alongside so many other powerful case studies and stories of Tapping promoting healing in communities affected by catastrophic events.
The Tapping Solution Foundation: our efforts to bring relief to those affected by stress and trauma
We started The Tapping Solution Foundation with a mission to spread hope and healing through the power of Tapping. Our aim is to offer those who need support – people of all ages, living all around the world – an effective tool for self-care and relief from stress and trauma.
Since the foundation’s start in 2012, we’ve worked on a variety of different projects, including working with war veterans, survivors of Rwandan Genocide, children with cancer, and children living in extreme poverty in Guatemala.
Our very first project, out of which The Tapping Solution Foundation was born, was to support the community of Newton, CT after the tragic Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting. It is this very project that was highlighted in Dr. David Feinstein’s new review article.
Research paper features our aid efforts following the Sandy Hook Elementary tragedy
The article, authored by Dr. David Feinstein and just published in April 2022, is titled “Uses of Energy Psychology Following Catastrophic Events.”[1] It is a powerful article covering the many ways in which tools like EFT Tapping can be applied to disaster relief efforts.
The author introduces a large sample of real-life reports where energy psychology protocols were used following traumatic community tragedies – showing a pattern of very strong and very promising outcomes.
I’m so proud that included in these “Reports from the Field,” is our very own work in Newton, CT from back in 2012. Our project there was featured in this new journal article as evidence to support the power of Tapping to bring healing and relief to those affected by tragedy.
You can read more about it in Dr. Feinstein’s paper, or on The Tapping Solution Foundation website, but I’ll also provide a quick summary below of the project:
Tapping for Newtown
In December of 2012, the community of Newton, CT was struck by a heartbreaking tragedy: the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. That day, 28 lives were lost including 20 first-graders, their teacher, and their principal.
In response to this devastating event, myself, my sister Jessica, and my brother Alex established The Tapping Solution Foundation.
The day after the shooting, I contacted Dr. Lori Leyden, a colleague and trauma expert who had previous experience introducing Tapping and other disaster relief methods to communities impacted by traumatic events. Just days later, we had put in motion a plan to provide an immediate relief response and a long-term therapeutic and self-care initiative for those affected by the shooting. Since that day, we’ve been providing EFT Tapping trauma services and professional training for parents, children, educators, first responders, and health care providers in the surrounding area.
The results of this project were incredible, and we are still so grateful to have been able to play a role in contributing to the healing process in this community.
EFT Tapping has been used around the world in countless relief efforts
Our efforts in Newtown are just one example of many where Tapping has been shown to be an effective tool for facilitating healing after traumatic events.
Feinstein’s article explains that energy psychology protocols have been used in more than 30 different countries around the world in the wake of both natural and man-made disasters (ranging from hurricanes to industrial accidents to mass shootings to the COVID-19 pandemic).[1]
Alongside our case study, the paper also features stories from refugee camps in Greece, communities affected by California wildfires, a Rwandan orphanage, New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, combat veterans, the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, and more.[1]
Tapping really can make a difference
Research published in over 100 scientific studies tells us that Tapping really works. And this healing technique is particularly well-suited for helping us process and recover from trauma.
In his article, Feinstein explains that Tapping interventions following catastrophic events can offer four tiers of relief:
- Immediate relief/stabilization,
- Reducing limbic arousal to trauma-based triggers,
- Overcoming complex psychological problems, and
- Promoting optimal functioning [1]
The paper concludes, “Reports from those providing these services as well as a limited number of empirical studies appear compelling, with the technique’s ability to quickly ease the neurological aftermath of trauma standing out as a major advantage.”[1]
A powerful quote by Eric Leskowitz, a psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School, speaks well to the power of introducing approaches like EFT Tapping after disastrous events:
“Based on my clinical experience and reading of the research literature, EFT is the treatment of choice for rapid intervention in traumatic situations like Newtown that trigger overwhelming emotions in individuals and groups. Its use can prevent the future development of full-blown PTSD by empowering people to develop control over their own nervous systems.”[1]
The need for disaster relief support continues to grow
In the paper, Feinstein also makes a note to emphasize the real need for effective interventions like Tapping to support those impacted by catastrophic events. Because unfortunately, these kinds of events continue to occur, and they do so at an alarmingly high rate.
The number of both natural disasters and human-made disasters appear to be growing exponentially with each passing year. To give you an idea, the frequency of natural disasters in the 2010’s was nearly double that of the previous decade.[2,3]
These kinds of heartbreaking events affect far too many people each and every year. That’s why these outreach efforts are so very important! The more we can support our fellow human beings who have faced unimaginable stress and trauma, the better. And the more we can find tools like Tapping that really work to facilitate the healing process? Even better!
If you want to learn more about our ongoing efforts to spread the power of Tapping for hope and healing worldwide, head on over to our The Tapping Solution Foundation website. There you’ll find free resources, more research on Tapping, and an opportunity to donate if you feel inspired to contribute.
Until next time, keep Tapping!
Nick Ortner
References
- Feinstein, D. Uses of Energy Psychology Following Catastrophic Events. Frontiers in Psychology. 2022;12. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.856209.
- United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs [OCHA] (2020). The Human Cost of Disasters: An Overview of the Last 20 Years 2000-2019. New York: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
- Coleman, L. Frequency of man-made disasters in the 20th century. J. Contingencies Crisis Manag. 2006;14:3–11. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-5973.2006.00476.x
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