Tuesday, October 27, 2020

Tuesday, October 27, 2020 -- Mattie died 578 weeks ago today. 

Tonight's picture was taken in October of 2008. Mattie was visiting his friend Campbell and as you can see they were enjoying Halloween cookies together. At that point in time, it was before Mattie had any of his limb salvaging surgeries. Meaning that from an emotional standpoint, Mattie was doing well. Or as well as one could expect being diagnosed with cancer and on treatment. During that time period, Mattie was still able to visit with friends and enjoy this social experience. Which is why I am happy such photos were captured. Because as Mattie's treatment continued to unfold, he became more traumatized, more guarded, and preferred isolation. 

Quote of the day: Today's coronavirus update from Johns Hopkins.

• number of people diagnosed with the virus: 8,759,939
• number of people who died from the virus: 226,436

I spent a part of today, continuing the trauma certification course I signed up for to obtain continuing education units for my professional license. This course if 12.5 hours long, and I have about two hours left. I would say that it has definitely opened up my mind to the physiological component of trauma and why trauma work must involve learning to regulate one's body. I think many of us who have experienced trauma believe that we are still traumatized. But the course has shown me that I have really integrated the trauma into my life's narrative, but that doesn't mean I am actively traumatized now. I am still wrapping my head around the biological nature of trauma and the evidence based methods to support survivors of trauma. Within today's discussion was a non-evidence based (or pseudoscience method if you will) technique presented to us called, Thought Field Therapy (TFT). Like this photo indicates, it involves tapping the body in sequences. 

Thought Field Therapy is an energy-based form of psychotherapy designed to reduce symptoms of psychological distress by manipulating how energy flows in the body. TFT is based on the premise that bodies consist of energy fields and that imbalances in this system cause physical and emotional issues. It is thought imbalances can be corrected by finger tapping specific energy points in certain sequences in order to restore an individual's health and wellness. Some claim TFT produces rapid, lasting results in the treatment of various psychological conditions, including phobias, addictions, anxiety, trauma, and depression.

Thought Field Therapy was developed by American psychologist Roger Callahan. Combining modern psychotherapy and Eastern tradition, it draws heavily on ancient Chinese medical practices including acupressure and acupuncture, which emphasize the presence of an internal energy system. These healing methods are based on the idea that energy flows along a network of pathways in the body and that blockages in the system result in physical illness. Each pathway, also called a "meridian," involves its own set of internal organs and ends at a specific point on the skin's surface. Stimulating meridian end points by applying pressure (acupressure) or inserting needles (acupuncture) is believed to remove blockages, restoring a normal flow of energy, and by extension, physical health. In TFT, Callahan adapts and extends these Eastern principles to the treatment of psychological issues.

Needless to say, the course's trainer (who is deemed an expert in trauma therapy), walked us through Callahan's model today. He literally had us focus on something that is distressful (and score it on a scale of 1-10), then we began rhythmically tapping parts of our body (near eyebrow, cheekbone, under arm, and collarbone area). After that tapping, came tapping on the "gamut point." Which is between the ring finger and pinky. While tapping there, simultaneously we had to look up, down, to the left, right, eye going clockwise, counterclockwise, we had to hum, count out loud and hum again. When all this was over, we were asked to rate our distress level on the same issue we presented with. The majority of the class had a steep decline in their distress level. 

Where do I stand on this? The few studies that have been published to demonstrate the efficacy of TFT, including some by Callahan, have been criticized for methodological flaws, such as the lack of control groups, standardized assessment tools, and unsatisfactory reporting of data. Additionally, no credible research to date supports the underlying mechanism of TFT, namely the existence of human energy fields that influence psychological health and can be manipulated by finger tapping. There is also no empirical support for the diagnostic methods used in TFT. That said, the trainer swears by this technique for himself and uses it with his clients. Though he explains to clients that this isn't evidence based, but it has been antidotally reported to be helpful for clients with anxiety and when working with trauma. 

Clearly, if something so simple and non-invasive works for some people, then I think that is great. Why not use it. But for myself, I was becoming irritated with the whole notion of tapping, and I was simply a student in a virtual classroom. I can't imagine coming in for therapy, managing a trauma, and being presented with this tapping technique. What I am finding with this entire trauma course, is I have to remain open minded, because I use my experience with Mattie as the benchmark against all content presented to me. Childhood cancer is a complex example to bring into this class, because it isn't made up of a single event. It is rather an on-going trauma, that frankly continued for the first several years after Mattie died. The instructor says that people can't claim to still be traumatized if they are able to sleep. That maybe true, but then again, many of us who have survived trauma have sleep issues and resort to talking to our doctors about sleep aids to cope. So again, I am not sure some of these cute quips of guidance he provides his students are truly on target or meaningful.  

Any case, I found this video on YouTube about what TFT looks like. You can see the tapping for yourself and come to your own conclusions.