EFT Research Paper
Single Session EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) for Stress Related Symptoms after Motor Vehicle Accidents
Citation: Burk, L. (2010). Single Session EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) for Stress Related Symptoms after Motor Vehicle Accidents. Energy Psychology: Theory, Research & Treatment, 2(2), 65-72. Click here to view Abstract http://goo.gl/vycCNQ
Abstract
Motor vehicle accidents (MVA) are a common cause of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Energy psychology (EP) approaches such as EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) are a new form of exposure therapy used to treat PTSD from a variety of different causes. These techniques provide an attractive alternative to more well-established approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy because of their potential for accelerated healing similar to what has been demonstrated with eye movement desensitization and reprocessing. There are only a few reports in the literature of the use of EP for the treatment of PTSD resulting from MVA. This clinical report presents 3 case histories documenting the use of single-session EFT for the treatment of acute psychological trauma immediately after a car accident, urticaria as a component of acute stress disorder 2 weeks after a car accident, and PTSD and whiplash syndrome 11 months after a car accident. These cases are discussed in the context of a review of the current literature on PTSD after MVA and are followed by recommendations for future research.
Editor’s Note
As a chiropractor who has treated hundreds of patients who have recently or in the distant past, been injured by car accidents and have seen the effectiveness of including EFT as a way to work with both acute and chronic emotional aspects of MVA (motor vehicle accident) related symptoms. This paper by radiologist, Larry Burk, reports on three separate case histories that included his performance of EFT, to elucidate how a mind-body, somatic based trauma technique like EFT can, in a single session, provide relief to this large demographic of individuals who suffer the ongoing physical and psychological symptoms and effects related to car accident trauma.