Several
years ago, after I started working with students who had been
diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), I discovered
that many of the students had massive trauma in their background
and pervasive rage. I needed some way of helping them clear
the emotions that were locked in their bodies so I could have
access to their minds. I went to a Thought Field Therapy (TFT)
workshop and found what I needed--a quick and efficient way
to clear stuck emotions. For those of you who haven’t
discovered it yet, TFT is the brilliant development of Roger
J. Callahan, Ph.D. (see Callahan). TFT requires learning several
protocols or sequences and of tapping on points of the energy
meridians of the body. Different problems require different
protocols. The results are swift and lasting.
Towards the end of the TFT workshop, the workshop leader
reported that there was one protocol that would cover practically
all the problems. This protocol was called Emotional Freedom
Technique (EFT) and had been developed by Gary Craig (see
Craig), one of Dr. Callahan’s students. The workshop
leader taught us EFT and I have been using it with clients
blocked by heavy emotion as well as students with ADD. I have
used it with rage, symptoms of ADD, confusion, depression,
overwhelming feelings of all kinds, frustration and abuse
to name just a few.
So, before we go any further, let’s review EFT. It
is simple and easy to do. (However, as with NLP, doing it
with style and mastery requires training. If you are interested
in being trained in EFT or in reading more about it, check
out Gary Craig’s web site listed in the references.)
You identify the issue to be dealt with and have the client
assign it a code word or “reminder phrase.” Then
assess the strength of the issue. Some EFT practitioners do
muscle testing and others ask the client to assess on a scale
from 0 to 10, where 0 is no strength and 10 is maximum strength.
Then, while the client attends to the issue with the reminder
phrase, you lead them through the EFT steps as follows:
EFT PROCEDURE
1. The Setup ...Repeat 3 times this affirmation:
"Even though 1 have this __________ I deeply and completely
accept myself.”
or
“ Even though I still have some of this _______ I deeply
and completely accept myself.”
while continuously rubbing the PR Spot.
2. The Sequence ...Tap about 7 times on each of the following
energy points while repeating the Reminder Phrase at each
point.
EB = Beginning of the EyeBrow
SE = Side of the Eye
UE = Under the Eye
UN = Under the Nose
Ch = Chin
CB = Beginning of the CollarBone
UA = Under the Arm
Th = Thumb
IF = Index Finger
MF = Middle Finger
BF = Baby Finger
KC = Karate Chop
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3. The 9 Gamut Procedure ...Continuously tap on the Gamut
point while performing each of these 9 actions: (1) Eyes closed
(2) Eyes open (3) Eyes hard down right (4) Eyes hard down
left (5) Roll eyes in circle (6) Roll eyes in other direction
(7) Hum 2 seconds of a song (8) Count to 5 (9) Hum 2 seconds
of a song.
4. The Sequence (again) ...Tap about 7 times on each of the
following energy points while repeating the Reminder Phrase
at each point: EB, SE, UE, UN, Ch, CB, UA, Th, IF, MF, BF,
KC
Assess the strength of the issue again. It usually has been
diminished. If there is any strength left, do the EFT on the
“remaining” problem. The Setup affirmation and
the Reminder Phrase are adjusted to reflect that you are addressing
the remaining problem. Continue this until it has gone away
completely. Sometimes a new aspect or issue of the problem
will emerge when the first problem is gone. When this happens,
repeat EFT on the new aspect.
So, for example, a year ago I was working with a teenage
tennis player who had trouble maintaining his composure during
tennis matches. This would occur when he would be playing
a match without a linesman. The linesman’s job is to
officiate whether or not a ball is in bounds or out of bounds.
When my client thought his opponent was cheating, he would
get mad and lose his concentration and focus. His anger measured
a 10. We tapped EFT on his anger and it dropped to a 5. We
did the “set up” on the remaining anger, tapped
again and it dropped to a 1. As he sat there contemplating
the change he remarked “You know, it’s not just
that I get angry. When it really gets to me is when I am playing
a friend and he cheats—I feel so betrayed!” This
is an example of another aspect or issue that is sometimes
revealed when the emotion of the first aspect is released.
We repeated the EFT procedure on betrayal until those emotions
were gone.
A critical skill for the EFT Practitioner is to be able to
assist the client in uncovering the evolving new aspects.
Many EFT Practitioners are highly skilled, gifted, and intuitive
and do an exceptional job in assisting their clients. One
of the ways I use to assist my clients is to use the template
of the Logical Levels of Experience to search for possible
new aspects. This not only allows me to utilize my intuitiveness
but to also have a guide to assist me in making sure I have
given my client access to all the remaining aspects. So, before
we go any farther, let’s review the Logical Levels of
Experience.
LOGICAL LEVELS
Spiritual/Greater System - Attempts to change at this level
affects our experience of being a part of a much vaster system.
Answers the question of WHO ELSE DOES THIS CHANGE SERVE? Or,
WHAT IS THE GREATER VISION FOR THIS CHANGE?
Identity - Attempts to change at this level affects self-image
and overall purpose. Answers the question of WHO AM I THAT
I WOULD PURSUE THIS CHANGE and/or WHAT KIND OF PERSON AM I
THAT I WOULD PURSUE THIS CHANGE and/or WHAT IS MY PURPOSE
FOR PURSUING THIS CHANGE?
Beliefs and Values - Attempts to change at this level affects
the motivation and permission by affecting the reasons that
we do it. Answers the question of WHY DO I PURSUE THIS CHANGE?
Capabilities - Attempts to change at this level affects
behavioral actions through a mental map, skill or strategy.
Answers the question of MENTALLY, HOW DO I ACCOMPLISH THIS
CHANGE?
Behavior - Attempts to change at this level affects specific
actions taken within the environment. Answers the question
of WHAT DO I DO OR WHAT ACTIONS DO I TAKE TO ACCOMPLISH THIS
CHANGE?
Environmental - Attempts to change at this level affects
the external constraints a person has to live within and react
to. Answers the questions of WHERE and/or WHEN and/or WITH
WHOM DO I PRACTICE THIS CHANGE ?
When I first started using Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)
to model the subjective experience of those with the symptoms
of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), I used the Logical Levels
extensively. The published symptoms of ADD like hyperactivity,
distractibility, forgetfulness, impulsiveness, lack of organization,
and procrastination are diagnosed at the Logical Level of
Behavior. What I found were symptoms at all the Logical Levels.
So, when I work with somebody with ADD, I systematically work
with them through all the Logical Levels. I have found that
using EFT to do this greatly speeds up the process.
First of all, the environment many times is the triggering
mechanism for the ADD symptoms. Classrooms, noise, lots of
activity, a boring lecture, and the like can trigger ADD symptoms.
Many of the recommended remedies in the books on ADD are about
how to control the environment around the person with ADD
symptoms. Many schools have “quiet rooms” where
students can go to study. Sometimes teachers will move students
with ADD symptoms around the room in order to find a place
with fewer distractions. Having them do the EFT tapping on
what they sense around them when the ADD symptoms kick in
is one of the easiest interventions to do. Examples are: seeing
or hearing a particular teacher, a brother or sister, a classroom,
or being compelled to do a boring school lesson are just a
few of the possibilities. So, ask the client the following
question and listen and notice those responses that are emotion
laden “When you start to experience the ADD symptom
of ______, what or whom do you see or hear around you?”
Get them to elaborate, so you can read the emotional response.
As I mentioned earlier, the symptoms of ADD as listed above
are primarily seen as behaviors. Some of the more common remedies
in the ADD literature, besides taking drugs, are behavior
modification techniques (like moving the student around).
Tapping with EFT on these behaviors many times will eliminate
the behaviors or at least will relieve the student of the
emotional baggage connected to the symptoms.
At the Capability Level, I have found two phenomena in students
with ADD that I work with. The first is the sense that their
mind is out of control. What I found was that many had multiple
images in their mind and they could not control them or focus
on just one. Sometimes the images are flying around; sometimes
they appear and then mysteriously disappear. I had a 12-year
old boy one time tell me that he had 16 images at one time
in the form of 4 rows of 4 TV monitors. Each TV had a different
subject on it. I have had others describe their subjective
experience as giant shows with images flying all over the
place like shooting stars. One of the ways I test for this
is to give them a mental assignment which forces them to stabilize
an image in their mind. I give them a word that they already
know how to spell and have them spell it backwards or from
right to left. If their mind is out of control, they will
exclaim “I can’t hold the picture, it keeps going
away!” or “My mind won’t let me do it, it
takes it away!” I then tap on their feeling that their
mind is out of control until they regain control.
Secondly, once they can control their mind, then usually
I have to teach them HOW TO LEARN in the classroom. Our schools
presuppose that children know how to learn in the classroom
and do not accept the responsibility of teaching them effective
learning strategies. Most teachers focus on giving them LEARNING
ACTIVITIES (which are at the behavior Logical Level) and leave
it to chance that learning actually occurs (e.g., writing
a spelling word down 10 times). This is a major void that
occurs in our schools that creates much trauma in many students.
This trauma occurs in “normal” underachieving
students as well as those with “learning disabilities.”
Many if not all of those who have been diagnosed with ADD
and in particular ADHD have been traumatized repeatedly in
school. And much of this trauma comes from the fact that they
cannot control their minds and therefore cannot effectively
learn in the classroom. I tap on these traumas while I am
assuring them that things will change since I am also going
to teach them HOW TO LEARN. These learning strategies are
covered extensively in my book “Rediscover the Joy of
Learning.”
At the next Logical Level of Beliefs/Values, I find that
many students have either a void of positive and empowering
beliefs and values regarding school and learning or they have
already picked up “limiting” beliefs and values.
For example, some ADD students who have the sense that their
mind is out of control will adopt an unconscious belief “I
can’t control my mind!” or “My mind controls
me!” or “My mind makes me do things and I get
in trouble!” They will also have limiting beliefs about
the value of school like ”School sucks!” or “School
is boring!” They will also adopt beliefs about their
capability like “I can’t learn ____!” or
“I can’t do math!” In fact, they can have
beliefs at any and all of the Logical Levels. Eliciting these
limiting beliefs and changing them to more empowering beliefs
at all logical levels can and is a truly transforming experience
for the students I work with. Coupling the learning of new
and effective learning strategies with the elimination of
limiting beliefs and the addition of empowering beliefs through
the Logical Levels pretty well completes the transformation.
After this coverage of the Logical Levels, I will share with
you a way to change limiting beliefs using EFT.
Many ADD and ADHD students have limiting beliefs at the identity
level because so much of the feedback they get from parents,
teachers and peers is about how different they are as a person.
So, many times they will have Identity Level beliefs like
“I am weird.” or “I’m different than
everybody else.” or “I’m dumb.” or
“I’m learning disabled.” or “I’m
an ADDer.” Changing this level of limiting beliefs sends
reverberations through all the lower logical levels and has
quite an impact on the student.
When I am working with a teenager who has been diagnosed
with ADD, I look pretty hard for limiting beliefs at the highest
Logical Level of Spiritual/Greater System. By the time they
hit teenage years they have been traumatized by the system
to such a degree that they can become anti-social in many
ways. You will hear them say things like “Why did God
do this to me, I didn’t deserve this” or “Why
don’t the schools help me—nobody cares about me!”
They feel so much like social outcasts that they sometimes
turn to gangs so that they can feel like they have a group
identity and a sense of belonging
Last Summer in my “Rediscover the Joy of Learning”
Certification Training, I was teaching how I used EFT with
students when it dawned on me that I had added a wrinkle or
two. When I looked closer at what I was doing, I realized
I had developed a new and quicker way to change limiting beliefs.
The structure of how to change limiting beliefs starts with
creating doubt in the old limiting belief and then introducing
the new belief and energizing it. Beliefs are held in place
by their emotional investment. When you have a limiting belief
that has been brought about by traumas and you use EFT on
the limiting belief it, in effect, drains the negative emotion
away from the limiting belief. This weakens the strength of
the belief, which opens the way for doubt to creep in. If
you immediately have them choose a new, empowering belief
and repeat it while they go through the EFT protocol again,
you are connecting new and positive emotions to the new belief—effectively
installing it in them.
With the tennis player I described earlier, after we had
cleared his anger and feeling of betrayal, I asked him how
he wanted to respond to the fact that somebody was cheating
on him. His reply was “I want the energy of the anger
to translate into more energy in my game and I want it to
be focused energy!” We summarized that to “I choose
for the cheating to give me focused energy!” We tapped
through the EFT again while he repeated the new belief at
every energy point. This connects the new belief with a positive
energy and connects a positive response to the cheating. The
last time I checked he was having no problems with anger on
the tennis court. In fact, he was playing tennis better than
he had ever played. In the State tennis tournament, he advanced
to the final round while beating some opponents that he had
never beat before.
Another example occurred recently when an insurance agent
came to see me for fear of rejection when he needed to cold
call over the telephone. He had been an insurance agent for
7 years and was very successful in his career. The stress
that he would go through, however, when he had to cold call
was unbearable and would filter down to his family. He wanted
some help. I had him get into the fear of rejection and give
it a number and he labeled it an 8. While he was attending
to the fear of rejection I led him through the EFT tapping
protocol. To his amazement, when we got through he could not
access any fear of rejection--zero. I future paced him and
had him imagine all sorts of different situations and he could
not access the fear. I then asked him how he wanted to respond
when he needed to cold call. He replied “I want to be
confident and calm when I cold call.” We condensed that
to the belief statement “When I am cold calling, I choose
to be confident and calm.” He repeated the new belief
statement as he went through the EFT tapping. The last time
I talked to him about it was after several months and he was
having no problems whatsoever with the cold calling.
During a “EFT Speciality” Workshop presentation
in Flagstaff, AZ recently I alluded to the fact that I was
modeling how Gary Craig’s EFT tapping was so effective.
Some of the participants teased me about holding out on them.
I told them a little bit about how he was linguistically moving
up and down the Logical Levels while tapping. There was more,
but I did not want to get pulled off of my planned presentation.
So, with Gary’s permission, here is the rest of the
story.
I am sure that Gary does even more than I noticed, but one
of the more powerful things he does is change the limiting
beliefs behind the issues. He does it in the following manner:
STRUCTURE OF A BELIEF CHANGE
In order for a limiting belief to be changed, you must create
doubt in the old belief. The old belief is held together with
the emotional energy that is connected to it. When Gary is
tapping on the issues, he releases that energy in four primary
ways:
1. The tapping releases energy.
2. Humor—getting a person to laugh at the issue with
his humorous remarks.
3. His counter examples—one time he was working with
a lady that believed she couldn’t make money until she
lost weight. He wondered out loud if Oprah Winfrey had a belief
that her weight was limiting her money making ability—both
a counter example and funny.
4. His Reframing of the issue—getting the person to
think about the issue in a different way. For your information,
Reframing is one of about 14 “Sleight of Mouth”
patterns that can be learned in Neuro-Linguistic Programming
(NLP). Sleight of Mouth patterns are linguistic patterns designed
to “loosen” the believability of old beliefs.
While Gary is doing the above in his “Stream of Consciousness”
he is also offering new ways of thinking about the issue (reframing)
through all the Logical Levels. Since this is done while he
is tapping, it attaches new and positive energy to the new
beliefs he is offering. One of the reasons this works so well
is related to the fact that when you change an old limiting
belief, it creates a vacuum in the unconscious that is open
to positive alternative ways of being and thinking. Since
he does this while tapping through all the Logical Levels,
he is, in effect, integrating the new beliefs through all
of the Logical Levels.
Of course, this is just my opinion, so if it seems right
to you, it is something that can be learned. In my opinion,
if you learn how to do the above to the degree that you are
“unconsciously competent” at it then you can also
do what Gary says “Go to a Spiritual Level and get yourself
out of the way and let your intuition tell you what to do,”
you can be even more precise and powerful in helping your
clients.
The nice thing about being able to elicit and change limiting
beliefs to empowering beliefs, is how pervasive and transforming
the changes are. Particularly, when the beliefs are changes
higher up in the Logical Levels. When you change a belief
at the Identity Level, for example, it will affect lower level
beliefs, capabilities and behaviors. Because these changes
are so pervasive, I want my clients to integrate the changes
through the Logical Levels in my presence.
I find that the integration solidifies the new belief(s)
and sets it into their future with specific changes they can
look forward to. I usually do this physically by having the
client write each of the six levels on a piece of paper and
line them up on the floor about a foot or two apart. As the
tennis player above, for example, stepped on each level, I
asked him the following questions and let him elaborate on
his answers:
Environment Level—“Where, when
and with whom will you choose for the energy to be focused?”
Behavior Level—“What behaviors
or actions will you engage in when you choose for the energy
to be focused?”
Capability Level—“What mental
states or strategies will you engage when you choose for the
energy to be focused?”
Beliefs/Values Level—“What values
and beliefs will you need and use when you choose for the
energy to be focused?”
Identity Level—“What kind of
person are you that you choose for the energy to be focused?”
Spiritual/Greater System Level—“Who else does
this serve or what greater mission or vision does it serve
when you choose for the energy to be focused?”
As a client walks the logical levels from environment to
spiritual/greater system, the answers become more general
and can even become metaphorical. After they complete the
walk, I have them turn around and walk back through the Logical
Levels with their focus on their expanded identity and sense
of mission or vision. This double walk through the Logical
Levels not only grounds the new belief in reality and actions
but also gives it a higher sense of meaning and purpose. It
also assures that all the logical levels have been connected
and that there are not any voids at any level. When the tennis
player left my office he felt powerfully empowered and confident
that he would not have any more problems with anger on the
tennis court.
In my experience in working with students that struggle in
school (particularly those with ADD symptoms), it is incredibly
important to ferret out all the limiting beliefs regarding
school and learning and replace them with more empowering
beliefs. In the past, it has sometimes been a tough sale to
get a student, especially a young one, to allow it to be done.
Using EFT to facilitate the belief change makes it quick and
fun. And, it can be done with very young children too.
References
Roger J.Callahan, Ph.D., WWW.TFTRX.COM
Gary H. Craig, www.emofree.com
About the Author
Don A. Blackerby, Ph.D. is a former math teacher and college dean and founded SUCCESS SKILLS in 1981 in order to focus on using NLP in helping struggling students in school. In 1996, he wrote a book “Rediscover the Joy of Learning” in which he describes his NLP based strategies and processes on
how he helps struggling students including those who have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). Don is not a psychologist, psychiatrist, or medical doctor, he is an educator who is certified in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and practices as a Personal Development and Academic Coach. On a spiritual path he is an ordained minister and registered in the State
of Oklahoma. He may be contacted in various ways. His address and phone numbers are: SUCCESS SKILLS, 1517 Walnut Cove Road, Edmond, OK 73013, USA. His phone number is 1-405-330-0164. His fax is 1-405-330-0167. His E-mail is info@nlpok.com . He also has a web site: www.nlpok.com . |
