A Survey of Energy Psychology Practitioners: Who They Are, What They Do, Who They Help

Abstract

Abstract: An online survey of the members of the Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology (ACEP) was completed by 294 of the organization’s 1,220 members (24%) in March 2016. The majority of respondents reported using acupoint tapping protocols as a core component in the successful treatment of generalized anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), phobias, and depression. All 106 of the respondents who had applied acupoint tapping for facilitating “peak performance” in contexts such as business, education, and sports reported the approach to have been “of great value” (68%) or “moderate value” (32%) for this objective, with none of the respondents having reported it to be of “little value.” The survey also asked participants to estimate the number of sessions that are typically required to achieve each of seven “process outcomes” that are shared among various clinical approaches. For instance, the elimination of an unwanted physiological/emotional reaction to a specified trigger could typically be achieved in three or fewer acupoint tapping sessions according to 94% of the respondents, and within a single session according to 71% of the respondents. Two thirds of the licensed mental health professionals who reported that they use acupoint tapping protocols said they integrate them into existing therapeutic frameworks rather than use acupoint tapping as an independent modality. This finding suggests that the approach is portable and is being applied within the context of established therapeutic systems with the intention of more rapidly facilitating targeted neurological, emotional, and cognitive changes. In brief, the practitioner reports generated in the survey corroborate clinical trials and meta-analyses that suggest acupoint tapping protocols are rapid and effective with a range of conditions. Keywords: acupoint tapping, biofield, chakra, Emotional Freedom Techniques, EFT, energy psychology, meridian, survey, Thought Field Therapy