EFT Healing of Emotional Trauma

What is Trauma - Towards a Definition

It is an emotional or bodily response or feeling associated with something that appears to be life threatening at the time, whether real or imagined, where we feel powerless to do anything about it. For a child this can even include perceived rejection since kids depend on others for survival at this young age. Trauma can spring from something as simple as being denied access to something that the child desires and feels is really important.

It can also arise as a result of being confused and bewildered - by not knowing how things work in the world. Basically, the bottom line is that if it feels life threatening or if basic security or survival needs are compromised the precipitating experience is internalized as trauma. This can stay in the body for life if a way isn't found to release it or if it remains undischarged.

Associated Events and Feelings

Along with that, at the time of the event, many other associated pieces of sensory information are stored which become associated with the traumatic event so that any piece of the whole can be triggered and produce an emotional reliving of the original trauma.

So for example, if you, as a small child, were happily playing in the garden and suddenly your mom shouted at you for getting mud on your shoes, you may end up associating 'garden' or 'shoes' with 'angry mom' or 'happily playing' with 'danger'. Later in life you may feel anxious or afraid to relax any time you want to 'play'.

Equally the subconscious may associate positive things together, so for example, if your mom gave you chocolate or cookies when she was in a good mood, you may come to associate a sense of connection and love with chocolate and cookies. Then later in life when you are feeling lonely and isolated for any reason you may find you can't stop yourself being 'driven' to eat the chocolate or the cookies to get back that feeling of love and connection

Now, even though we can recognise all of this with the conscious mind, the mind cannot change this kind of energy by thought alone.

The Role of EFT Therapy

EFT tapping gives us a way to connect with and discharge the trauma and all of its associated parts and associations, that have taken up residence mainly in the subconscious. EFT therapy can release any blockages in the energy associated with this internalized response. You can tap away your fears and any negative emotions and even the physically painful symptoms that can appear in relation to these. Relief is the result, along with an ability to reprogram ourselves in new more healthy ways. We become much more able to release any tendency to self-sabotage and to start moving more towards the dreams, goals and visions that we have for ourselves to create the kind of life we want - abundant and joyful.

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EFT Heals Accident Trauma

Car accidents, as well as any kind of threat to our safety, create after-shocks that are symptoms of PTSD. One reason for this is that the accident is stored in our memory in a specific way. It is stored in "episodic memory." That means that, when the accident happens, our survival instinct from way back in history kicks in and we unconsciously notice all kinds of things that our nervous system believes will be important to us to survive such an event in the future.

PTSD in the Making: the Accident

Here's how it goes, for example: We're driving along a mountain road. Suddenly, there's a patch of ice and the car starts sliding into the lane for oncoming traffic. We feel the slide, and start to tense our stomach. Then we see a car coming toward us. Our neck starts to tense. The two cars crash into each other. We hear the sound of screeching tires accompanied by the scorched smell of burning rubber and the crunch of metal. Our hands clench on the wheel, and our whole arms start to clench. Our chest hits the steering wheel.

How an Accident Creates PTSD

Episodic (meaning "one time") memory stores, all at once, in a unit, the feel of sliding and accompanying tensing of the stomach; the sight of the car coming toward us and tensing of the neck; the sound of screeching tires, burning rubber smell and crunching-metal sound along with clenched hands and arms. Adrenaline spurts through the nervous system. Depending on how severe we perceivethe threat to us, we may also go into a trauma reaction of overwhelm, where another chemical, more like an opiate, is released, and blankets over the adrenaline so that we're spacy, numb, sleepy, or feel separated out from ourselves. This is PTSD trauma.

PTSD Stays in Our Bodies

Now, forever after, unless we find a way to release it, all of the above stays in our bodies and our nervous system. Whenever something happens that has any of the elements above, we automatically go into the same tension and adrenaline and/or opiate reaction that we went into during the original accident. For example, we may flinch and startle when we're driving on an empty road and suddenly see a car in the other lane; the smell of burning rubber can bring on an adrenaline rush; tires screeching-even when we're not in a car-may automatically create a tensing of muscles. This is all automatic and immediate. And it may delay the healing of physical injuries as well as emotional pain resulting from the accident.

EFT Heals PTSD

I've worked with a number of clients who experience PTSD after car accidents, or other high speed accidents. I use EFT Tapping, which helps the trauma move through and calms the nervous system, alleviating PTSD symptoms.

Zoe Zimmermann, MA, LPC is a Certified EFT Practitioner and long-time licensed psychotherapist. She uses EFT Tapping as her modality for fast breakthroughs with core issues and specializes in clients who suffer with PTSD from accidents, surgeries, abuse, dysfunctional family dynamics, other traumas and physical pain.

EFT is an exceptionally effective energy psychology and alternative therapy, where EFT Tapping on acupuncture meridian pressure points is used to take emotional charge out of traumatic and painful memories and experiences, often alleviating pain.

Zoe conducts in-person, phone or Skype sessions. Schedule a session now by calling 303-444-1195 or visit Zoe Zimmermann's website.

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