The authors stated that “In contrast to conventional psychotherapy research, the SCD methodology is not meant to compare the various treatments, and thus does not necessarily meet the criteria proposed for empirically validated treatments, although it does meet some of those criteria,” and also stated that “Unfortunately, because of problems with client screening and data collection, the study fell short of reaching it goals. He examined four novel therapies with a six month follow-up evaluation (using measures that were not used immediately post treatment) and did not conduct statistical significance testing to compare the therapies. One was an exploratory study done by Charles Figley, a Vietnam veteran who endeavored to find more effective treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder. There are two studies published in peer reviewed journals on TFT. Trainees must sign a confidentiality agreement not to disclose the trade secret behind VT. The fee listed on Callahan’s website for this training is $100,000. Training for the advanced VT is provided by Callahan. In 1985 in his first book on TFT, he wrote that specific phobias could be cured in as little as five minutes.Ĭallahan also asserts that his most advanced level, Voice Technology (VT) can be performed over the phone using an undisclosed “technology”. A typical treatment session lasts up to fifteen minutes, and is not repeated.Ĭallahan has also stated that TFT can treat or prevent physical problems, including atrial fibrillation and malaria. He posits that tapping unblocks or balances the flow of qi.Ĭallahan states that the process can relieve a wide variety of psychological issues, including posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, addiction, and phobia. In order to eliminate the emotional upset, Callahan says that a precise sequence of meridian points must be tapped. Perturbations are said to be precisely encoded information contained in the thought field each deformation of a person’s thought field is connected to a particular problem, and is activated by thinking about that problem.Ĭallahan maintains that these perturbations are the root cause of negative emotions and that each perturbation corresponds to a meridian point on the body. He describes this field as “the most fundamental concept in the TFT system,” stating that it “creates an imaginary, though quite real scaffold, upon which we may erect our explanatory notions”.
There is no scientific evidence that TFT is effective, and the American Psychological Association has stated that it “lacks a scientific basis.” Theory & TreatmentĬallahan terms his treatment “Thought Field Therapy” because he theorizes that when a person thinks about an experience or thought associated with an emotional problem, they are tuning in to a “thought field.” Its proponents say that it can heal a variety of mental and physical ailments through specialized “tapping” with the fingers at meridian points on the upper body and hands. Thought Field Therapy, or TFT, is a fringe psychological treatment developed by an American psychologist, Roger Callahan.