Psychiatrists in Torrance, CA

Energy psychology is a relatively new modality, yet it combines older techniques from both Eastern and Western medicine—talk therapy and exposure therapy from a Western orientation and energy fields and healing touch from an Eastern orientation. Although these techniques have long existed, they were developed into today’s form of energy psychology and brought to the fore in the 1980s by psychologists including Fred Gallo, Roger Callahan, and David Feinstein.

Energy psychology is a brief intervention, designed to provide relief to patients quickly. The exact number of sessions a patient requires varies depending on numerous factors, including the condition being treated, the technique being used, and the practitioner's approach. Some patients may begin to improve after only one session. Proponents of energy therapy point out that it is relatively easy to learn, so clients can practice some of the techniques on themselves at home, such as the acceptance, acupressure, and affirmations used in emotional freedom technique.

The exposure therapy techniques involved in energy psychology, such as recounting a traumatic experience to the therapist, are evidence-based and have long helped individuals address trauma, phobias, and anxiety. As a whole, the practice isn’t as validated as other techniques, but it may be healing for some. Energy psychology involves exposing a client to a distressing memory, object, or situation in the therapy room while providing acupressure or tapping to relieve distress, which is thought to lower the stress and arousal of the body that had become associated with the relevant stimulus.

A disadvantage of energy psychology is that the research supporting its effectiveness is not as robust as research supporting the effectiveness of other therapy types, such as cognitive behavioral therapy or acceptance and commitment therapy, specifically the component of body tapping and touching. Some research on energy psychology has also been critiqued for being methodologically flawed.