Exploring the dynamics of the mind expressed in the energy fields of the body - a therapeutic synergy inspired by Thought Field Therapy, EFT, TAT, and Seemorg Matrix
Please note that much of the content on this website is of a speculative and exploratory nature. It reflects a sincere and ongoing (but possibly erroneous) enquiry into the interface of the psyche and hypothetical realms of the human energy system. The latter may be considered a deeper part of the unconscious mind, perhaps best thought of as the 'dimensional unconscious'. Work in this area is experienced as highly beneficial by some (and is supported by relevant research) whilst others may dismiss such effects as the result of suggestion, 'placebo', charisma, or other 'non-specific' or 'common' therapeutic factors. Please read the 'note of caution'. The professional body for energy psychology is the Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology (ACEP).
Sessions now available by videolink (internationally), and in person: Harley Street, London, W1G 6AZ and Letchworth, Herts SG6
Energy Psychotherapy allows traumas and other adverse experiences to be addressed rapidly and safely, with much less danger of the client becoming overwhelmed. Such methods are effective in alleviating PTSD, anxiety, depression, addictive cravings, and physical pain. There is now substantial research evidence to support these claims: click
New book, exploring deeper dimensions of energy psychotherapy - the use of higher dimensional energies to reset the lower system. Published by Confer-Karnac:
Published in 2005, this was the first British book on EMDR. It illustrates not only that EMDR is extremely effective, but also that the process and content is in many ways profoundly psychoanalytic. The structures of the mind and its self-defensive processes are revealed - but also the inherent natural healing processes of the mind and brain. EMDR is also compared with energy psychology modalities - showing how the two most effective therapies can be combined.
A note on Confer
Confer, who provided continuing professional education for psychotherapists in the UK for 25 years, abrupted "ceased trading" on 14th March 2023. There was no warning of this for those of us who have taught on events and courses. It is a shocking, sad, and perplexing development. The firm of accountants handling the liquidation is Kreston Reeves. Claims for money owed by Confer should be directed to restructuring@krestonreeves.com
Deep reversals and how to resolve them: Audio of a talk at the ACEP conference 2014
ACEP's new online interactive training in EFT - for mental health professionals. Brilliantly structured information. Learn in small groups in the comfort of your own home:
There are many energy psychology modalities. EFT is the most highly researched. How does it work? Click
New article: The Illusory Ego Click
Research paper on EFT for PTSD in military veterans: a replication study: Click
Resources for Clients (or anyone who wishes to explore Energy Psychology methods for self-help) Click
ACEP's summary of research: click
Attachment and Energy Psychology article: Click here
Memory reconsolidation click
Blog:Phil Mollon has left the NHS - evolving reflections on 37 years experience - a critical look at the NHS marketplace; the overselling and marketing of psychological therapies; the unsound nature of much psychiatric diagnosis, and its misuse in family courts; the misdiagnosis of conditions that have both physical and psychological expression [e.g. EDS; CRPS; Lyme Disease] click
Blog: What happened when I introduced Energy Psychology to the NHS ... click
What is PEP?
PEP is the outcome of one psychoanalyst's encounter with energy psychology. The basic principle of PEP is that distress within the psyche is also encoded within the energy fields of the body.
A crucial part of the work is the identification of the hidden anxieties and resistances that hold the problem in place. These are commonly based around motives to do with safety ['it is not safe to be free of this problem']; deservedness ['I do not deserve to be free of this problem']; or identity ['I will not be me if I am free of this problem'] - but there are others in addition.
In many respects, these correspond to the meta-cognitions, or meta-anxieties, outlined by sophisticated cognitive therapists [e.g. Wells 2009 click] - although those theorists do not endorse the energetic perspective. Unless the meta-anxieties are addressed, the more conscious anxiety does not shift. In the case of obsessive-compulsive disorder [OCD] and related ruminatory states of depression, it is also necessary for the client to explore ways of relinquishing the mental strategies (ritual behaviours and thoughts) that he or she has developed in maladaptive attempts to control anxiety.
The physics of subtle energy and psychoenergetic science is best described through the complex work of Dr William Tiller, Professor Emeritus of Stanford University Department of Materials Science click. Physicist Dr Claude Swanson has recently published a remarkable 700 page summary of the science of subtle energy: Life Force: The Scientific Basis.click
Please note that although there is considerable evidence, of various kinds, to support the use of energy modalities, these cannot yet be regarded as fully established therapies. They are not recommended in the UK NICE guidelines, although EMDR (arguably related to energy psychology methods) is recommended as a treatment for trauma. Those of us who are familiar with energy modalities usually find them to be effective and gentle when used appropriately. For a review of evidence for energy psychology methods click here & here. For a critique of NICE guidelines, click here - and for a critique of the critics, click here and here. The views expressed on this site, and in the book Psychoanalytic Energy Psychotherapy, are to be considered hypotheses and working assumptions - always to be reviewed in the light of emerging evidence. Energy psychology modalities are not based on theory but on observation. None of the material on this site is intended as a substitute for appropriate medical or psychological treatment by a qualified doctor.
Phil Mollon is a past President of ACEP: the Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology
None of the techniques within PEP can be used in the service of 'recovered memory'. There are no methods that reliably recover memories of forgotten events of childhood. Imprints of trauma may lodge in the energy fields, but their source may remain unknown. The human psyche appears to contain distortions, and is prone to self-deception, which can lead to incorrect perceptions.
* In his book Experiences in Groups [1961 London: Tavistock Publications], the psychoanalyst Wilfred Bion described a 'proto-mental' level, where the mental and physical are not clearly differentiated. A perturbation [to use a Callahan term] in the proto-mental system could manifest either as a mental or physical dis-ease. Thus Bion wrote: "Since it is a level in which physical and mental are undifferentiated, it stands to reason that, when distress from this source manifests itself, it can manifest itself just as well in physical forms as in psychological." [p 102] As J & N Symington put it [The Clinical Thinking of Wilfred Bion: 1996 Routledge. London] "With Bion, an illness, an accident or a vocal utterance are all 'speech' of the proto-mental system." [p 138]. Bion's concept seems somewhat related to our observations of an energy system containing information that manifests in both body and psyche. One way of working with the energy system is to locate the particular meridians underpinning a mental state, guide the client to tap on these, and invite him or her to say whatever comes to mind. In this way the meridians are allowed to 'speak'. The information condensed in the meridian system, stimulated by a physical action of tapping, is thereby enabled to evolve into the form of communicable thought and symbol. Bion also considered the proto-mental system to be one that communicates between individuals - corresponding to the common observation of the way in which people form intercommunicating energy fields. He wrote: "in my opinion the sphere of proto-mental events cannot be understood by reference to the individual alone, and the intelligible field of study for the dynamics of proto-mental events is the individuals met together in a group." [page 103] However, whilst Bion's concept is theoretical, the procedures of energy psychology, including PEP, are atheoretical, being based essentially on observation of tangible and replicable phenomena.