Customer Reviews

Energy Psychology (Innovations in Psychology)

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This is an extraordinary book written by an expirienced therapist in the field of Meridian Therapies. Dr Gallo gives us quite enough theory and history about developing techniques such as TFT, EMDR, TAT, NAEM... But the value in this book is authors PRACTICAL approach. By learning methods described here one is able to become a really high efficient therapist and can give lot of relief and benefit to oneself and others.

Dr Gallo bravely and openly shared with us many secrets of the Energy Psychology. We just need to take the keys and open the door.

I personally thank to the author as I gained much sucess for me and for other people by applying the techniques that I learned from his book. And really, this wasn't so hard to achieve.

I give my strong recommendation about this book to everyone who is willing (and brave enough) to start learning on the path that leads to helping self and others.

This book is very comprehensive in the explanation of Thought Field Therapy and Applied Kinesiology, among other topics. In his one book Gallo seems to say what Callahan (TFT creator) says in many books. As a student working in a clinic where TFT, EMDR, VKD are frequently used, I find this book extremely helpful.

I must comment on a previous review as it contains incorrect information which may dissuade people from reading this book. In his review of March 26, 2000 "A Reader" writes "Read Swenson, Skeptical Inquirer, 1999, Vol 7, No. 4 for a review of this quackery." There is no Vol 7, No. 4 1999 issue of Skeptical Inquirer magazine that I can find on the csicop.org website. There is a online article from the July/August 2000 issue by Gaudiano and Herbert that I found that covers a superficial review of TFT. This is a standard academic "review" of the literature and complains that no scientific study has been done to date. I'm not surprised at the lack of study. More like lack of open mindedness. I have seen TFT and other tapping work on people including people who were skeptical. It does NOT work on me for some unknown reason. I would encourage readers to read this book and other books on this subject and make up their own minds. This area needs more research not bad reviews by a person who did not read the book and is closed minded.

In a very readable style, this dynamic book provides a comprehensive overview of all the different methods of relieving emotional disturbance by working with energy fields. Dr. Gallo clearly and concisely explains the essential dynamics of each energy approach. The specific detail and photographs of the methods used in Thought Field Therapy greatly assist both the new energy therapist and the experienced practitioner to understand the ins and outs of this dynamic new psychotherapy. I devoured this book, which was filled with gems of new knowledge in each chapter. My thanks to Dr. Gallo for putting this all down in such a powerful little package! --by Barbara Stone, Ph.D., author of CANCER AS INITIATION: SURVIVING THE FIRE

A great book for either novice or experienced medical/psychological practictioner. After first giving an excellent summary of various psychological approaches, this book offers a fascinating and beautifully documented explanation of the origins and practice of the various energy therapies. In addition to covering the TFT methodology in great detail, Gallo also provides the basics of ESR, EFT, TAT, and NAEM. Gallo never loses sight of, or respect for the basic healing capacity innate in all of us.

This is an amazing concept! Most approaches to therapy take time and a lot of effort, I've parcticed psychodynamic, cognitive and behavioral approaches with some success, but the time and effort needed is arduous. This approach is really different. You simply have the client think about the problem, rate the level of distress, and tap on prescribed pressure points on the body. The result is an elimination of the distress. Distress includes any troublesome emotion: anger, grief, guilt feeling, jealousy, anxiety, phobic reaction, panic, etc. The results also last and there is an obvious cognitive shift in how the person perceives the issue from then on. For example, the movement is from anger to forgiveness, anxiety to calm and confidence, guilt to self forgiveness and acceptance, trauma to it's over and done with. This approach is needed in EVERY THERAPIST's repetoir. Eventually all good therapists will incorporate this approach in what they do to help clients.

This is an excellent, well written, and easy-to-read book that goes into the history, theory, research, and applications of a fascinating new approach to psychological treatment called energy psychology. While the concepts and treatments are in the alternative realm, obviously Gallo is highly knowledgeable about traditional psychological approaches, since he discusses in some depth other scientific models, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, neuroscience, neurochemistry, systemic concepts, etc. Additionally a well-balanced approach to the science and research is evident, since the various studies on energy psychology (and even prayer and acupuncture) are discussed in terms of their adherence to sound research methodology. The book also covers valuable information on quantum physics, recent findings in biology, acupuncture, applied kinesiology, and more. I've used some of the techniques covered and precisely outline in the book and they appear to be incredibly effective in removing phobias, trauma, depressed feelings, and even chronic pain. This second edition significantly expanded on the earlier work. Even though the book is relatively costly, it's worth every penny and more.

After close examination of this text, I conclude that from a Chinese/western medical perspective that this book is an attempt to make pseudoscience look convincing in order to support the marketing campaign of the authors. From a position of Chinese medicine and medical physiology expertise, they have failed.

Energy therapy is based largely on false assumptions about the brain. It uses a "thought field" approach as the main background theory. However, thought fields do not exist. The book explains energy as in positive or negative terms. However there are no physical similarities or correlates between normal energy and thought energy. Any physics scholar will know that energy does not work that way. There are know known physical correlates with new age notions of thought energy. The book makes feeble attempts to argue for the existence of these spurious and non recordable energy fields.

It steers clear of paranormal claims that are usually associated with energy medicine, but it is still pseudoscience

Qi is more accurately conceptualized as a philosophy, not a science, and its physical existence is not empirically supported. The book is completely unconvincing in arguing otherwise. In addition, they note that while acupuncture, a procedure used to correct the flow of chi, has been shown to provide some minor analgesic effects, its utility has not been demonstrated for treating illnesses or diseases. Chinese medicine uses a combination of treatments that work together.

The authors' proposed mechanisms of action are all spurious pseudoscience. There are simpler far more plausible reasons that may explain the few cases of success with the energy therapies techniques. These include placebo effects resulting from the mere expectation for improvement, demand characteristics, therapist enthusiasm and support, therapist-client alliance, and effort justification (i.e., the tendency to report positive changes in order to justify the effort exerted), and psychological manipulations such as distraction, suggestion, acceptance, and dissociation. These reasons are dismissed by the author, in preference for erroneous notions about meridians, thought energy, and the flow of Qi. The authors even claim that when the techniques fail it is because a negative person has "undone" them.

Considering that these techniques may potentially distract the patient's attention away from a serious illness such as cancer, and that the energy therapists in general do not cater for this eventuality, sensible consumers need to think more than twice before embarking on this pseudoscientific treatment. The book may convince you to open your mind for a while. However, please do not be so open minded that your brain falls out.

Regards
Dr Lee

If you are looking for a fanciful work of fiction, read this book (even though there are much better page-turners out there). However, if you are a clinician who is looking for scientific information for the 21st century you are looking in the wrong place.

The major problem is that there are no scientific studies attesting to TFT's effectiveness even though it is claimed to be the most effective treatment ever developed (I bet you have heard that one before). Furthermore, the treatment is based on scientifically discredited procedures such as applied kinesiology. It is also firmly rooted in the concept of Chi. However, even acupuncturists would be preplexed that their treatment is being used to cure psychological problems such as phobias by asking the person to tap on various body parts a few times. These old and questionable practices are repackaged, the word "energy" is added for advertising purposes, and the snakeoil salesmen go on the road asking people to pay good money to experience energy therapy.

This book and the method described are sad commentaries on the state of the mental health field. It seems that the more empirically supported treatments we are able to provide, the more some therapists yearn for a quick fix. The content of this book is merely fanciful and unfounded musings packaged as science. Read Swenson, Skeptical Inquirer, 1999, Vol 7, No. 4 for a review of this quackery.