Heart Assisted Therapy Helps People Overcome Trauma
A study by John Diepold and Gary Schwartz, professor at the University of Arizona, explored a unique energy psychology method, Heart Assisted Therapy (HAT), in a phase 1 trial. The journal Explore published the paper in the summer of 2022. The findings show that Heart Assisted Therapy can help people overcome trauma and the lingering effects of distressing life events – even ones that people have been living with for decades.
The theory
John Diepold is a psychologist and a longtime energy psychology practitioner. He created an approach, Heart Assisted Therapy or HAT, that incorporates breathing, cognitions, imaginal exposure, intention, and mindfulness with “heart holding”. HAT is thus an integrative approach that grew out of traditional psychotherapy and energy psychology approaches.
Despite the tremendous benefits his clients experienced using HAT, Diepold knew this therapy would not move beyond his personal therapy practice unless he gathered research to show that it works. This study is the first published on the effects of HAT and the findings are compelling – hopefully enough that other researchers will replicate the study and this safe, efficient therapy will benefit the people who need it.
The study setup
The study rolled out in two parts: an exploratory and confirmatory stage. Forty-three people with a history of traumatic or troubling life events participated. Subjects were recruited from the researchers’ private therapy practices. The average age was 47 years; 17 were women and 26 were men; 12 were combat veterans and 31 were civilians.
Participants were treated by one of the two researcher-clinicians using HAT to address a total of 81 troubling or traumatic life events. A subjective units of distress scale (SUDs) measured their distress before and after treatment. Additionally, follow-up questionnaires demonstrated that results held over time.
Study results
HAT proved very effective and efficient. It took an average of just 3 or 4 sessions to fully treat an event. Before HAT, participants had been dealing with the trauma effect for an average of 18 years; length ranged from less than a year to more than six decades.
In the exploratory study, with 13 participants and 22 events, the mean distress level was 7.5 before and 0.0 after HAT (p < .0000001). In the confirmatory study, with 30 participants and 59 events, the mean distress level was 8.31 before and 0.02 after HAT (p < .0000001). That is about the largest string of zeroes you are likely to find in study results!
In both cases, there is a one-in-ten-million chance that the results were due to factors other than the HAT intervention.
Twenty-nine participants provided follow-up data an average of nine months after completion. The results held, rising ever so slightly from an average 0.01 out of ten immediately post-treatment to 0.33 out of 10 at follow-up.
A HAT skeptic, converted
Interestingly, the second author, Schwartz, was initially quite skeptical of Diepold’s claims about HAT. It was the pursuit of the “extraordinary evidence” to support the extraordinary claims about HAT that led eventually to this collaboration and study.
Heart Assisted Therapy Helps People Overcome Trauma
Because this was a phase 1 study, there was no control group. Additionally, the SUD rating is a self-report measure. Moreover, the mechanism for HAT’s effectiveness is not well understood. Nonetheless, HAT showed itself to be quite effective in healing the aftermath of trauma, much of it long held, in just a few sessions.
Want to learn more?
You can learn more about HAT here. Want to learn the method? John Diepold will be offering a one-day intensive on June 1,2023, right before the 25th International Energy Psychology Conference, taking place in Baltimore's Inner Harbor. You can attend his training and then stay for the conference! Learn more and register.
If you would like to understand the science behind energy healing, check out ACEP’s course.
Author
Sarah Murphy, LPC, is a licensed professional counselor and coach with more than 12 years of clinical experience. She specializes in energy psychology, including EFT, as well as mindfulness and hypnotherapy. In her therapy practice, she works with individuals seeking to find peace within themselves, people who have serious medical diagnoses, and couples who want to resolve conflict and live in harmony. Sarah is an ACEP Board member and chair of the Communications Committee. Learn more at www.transformative-therapy.com.
