How Energy Psychology Tools Help Heal Sexual Abuse

John Freedom, CEHP & Sarah Murphy, LPC • February 9, 2022

Sexual violence is one of the greatest traumas a human can experience. It affects millions of Americans, leaving lasting effects on functioning and wellbeing. It is difficult to address using conventional talk therapy. The research on conventional talk therapy, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), for sexual violence is disheartening, with high dropout rates and only modest gains. 


Energetic and somatic therapies are particularly effective at addressing trauma, so it stands to reason that they would be effective in addressing the trauma of sexual violence. Energy psychology has demonstrated efficacy with traumatized populations. Importantly, Feinstein (2021) found that almost all – 77 of 79 – studies that included long-term follow-up found participant gains held over time, demonstrating how powerful and effective these techniques can be. 

 

Sexual violence affects more than one third of women worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. Men can also experience sexual violence, however the rates are difficult to determine due to underreporting, according to the United Nations. More than one half of assaults are committed by someone known to the survivor. There is a stigma of guilt and shame, where many victims blame themselves for what happened. The need for effective therapeutic tools to help people who have experienced sexual violence is clear, and energy psychology might fill that need. Here is what the research tells us so far.



Adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse 

Kirsten Schulz (2009) evaluated the experiences of 12 therapists (with a minimum of ten years’ experience) who had integrated energy psychology into their treatments for adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. In this qualitative study, the researcher explored the therapists’ experiences with their clients. The therapists reported that using  energy psychology with their clients who had experienced childhood sexual abuse was helpful because:

  • Energy psychology does not require clients to talk about their trauma,
  • Energy psychology reliably reduces trauma without having the client re-experience distress,
  • After energy psychology therapy, core issues can be discussed without client discomfort,
  • Anxiety disorders are most effectively treated by energy psychology techniques, and
  • The rapid rate of healing can affect treatment goals.


This article may be particularly relevant for clinicians who are interested in incorporating  energy psychology in their work with survivors of childhood sexual abuse, as the results provide guidelines for therapists considering incorporating these techniques into their practices.



Sexual assault-specific PTSD

Anderson, Rubik and Absenger (2019) explored the effectiveness of combining EFT and hypnosis in the treatment of sexual assault-specific post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms.  This study was conducted in a private psychotherapy office and used a sequential mixed methods design. 


Thirty individuals with self-identified sexual assault-specific PTSD were recruited and participated in this study. The investigators used the PCL-5 (PTSD Checklist – 5), a standard assessment for measuring symptoms of PTSD. 

The researchers found an overall decrease of 34.3% on PTSD symptom severity based on PCL-5 assessment scores, after just four sessions of the combined EFT and hypnosis treatment. 


Survivors of sexual violence

Nemiro and Papworth (2015) explored the effectiveness of two therapies, CBT and EFT, in the treatment of sexual violence in the Congo. 


Participants were 50 internally displaced female refugees who had been victims of sexual gender-based violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). They were assessed using the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (HTQ) and the Hopkins Symptom Checklist–25 (HSCL-25), which measures general mental health. Participants received two, 2 ½ hour group treatment sessions per week for 4 consecutive weeks (eight sessions total). 


Assessments occurred before and after treatment, and 6 months later. Participants demonstrated significant posttest improvement on both measures for both groups. Follow-up assessments showed that both groups maintained their gains over time.



Hope. And a new paradigm?

Trauma is difficult to talk and think our way out of. When we have experienced trauma, we need tools that can help us heal. Energy psychology offers a set of tools that help us do just that. As these ideas become more widely known, energy psychology methods will come increasingly into the mainstream. Then, many people will be helped and healed. 



Want to help spread the word about energy psychology?

Share this article with your friends and colleagues! If you are looking for a trained clinician, you can find our practitioner directory here. If you are a clinician, consider getting certified in  energy psychology. For more information (including citations and abstracts) on energy psychology research, visit ACEP’s research page. 


Finding Recovery and Empowerment from Abuse (FREA) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to teach self-help tools and skills empowering people in recovery from abuse. The FREA website includes numerous blogs, articles and videos demonstrating  energy psychology  techniques for folks in recovery.  Learn more about FREA here. 



Authors

John Freedom, CEHP, serves as the chair of ACEP’s research committee, on the Board of Trustees of EFT International, and as executive director of FREA: Finding Recovery and Empowerment from Abuse.  The author of Heal Yourself with Emotional Freedom Technique, he leads trainings and events throughout the US and in Europe.


Sarah Murphy, LPC, is a licensed professional counselor and nationally certified counselor with more than 15 years of clinical experience. She is Communications Committee Chair for ACEP and serves on its Board. She is in private practice and is staff therapist for Unite for HER. 


Photo by Nadine Shaabana on Unsplash

By Ted Blickwedel, LICSW, MSW, MEd April 9, 2025
After retiring from the military, I conducted individual and group therapy with combat veterans as a clinical social worker for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) at the VET Center in Warwick, RI. In my work, I've had many experiences showing the power of energy psychology to help heal trauma . One of these amazing stories occurred during my tenure at the VA. Veteran suffers from PTSD A 70-year old Vietnam Veteran suffered for 45 years from chronic PTSD as a result of life-threatening events he endured and injuries he sustained during combat. Let's call him Joe (not his real name). His symptoms included nightmares and waking up profusely sweating every night since he returned from the war 45 years ago. Joe also had insomnia and anger issues. Conventional therapies and medication were not able to alleviate the adverse impact of his trauma. Unfortunately, Joe's experience is common among a vast number of Veterans receiving treatment for PTSD at the VA. Energy psychology resolves trauma-related symptoms In the first energy psychology session, I introduced Joe to Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) and explained the process and its efficacy. During the next 6 sessions, he tapped on the EFT meridian points for 2-3 rounds on each combat trauma we addressed. While he tapped, I guided him to verbally release related negative emotions. We did this until he no longer experienced any disturbance associated with these challenging events, as determined by muscle testing. The results were inspiring. At the end of six 50-minute sessions, Joe reported that his nightmares and night sweats completely stopped, and he felt more rested, peaceful, and significantly less anxious. Joe was even able to stop taking most of his anxiety and depression medication. His wife said she noticed a huge positive shift in his demeanor. Lasting results Over the next 3 years, Joe used EFT on his own to clear other developmental traumas and negative core beliefs. During this time, he only had four nightmares during one two-week period, which were triggered by watching a war movie. Afterwards, he did not have any recurrence of PTSD symptoms. Joe felt joy that he did not experience previously, and he was more emotionally open and affectionate with his wife. This heart-warming story shows the power of EFT to heal rapidly and effectively, with results that last. It's why I love using it. Going forward What a difference could be made with Veterans and their families if the VA and Department of Defense (DOD) used energy psychology techniques like these! They would be free of the devastating impact of PTSD, have better relationships and an improved quality of life. Many ACEP members have stories of hope and healing. Let’s share them! When we tell our stories, we can help inspire practitioners to adopt energy psychology methods that are powerfully grounded in effective healingwith long-lasting outcomes. Get trained and make a difference Are you a teacher or school employee? If so, get trained to bring powerful energy psychology techniques to your school by enrolling in ACEP’s free Mind Body Tools for Children training. If you are a clinician or stakeholder wanting to offer energy psychology to your community, enroll in ACEP’s free Emotional First Aid training . If you would like to get trained in using Emotional Freedom Techniques with clients, sign up for ACEP’s online training that begins with EFT Professional Skills 1 . Author Ted Blickwedel, LICSW, MSW, MEd, is an ACEP member and recipient of ACEP's 2021 Special Recognition Award. He is a retired Marine, combat veteran, former VA VET Center counselor, VA whistleblower, and author of Broken Promises: Marine Combat Veteran Turns Whistleblower Exposing Compromised Mental Health Care at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Photo by RDNE Stock Project
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