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FIELD
PHENOMENA:
Energy Definition of Transference and Countertransference Sheila S. Bender, Ph.D. As pioneers in the power/energy therapies, it is critical that we not become mechanical or complacent about the work. Although, our good clinical results are important, anecdotal evidence is not enough. Unless we make observations and gather information that help with the formulation of testable hypotheses, we will never gain the respect of the academic and scientific communities. It is in this spirit, that I describe some observations and make an interpretation of phenomena I encountered during TFT trainings, and a Tapas workshop. During one of the EvTFT training practica, a subject in a breakout group of three when muscle tested, showed strong/strong when stating, "I want to be over this problem/I want to keep this problem." At present, this strong/strong response is conjectured to be a specific reversal for both the patient/client and the therapist. The reversal is treated by both the patient/client and the therapist either rubbing their respective NLR or tapping* their respective MPR while affirming, " I deeply accept myself even though I have this problem." As the facilitator, I informed the group about double reversals; that both subject/client and tester/ therapist were possibly reversed. I explained that this could mean that they both were having problems around a similar issue. In order to illustrate, I asked if I could muscle test the subject/client, hypothesizing that I would find weak on "I want to be over this problem" and strong on "I want to keep this problem." To my surprise, when I did the muscle testing, the subject tested strong for "I want to be over this problem" and weak for "I want to keep the problem." In other words, the subject was not reversed for that problem when I tested. Conjecturing that the reversal in the subject may somehow have been "fixed" during the discussion, we had the original tester/therapist muscle test again. The initial therapist again got a strong/strong response. Perplexed, I asked both to rub the NLR while saying an affirmation ( I deeply and profoundly accept myself with all my problems and limitations), but with no change in the response for this dyad. They were unable to "fix" the reversal in the traditional way. Fortunately, the same training offered a second opportunity to see this same phenomenon occur in another group of three. The subject had strong/strong responses when the colleague tested and strong/weak when I tested. This time we had the third group member muscle test the subject and she got results identical to mine. What I then noticed was that the two of us had stood to the side of the person while muscle testing; and, the original tester was solidly in front. The original tester/therapist tested once more, this time to the side and the subject tested the anticipated strong/weak. We then experimented, doing the muscle testing in front of one another vs. to the side. In cases where there were male/female or clear size differences, the subject would test strong/strong. This was not necessarily indicative of a double reversal, since the subject was not reversed on the problem. When asked about it, the subject related minimal awareness of being uncomfortable with the position of the tester, but a heightened consciousness when we talked about the circumstances. Interestingly, some therapist/testers even when cautioned of this field possibility, kept in front of the subject and had to be told by their now test- wise subjects to stand to the side. One might wonder about this "field phenomena" and it's possible relevance in explaining the traditional notions of transference/countertransference as described by Freud. When Freud suggested that therapists sit away from patients, he was aware that the presence of the therapist influenced the patient. He determined this presence as interference with the progress of treatment. Clearly in psychodynamic parlance, there are occasions in which clients/patients respond to the therapist as if the therapist were part of their past or present normal social environment and/or the therapist responds to clients in kind. This could be explained in energy terms as tuning into each other's field; and just as psychoanalysts pay careful attention to the experience, we too may gain invaluable information by doing the same. With this in mind, I have continued to randomly assess participants in EvTFT trainings, to see if my presence created a different response than did the presence of another colleague. In one situation, a client/participant showed a reversal on her name when I tested her versus no reversal when tested by another participant with whom she'd been working. The client/participant showed strong to a name other than her own (a name of her own selection) and weak to her own, each time I tested, but she responded appropriately strong to her name and weak to the other, when the colleague tested. When I was tested by the colleague, I, also, showed no reversal. The traditional affirmation did not correct the reversal. But, when I had the client/participant rub the NLR and state, " I deeply and profoundly accept myself even though I am having trouble with Sheila", her reversal corrected. It is critical that we understand that this notion of interpersonal energy interactions carries with it positive as well as negative potential.. Victoria, John and I had occasion to ask Tapas Fleming, developer of TAT (Tapas Acupressure Technique), how she handled reversals. She said that she didn't, because she never had any. Fortuitously, the next day at a training by Tapas, Victoria while facilitating encountered what would be called a specific reversal in EvTFT language. Her findings were corroborated by two training participants who similarly checked and found the reversal. Tapas was then called over so that she could witness the reversal. When Tapas muscle tested, she found no reversal. The members of the group muscle tested the subject/client once more and also found no reversal. The reversal in this situation had resolved. Unlike
the circumstances in which the tester/therapist had negatively influenced
the subject/client and had created what may have been a specific reversal
to the field of the tester; Tapas had seemingly "healed" a
specific reversal in the subject simply through her presence. If this
were always the case, healers may never encounter reversals. *Please note
tapping is no longer used and is replaced by TAB BDB Group Sheila S.
Bender, Ph.D. E-Mail: drssbender@optonline.com |
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