Sponsored by the TFT Foundation and supported by the Nalaniikaleomana Foundation in Hawaii, Dr. Caroline Sakai and Cyndie and Gary Quinn went to Rwanda in September to help give more TFT trainings–and to support, however they could, the TFT IZERE Center, Byumba, and TFT Kigali. This included TFT trainings for the Rwandan Correctional System, part of the TFT Foundation’s new Rwandan Prison Project.
People in Rwanda are helping one another heal using a form of energy psychology called Thought Field Therapy (TFT). TFT is the original form of energy psychology and the original tapping therapy. It was developed in the early 1980s by psychologist Dr. Roger Callahan. It has continued to be refined and updated through the years. It is the first energy psychology technique to be recognized by the National Registry of Evidenced-based Practices and Procedures (NREEP) as being evidence-based.
Rwandan community leaders, professionals and para-professionals have treated at least 20,000 members of their communities for symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In most cases, the PTSD has been directly or indirectly the result of atrocities com- mitted during the 1994 genocide in which between 800,000 and one million persons were killed in a matter of ten weeks.
Suspicious at first, former subjects in a research project have reported that they thought the professionals were “evil” and “from Satan” when they were asked to think about what happened to them and/or their families during the 1994 genocide and then tap on themselves in a particular way. They said things like, “At first we took it as an opportunity to hang out.” Then they thought the professionals “were crazy” and this could not possibly work. Some of these same skeptics later became TFT facilitators, helping their neighbors to heal using TFT.
Many of the survivors of the Rwandan genocide have suffered from PTSD in the more than twenty years since this tragedy. People suffering PTSD often experience flashbacks, nightmares, intrusive memories, anger, rage, hypervigilance, shame, anxiety, depression and sometimes even suicide. Overwhelmed, they feel there is no way out. They often turn to alcohol and drugs. Individuals and families, and often entire communities and countries, can be devastated.
Small groups of professionals from the non-profit organization the Thought Field Therapy Foundation* have made seven trips to Rwanda, beginning in 2005, teaching community leaders to heal themselves and then to train others in their communities to heal themselves using TFT. Continue reading “Rwandans Teach the World to Heal”
The TFT Foundation is very pleased with the growing roster of international film festivals at which its documentary, “From Trauma to Peace,” is being shown. For information about these festivals, click here…and then on the festival logos.
I’m very pleased to announce that Ayame Morikawa, MD, PhD, MBA (Chairperson, Japanese Association for TFT) has added Japanese sub-titles to the TFT Foundation-sponsored film “From Trauma to Peace.” She has begun adding short segments of the film to YouTube. Please share this first one with any Japanese-speaking friends, family, and/or colleagues you may have.
Celestin Mitabu, TFT Kigali Trainer and Director of Rwandan Orphans Project is leading national Radio programs, where even a Rwandan Ambassador called in for help. He is working tirelessly to share TFT Trauma Relief with his country. He has trained University students, the Red Cross teams and many others to assist with the monumental task of healing during the commemoration 100 days.
He urgently needs the funds to continue this work for the last half of the mourning period. Just look at the pictures to see all he’s doing to share healing with TFT.
We have a pledge of three, up to $500, donations for matching funds. Please help us raise the matching $1500 to send to him. He has the first ever national radio shows to teach TFT, is the first one to train Red Cross volunteers and is training teams of university students to help their fellow Rwandans. The people benefitting include the handicapped, the orphans, the prisoners, and families everywhere.
Click here to DONATE. If 100 us each gave $15 we would have the full $3000 needed to continue this healing through the last 50 days of the mourning period. Anyone contributing over $25 will receive a copy of the DVD, From Trauma to Peace. There is no better way to share the healing power of TFT.
July 2014 – Orphans Learn To Tap Away Their Fears, Anxiety and Depression by Celestin Mitabu (Kigali, Rwanda)
I was invited to the Rutongo Orphanage to treat the children, victims of HIV, malnutrition and parental mental sickness. The invitation came from the Director, a nun who had experienced the results of TFT several years ago while in Kigali. She invited us to practice and teach TFT to the children.
It was not easy to get time because we were busy with tapping during the commemoration but we tried to spare some time so that children may benefit too. Young girls, (the orphanage is only for girls) were suffering from depression and much anxiety.
In fact, during our treatment for this year (20th commemoration) most of what we treated was all about depression and anxiety. From our experience depression has been a big problem affecting many people and we managed to help them with TFT.
One evening as I was revising my TFT notes and trying to read more about depression I even went to Google trying to compare depression symptoms and causes with what we experience. As I was reading about the symptoms of Depression and those of Trauma, they seem to be the same. I came to realize that where there is trauma there may be a possibility of depression.
