Monica Pignotti received her PhD in Social Work from Florida State University. She practiced Thought Field Therapy from 1997 to 2004 and was regarded as one of TFT’s top practitioners and trainers. In 2004, after conducting and controlled experiment on TFT’s highest level, Voice Technology that did not support its claims, she came to an understanding that TFT did not live up to its claims and stopped practicing it. The purpose of this blog is to provide readers with an understanding of some of the problem with the claims of TFT and VT that they will not be likely to learn from the Callahans.
Dear Monica
I would be greatfull if you could forward me the full copy of the articals you talk about regarding TFT limitations. I am currently writing my dissertation on the subject so would like to portray a ballanced view,
Kind Regards
Judith
Judith: Of course I would be glad to send you my articles. I’m just curious, though, from what institution are you getting your doctorate degree? Wouldn’t a thorough search of the literature through library databases such as PsychInfo be a part of the process you would go through in writing up your dissertation and compiling your literature review? If you do this, and search on “Thought Field Therapy” or my name as author, my peer reviewed publications come up as well as other critical literature on TFT and most can be obtained through most university libraries. I know this because I have done such searches. Are you learning how to do systematic reviews of the literature as part of your doctoral program? It’s an important skill to learn.
Other authors you might want to search on are: Brandon Gaudiano, James Herbert, Bruce Thyer, Richard J. McNally, Jeffrey M. Lohr, Mark Holder, Wendy Waite and Scott Lilienfeld as all have published either critiques or studies on TFT/EFT or Energy Psychology.
I suggest that you do a database search of PsychInfo, Medline and Social Service Abstracts through your university library, compile a list of critical articles you find and then see if your library has them. I will be glad to send you any articles your library doesn’t have if you present me with the citations you find. I am asking you to do this because this is a skill you need to be learning and it is part of the work required for a dissertation that no one else should be doing for you.
Good luck and best wishes with your dissertation.
I have read your critique on TFT and VT and how you went from skeptic to practitioner to skeptic once again. I have a BA in Sociology and an Mdiv so this appeals to me as a scholar, yet one question remains.
Does TFT have any relevance to a patient? Does it just need refining? I just starting seeing a clinical psychologist, and in addition to traditional psychotherapy he also practices TFT and EMDR. I experienced one session in TFT and it was amazing, yet I am not sure how permanent my results are or whether this will be efficacious in the long term. I dont know whether to continue or not. Is it your opinion that TFT has no merit, needs more testing, or do you feel there might be valid components that just need to be framed in a more scientific way?