The Promise of Energy Psychology: Revolutionary Tools for Dramatic Personal Change

The authors readily admit their bold claims—"Your emotional health, your success in the world, and your level of joy can all be dramatically enhanced by shifting the energies that regulate them"—are not backed by empirical research. Nonetheless, Feinstein, a clinical psychologist and national director of the Energy Medicine Institute; his wife, Eden, a renowned energy healer (and Feinstein's coauthor on Energy Medicine ); along with Craig, founder of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), assert that phobias and anxieties often fade in minutes, trauma might be alleviated in a few sessions, anger can be decreased, depression may be managed without medication, and young children can be given an achievement boost by following their techniques. The theory is that "stimulating energy points on the skin, paired with specified mental activities, can instantly shift your brain's electrochemistry." Despite the wide use of acupuncture in alternative Western medicine, not much is known about the body's energies and how that energy can be used in healing. The authors say this book can be approached with a "show-me" attitude. Indeed, Feinstein, Eden and Craig will have to "show" empirical evidence before their method can be supported by the mental health field. (Nov.)