Thought Field Therapy (TFT)
============================================================================================= Table of Contents Introductory Statement from Monica Pignotti Skeptical Links Breaking News! Messages from Monica Pignotti to the TFT-ALGO list The Psychology Archives FTC Complaint In the Matter of Roger J. Callahan Journal of Clinical Psychology articles More articles and letters by Monica Pignotti, MSW, CSW Amazon.com book review by Monica Pignotti Google searches Promotional Links Acknowledgment ============================================================================================= Introductory Statement from Monica Pignotti For seven years, I was a top proponent of Callahan's Thought Field Therapy.  As the fifth person to train in the most advanced form of TFT, his proprietary trade secret Voice Technology (VT), for which he charges trainees $100,000, I had access to knowledge that most people don't have about Callahan's methods.  Had I known in advance what the secret was, I never would taken this training.  It is worth noting that out of the first seven people to train in the VT, to the best of my knowledge, none are currently actively practicing Callahan-approved VT, in spite of the large investment involved.  Note that out of 24 people who have trained in VT, only 12 are listed on the tftrx.com website as being active and current with this procedure. Since I do not hold a new age mystical belief system, my beliefs in TFT were based on what at the time I thought to be sound reasoning and observations of fact.  I later discovered I had made numerous critical reasoning errors, which led to unwarranted interpretations of my observations and data.  After experiencing a lengthy period of doubts about Callahan and TFT when his claims began to go too much over the top, I went to some of the critics of TFT and had a dialogue with them, to get the other side. After months of careful consideration, reflection and re-examination of my commitment to TFT, on March 1, 2004, I severed all ties with Roger Callahan, the Association for TFT, and TFT.  I was immediately expelled from Roger Callahan's list serv because of his concern I'd be "disruptive" and he subsequently carried on discussions about me behind my back with his followers, where I had no opportunity to respond.  I have turned my list serv, TFT-ALGO, which was formerly a pro-TFT list for the beginning level algorithm trainees, into a criticial discussion forum on TFT where all are welcome to join and openly discuss all aspects of TFT, as long as the dialogue is respectful and civil.  There are links below to some of my postings to this list which explain further some of the criticisms I now have about various aspects of TFT. In 1999, in a posting to the Traumatic-Stress list serv, I wrote: "So far, TFT has stood up to my doubts and scrutiny.  If it ever does not, I will be the first to let people know."  I am now letting people know. Most importantly, I urge people considering doing TFT as a treatment and/or mental health professionals considering training in TFT, to check out the links on this website to the critical/skeptical articles on TFT, in order to get both sides to the story of TFT so you can make a fully informed choice. Monica Pignotti April 5, 2004 ============================================================================================= Skeptical Links • Debunking Thought Field Therapy and Related Pseudoscience - Brandon Gaudiano • Thought Field Therapy - Robert Todd Carroll • Can We Really Tap Our Problems Away? A Critical Analysis of Thought Field Therapy - Gaudiano, Herbert • APA no longer approves CE sponsorship for Thought Field Therapy - B. Murray • Arizona board sanctions psychologist for use of Thought Field Therapy - K. Foxhall • Board Sanctions a Psychologist for Use of "Thought Field Therapy" • Thought Field Therapy Practitioners and Educators Sanctioned - Lilienfeld, Lohr • TFT-ALGO List serve - Monica Pignotti • Mental Help: Procedures to Avoid - Stephen Barrett, MD • A review of thought field therapy - Hooke • TFT: A Brief Review and Critique - Mona Devich Navarro • Thought Field Therapy - Donald A. Eisner • Eye on CE: APA counts out Thought Field Therapy - Judy Budz • Therapy Maze Can Be Depressing - Brandon A. Gaudiano • Philadelphia Inquirer Features Article on Thought Field Therapy - Lilienfeld • Assessment of the Emotional Freedom Technique - Waite, Holder (a closely related concept - PL) ============================================================================================= Breaking News! Monica's retraction article has been peer reviewed and accepted by the Journal of Clinical Psychology for publication -- slated to appear in the March 2005 issue. The issue will contain her retraction article, a response from Callahan, and her response to Callahan's response. ============================================================================================= Messages from Monica Pignotti to the TFT-ALGO list (after she dropped her beliefs in TFT) • Why Roger Callahan and I have Split • Clarification on where I stand on the sequence issue and research • TFT and Toxin Testing • Roger Callahan's Post to the Dx List • Response to Roger Callahan's Dx List Posting • Disclaimer regarding Voice Technology • About TFT and Heart Rate Variability • Re: About TFT and Heart Rate Variability • Re: Vision and Speech • Re: The future of CTTFT (was Response to Ian from Gary Craig) • Re: Thought Field Therapy works • Response to Ian Graham who is still reversing the burden of proof • The so-called "Apex Problem": Peak functioning or the language of no • Edna Foa should be seen as a role model by Callahan TFT Proponents • Is TFT harmless? • Re: Algo Trg Ad Package • Commitment and Foolish Consistency • Callahan Tape:  Depression Treatment Examples • Dishonest Misrepresentations of the Journal of Clinical Psychology Issue on TFT All messages posted here with the permission of Monica Pignotti. ============================================================================================= The Psychology Archives • Thought Fields - Wes Bertrand • Thought Fields--some conclusions - Wes Bertrand • Thought Fields and Being Scientific - Wes Bertrand • Thought Fields and Phrenology - Neil Goodell • Thought Fields--some conclusions - Frank Forman ============================================================================================= FTC Complaint In the Matter of Roger J. Callahan Docket No. C-3797 • Complaint • Decision & Order • News Release ============================================================================================= Journal of Clinical Psychology articles (with list of abstracts) Volume 57, Issue 10, Pages 1149-1260 (October 2001)    In October, 2001, a special issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychology (JCLP) was published, devoted exclusively to    TFT.  This issue was in response to a list serv discussion where Callahan had complained that mainstream journal    editors and peer reviewers were biased against TFT and would not publish his manuscripts.  In response, the editor    of the JCLP, Larry Beutler, offered Callahan a unique, unprecedented opportunity: to publish, without any prior peer    review, five original research articles on TFT of his choosing.  These articles appeared in this issue, alongside    critiques for each article. - Monica Pignotti • Editor's introduction (p 1149-1151)    Larry E. Beutler (abstract) • The impact of Thought Field Therapy on heart rate variability (p 1153-1170)    Roger J. Callahan (abstract) Also found here • Tertullian's motto and Callahan's method (p 1171-1174)    Richard J. McNally (abstract) (skeptical article)     (An interesting, non-TFT, McNally article: EMDR and Mesmerism: A Comparative Historical Analysis)      "This article is not about TFT but it is very relevant because TFT has many of the same sociological similarities to      Mesmerism that McNally has shown that EMDR has.  Another eerie similarity I picked up on is that like TFT,      Mesmerism was an "energy" therapy and even at times employed tapping on the body.  One way TFT is dissimilar is      that as far as I know, there has never been a satire written about TFT.  This is probably because some people      already think that TFT is a satire and are amazed when they find out that Callahan is serious.  I thought about      writing a satire but gave up on the idea because it's hard to top that." - Monica Pignotti      (Remembering Trauma - book by McNally) • Raising and lowering of heart rate variability: Some clinical findings of Thought Field Therapy (p 1175-1186)    Roger J. Callahan (abstract) Also found here • Heart rate variability does not tap putative efficacy of Thought Field Therapy (p 1187-1192)    John P. Kline (abstract)  (skeptical article) • Heart rate variability as an outcome measure for Thought Field Therapy in clinical practice (p 1193-1206)    Monica Pignotti, Mark Steinberg (abstract) Also found here    Pignotti has submitted a retraction of this article to the Journal of Clinical Psychology.    Steinberg is still a true believer. • The search for the holy grail: Heart rate variability and Thought Field Therapy (p 1207-1214)    James D. Herbert, Brandon A. Gaudiano  (abstract) (skeptical article) Also found here • Thought Field Therapy clinical applications: Utilization in an HMO in behavioral medicine and behavioral health    services (p 1215-1227) - Sakai, et al (abstract)  Also found here • Sakai et al. is not an adequate demonstration of TFT effectiveness (p 1229-1235)    Jeffrey M. Lohr (abstract) (skeptical article) • Thought Field Therapy - Soothing the bad moments of Kosovo (p 1237-1240)    Carl Johnson, Mustafe Shala, Xhevdet Sejdijaj, Robert Odell, Kadengjika Dabishevci (abstract) • Between search and research: How to find your way around? Review of the article "Thought Field Therapy - Soothing    the bad moments of Kosovo" (p 1241-1244)    Rita Rosner (abstract) (skeptical article) • "Echo attributions" and other risks when publishing on novel therapies without peer review (p 1245-1250)    Gerald M. Rosen, Gerald C. Davison (abstract) (skeptical article) • Thought Field Therapy: Response to our critics and a scrutiny of some old ideas of social science (p 1251-1260)    Roger J. Callahan (abstract) ============================================================================================= More articles and letters by Monica Pignotti, MSW, CSW Cult Intervention Specialist and Former Scientologist • My Nine Lives in Scientology - Monica Pignotti • Leaving Scientology - Monica Pignotti • Blaming the Victim - Monica Pignotti • The Use of Mind Control in Scientology - Monica Pignotti ============================================================================================= Amazon.com book review by Monica Pignotti Tapping the Healer Within by Roger Callahan [I rated this one star] This book makes unsupported claims, January 25, 2001 Reviewer: Monica Pignotti (see more about me) from Los Gatos, CA United States As a former top-level practitioner of TFT, I had initially given this book a glowing 5-star review when it first came out. Now, however I find myself in the position of having to retract that review and put this one in its place. I found through an experiment I did with his proprietary $100,000 Voice Technology, that TFT does not live up to the tremendous claims that are made in this book and over my 7 years of association with Dr. Callahan, found that he was making claims I could no longer stand by. The successes in this book are anecdotal and the fact is that the claims of TFT have never been submitted to the rigors of the scientific method. Callahan believes that controlled studies are not needed, ignoring the propensity that we all have for focusing on successes and discounting and explaining away the failures. The great physicist Richard Feynman said that the true scientist bends over backwards to prove his theories wrong. Unfortunately, TFT proponents have done just the opposite and have bent over backwards to prove themselves right and to ignore or explain away failures. Callahan boasts that his work is on a par with hard science, but he will need to adopt the procedures of the scientific method before serious scientists will pay attention to his work or his grandiose claims. I would urge potential consumers of TFT to be cautious and skeptical. END REVIEW -- This text refers to the Hardcover edition - Monica ============================================================================================= Google searches • Thought Field Therapy • Thought Field Therapy, Quackery • Thought Field Therapy Voice Technology • Roger Callahan • Roger J. Callahan • Monica Pignotti ============================================================================================= Promotional Links • Roger Callahan's web site • NLP meets TFT - Richard Bandler and Roger Callahan • Treating Phobias and Anxiety by Telephone - Dr Colin M. Barron M.B. Ch.B, TFT VT ============================================================================================= Acknowledgment I would like to express my deep appreciation for the extensive help so graciously provided by Monica Pignotti in the preparation of this page. She has a completely unique viewpoint on this subject, gained from her insights as a former true believer. She truly understands this subject "from the inside out". Just as the truth has set her free from the grip of Scientology, it has also set her free from the delusions of Thought Field Therapy. I hope that the information provided through the use of this page will help others to become free from the shackles of "belief without evidence". The following quotes are most appropriate in this connection:     The brightest flashes in the world of thought are incomplete until they have been proven to have their counterparts     in the world of fact." - John Tyndall (1820-1893), physicist     It is wrong always, everywhere, and for anyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence." - William Kingdon     Clifford     A habit of basing convictions upon evidence, and of giving to them only that degree of certainty which the evidence     warrants, would, if it became general, cure most of the ills from which this world is suffering." - Bertrand Russell     I don't think anyone condemns you or anyone else for entertaining a notion about a particular cause and effect.     What I and others think is that it's best to concentrate on ideas that have evidence to back them as opposed to any     idea that might possibly be true. Most wasteful of time and energy is entertaining ideas that have either weak,     circumstantial, or anecdotal evidence for but have solid evidence *against* them." - Karen Daskawicz I would like to solicit more information for this page from others. If you have any links, articles, or experiences, please contact me. Regards, Paul Lee, PT April 2004 =============================================================================================
Copyright © 2004 by Paul Lee, PT Permission is granted to download articles for non-commercial use provided the author and the web site is acknowledged and linked to. Home                   Contact                   Hjem