DR. SUZANNE LERNER. . . "Transformational Psychologist"

San Rafael, Santa Cruz & Internationally by Phone & Skype

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Here are links to over 14 articles that Gary Craig,
the founder of EFT published on my successful use of EFT
with a variety of different client challenges. 
Please enjoy by simply clicking on
the title of the article you would like to read.

A SURPRISING CORE ISSUE BEHIND BUSINESS CALL RELUCTANCE
ADDRESSING GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER BY AIMING EFT AT SPECIFIC EVENTS
EFT FOR A BASHFUL BLADDER
EFT FOR HANDLING THE EMOTIONS ABOUT A FINANCIAL CRISIS
EFT FOR OBSESSIVE HEALTH FEAR
EFT HELPS OVERCOME WITNESSING TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE
"ONE MINUTE WONDER" CURES FEAR OF HEIGHTS AT GRAND CANYON
RELEASING SELFJUDGEMENT: GOOD PHOTOS, BAD PHOTOS
HELPING TRAUMATIZED LOST BOY & FAMILY ON MT. SHASTA
HOW EFT FOR A DENTAL FEAR BROUGHT RELIEF TO BOTH MOTHER AND DAUGHTER
RECLAIMING OUR POSSIBILITIES
THE BENEFITS & LIMITS OF GETTING A DIAGNOSIS
UNTANGLING TWO EVENTS WITH EFT LEADS TO BUSINESS FREEDOM
USING EFT TO UNRAVEL THE MANY PIECES OF A CHILD MOLESTATION
WARMING UP TO COLD CALLS WITH EFT
The article below demonstrates
 how I was able to help a very distressed client
regain perspective and peace after a National shooting.



EFT HELPS COPE WITH TRAGEDY…

 EFT Insights Newsletter 1 20 11  (Dedicated to peace in this world)

This touching and inspiring article submitted by Dr. Suzanne Lerner details how she helped a client overcome her distress caused by the gun shooting in Arizona and her anger at the politicians and commentators who fuel the anger in our society. Her client found guidance which if we all took on board would help to bring peace and healing to our wonderful world. In Suzanne's own words, "May We All Live In Peace… May We All Learn to Live with Hope, Collaboration, Inspiration & Celebration!"

By Dr. Suzanne Lerner

Today I worked with a dear client who was in a lot of emotional pain.  She was close to tears, extremely distressed at the gun shooting in Arizona that had just left several people dead.  This happened on Saturday, and she had been virtually glued to her TV set, following the News updates for hours at a time.

Then Sunday, her two dogs, who had been fighting a bit, suddenly escalated in a shocking manner.  Where before they had been barking and misbehaving, on Sunday they viciously attacked each other, and as Sarah described, “there was blood on the furniture, blood on the floor.”  The wounds were so bad that she had to take one dog to the Emergency room at 9PM Sunday night.

The shoot out in Arizona had particularly touched her, because it happened literally 10 minutes from where her family lives, and in front of a store where her mother had just recently been shopping.

Sarah spoke of a variety of emotions swirling inside of her, fear, guilt, anger and a sense of grieving.  Because she was feeling quite emotionally distressed, I asked her where she was feeling this grieving, and she replied, “in my heart, in my upper chest.”  I had her tap on her heart (an added tapping point I often use.)  I then asked her what her heart was most needing right now, and she said “a golden cocoon.”  I asked if the cocoon would weave on its own, or if it needed someone like angels or someone else to help weave it.  She called upon an angel.  The moment we started weaving the cocoon, her dogs started barking loudly and I asked if she’d like to offer the dogs a golden cocoon around them and their hearts as well.  She happily agreed.  (The dogs immediately stopped barking.) We allowed the cocoon to weave gently and softly, acknowledging that we would be addressing all her feelings, but first allowing her to get a few moments of rest and peace.

 I then asked Sarah, "If your heart could talk, without worrying about what anyone else thought, what might it say?"  I gave a few examples: “This isn’t fair!”  “I hate this!” or something else. “What would it say…”  And she replied poignantly: “Why haven’t things gotten better?”

I asked her if there was a younger part of herself, that felt that way.  She said yes, there was a 4 or 5 year old part of herself.  I then invited her to enter the Matrix, and describe this younger part.  She asked her younger self if she could tap on her and her younger self agreed. Then I had her imagine tapping on her younger self, as she actually tapped on herself, as taught in Matrix Reimprinting.

As she tapped, we addressed her fear, guilt, anger, outrage, and also the phrase: “Why haven’t things gotten better?”  Her strongest feeling was the outrage.  I asked her where in her body she felt this outrage, and she described a round black spiky sensation in her stomach.  She was feeling particularly outraged at the politicians and radio commentators who encourage hatred.  We tapped on this and then she noted that she felt “sick to her stomach.”

"What if you were to vomit this feeling onto the politicians and the commentators?"  She laughed and said, “Yeah!”  She tapped around as she made vomiting sounds, “Blech!” “Blech!” and such phrases as “I don’t want your hatred in my stomach any more”  “I’m giving this back to you, it doesn’t belong to me.”  The pain in her stomach was greatly reduced.  I asked her if she needed anything else for her stomach to feel completely at ease.  Sarah decided she wanted to coat her stomach with some enzymes, which would protect her stomach from hatred, and transmute the hatred to something harmless.  I then asked if this younger part would like anything else, some company, someone to hold her, she could have anything!  “I’d like my mom to hold me.”  And so we had her imagine that in detail.

I teach my clients to recognize and work with all the different parts inside of them.  Sarah recognized that there was another part that was concerned, and so we moved on to address that part's concerns.  “What I’m aware of, is that there is a part of me that feels I need to take some action, and it fears that anger is the only motivator.  It’s afraid that without the anger, I’ll be passive and won’t take any action.”

I noted that anger is a strong, but relatively low grade “fuel.”  Since we had cleared her compulsive eating issues in previous sessions, I made an analogy.  “Anger is similar to eating junk food.  It feels like the junk food will powerfully satisfy, but over time you realize that healthy food is a better fuel, even if it may take a little more preparation and effort.”

I explained that I could very much understand how this part was concerned, and the outrage that it felt.  “Imagine what Dr. Martin Luther King must have felt, when attack dogs and fire hoses were set on his peaceful demonstrators.”  I asked her if she’d like to consult with her Higher Self for guidance on this issue, and she agreed.

I then led her on a brief visualization to a Sanctuary, where she could consult with her Higher Self about the issue of how to make change in the World, if you are not fueled by anger.  What came to her was an actual Council of Guides, including people who had been killed, while acting in service.  It included Bobby & John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., and also the little girl who had been shot on Saturday, who had poignantly touched Sarah; having been born on 9/11 into violence and having left the world in similar chaos.  “They’re all in a different place now” Sarah shared somewhat dreamily.

The Council then gave her guidance including:

BE MINDFUL OF THE WORDS YOU USE

ALWAYS KEEP IN MIND A QUEST FOR PEACE AS YOU CHOOSE YOUR WORDS & THOUGHTS

BE ON A “DIET” FROM ALL THE NEWS YOU ARE VIEWING, WHICH SIMPLY FUELS THE FIRE

CONTINUE DOING YOUR VOLUNTEER WORK WITH DISTURBED ADOLESCENTS,

WHETHER YOU FEEL IT HELPS OR NOT

LOOK FOR PEOPLE YOU CAN INVOLVE YOURSELF WITH TO HELP WORK FOR PEACE

THIS IS WHAT WILL MAKE CHANGES RATHER THAN MAKING MORE RULES OR LAWS

We then went back to address her feelings toward the “Hate” Politicians and commentators.  I asked Sarah if she had any idea why they would act that way.  I had her tap around the points, as she answered.  “I suppose they think it’s a form of entertainment… they probably want to provide for their families… it seems they may believe the lies… they may have felt victimized from past traumas… they’re scared… they have fears that I can’t understand.”

“It’s hard sometimes to understand others’ fears,” I responded, “In the same way that some people may find it hard to understand your fears sometimes.”  “I wonder if it might be possible,” I mused, “to be outraged by their actions, but still send loving and healing to their Souls?”  “Absolutely!” she replied.  “Would you maybe like to send some surrogate healing to all those around the World, who express hatred in their words and actions?”  Sarah was in a very different space at this point, and happily agreed.

Some of the set-up phrases we used included:

“Even though I hate your actions, I choose to send love and healing to your Soul.”

“Even though I feel outrage at your hatred and destruction, I choose to send healing to the wounded parts inside of you.”

“Even though I can’t comprehend how you could do such a thing, I choose to send peace and compassion to your Soul.”

We then revisited her 4 or 5 year old self, to see if she needed anything else.  She was fine, having been read a story by her mom, and was resting peacefully.  We then checked on the part of herself that had projectile vomited on the hate politicians and radio commentators.  She cleaned up the vomit, and disposed of it a safe manner, cleaning it off the people as well.

Because we had been several places, with several parts, I asked Sarah to tune in and see if there was a symbol, which might represent a combination of what her different parts had learned, so that we could inform every cell of her body, and send that image out into the Matrix.

“I see a lit candle.”  Sarah shared.  “Is it in a container or free floating?” I asked.  “It’s a Light of Hope, being held at the bottom by many hands.  People are holding it, and then it is being passed to the next and the next and the next…”  “Beautiful!” I replied.  “And what colors would you like to surround this picture with?”  “Pink & Green.”  (interestingly enough, colors often associated with the heart chakra.)

I had Sarah take this image into the top of her head, vibrationally touching and informing every cell in her body.  She then focused & intensified this image in her heart, and then radiated this “Candle Light of Hope” out in every direction, until it bathed herself, the planet and beyond.

I then checked back with the black round spiky feeling in her stomach and her general SUDS Level, which had been what she described as: “fluctuating rapidly between 8 and 12” at the beginning of the session.  The black spiky feeling was completely gone.  She added, “I feel oddly relaxed.  My stomach is fine… I feel hopeful, with a fair degree of compassion and understanding.  Actually, I’m feeling a deep love & appreciation.  I’m more motivated to contribute to efforts for Peace, and I can see how EFT is going to play a major part in that.  Thank you so, very, very much!”

NOTE:  This session involved an advanced variation of classic Emotional Freedom and Matrix Reimprinting Techniques, combined with visualization and other healing modalities.  I honor Gary Craig, Karl Dawson, Sasha Allenby & all the other teachers who have touched and inspired my work.  May We All Live In Peace…May We All Learn to Live with Hope, Collaboration, Inspiration & Celebration!

Dr. Suzanne Improvisation Lerner

Psychologist, Hypnotherapist & Advanced EFT Practitioner

7/23/12 UPDATE:
I recently was working with this same client on a different issue, and our session happened to occur just after the tragic shootings in the movie theater in Aurora, Colorodo.  She was amazed at the difference our Tapping together had made this time.  She obviously still cared and was profoundly moved, not at all numb.  However, instead of compulsively following the Aurora news updates every few minutes, as she had done previously, she found herself having a very different response. 

She disengaged from the TV.  Rather than fall into her usual pattern of anxiety, obsession, helplessness and hopelessness, she has made a firm commitment to get more actively engaged in learning how to reduce these kinds of shootings.  She is exploring various issues such as gun control, stress reduction taught to kids, reducing the violence that is portrayed in the media, and better care for the mentally ill.  Rather than becoming paralyzed, the Tapping has reduced her stress and helped her become calm and more pro-active.  While she realizes there are no quick or easy answers, she is using the response this tragedy has evoked, to gather with others and make a difference!

Here is an article talking about my successful work
with EFT
that appeared in the December 2010 issue
of Common Ground Magazine.

.

Emotional Freedom Techniques
Targeted Touch Taps Out Traumas


by Suzanne Lerner, PhD, D.CEP

Common Ground Magazine
December 2009/January 2010


During a recent visit to the Grand Canyon, I noticed a woman standing far back from the canyon's edge, telling her friends to go ahead without her. While her companions enjoyed the breathtaking views of Mather's Point, she had to miss out.  I gently asked if she had a fear of heights.

"Oh, yes!" she replied. "All my life!"  I offered to share a revolutionary technique that helps people overcome their fears.  Ten minutes later, after three brief EFT rounds, she announced, "Wait, I'm ready to go..." We walked together to the canyon's edge, one of the most challenging tests imaginable for someone afraid of heights ... and she was just fine!  She had conquered her fear and could now enjoy the view.  Welcome to the world of EFT!

Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) was developed by Gary Craig, (emofree.com) from a more complex system called TFT.  Craig found that tapping on specific meridian points (some of the same acupuncture points used in Chinese medicine) while a person focused on a distressing event, produced astonishing results.  EFT focuses on the core events that have led to limiting, constricting beliefs about yourself and the world.

Most of our traumas from the past and fears about the future are associated with sympathetic over-arousal, more commonly known as the "fight or flight response."  With EFT, we bring up the disturbing event with its associated overwhelming anxiety, and then soothe that anxiety, using the energy of the meridian system.   When the event is once more stored in memory, it is no longer accompanied by emotional distress, having been replaced by a sense of peace and calm.

Memory handles traumatic experiences differently than routine life experiences.  Traumatic memories tend to remain un-integrated with the rest of our memories, retaining all the specific sights, sounds, and thoughts that occurred during the upsetting experience.  When our unconscious brain encounters anything that resembles these same aspects, it triggers all of the unresolved, highly charged emotions associated with the original trauma.

During the Holiday Season, these emotions may easily be triggered.  You may have a fairly balanced adult life, and may even be looking forward to the holiday festivities.  However, if you grew up in an abusive, alcoholic, or neglectful family, you may find yourself suddenly experiencing the "Holiday Blues."  Christmas trees, holiday music and busy shoppers may evoke childhood memories of disappointing family gatherings, that left you frightened, helpless, dazed and confused.  The good news is that the process of EFT can free us from these feelings that were never fully processed.  Once cleared, the memory never has the same charge.  By clearing the old traumas and irrational beliefs, EFT helps create a life of greater joy, peace, and possibility.

A growing number of doctors, psychologists and other health professionals are using EFT in their practice.  Deepak Chopra, M.D. states that "EFT offers great healing benefits."  Candace Pert, Ph.D., researcher and author of Molecules of Emotion, feels that "EFT is at the forefront of the new healing movement."  Norm Shealy, M.D., Ph.D., a leader in the field of body/mind medicine, and co-founder of the American Holistic Medical Association describes how "By removing emotional trauma, EFT helps heal physical symptoms too."

A novel aspect of EFT, is that it can be done by phone.  Thus you aren't limited geographically in accessing effective EFT treatment.  For example, a woman suffering from agoraphobia contacted me from the East Coast.  She had been having panic attacks that left her overwhelmed, unable to drive or even go grocery shopping without assistance.  Terrified she would have an attack and be unable to function, she had been virtually housebound for years.  After only six EFT telephone sessions together, she was out driving and enjoying her life again.

A well-trained therapist can use a variety of techniques to make the process gentle and supportive.  Clients often report that they feel lighter, easier and more hopeful after experiencing this approach.  We cannot change the basic facts of our past, but when we release the thoughts and emotions bound up by the trauma, we are informed by our memories, but no longer controlled by them.  Emotional Freedom indeed!

Suzanne Lerner, Ph.D, D.CEP is a licensed psychologist, hypnotherapist, and advanced EFT practitioner.  She practices in the San Francisco Bay Area and works with clients around the world through telephone and Skype.  You can reach her at 415-339-8127.  To receive a free EFT tapping chart and find out more about her work, visit MakeYourLifeShine.com.

 




Dr. Suzanne Lerner

Psychologist, Hypnotherapist 
Advanced IFS & EFT Practitioner

PSY# 11485

Working Locally in Santa Cruz & Monterey
& Around the World by Phone, ZOOM & Skype


myheartsingz@yahoo.com
415-275-4607