Monday, December 29, 2008

Energy Work

Whining here....I've been working on this post for over a week trying to make this resemble something that makes sense. Ok....bear with me as I try to explain this whole rubbing thing and please listen without prejudice as I stink at 'splaining.

Our first AT's did EMDR with J a lot during our first 6 months. If J was trapped in fight or flight of PTSD or totally disorganized/dissociated they would use EMDR to process the trauma. Brenda did an excellent post on EMDR over here. Now that J is past the bulk of trauma we've moved on to tapping.

We are blessed with an AT who does tapping which is a form of EMDR and is energy work and can assist in getting a dysregulated kid back together. J does tapping regularly and I have seen it work magic over and over. So there will be more on tapping later.

First you have to find your "sore" spots. A/K/A Sora spots

Put both your hands just above your boobs but below your collar bones and find your "sore spots". It's like if you put a little pressure there it's sort of tender. They are on different places on different people. Mine are close to my arm pits. You'll know them when you find them. You do not have to add pressure until it hurts. Once you've found the spots you'll be able to help your child locate their sore spots.

Then have them rub gently but firmly (at the same time) on each spot in a circular motion while repeating the offense (or behavior) followed by a positive that is equal to the offense. Always use three different phrases.

Example:

Even though I'm really angry, my mom still loves me.

Even though I'm really really upset, I still love myself.

Even though I want to throw a fit, I'm still a totally great kid.

OR:

Even though I'm really scared, I'm still a totally great kid.

Even though I'm about to flip over the edge, my mom still loves me.

Even though I'm scared, my mom is going to keep me forever.

You get the idea...


J is able to do the rubbing herself with me giving her the phrases to say but if she is totally dis- regulated I do it for her or if she's totally lost it I'll do it on myself (while she's beside me listening) using the phrases she would say.


Somehow it flips their energy from being dysregulated to regulated. I don't understand it but 9 times out of 10 it will work and the more we've practiced it the better it works. Of course there are always the days that nothing works so everybody just needs to go back to bed. ={

9 comments:

~Dinah said...

I can see how this would reall work for attachment. Little b often says, after I tell him no about something, "you're mad at me, you hate me." I don't hate him (obviously) and am rarely mad at him....he just sees the "no" as rejection. But sometimes kiddos need NO, lol.

Kristina P. said...

I've never even heard of this! How interesting!

Torina said...

I went through a whole day yesterday before I remembered the "rubbing", Lisa! I can be such a numnuts sometimes. So I did it with Tara (after sahe fought me on it for 10 minutes), along with her inhaler (yes, they do have lavender in them, I checked, darnit) and she relaxed and smiled and told me she loved me and was relatively pleasant for the short time remaining of the night. Amazing. Thank you! I will have to try the lying technique you emailed me (sorry I haven't responded on that one yet). I have heard of that one before but the trick for me is to actually remember these things :) I am so utterly forgetful.

The Accidental Mommy said...

wow, how great to find something like that! I have heard of tapping before, I used it with an agoraphobic teenage girl, it helped her a lot. I have not heard of the sore spots though, but I am going to try it out.
The way I had been taught was just bilateral tapping and could be done anywhere, legs, tummy etc. and it was geared to adults so I never thought of it with the little kids.
I love great ideas for my own kid that worked for someone else. I could have read 50 books without coming across this tip. THANK YOU

Anonymous said...

This sounds like a great option for a number of reasons -- attachment, keeping the child physically busy as a distraction/self-soothing thing -- even beyond the energy work. Really interesting!

Also, this is a weird question, but have you done any light therapy with J? It occurred to me recently that maybe there's a reason I get glum and peevish every winter and I started using a light therapy lamp in the mornings and it has CHANGED MY LIFE (well, for the last week I've had it) and is awfully good for Lee as well. I was able to justify the cost by saying it might well be good for a child and now that I've seen how well it works for us I definitely want it in our arsenal!

Keri said...

I'm so glad you posted on this Lisa. i"ve been doing tapping for 2 years, but never even THOUGHT to blog about it. I cant get Anastasia to do it, but it sure helps me!

Perspective RAD said...

I gotta check this out..

Tudu said...

The tapping has been wonderful for Ruthie. I swear it is the only thing that kept Christmas together for her.

annieology said...

Totally looking into this, was noticing your respite providers on your side bar. I had the bestest respite provider until a state she used to live in gave her some legal troubles over a girl she adopted. Anyway, just thinking about her brings me into line, she was great for refocusing the kids onto me.

We have some barren rooms in our house at times too.

I'll be back