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

This book review is part of a series that covers the topic of Energy Psychology, which addresses the relationship of energy systems to emotion, cognition, behavior and health. Jon Mejia is the Official Guide to Energy Psychology.nnThe Promise of Energy Psychology: Revolutionary Tools for Dramatic Personal Change, by David Feinstein, Gary Craig, and Donna Eden, is a valuable resource for people interested in Energy Psychology, and it is available through Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.nnFrom Publishers WeeklynThe 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.) nCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. nnBook DescriptionnThis groundbreaking book explains how to tap into your body's energy not only to change your health, but to change your behaviors and thought patterns as well. Your body is comprised of energy pathways and energy centers that are in constant motion, a dynamic interplay with other energies and with your cells, organs, immune system, mood, and thoughts. If you can shift these energies, you can influence your physical health, your emotional patterns, and your state of mind. The Healing Power of Energy Psychology gives simple step-by-step instructions that will help you to: nn- overcome fear, guilt, shame, jealousy, or anger n- change unwanted habits and behaviors n- enhance your ability to love, succeed, and enjoy life The energy approach presented in this book can help bring about significant change in your life. With this strategy, stubborn phobias often fade in minutes; the lifelong effects of an early trauma can frequently be reduced or completely eliminated; uncontrollable anger can rapidly become manageable; even elusive physical problems may respond where other treatments have failed. The Healing Power of Energy Psychology is an amazing tool that puts the ability to effect change directly into your hands, and finally gives you control over your fears, pain, and destructive behaviors.