Changemakers: the People Shaping the Future of Energy Psychology
- Jun 7
- 4 min read
A few weeks ago, I attended the annual conference of the Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology (ACEP). ACEP is a nonprofit professional organization dedicated to researching, training, and promoting energy medicine approaches in mental health care. Its membership includes mental health professionals, physicians, nurses, coaches, and energy healers from around the world.
Energy psychology, which may be used in conjunction with traditional methods such as cognitive behavioral therapy, integrates mind and body healing. Consistent with my training in Healing Touch, energy psychology focuses on restoring the flow of energy in the biofield.
Over five days, I attended workshops, demonstrations, and keynote presentations covering a wide range of energy psychology approaches. Rather than attempt to summarize everything I learned, I'd like to introduce a few of the people who are advancing this work and helping shape the future of the field.
Blazing the Trail
I was fortunate to sit front and center for the keynote with Donna Eden and her husband, Dr. David Feinstein. Donna is often considered one of the pioneers of modern energy medicine. I’ve taken online classes with her and am a member of her Eden Energy Medicine community.
Dr. Feinstein is a clinical psychologist and former faculty member at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Along with Peta Stapleton and Dawson Church, he is one of the leading scientific researchers on energy psychology interventions.
Their 2008 book, Energy Medicine: Balancing Your Body's Energies for Optimal Health, Joy, and Vitality, sold more than 1.5 million copies and became a New York Times bestseller. Their latest collaboration, Tapping: Self-Healing with the Transformative Power of Energy Psychology, published in 2024 is a comprehensive introduction for the general audience.
Researching the Science of the Heart
As a long-time member of the HeartMath Institute, I was especially excited to meet its president and CEO, Dr. Deborah Rozman. HeartMath’s Heart-Focused Breathing technique is described in my book, Eight Intentions for Self-Healing.
In her keynote address, Dr. Rozman introduced heart rate variability (HRV) and studies showing that cultivating personal coherence can positively influence the people around us. Her message was a reminder to pay attention to the emotional “frequency” we radiate.
She also discussed HeartMath's tree experiment, a global research project that I participated in last year.
Releasing Emotions in the Meridians
Another highlight was learning about Neuro Emotional Technique (NET), a modality that has been around since the 1980s but was new to me. Developed by Drs. Scott and Deborah Walker, NET aims to resolve present-day stress by identifying an earlier emotionally similar experience and restoring flow in the associated meridian.
During a live demonstration, presenter Dr. David Ackerman worked with several volunteers from the audience. One participant, a teacher who had left her job because of chronic back pain, reported immediate relief during the session.
Watching the process unfold in real time was fascinating and gave me a much clearer understanding of how NET practitioners approach emotional and physical healing.
Tapping into Tapping
The conference featured numerous workshops on tapping, a well-researched technique that uses acupressure point stimulation to reduce the impact of trauma and stress.
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) is the most widely used form of tapping in clinical settings. Multiple peer-reviewed studies have found that EFT can be as effective as, and in some cases more effective than, traditional methods for trauma-related symptoms, PTSD, and emotional regulation.
Gary Craig, founder of EFT, passed away in January but his work lives on through an ever-expanding adoption of the technique he developed.
Reducing Recidivism
One presentation that particularly resonated with me came from Kerri Rhodes, Director of Behavioral and Mental Health for the Chesterfield County Jail. She shared how tapping and other energy psychology methods are being incorporated into addiction recovery programs in correctional settings.
According to Sheriff Carl Leonard, program participants have experienced a recidivism rate of just 23%, compared with a national ten-year average of approximately 82%.
I have followed Kerri’s work for years, so meeting her in person was a special moment.
Healing Gut Feelings
As I’ve shared before, there is a direct connection between our gut and mental health. It was a joy to take a workshop with Mary Louder, a board-certified physician specializing in gut health. Dr. Louder's patients achieve more profound and lasting results from other interventions by repairing and rebalancing their gut microbiome.
Dr. Louder taught us the Self-Compassion and Connection (SCAC) protocol she developed. I’m looking forward to reading her memoir, Anatomy of a Soul’s Calling: Becoming the Physician Healer I Was Meant to Be.
For me and many others practicing energy medicine, it can sometimes feel isolating to promote holistic healing in a society focused on allopathic treatments. One of the most meaningful aspects of the conference was simply being surrounded by others who speak comfortably about meridians, chakras, intuition, and mind-body healing.
Beyond the workshops and research presentations, the ACEP conference reminded me that there is a growing community committed to integrating scientific inquiry with ancient wisdom. I left with new ideas, new friendships, and renewed confidence that this work is making a difference in people's lives.
"New ideas pass through three periods: 1) It can't be done. 2) It probably can be done, but it's not worth doing. 3) I knew it was a good idea all along!"
--Arthur C. Clarke
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