Healing Trauma in Uganda
- Jun 23
- 3 min read
In March 2026, Rural Care Empowerment International (RUCEI) and the Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology (ACEP) partnered to bring trauma relief techniques to people in Uganda. RUCEI is a nonprofit organization supporting community-driven programs in health, education, mindset transformation, and sustainable livelihoods across western and northeastern Uganda.
ACEP is a nonprofit professional organization dedicated to researching, training, and promoting energy medicine approaches in mental health care. Energy psychology (EP) uses mind-body techniques to help people manage stress and trauma.
Uganda faces significant economic and public health challenges that make accessible trauma relief techniques especially valuable. At 93,000 square miles, Uganda is about the size of Oregon state. Recurring drought and other climate-related challenges disrupt agriculture and contribute to food insecurity.
Many communities face high levels of poverty and limited employment opportunities. Families struggle to pay for their children to attend school. Health care is expensive, if it’s available at all. These stressors—in addition to alcoholism, interpersonal violence, HIV, and child abuse—contribute to high rates of depression and thoughts of suicide.
Research has shown that EP techniques such as the balanced hook-up, heart-focused breathing, and the trauma tapping technique can reduce symptoms of trauma in individuals and communities. The success of similar projects in Africa, India, Europe, Latin America, and the United States inspired RUCEI's Executive Director to reach out to ACEP about bringing this training to Uganda.
After nearly eight months of planning, ACEP representative Rachel Michaelsen embarked on a month-long trip to Uganda. As she visited schools, churches, and villages, Rachel taught EP techniques to over one thousand people.
Rachel found that participants were eager to learn the techniques and quickly became comfortable using them. Participants reported immediate benefits, including:
I don’t hear the static in my head anymore.
I feel calmer.
I am not thinking about my worries.
I don’t feel hungry.
I feel good.
My heart is beating slower.
I feel joyful.
After returning home, Rachel received a note from Dr. Ronald Kasumba, a medical professional studying neuroscience:
“I was happy and glad to meet with you during the Kampala meeting with the students hosted by Rural Care Empowerment. I was happy to learn your techniques and tapping as a way of stress killer. When I am at the hospital, I teach my patients these tapping techniques and those affected by mental health actually get a little bit better.”
It's inspiring to see simple, evidence-informed techniques bring hope to people facing extraordinary challenges. While the circumstances in Uganda are unique, the same stress-relief techniques are ones that many of us can use in our own daily lives. If you'd like to experience these methods for yourself, visit ACEP's Resources for Resilience or check out my book, Eight Intentions for Self-Healing.
Before she left, Rachel trained eight local instructors to continue teaching EP techniques within their communities, ensuring that the work will continue long after her visit ended. If you would like to support RUCEI's ongoing work by providing much-needed resources, please use the QR code below and select Uganda Project.
References
Satinsky EN, Kakuhikire B, Baguma C, Rasmussen JD, Ashaba S, Cooper-Vince CE, Perkins JM, Kiconco A, Namara EB, Bangsberg DR, Tsai AC. “Adverse childhood experiences, adult depression, and suicidal ideation in rural Uganda: A cross-sectional, population-based study.” PLoS Med. 2021 May 12;18(5):e1003642. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1003642.
Feinstein D (2025) “How tapping works: physiological and psychological mechanisms in energy psychology.” Front. Psychol. 16:1660375. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1660375
Feinstein D. The Energy of Energy Psychology. OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine 2022; 7(2): 015; doi:10.21926/obm.icm.2202015.
Stapleton P, Sandstrom U, Hamne G. Evaluating a 3-Week Model for Reducing Symptoms of Stress in Traumatised Youth Using the Trauma Tapping Technique (TTT) for Self-help: A Pilot Trial. OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine 2018; 3(4): 036; doi:10.21926/obm.icm.1804036.
Hamne, Gunilla & Sandström, Ulf & Stapleton, Peta. (2023). Novel Ideas: Evaluation of a Brief Trauma Tapping Training and Single Session Application. 22-28. 10.78717/ijhc.202323322.
EP techniques are most effective when practiced regularly. Eight Intentions for Self-Healing helps you integrate EP into your daily self-care routine.
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