EmotionalBuzz
the resource for meridian energy therapy
Flying the flag for freedom
In the first of a short series, Marie Holliday shares how she used the Energy Exchange Photo Technique in a session with a traumatised mother concerned about her daughter’s welfare following July’s shocking events in Norway.
by Marie Holliday
I developed these techniques some years ago working with not only photos but images, X rays, magazine cuttings and virtually any image you can think of to accompany the tapping, either on yourself, on the photo, or both combined, or even on the computer screen image and for animals surrogately.
The terrible events in Norway unfolded on July 22, 2011, in Oslo as a bomb exploded in the city centre in front of Prime Minister Stoltenberg’s office, killing seven. Anders Breivik, who later admitted doing this evil act, then headed to Uteya Island about 20 miles away. Here, some 650 members of the Youth Wing of the Norwegian Labour Party had gathered to debate and learn policies and also have fun. This was not to be the case when Anders arrived, dressed as a police officer, and massacred many defenceless young people who were trapped on the island.
My client, Maren, was at home caring for her teenage daughter who was sick in bed with flu like symptoms. As the news flashed on the TV as these dreadful events unfolded minute by sickening minute, Maren watched incredulously. She had promised her daughter if she improved following a day in bed she could go to Uteya, as she had been due to attend. Her daughter hadn’t been happy as she had been looking forward to this event with her friends and planning for months.
As the hours and then days unfolded, Maren became more and more anxious and tearful, couldn’t sleep and felt over-protective of her daughter who had escaped this traumatic tragedy.
One of her daughter’s friends had been killed in the attack on the island, another was still in hospital and several were traumatised. Yet another swam for her life but managed to escape from the water and hide.
Maren felt she should be stronger than this so she could help her daughter more, but just didn’t feel able to do anything. She felt immobilised, shocked, outraged and angry all at once that this could happen to such a peaceful country as Norway.
I have many friends in Norway myself whom I had been trying to contact and I felt helpless about the Norwegian people’s suffering.
I decided the only way I may be able to help was via Facebook, so I made an announcement of EFT complimentary sessions by Skype.
Several days passed with no calls. One Norwegian friend commented that they felt “too proud as a nation and people to take up that kind offer”.
However, another friend suggested to Maren that she come to me for help.
Firstly I asked Maren to send a photo of herself and organised a session via Skype.
I explained the points to Maren and had sent her a diagram. She didn’t want to Skype with video as she said that she felt and looked so dreadful.
We started very gently and just tapped on ‘so dreadful’ (how she felt). Her SUDS was 10+.
“I feel so dreadful, so dreadful”, around all the points for a couple of rounds. She went down to an 8.
I asked how she felt.
She replied that she felt a bit calmer inside but what resonated for her was that the “so dreadful” was relating to the whole traumatic incident that day.
She sounded more agitated on these words and on asking about her SUDS, they had risen again to 10.
We tapped very gently on “that day” for a few rounds. She came back down to an 8.
She said “when I used to look at our flag I swell up with pride. Now I feel ashamed for what has happened”.
I asked if she was looking at it now.
She answered “yes, on Facebook”.
I said: “This may sound strange but when you look at that flag can you tap either on yourself, the flag or both combined, as you wish.”
She replied: “Nothing seems strange now after this awful event.”
SUDS of a 10 on how she felt about the flag, we tapped together.
At the same time, I tapped on Maren’s photo which I had up on my computer screen.
We tapped on “this pride in my flag”, “it’s gone”, “I feel so ashamed”, “so ashamed”.
We tapped around this for many minutes asking why she felt ashamed and what does she think the Norwegian people are like.
We tapped on each subsequent point with her list of :
- Tolerant
- Open
- Compassionate
- Generous
- Kind
- Like to help
- Caring and loving
I asked her SUDS, she was on a 7.
I asked does this represent the people now who are helping and coming together after this tragedy.
She said: “oh wow ... yes, of course.”
We continued tapping on
“I am tolerant.”
“I am open.”
Going through all the statements of compassionate, generous, kind, like to help, caring and loving and then into:
“My family are all tolerant.”
Then through all the statements.
“My friends are all tolerant.”
Then through all the statements.
“My fellow Norwegians are all tolerant,” and so on.
Then through all the statements
“Norway as a country is tolerant,“ and so on.
Then through all the statements.
As a test at the end of these rounds I added...
”I am proud of my flag.”
“I am proud of my country.”
“I am proud of Norway.”
“I am proud of the Norwegian people.”
Then:
“I am ashamed of my Flag.”
I asked how this felt.
“Oh no, Marie, I am not ashamed. I am so proud I cannot express it.”
Maren also said it felt so good as she had reclaimed her pride in her flag, herself, her people and her country.
Her SUDS were on a zero.
We finished tapping on a positive:
“I love myself as that open, compassionate, generous, kind, like to help, loving and caring person, I am so proud to be Norwegian.”
“I love my family, I am proud we are Norwegian.”
“I love my friends I am proud they are Norwegian.”
“I love my fellow people who are Norwegian.”
“I love Norway, even with this terrible trauma I would not live anywhere else.”
We stopped here and she commented “it’s just one guy”, which we tapped on to see how things felt.
“It’s one guy, he’s done all this ... one guy can do all this ... but he is just one guy against all these loving compassionate people..he’s just one guy.”
I asked how she felt about this.
“Honestly, Marie ... he is one guy who has done so much to our country, but loving people always overcome the fear, hate and terror that he left. Always. I honestly am fine ... seriously ... just fine.”
Maren was sounding very tired and I said it was early days and there may be many issues that come up for her.
Interest got the better of me as we were parting and I inquired how she used the Norwegian flag with her tapping.
She replied: “Now you are going to think I am strange! I tapped on the computer image of the Norwegian flag and myself sometimes but I saw a small cloth Norwegian flag on a desk stand that my son had bought. I held it against my heart and tapped around myself, it felt wonderful while looking at the one on the computer. Marie, did you tap on my photograph?”
I replied that I had done so most of the way through our session.
Interestingly I sometimes introduce an object or personal possession, and yet touchingly Maren had decided to do this herself with the desk flag.
Finally she said she just felt really peaceful, at peace with the world and her country and ready to start helping her daughter now.
I offered further help and for her daughter is she wished. I emailed a couple of days after to see how Maren was.
She wrote back she seemed strangely at ease with everything and wanted to move on.
She had slept well, didn’t feel angry, enraged and OK with everything at the moment. She thought she was a good solid help to her daughter now and was teaching her how to use it.
It was such a privilege to work with Maren and witness a shift in her belief system and to share these Energy Exchange Photo Techniques with her.
Marie Holliday
AAMET practitioner/trainer/trainer of trainers
Official representative of AAMET in Spain
Website: www.eftspain.com
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