Energy Psychology in Psychotherapy: A Comprehensive Sourcebook

American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis,  Jan 2003  by Accaria, Philip L

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We, as healthcare professionals, are witnessing the emergence of a new/"old" paradigm of energy medicine and energy psychology. To those identified with Western psychology, these modes of practice and conceptualization may appear ultracontemporary and unproven. However, many facets of energy psychology and energy medicine are tens of thousands of years old as practiced by many of the indigenous peoples of North and South America and Africa (Villoldo, 2000). There is a movement afoot in psychology to foster and facilitate a rapprochement between constructs such as "energy," "soul." "spirituality," "energy entities" (e.g., Ancient Spirit guides), and "nonlocality," and the bioenergy data obtained through the scientific method over the past 100 years or so.

In his chapter on "Integrating Energy Psychology and Hypnosis," Lee Pulos points out that "the history of ideas in general and the history of science in particular both demonstrate that every new major concept met with outright rejection, which gradually subsided into resistance where it remained, in the discomfort zone of science, before moving into acceptance" (p. 167). We believe this effort on the part of Gallo and his contributors to Energy Psychology in Psychotherapy will do much to facilitate the movement of energy psychology and energy medicine into the mainstream and comfort zone of both the science and practice of psychotherapy.

References

Villoldo, A. (2000). Shaman, healer, sage. New York: Harmony Books.

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