Although stress is viewed as being a normal part of our lives, if we are not aware of the dangers of chronic stress in terms of our physical health and wellbeing, and how we can properly deal with this stress we may end up suffering the consequences of stress related illness. It has already been clinically proven in countless neuroscientific studies that suppression of negative thoughts and feelings contribute to chronic stress by priming the autonomic part of our central nervous system and which over a period of time weakens our neuroimmune and neuroendocrine system and contributes to inflammation in our arteries leading to cardiopathology. Limiting belief systems composed of negative thoughts and emotional states can cause this kind of stress related damage to our bodies by priming neural pathways in the brain accessing subconscious memories of old trauma which trigger the neuroimmune and neuroendocrine systems to interact within the central nervous system to create a fight or flight autonomic nervous syndrome or a number of unhealthy coping strategies designed to survive regardless of whether or not we are actually in a life threatening situation.

By therapeutically treating chronic stress effectively we can avoid developing high blood pressure, diabetes, sleep deprivation, chronic fatigue, obesity, neck and back problems, chemical dependency, and a host of other stress related disorders. There are many good and valuable adjuncts to therapy in the field of counseling psychology that are designed as positive interventions for stress. One such adjunct to therapy is called Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) (Shapiro, 1995). This is an integrated therapeutic model that draws from behavioral, cognitive, psychodynamic, body-based, and systems therapies and is used by medically licensed therapists such as psychologists, psychiatrists, marriage and family therapists, and licensed clinical social workers. Another form of holistic healing that is similar to EMDR is called Rapid Eye Technology (RET) (Johnson, 1999) and this treatment model is one in which I am trained and certified to perform. I have performed hundreds of RET sessions with clients during the past 4 years.

The RET model is not typically described in psychology oriented doctoral dissertations using clinical psychological terms since it is designed to be used by holistic healers who are laypeople who do not typically have degrees in psychology. This is unfortunate because the RET model could be used more by medically licensed therapists as an effective treatment for stress if they only had the opportunity to understand the benefits of this model from a clinical standpoint. I would like to introduce the RET holistic healing treatment model by defining the underlying aspects of a typical RET processing session using the language of a mind-body doctoral psychology student. The psychoanalytic part of RET coaching uses Erik Erikson's psychosocial stages of childhood development (Santrock, 2002). RET wand directed bilateral saccadic eye movements simulates rapid eye movement (REM) sleep states, utilizing deep cleansing breaths, and rapid eye blinking all of which have a profound stress releasing effect for clients and is a natural and safe way to alleviate unconscious conflicts.

Presenting Issues.

After the initial intake assessment and completion of a signed client contract outlining the differences between certified holistic healing versus licensed medical therapy, the client is encouraged to talk about their presenting issue which is what brought them to holistic healing using RET treatment in the first place. Whether their goal is to stop smoking, manage their weight, gain some relief over situational stress, build their self esteem, or deal with irrational fears, etc. the RET coach begins the coaching session by processing the client's presenting issue using directed RET wand processes simulating rapid eye movement, encouraging the clients to take deep breaths and release them fully, and to use rapid eye blinking. It seems that typical presenting issues for RET clients fall into four main categories surrounding finances, health, relationships, or as it pertains to either their school and/or work situation. Clients are encouraged to talk about their presenting issue using their words to describe their feeling states and physical states for about 15 minutes at the beginning of the RET session which usually runs an hour and a half long. They are given this opportunity to process negative thoughts and feelings with a RET coach who holds them in unconditional positive regard, empathy, and congruence. The necessary ingredients to the RET therapeutic climate helps clients self-actualize in a safe space (Rogers, 1961). Mirroring affect while using active listening feedback techniques to repeat parts of their story to them using their preferred neurolinguistic programming pattern (NLP) (Brooks, 1989) helps RET clients feel that their emotions and negative thoughts about the presenting issue have been heard and understood by the RET coach while they are releasing stress through their rapid eye blinking, and while using deep cleansing breaths during the directed RET wand processing techniques. RET wand processes combined with deep cleansing breaths, and rapid eye blinking helps RET clients to process information at a deeper alpha, theta, and even delta trance state of awareness while they are sitting up in a conscious wakeful state (Johnson, 1999).

Processing Limiting Belief Systems

Rooting out the client's limiting belief system and the related coping mechanism or unwanted pattern of behavior is a part of the RET Life Skills Training coaching designed to be used during the wand directed REM (Johnson, 1999). As the client processes presenting issues while in a deeper trance state created from the directed REM wand movements they are asked to recall priming events similar to the presenting issue (in terms of emotional content and limiting thoughts and bodily physical sensations) that may have happened to them in childhood. They are asked to remember as early as they can recall from their childhood when this first happened to them. Using the psychoanalytic stages of childhood development from Erik Erikson in an effort to connect the dots between strong overwhelming feelings relating to the presenting issue and how this primes their old childhood trauma bringing the unconscious conflict to their conscious wakeful awareness as the client is enlightened with the underlying reaction formation that creates the current stressful emotions and unwanted coping mechanisms. While the client is in a relaxed trance state receiving directed RET REM state wand movements it is much easier for a RET coach to encourage the client to access any traumatic memories stored in the unconscious mind that remind them of their presenting issue in terms of feelings and negative thoughts about themselves. When a client recalls a time in their childhood when they felt similar kinds of feelings and had similar kinds of limiting self-beliefs or thoughts in relation to their current presenting issue they are surprised at how it unlocks the tears and strong emotions as they begin to process these buried feelings and thoughts from those past childhood events.

Their stressful thoughts and emotional states, the associated coping mechanisms developed in early childhood and the bodily sensations or somatization of this stress and pain from these earlier memories of traumatic events brings to light how their unconscious conflicts developed in the first place. Reduction of shame is elicited by the RET coach as clients are directed as adults to honor how valuable these childhood coping strategies were to survive the traumatic experiences. Stored trauma is processed by priming psychoanalytic stress releasing statements geared to the particular neurolinguistic patterns of learning in the cortex of the brain for auditory, memory, visual, patterning, and feeling states. Depending on the age when childhood trauma first occurred in terms of Erik Erikson's psychosocial stages the correct desensitizing release statements and use of directed REM wand processing, deep cleansing breaths, and rapid eye blinking releases the trapped trauma energy charge quickly. The client is always asked to notice and sense in their physical bodies how the relation of holding onto this unconscious stress from the earlier trauma feels. Using the Body Chart (Johnson, 1999) the client receives psychoeducation aimed at increasing their understanding of how their limiting belief systems creates stress that physically affects their bodies and could ultimately lead to disease. Clients are directed to notice how and when the stress is relieved during releasing statements made by the RET coach during RET wand processing and how this feels to be free of the debilitating stress physically inside their bodies. Proper psychoanalytic reframing statements are made by the RET coach while using RET auditory wand movements geared to operant learning conditions. This creates an excellent mind-body learning experience for the client while they are in a relaxed alpha, theta, and even delta trance state of mind so they may learn how limiting belief systems are associated with bodily somatization of related stress. They consciously understand how the roots of their unwanted coping mechanisms were formed and how they can be released and reframed with RET.

As RET coaches verbally release the client's limiting belief systems using RET REM wand processes and then verbally reframe these limiting beliefs with psychosocially age appropriate positive affirmations and positive thoughts and feelings using the REM auditory directed wand movement the client's own NLP wording is incorporated. They are RET coached to consciously choose their own special NLP wording for reframes to substitute for their limiting belief systems. Their own word phrasing is accepted more readily by their unconscious mind. They are encouraged to limit their chosen reframe to one short sentence that they can easily remember to use during the next time a priming event occurs such as, "It is okay to make mistakes while learning!" so the client may choose this positive pattern of thinking and feeling with associated positive behavior to replace their limiting belief systems and old unwanted coping mechanisms such as hypervigilance and/or perfectionism.

While in relaxed states although still sitting up in conscious wakeful awareness RET clients begin to notice how their bodies physically feel and how their thoughts and feelings affect their bodies to reinforce relaxed mind-body states of wellbeing or to notice somatized stressful states. They learn how to consciously create health by intentionally using affirmations whenever priming events occur and then begin to quickly release their old limiting beliefs systems with RET energy realignment tapping techniques with associated eye blinking and deep breaths. They learn to choose positive beliefs systems and behaviors and replace their old limiting belief systems. As they become more and more in touch with their bodies and emotions and thoughts they begin to notice consciously their unconscious conflicts that may lead to old unwanted coping strategies.

References

Brooks, Michael (1989). Instant rapport. New York, NY: Warner Books, Inc.

Johnson, Ranae (1999). Rapid eye technology, inc. (5th ed.). Salem, OR: Rapid Eye Institute.
Rogers, Carl R. (1961). On becoming a person a therapist's view of psychotherapy. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Santrock, John W. (2002). Life-span development. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

Shapiro, Francine (1995). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing basic principles, protocols, and procedures. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.

For permission to reprint this article or any correspondence related please contact Laurel M. Davila, M.A. at laurel@joyfullighthealingcenter.com

Copyright 2007
Laurel M. Davila, M.A.
Joyful Light Healing Center