Picture Tapping Techniques or PTT. A powerful evolution of EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques/Tapping)

A few years ago, I was exposed to Picture Tapping Techniques during ongoing continuing education in my field. I was profoundly impressed by this marriage of EFT Tapping and Art Therapy and continued on to enrol in all available training and advanced courses. PTT doesn’t replace EFT. It’s just one more resource in my tool box, but it’s been highly effective for many of my clients. Particularly for clients with difficulty breaking their issues down into manageable sized pieces or having a hard time identifying or even feeling their emotions.

For the client, the process is very simple. Looking at the many colours of markers and crayons available, they take whatever they feel drawn to and give their hands permission to do whatever they want; expressing their feeling about the situation. It’s the one thing in their life they can’t fail at, because whatever they do will be relevant. They’re not trying to draw a picture. Just expressing feelings. We then do the usual EFT tapping on the picture, then it’s put aside and they repeat the process until they come to a picture which feels like a resolution. Of course there’s more to it, but it’s a simple as that for the client. If there are fears or resistances to using this process, we either set it aside for the moment, or use EFT/Tapping techniques to resolve the concerns. The participant is always in control and issues are never forced.

Why is this so effective? It’s estimated 95% of all thoughts, beliefs and assumptions are heavily influenced by the subconscious and the programming it’s been taking on since birth. The subconscious mind processes 1,000,000 times as much data every second as the conscious mind, but until about the age of six, it’s all stored symbolically. Even though we have language from age two. Every word, body language, tone of voice, sound, light, touch, goes into creating our assumptions about the world, our safety and place in it; our core beliefs. The programming in our subconscious mind is there to try to keep us safe. The best way it thinks it knows how, based on those early assumptions.

When we give the hands permission to move however feels good with the colours we’re drawn to, we’re compassionately allowing the subconscious to symbolically express the part of the story it feels safe letting out at that moment. Allowing the conscious and subconscious mind to collaborate to heal whatever big T or little t trauma or maladaptive belief is attached; without being re-traumatized.

Once an issue feels resolved, we lay out the set of drawings. If any of the pictures cause any discomfort to look at, it simply means there is another aspect or aspects to the issue and we continue the process; then or later depending on time until all discomfort is gone.

I’ve found this to be remarkably gentle and effective work for most; because it’s collaboration with self, not an argument or struggle.

If you or someone you care about is feeling stuck, or affected by hurtful or traumatic experiences in their lives, particularly when young, book an initial interview @ 613-747-5458 800-361-1370 or wellness@david-gilbert.com to explore opening the door to “emotional freedom.”