Helena Fone brought Emotional Freedom Technique to Malta, a therapy which is widely used in the US and Europe as a powerful self-healing tool. She speaks to Kathryn Borg.
“It wouldn’t bother me if I never stepped on this island ever again,” said Helena Fone the first time she visited, 29 years ago, when, as newlyweds, Fone and her husband were in Malta for their honeymoon.
However, they did visit regularly and eventually fate conspired to take them to Gozo, where on the final day of one of their visits they chose a property and secured the sale.
Some years later they bought a house and settled permanently in Gozo in 2009. Fone has since fallen in love with the island, building up a network of friends, clients and business contacts.
Fone has brought Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) to Malta, a therapy which is widely used in the US and Europe as a powerful self-healing tool.
It is derived from a similar therapy created by Roger Callaghan known as Thought Field Therapy (TFT). However, EFT is much simpler and can be more effective.
EFT is well used by personalities and celebrities as well as in a work environment, in clinics and at home.
Singers have been seen using the therapy to calm performance nerves, sports people have been observed using it to enhance their success, while pole vaulter, Rens Blom, has credited his unexpected 2005 World Championship Gold to its powers.
Fone had been working in HR and trained in counselling, hypnotherapy, NLP and psychotherapy. She ran a successful clinic in the north of England, however, she felt there was something missing until she was introduced to EFT by her father.
Initially she was sceptical regarding what EFT could achieve, even to the point of attending the training course while still feeling sceptical. When the therapy was applied to her, she felt how powerful and supportive it could be and has since used it, successfully, in her practice alongside her other techniques.
Fone became very involved in the EFT governing body, the Association for the Advancement of Meridian Energy Techniques (AAMET) for which she is now the chairman. Her aim was to raise the standards of training and abilities, and with this in mind she was invited to give a talk in the US last October to support those in America who needed help in supporting members and refining the use of EFT.
So what can EFT do for you? Fone explains that for trauma it is an excellent therapy, adding that there is so much scope for use in workplaces, in HR, in clinics and within the medical profession.
As such she has begun a series of training courses in Malta, as well as running her own clinics in Malta and Gozo.
It works by a person tapping on nine of the acupoints in the body, while speaking out loud. There is a clear format to abide by and a way to measure the intensity of either physical or emotional pain which allows the therapist and the patient to measure success.
“The medical profession have had to sit up and take notice,” she says, “they approached me to help them”.
A chance encounter on a boat trip with a woman who was having a panic attack helped to promote the benefits of EFT and, subsequently, her success was passed on by word of mouth.
The woman on the boat was approached by Fone who asked if she could help her using EFT.
“Within 10 minutes she was calmed, having a drink and dancing; her friends had never seen her like this before and said it was unbelievable,” said Fone who had just seen an opportunity to help someone, not realising it would be a turning point in her work in Malta.
Since then, she has been approached by, and worked with schools, local companies, HR managers and individuals. Her aim is to train organisations and managers to be in a position to utilise this therapy with their staff and with the medical profession.
EFT can remove distressing feelings such as anger, fear, anxiety and even pain and cravings. It can also be used to help a fear of flying, depression, weight control and negative thoughts and attitudes.
Various randomised trials and studies have been carried out to research the effects of EFT for post traumatic stress disorder. They found that a short course of EFT reduces this disorder from high to low levels in the majority of cases.
A research team in Scotland is on the point of producing a report which will go a long way to supporting EFT’s efficacy.
At the end of the interview Fone spent some time working with me to show me how and where to tap on the body. At the same time she explained what to say and how to think in order to benefit the sufferer.
I found it simple to pick up and can see how easily this technique could be used at the workplace, in schools, clinics and hospitals.
Helena Fone has written a book entitled Emotional Freedom Technique for Dummies. For more information visit www.therapy4me.co.uk or call 7956 2245.