Resource tapping is related to a type of therapy called EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing) but is essentially a different model popularized by Dr. Laurel Parnell. Both are used to treat trauma, but resource tapping specifically focuses on positive internal resources that a person already possesses. When the term tapping is used, it refers to alternately tapping right-left, right left, on your knees, thighs, sides of your legs, or on your shoulders (as if giving yourself a hug, often referred to as the butterfly hug). This is also known as bilateral stimulation, or doing the same thing to both sides of the body. We tap in a resource by identifying the best one that fits with our situation, using our imagination to activate it, then strengthening and integrating it more fully into our system by tapping. Then when a situation crops up, we can easily access this resource that we’ve tapped in.
There are four primary resources that are typically used in resource tapping. These resources can be real or imagined and include a calm or peaceful place (someplace a person can go literally or figuratively that they will feel calm and peaceful), a wise figure (a person or object that a person feels they can get the answers they need), a nurturing figure (a person or object that makes a person feel taken care of), and a protector figure (a person or object that makes the person feel safe). Other resources can be tapped in according to the situation at hand. For example, if you feel anxious, you might tap in a resource that helps me to relax, like imaging a babbling brook that is free-flowing.
The Counseling Center has therapists who are trained in this modality. If you have questions or would like to schedule an appointment, please contact the office at 808-375-7712 or visit online at www.hookollc.com.
