The Many Forms of Emotional Release Therapy

If you haven’t heard of it already, emotional release can play a defining role in helping you to overcome feelings of anxiety, depression, stress and psychological pain. In many cases, where these symptoms and illnesses are showing, it may not even be obvious that emotions are at the root of the problem. Typically, though, they’re lurking in your subconscious, waiting to be dug out and dealt with. Although you may not think you can rid yourself of emotional baggage easily, it is in fact much simpler and less stressful than you would believe. Through simple exercises and therapy sessions, you can start letting go of what has been affecting you, begin releasing stuck emotions, letting go of grief, letting go of anger and healing emotional pain.

Instead of storing up your emotions and thoughts, we can, in fact, cleanse our unconscious mind, let these experiences go, and move on with our lives without grudges or bitterness. It is not human nature to hold on to these troubled feelings, and through releasing trapped emotions, clearing negative emotions and engaging with an effective emotional detox, the results are both positive and surprising. As Dr. Paul Goodwin elucidates upon in his book ‘Foundation Theory’, repressed emotions actually show as blockages throughout the pathways within our nervous system. This is a problem for many people, as it means they never truly go away. It’s time we start ridding ourselves of these blockages and begin the process of healing.

So…what is emotional release?

Essentially, emotional release is a natural way of freeing ourselves from the energies that have become stuck within our body. We can have either positive or negative energy, but if we have too much of one, the balance within us topples over and we can find ourselves struggling to cope.

As children, we are much more capable of freeing ourselves from the emotions we feel. However, as adults, we are told we should suppress how we feel and get on with our lives. It doesn’t have to be this way though. We have the power within us to overcome our emotions. We just need to rediscover this ability that we have always had, and find ways of building emotional integration in our everyday lives to renew our sense of purpose and remove the imagined limitations that we face.

Emotional release aims to heal our bodies and minds, releasing or integrating the emotions that are stuck within us, and freeing ourselves of tension, disease and mental or physical illnesses. Often we go rushing to the doctor when we’re feeling ill and they prescribe us with medication. However, we don’t realise just how much of this can be connected to the feelings we’re harbouring. There can be natural remedies that can help us overcome physical illnesses we never saw as being in any way related. We can improve our overall health and quality of life.

There are a variety of different ways in which you can engage in emotional release. Here I shall talk you through some of the most popular options for releasing negative emotions and proceeding with emotional clearing:

[bctt tweet=”EFT” username=””]

If you’ve heard people mentioning ‘EFT’ to you, chances are you’re curious to find out more about what these three letters stand for. The answer is ‘Emotional Freedom Technique’. This form of emotional release counselling helps to draw on various different forms of alternative medicine, ranging from energy medicine to Thought Field Therapy (TFT), to neuro-linguistic programming to acupuncture. It is a fast evolving form of treatment that has been growing in popularity over the past 5,000 years. In recent years it has rapidly achieved widespread use.

Often you may hear it being referred to as ‘psychological acupressure’, and it works by aiming to release the blockages that are built up within the energy system. Not only do these blockages impact us emotionally, but they can also cause limiting behaviours and physical symptoms that are uncomfortable to live with. In a typical EFT treatment, along with discussing how you are feeling at various intervals, your therapist will use their fingertips (instead of needles) to tap lightly on the endpoints of energy meridians, which are located beneath your skin surface. It is a non-invasive form of treatment which seeks to make simple, pain-free changes. It seeks to ‘straighten out’ your energy system and remove ‘short circuits’.

[bctt tweet=”Sedona Method” username=””]

This simple yet powerful way of releasing yourself from pain can improve any area of your life. It works in three key ways – firstly, by allowing you to release yourself of the feeling that is concerning you, secondly by welcoming the feeling, and thirdly by allowing the emotion to just be a part of who you are. This way of exploring your emotions gets to the very core of the emotion. You can achieve this by signing up for video newsletters with The Sedona Method or using their CDs to learn more about finding peace and happiness in your life.

[bctt tweet=”Release Technique” username=””]

If you are battling with constant health problems, worries, feelings of confusion or guilt, or an inability to focus or feel content, then the Release Technique can help you find the answers to all your problems. It helps you to handle your feelings and gain simple anger release. The programme has been around for the past 60 years and involves listening to a variety of supportive CDs with scientifically proven advice and guidance. You also get access to free conference calls and workshops.

[bctt tweet=”Shadow Work” username=””]

Many people opt to pursue Shadow Work as a form of emotional release therapy. Through Shadow Work, you can transform your character with a variety of facilitated processes. These allow you to change your behaviour patterns in a calm setting where you can safely explore and evolve within yourself. It comes without any pressure from a facilitator. The method is based on ancient and modern tools using a four-directional map of your mind. This helps to identify where your shadows are and works as the basis for processing them. The process is about personal growth and aims to help you access your hidden powers to regain strength and peace. It is about facing your feelings of hurt, fear and anger but then learning how to live more fully. It works on the basis of a concept that Carl G. Jung first brought to life when he used ‘shadow’ to describe a part of the self that is repressed or denied.

[bctt tweet=”Emotion Code Work” username=””]

The Emotion Code works through applying kinesiology – otherwise known as muscle testing. It seeks to establish the body’s reaction when a thought or question is posed, and how this affects the muscles in terms of strengthening them or weakening them. The idea of this therapy is to find either ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers from our body and how it is feeling, and then use this in order to uncover deep-rooted information about the imbalances in our body that are causing us to feel emotional or physical pain. It works on the feelings being held in our subconscious mind, in which we store all of our emotions.

Even if you no longer remember the event in your current memory, it may still be causing you problems. The Emotion Code seeks to find these repressed feelings and draw them out. The aim is to change our emotional energy and free trapped emotions that interfere with the natural frequency of our body. It can be done both from a distance and in-person. Trapped emotions are released from the body using a magnet, in which this is run over the energy lines of the body. These are known as the ‘governing meridian’. It helps to release trapped emotions and clear rid our bodies of the pain they are causing us.

[bctt tweet=”Emotional Clearing” username=””]

Emotional Clearing Therapy was first established in 1994 and can either be done in-person or via Skype. Sometimes referred to as ECP, it involves taking your therapy session to an experiential level of feeling. It is an approach that is inner-directed. Through the session, the facilitator will help you to go into a deep alpha-state of relaxation with your eyes closed. The conscious mind is relaxed, and as a result, the subconscious can start to come to the surface to uncover areas of repressed negativity. These trapped thoughts and feelings are then released through the trained therapist who will seek to bring out the negative subconscious and use what is coming to light to find ways of removing it from the client’s mind. This form of therapy can be used for trauma, dysfunction and repression. It is an in-depth holistic approach that works on the assumption that negative feeling energy that is trapped within is preventing us from obtaining happiness, and by releasing these feelings, we can find contentment. It aims to have long-lasting transformative effects.

[bctt tweet=”Traditional Psychotherapy” username=””]

Psychotherapy can help you deal with developmental, behavioural, social and emotional difficulties – as well as irrational behaviours, feelings, thoughts and beliefs. It typically involves a therapist and individual working together to help improve the health of the client. It involves conversations taking place over a period of weeks and months between these two individuals, in which the topic of discussion is all centred on the client. Through these conversations, the therapist is able to learn more about the client and use information that has come to light to delve deeper into how they are feeling. They are able to analyse what has been said and identify solutions to various issues or offer coping mechanisms that may work. This form of therapy is typically offered by licensed psychologists and psychiatrists.

[bctt tweet=”EmoTrance” username=””]

First developed in 2002 by Dr. Silvia Hartman, EmoTrance is predicated upon the belief that everything is energy. Alongside this, energy needs to be able to flow properly at all times. A good example of this is with our digestive system, in which we need our body to be able to flow continually, otherwise, it can cause us significant problems if it gets blocked. Negative emotions and feelings can likewise cause blockages for us, which then stop our natural flow of energy. EmoTrance seeks to find and release trapped energy blocks using one-to-one sessions with hypnotherapists. Typically, sessions are around 90 minutes long.

[bctt tweet=”NLP (Neuro-linguistic programming)” username=””]

During the 1970s, Richard Bandler and John Grinder developed the idea of neuro-linguistic programming as an approach to psychotherapy, personal development and communication. It seeks to understand how people organise the way they think, feel, behave and the language they use. It enables people to have a methodology in which they can understand how they react to the world around them. Given that every individual has their own unique mental filtering system, neuro-linguistic programming identifies the fact we are all different in the way that we see the world. Part of this process involves creating a mental map known as ‘First Access’. Following this, a second mental map is creating called ‘Linguistic Map’ or ‘Linguistic Representation’ which looks at the personal meaning we associate with the outside world and the language we use.

[bctt tweet=”TimeLine Therapy” username=””]

This powerful therapeutic process brings together neuro-linguistic programming and hypnosis. It was developed by Tad James during the 1980s and works on the basis that we store our memories in a linear manner using an internal memory storage system. It seeks to eliminate painful emotions that are attached to events or memories in the past but also seeks to help people learn from these events and use what they find as a resource for the future. It produces long-term results quickly, without discomfort to clients. However, one thing that should be clarified about TimeLine Therapy is that it doesn’t remove memories altogether – it simply clears the negative emotions that are attached to these memories.

[bctt tweet=”Higher Self Therapy” username=””]

Higher Self Therapy is predicated on the concept of Cause and Effect, and what impact this has on our lives. It also operates on the theory that perception is projection, which was developed by Carl Jung. This works on the basis that whatever it is that you perceive in someone else is also within you, even if you may not be aware of it. For example, if you think someone is behaving inappropriately, the reason you can recognise it is because you have the same capacity within yourself. This can work in both positive and negative ways.

Higher Self Therapy seeks to find the part of you that is either pure spirit or God, depending on the label you are comfortable with. It is seen as your Guardian Spirit and is all-forgiving. It works on the basis that you have three minds – your unconscious mind, the conscious mind and the higher self. It cannot interfere with your conscious mind, but change can be brought about through communicating with your higher self from your unconscious mind, which can then feed into your conscious mind. It can help to remove problems, fixations, and complexes. It is about connecting with your higher self and deciding what it is that you truly want.

[bctt tweet=”Emotional Integration Therapy” username=””]

Emotional Integration Therapy works by combining hypnotherapy, visualisation, meditation and energy work together. It is a treatment developed by Jeannette DeVaris and can help people suffering from all kinds of psychological disturbances. Whether they are adults, teens, children, individuals, couples, or families, it can be tailored to help each client free themselves from distress and heal from compulsions, anxieties and low self-esteem. It works through consultations, in which the client works with a trained practitioner to find a sense of peace and happiness.

THE TOP 3 EMOTIONAL RELEASE THERAPY TECHNIQUES

Whether you’re going through a stressful time at work, experiencing the breakdown of a key relationship with a friend or loved one, have recently suffered the loss of someone close to you, or are generally finding life difficult at present, it can be easy to fall into a depressive and isolated place. Everything can start to feel suffocating and unbearable, and the weight on your shoulders is heavy. We end up feeling alone in our feelings and struggle to move forward.

You don’t have to carry this metaphorical chain on your feet, though. There are ways of letting go and finding a more positive and rewarding path in life. That’s not to say that you are wrong for feeling how you do, or that you should instantly dismiss your feelings. You shouldn’t. However, through using techniques associated with emotional release, you can start to guide your body and mind towards freedom, learning to let go and clear your emotions anew. It will help you to deal with the challenges you face and develop strategies for coping.

First things first…how do we go about releasing our emotions?

There are a number of ways in which we can go about finding emotional release. Ultimately, it is a four-step journey in which you have to pass through the phases of awareness, acceptance, allowance and release. Through this whole process, it is important that you enter a state of deep relaxation. You need to become aware of your feelings, own them with 100% responsibility, sit quietly with them to engage with that feeling, drop the resistance from your body and allow yourself to release those feelings automatically with detachment.

We advocate a variety of different techniques, many of which depend on the preference of the individual and how they respond. Sometimes it is a case of trying each technique and seeing what the experience is like for the individual. If it shows signs of working, it is the avenue that is continued. However, they may need to try something different or incorporate several techniques in combination. These emotional release therapy techniques can include emotional release with sound therapy, or with massage, or with yoga – among other popular methods.

Emotional release with sound therapy

Emotional release with sound therapy – sometimes referred to as ERST – is a fairly new way of holistically treating the mind, body and soul. It works by using a variety of natural sound frequencies to help free the mind of unconscious beliefs, behaviours or patterns. The music is able to tap into a specific way of thinking, helping the individual to clear their mind of emotional issues.

Unlike a process such as counselling or talking therapy, this way of working with an individual means they can keep their private issues very much private. They don’t need to open up in the same way with deep discussions about their thought processes. It is a very personal experience in which they are guided by a trained practitioner to ensure they achieve the maximum results from the experience.

Sound therapy helps us to tap into the energy within our body, identifying the way our body tissue vibrates at varying frequencies, adding movement or release to trapped energy. Think about the way your favourite song makes you feel, or how a melodic track aids relaxation during meditation or yoga. It is tapping into a part of your mind that you’re not consciously aware of.

It is important to note that everyone’s taste in music is different, and people respond best when they listen to music that they naturally prefer. Different tunes will reach new waveforms and frequencies, helping to bring our tissues back into alignment with healthier, happier vibration patterns.

Emotional release with massage

It has been widely reported that massage therapy brings a wide range of health benefits. Once people have experienced a massage, they find a sense of relief, a feeling of peace, and of being in an increased state of relaxation. However, for some people, it can also evoke strong emotions, such as sadness, fear, grief, anger, euphoria or laughter. This experience, which can often feel unusual for the circumstance and how we think we should feel, is known as emotional release.

The reason it works is because the person massaging your body is accessing soft tissues within the depth of your body. They’re unlocking emotional energy that has been trapped in the tissue. Touch is one of the key ways that our body can recall strong memories (just as a familiar smell can take you back to your grandma’s perfume or your mum’s cooking). Through stimulating areas of the body, it can send messages to our brain that recall certain feelings or memories.

Through uncovering these emotions, it is possible for an individual to start to work through their feelings and identify what has been trapped. It isn’t always negative or intense, and sometimes can be hard to define. It is important for the person to stay in the present and not let their conscious mind wander. It is key that the individual tells the massage therapist when they feel emotions arise.

Emotional release with yoga

Yoga is another great way of releasing trapped emotions. Many people report feeling overwhelmed with emotion after a yoga class, often crying without being able to control themselves. It helps to make them feel present within their body, stronger and more connected to the world around them, and healed from a spiritual practice that has helped them to think about how they, and their body, are feeling. It can see them experiencing a wide range of emotions, but ultimately, it helps to release emotions that have been trapped.

The individual is able to explore how they have been feeling, focussing on their mind and the sensations of their body in different postures. It allows the individual to surrender to the release of their emotions, becoming less tight and stressed, and ridding turbulent feelings. Sometimes a yoga class can leave an individual feeling vastly different, but it is okay for it to not leave you in tears either. Everyone experiences emotions and emotional release in their own way. We’re all unique and we all have different life journeys. The key is to allow your mind and body to have time to explore how you’re feeling regularly.

To find out more about emotional release, get in touch today. Our Wisdom page on emotional release can provide further insights into the many facets of emotional release.