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Welcome to the new Debunking Thought Field Therapy site! I developed this web site to provide mental health consumers and professionals with a more scientific view regarding Thought Field Therapy and its derivatives. I felt compelled to compile this site. Upon first researching TFT via the internet for my own clarification in 2000, I was struck with the realization that no dissenting opinions were available online. TFT is continuing to build up strong support and even a cult following in some circles. Numerous therapists around the country, and the world, are marketing TFT services online. It is my fear that those who utilize the internet to obtain information will be misled by the barrage of TFT-favoring sites. As so often happens today, individuals in desperate need of psychological services may embark along a fruitless journey while scientifically validated treatments are waiting in the wings. Can the mental health community afford to let this happen? TFT is only beginning to attract the attention of mainstream scientists and therefore it has been given, for the most part, a free-ride for some time now. Most serious researchers feel that it would be a waste of time to pursue the debunking of what, in their opinion, is a treatment which lacks any scientific justification. But while scientists continue to ignore TFT, TFT continues to gain in popularity. In the defense of scientists' inaction, it was the job of Dr. Callahan, TFT's creator, to demonstrate the treatment's efficacy. However, he shows no desire to provide real evidence from controlled clinical trials, and this is unfortunate. It is also true that science must pick its "battles" wisely, for there are far too many pseudoscientists and far too few scientists. However, I believe it has come time to put TFT under the microscope. In the end, perhaps the most important job of science is to educate the public and to protect it from junk science. This web site is critical of TFT. There are many other sites that will provide you with a white-washing of the evidence if that is what you are seeking. Personally, I believe that TFT's claims are vastly overstated and that the theory put forth to explain any positive results is clearly inaccurate. I have come to this conclusion through my own researching of the TFT phenomenon and my background in traditional psychotherapy research. However, I will not tell you that my opinion is necessarily more correct than Dr. Callahan's opinion. I make only a simple proposition: If you are new to the debate, review my site and then peruse the pro-TFT sites. I provide some links. If you are already a skeptic, make sure that you are educated about TFT before you brush it off completely. If you are a believer, I ask you to suspend your beliefs, if just for a while, and let me be your "devil's advocate." So review the debate, the pros as well as the cons, and let the chips fall where they may. Sincerely, Brandon Gaudiano, Ph.D. July 7, 2008
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