Healing the Trauma of a Stroke – A One-Session Wonder

Often a core issue is not based on a childhood event but a recent trauma. It seems to me that all medical traumas are “tappable issues.” If a client has been to the doctor or the hospital recently, or had surgery, stroke or heart attack symptoms any time in the past, these are events that can hold back the body’s healing process and can often be cleared with EFT.

The case below demonstrates that the trauma of the stroke event itself may be a cause of ongoing symptoms.

Mary (name was changed) was 70 years of age. She had poor balance, walked with small steps, and wanted to walk with confidence. On a 0 to 10 scale she was a 7 for these three issues.

We decided to work on the stroke itself and the events surrounding the stroke, since that was a large and recent trauma, which probably needed clearing. I figured that we would address “what does this remind you of?” and past events in her life afterwards. Little did I know that this hour of work would bring her the relief she wanted.

We worked on the following stroke-related events: What happened right before the stroke? Mary (a reading teacher) had been moved to a more crowded classroom, without any notice beforehand. She was hurt and disappointed at the time, but had no feelings about it when we discussed it. We tapped for that event anyway.

Even though I was displaced…
Nobody considered my feelings…
They didn’t ask me if it would be ok…

We did the Tearless Trauma technique on the stroke event itself and tapped around and on that event until it came down from a 10 (tightness in her stomach) to a feeling of sadness at a 3 and then a 0 for the stroke event. Then we worked on events and feeling after the stroke, about Mary’s falls, and embarrassment surrounding her condition. She felt a 3 thinking about it and came down to a one after the following tapping rounds:

Even though I fell on the street twice…
I was clumsy…
I looked funny and felt embarrassed…
I hurt and bruised my knee in the fall…
I don’t like the students to see me like this...

At that point Mary told me that she was going to test her balance by walking across the kitchen without her cane. I nervously asked her to please stay near something secure and to be careful. We were on the phone. Mary was happy to tell me that she had gone from a 7 to a 3 in poor balance, short strides, and lack of confidence in her walk. We tapped a few more rounds and she was at 0 on those issues. She felt perfectly comfortable as she walked across the kitchen.

Mary sent me the following emails, one the next day, and another about a month later:

Dear Ruthi
I'm still feeling confident. Even the PT teacher who passed me in the hall said I looked good and was moving good too. One kid said how come you're going so fast today? (as I walked them from the gym). Even if it is temporary, I know that I can get it back with tapping. That's a good feeling. I thank you so much. It helped to have someone do it with me and come up with the phrases. And winter is almost over...no more snow to fall down in!

Thank you very much. I'll write after a month has passed.
Gratefully, ______

Dear Ruthi,

It's been almost a month since our tapping session. I'm pleased to report that I'm still balanced and taking longer strides. No snow and ice helps but I'm definitely improved. I've tapped by myself several times but your session started me off on the right track. Thank you.

Ruthi Backenroth
Suffern, New York, US
www.EFTAction.com

From the EFTfree Archives, which are now a part of EFT International .
Originally published on July 27, 2010.