Social Psychologist & Personal Advisor

Dr Matt's Archive of Answers
to Burning Questions

What Do You Think of Tapping Techniques
for Clearing Negative Emotions of Depression and Anxiety ?

Dear Dr Matt:

My name is Melissa, I live in Manhattan, New York. I am 28 years old and married with one daughter.

Recently, I received an invitation to attend a seminar where the presenter was teaching about "tapping techniques." The seminar presenter said that she could "clear" out emotions of anxiety and depression such as "feeling alone, despair, hopelessness, and low self-worth."

I was curious to know what you thought of this therapeutic approach?

Sincerely
Melissa

Dear Melissa:

If a person is suffering from diabetes or a broken arm, that person can be helped by professionals who can supply insulin or set an arm in a cast. If a person has a toothache, a Dentist can be helpful! On the other hand, if a person is "feeling alone, despair, hopelessness, and low self-worth," these heavy emotions are directly healed through Faith in Christ — techniques cannot bypass the process.

Because Christ is our Creator, He created the human possibility of anxiety for a purpose; and He established the way to be healed and made whole.

The scriptures do not necessarily promise that toothaches, broken arms, and diabetes will be healed through Christ (although, through faith in Christ the blind see, the lame walk, and the dead have been raised). The scriptures do give a promise of "peace" — hence, heavy emotions of "feeling alone, despair, hopelessness, and low self-worth" are healed absolutely, as we exercise faith in our Savior.

Here is the problem with Tapping Techniques: Why would anyone need Jesus Christ to lift and heal their emotional burdens, when they can have those burdens "cleared" through tapping? Here is the Savior's invitation:

Come unto me,
all ye that labour and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me;
for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find
rest unto your souls.

In addition to lifting our burden of sin and providing victory over the grave, here are other reasons why Jesus suffered and died for us:

And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem . . . she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, . . . and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God. And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.

The meaning of the word "succor" is intriguing and instructive:

Succor = Assist and support in times of hardship and distress; providing relief, aid, and help. Etymology: from Latin succurrere "to run to the rescue." One reason why the Son of God passed through mortality was:

For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted,
he is able to succour them that are tempted.

In light of the specific promises Christ has given to the faithful, when any helping professional causes clients to put their focus and faith into "tapping" or hypnosis or chiropractic or prescription drugs, instead of the Son of God, then that therapist is enabling clients to fail in faith.

In terms of restoring and maintaining emotional well-being, every good therapy will supply secondary support, and will never be a substitute for what we can accomplish through Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ — particularly when certain earthly ailments are exactly what Jesus said he would heal, not just in eternity, but during mortality.

Sincerely,

Matt Moody, Ph.D.
Social Psychologist

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Social Psychologist & Personal Advisor