Discussion










TFT treatments are associated within session with self-reported reduction in distress for a wide variety of symptoms and conditions.  These results were obtained by seven different providers with different professional backgrounds, suggesting the applicability of this modality across disciplines.    


Significant reductions in SUD within one treatment session were found for each of the 31 conditions with 5 or more patients included.  Controlled studies with standardized measures to evaluate the magnitude and duration of effects, as well as rule out alternative explanations of such effects, are needed.  Randomized trial designs are justified by the strength and consistency of the non-randomized data.  

Further research is needed to systematically evaluate the duration of the effects of TFT for various diagnoses and symptoms.  Treatment successes with phobias (Callahan, 1985) and post-traumatic stress disorder (Callahan & Callahan, 2000) have been reported to sustain without additional treatment in uncontrolled studies.  Future studies with controlled randomized clinical trials that could examine the duration of impact in a smaller range of conditions, such as specific phobias and single uncomplicated traumas, are indicated.

Determining the effectiveness of treatments of recurrent conditions requires controlled TFT studies of the more complex treatments and protocols for discovering and working on the retriggering stimuli  posited by Callahan (Callahan & Callahan, 2000).  Physiological data, such as HRV, and standardized measures in controlled studies with different diagnoses or symptoms would be illuminating in comparing the effectiveness of different treatment modalities with this seemingly widely applicable, yet very specific treatment method.