Jessica Howard is the former three-time national champion in the sport of rhythmic gymnastics. Now on the board of USA Gymnastics and a private ballet coach, she is the author of the book “EFT for Sports Performance” (Second edition, ISBN 978-1604152173, Energy Psychology Press).
In the book she describes her rise to claim the national title at the age of only 15 — the youngest person ever to do so. Yet while she was excelling in competition, her life was falling apart. The pressure on her to perform, along with harsh coaching methods, led her to a series of physical injuries and a mental breakdown. She outlines the contribution EFT or Emotional Freedom Techniques, a self-help method based on cognitive therapy and Chinese medicine, made to her recovery from long-term psychological trauma. She also includes short accounts written by many other athletes who have used EFT to overcome performance barriers, boost self-confidence, and eliminate bad habits.
In a chapter on EFT and championships, dedicated amateur and professional athletes describe how they won medals after discovering EFT. Others stories are by people who were not natural exercisers, but after using EFT on their resistance, went on to change their behavior and excel at sports. Athletes describe how they use EFT to speed recovery from injuries like torn cartilages, back and knee pain, and sprains. A wide variety of sports is represented, including baseball, basketball, golf, wrestling, tennis, skiing, cycling, running, and archery.
EFT has been studied on over 30 clinical trials published in peer-reviewed professional journals, and has demonstrated its efficacy for stress-related conditions like anxiety, depression, phobias, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Howard believes that stress interferes with athletic performance, and when EFT reduces stress, an athlete’s natural abilities can shine. Media reports show that EFT is now widely used in professional baseball, American football, golf, and other sports. This book provides a foundation for applying the method to the practical challenges faced by both amateur and professional athletes.
References:
Book: “EFT for Sports Performance”
http://www.amazon.com/EFT-Sports-Performance-Emotional-Te...
EFT Research Review: Church, D., Feinstein, D., Palmer-Hoffman, J., Stein, P. K., & Tranguch, A. (2014). Empirically supported psychological treatments: The challenge of evaluating clinical innovations. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 202(10), 699-709.
