The following quotes were transcribed from videotaped psychotherapy sessions. IEDTA members are invited to submit quotations related to patients’ EDT experience. Please email your carefully transcribed and unedited quotations to Susan Warren Warshow at swarshow@me.com. Please include your full name, location of your practice, and a phrase to characterize the patient (e.g. “35 year old graduate student mother of two”).
This whole process is a miracle, really. I feel free for the first time in my life. That I don’t have to repress these feeling. I can experience them and move through them,because on the other side is pleasure. It’s a feeling of self. I feel like I’m inside with me now. I’m not alone anymore. It’s a funny thing.”
–University professor, age 42, with a life-long history of depression and masochism; 10 year follow-up demonstrated profound character change from 20 sessions of therapy
I feel good. I feel centered. Much better than ever. I feel very good about that. I was trying to remember, what are my problems? I couldn’t even gather [them]. My thinking is not going out of control. It’s pretty calm. Clear. Not confused… about people, situations. I’m not beating myself over the head for things. Like I make decisions, sometimes I make decisions about something I want to do, and in the past I would have felt that it had to be the wrong choice or the wrong thing to do because I wanted to do it, and now I feel, OK, that’s what I want to do and I’m just going to do it and enjoy it.”
–Writer and homemaker, age 36, who had been suffering from migraines, significant regression, and anxiety
Your face comes to mind often when I am in one of my moods where I’m being unkind to myself and a voice comes up that says, ‘be gentle with yourself. Be kind to this magnificent woman.’ I see your eyes and I see the compassion that comes from them and I ‘remember’ to be present and real in my gentleness, to stop the self-hatred and stop the sabotaging personality from making me miserable.”
–Businesswoman, age 50, with lifetime history of depression and promiscuity
My time spent with you in our sessions was very valuable. The work we did was much more on a cellular level than I have ever experienced in therapy. Processing my anger has been very liberating and not only did you give me permission to feel it, you led me through some really deep stuff… The fear of showing my emotion just put me in a complete jail… I felt really empowered by [the therapy] and I continue to feel that way. I’m taking the things that make me the most uncomfortable and I’m going for them. I don’t want to feel lousy anymore. I don’t want to ever feel depressed. I feel like this is definitely helping me to take charge of my life and that’s my theme and my resolution for this New Year… to empower myself as much as possible. I know that’s the key to feeling good. Thank you for everything.”
–Teacher/writer, age 27, with a history of substance abuse and major depression
A study by SueAnne Piliero includes these reactions to EDT:
I have such a great sense of accomplishment at having faced my feelings and owning them. I’m much more comfortable in my skin today.”
–30-year-old graduate student
I feel that profound changes took place in therapy, have continued to take place, and will continue to take place.”
–44-year-old mother/martial arts instructor
The moment of self awakening/awareness to the root of my difficulties was a ‘life landmark.’ I felt absolutely empowered, validated, liberated, joyful without fear or anxiety. The most significant emotion was feeling at peace….I had not felt this in over 40 years!”
–54-year-old librarian
I didn’t know that I was living in fear of my own feelings. Becoming aware of this fear allowed me to overcome it, therefore I was able to experience all the other feelings/emotions. This experience freed me from an almost lifelong depression.”
–35-year-old homemaker
Other therapies helped me to feel better at times, but this therapy gave me tools to enable me to live in a better way.” My therapy experience was exemplary. I felt understood. I felt I was able to tolerate my feelings and understand their origin and how they affected my life. I genuinely changed with this therapy and therapist.”
–56-year-old health care professional, after 8 years with no further treatment
I became clearer about what I was feeling and why. I ‘came home’ to myself and can relate out of a stronger sense of me.”
–54-year-old food professional
I felt as though I was unlocked. There was hope for me. And that I could be received by another person.”
–43-year-old physical therapist
It eliminated the need for medication. When symptoms arise, I can manage them myself. Also, awareness of feeling has increased my sense of freedom and self confidence.”
–52-year-old business manager
After each of my sessions I would learn something new that seemed so central to my being and my problems that I would say, Wow! I can’t believe no one has ever pointed this out to me before after all that therapy.'”
–35-year-old homemaker, who had seen more than 15 previous therapists
Overall, I feel proud of what I have accomplished. I feel secure within my own body and I have peace within my spirit. But I feel that I owe a great deal of what I have written here to my therapist. I once told her that it wasn’t so much what she said, but the fact that she listened to my story and shared my pain. That helped to release my spirit.”
— 34-year-old teacher