Peta Stapleton

Bond University · School of Psychology

Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) has been shown to have a lasting effect on food cravings, power over food and restraint ability, and ultimately results in weight loss. This paper discusses the approach utilised in a recent food craving clinical treatment trial (Stapleton, Sheldon, & Porter, 2012; Stapleton, Sheldon, Porter, & Whitty, 2011), and...

This chapter presents Clinical Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) as a promising mind-body approach for treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Through the compelling cases of Sarah and John, two individuals grappling with PTSD symptoms despite previous therapies, the chapter underscores the need for a more integrative treatment modality. I...

Background: Chronic pain represents a major global healthcare crisis, and current treatments are limited in effectiveness and safety. Emotional freedom techniques (EFTs) show promise as a potential psychological treatment. Methods: The current study investigated the effect of a randomized clinical trial of EFT for chronic pain in a sample of 147 a...

Extensive knowledge on nutrition and dieting has been associated with an increased risk of orthorexia (an obsession with food that one considers healthy) within the research literature. A systematic review was conducted to identify the prevalence of orthorexia in individuals who were employed in, or studying, health careers. The databases Psychinfo...

Background Pregnancy and the postpartum period are times of significant transition for women, with changes in maternal physical and mental health. The formation of a relationship between a mother and her baby is vital and has been recognised as laying the foundation for later child development. There is considerable evidence that this early relatio...

This study aimed to understand how mindfulness meditation affects young people by examining its impact on self‐regulation, happiness, emotional awareness, and school performance among two groups of school children. A 10‐week mindfulness program was conducted by a meditation expert for 552 children aged 4–8 (Group 1) and 287 children aged 9–11 (Grou...

The concept of interoception has existed since the beginning of the 1900s. It is suggested that humans can observe feelings arising from the body that allows them to develop a sense of their emotional status and physical condition. The term interoceptive awareness appears to originate with clinicians working with individuals who had experienced tra...

This feasibility study sought to investigate the impact of an online 9-session Prenatal Mindfulness Relationship-Based (PMRB) group treatment program upon maternal mental health (depression, anxiety, and stress), interoception, and mother-infant relationship during pregnancy and post-partum. The study was designed in two parts 1) a quantitative exa...

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1243570.].

Introduction The feasibility of an Early Subacute Pain Intervention Program was assessed for improving outcomes in patients with subacute pain and exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) at increased risk of long-term disability. Methods Eligible patients were referred by their general practitioner for an open trial of individual case man...

Introduction Chronic pain is a prevalent worldwide health condition. The current study aimed to extend previous research that investigated the dynamics between chronic pain, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). Method Adult participants worldwide with chronic pain were recruited for this study (N = 199;...

A challenge in conflict resolution and peace building efforts for regions affected by war and genocide is the treatment of conditions such as post trauma stress disorder. Previous examination of somatic based trauma approaches has indicated effectiveness with trauma in conflict zones. This brief clinical note outlines one such approach (Trauma Tapp...

Introduction Clinical Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) is a psychophysiological intervention that includes cognitive and somatic elements, utilizing techniques from both Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Prolonged Exposure therapy (PE). Because only a single meta-analysis existed examining EFT for PTSD, this systematic review and meta-analys...

Several sleep parameters present an elevated risk for processes that contribute to cellular aging. Short sleep duration, sleep apnoea, and insomnia are significantly associated with shorter telomeres, a biological marker of cellular aging. However, there has been no review or analysis of studies that have examined the association between the psycho...

Background A plethora of literature has delineated the therapeutic benefits of meditation practice on psychological functioning. A novel meditative practice, EcoMeditation, includes elements of four evidence-based techniques: The Quick Coherence Technique for regulating heart rate variability (HRV), Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), mindfulness,...

Background Since the turn of the century, Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) has come into widespread use in medical and psychological treatment settings. It is also used as self-help by tens of millions of people each year. Clinical EFT, the manualized form of the method, has been validated as an “evidence-based” practice using criteria published...

Background: The tendency of the mind to wander, a characteristic of the brain's default mode network (DMN), correlates with increased unhappiness and self-referential processing and is a deterrent to establishing a consistent meditation practice. The objective of this study was to test the impact of a secular physiological method of meditation. We...

A distinction has been made between primary and secondary exercise dependence, with the latter defined as excessive exercise secondary to disordered eating and weight concerns. Based on theoretical considerations from research on the roles of trait factors in addictions, the present study used validated scales to assess alexithymia, sensitivity to...

Background Reiki is an energy healing technique or biofield therapy in which an attuned therapist places their hands on or near the client’s body and sends energy to the client to activate the body’s ability to heal itself and restore balance. It was developed in Japan at the end of the 19th century by Mikao Usui of Kyoto. Given the enormous intern...

This clinical trial investigated the effect of an Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) intervention on brain activation in chronic pain sufferers using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). EFT is a brief stress reduction technique which combines stating a cognitive statement with somatic tapping on acupressure points. Twenty-four adults were...

Alexithymia has been linked to various excessive behaviors as a likely risk factor, including binge eating. Such relationships are often attributed to deficient emotional self-regulation in alexithymia, ostensibly leading to the use of maladaptive, externalized behaviors as strategies for coping with distress. An alternative view is that alexithymi...

The pandemic resulted in increased use of videoconferencing. This study investigated whether Appearance-Related Anxiety, Videoconferencing Appearance-Focused Behaviours, and Weekly Videoconferencing Time contributed to state body dissatisfaction in 191 community Australians. Results indicated moderate to strong positive correlations between the thr...

Purpose Various neurobiological models have utilised symptom categories to explore the underlying neural correlates in both anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN). The aim of this research was to investigate the brain activity patterns associated with viewing food stimuli in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Methods Electronic database...

We published a meta-analysis of studies that examined the various components of an evidence-based therapy called emotional freedom techniques (EFTs). EFT uses elements of conventional therapies such as exposure and cognitive processing but includes the unique ingredient of acupoint stimulation using fingertip tapping. Six studies were identified, a...

Context: With obesity a mounting global issue, efficacious treatments can make a contribution to both personal and public health. Prior clinical trials have demonstrated that an evidence-based method, Clinical Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), can produce a durable weight reduction. Objective: The study evaluated whether Skinny Genes, a six-we...

Mental health conditions are increasingly prevalent in the Australian population, and despite the large evidence-based support for contemporary treatments, there are barriers which inhibit their efficacy. Thus, there is a perceived need for therapists to consider other therapeutic options which have potential to enhance treatment outcomes. There is...

Stalking refers to intrusive acts experienced on two or more occasions (according to most definitions and legislation) which create apprehension and/or fear. Statistically, most victims of stalking are female, and most stalkers are male. Female-perpetrated stalking has been explored less, even though it has a significant effect on victims. Rigid so...

Objective: The current study aimed to investigate the validity and reliability of the Food Craving Inventory (FCI; White et al., 2002) with an Australian population by conducting an exploratory factor analysis and comparing the FCI to Power of Food Scale (PFS) and Revised Restraint Eating Scale (RRS).Method: The 581 participants included, aged betw...

A 37-year-old female with a history of complex trauma, anxiety and depression was treated with Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) supplemented with guided imagery within the first 24 hours of having a stroke that affected the right side. CT scans indicated a haemorrhage and brain clot. Surgery was delayed as another seizure was expected. Interventi...

Background A growing body of clinical research attests to the psychological and physiological benefits of meditation. EcoMeditation is a non-pharmacological therapeutic approach used to promote health and well-being, comprising four evidence-based techniques: The Quick Coherence Technique for regulating heart rate variability (HRV), Emotional Freed...

This study investigated the impact of a brief meditation workshop on a sample of 223 novice meditators. Participants attended a three-day workshop comprising daily guided seated meditation sessions using music without vocals that focused on various emotional states and intentions (open focus). Based on the theory of integrative consciousness, it wa...

Objective Bariatric surgery is an effective treatment for obesity; however, an estimated 20% of patients do not experience significant weight loss postsurgery. This study examined the interaction of potential psychological factors and their mediating effects on the emotional eating of individuals one-year postbariatric surgery. Method Three-hundre...

We published a meta-analysis of component trials of emotional freedom techniques (EFT) in this journal. EFT is an evidence-based method, validated in over 100 clinical trials, that uses fingertip tapping on acupressure points in conjunction with techniques from exposure and cognitive therapy. The meta-analysis examined six studies in which an activ...

Background Although significant health improvements are indicated from weight-loss following bariatric surgery, many individuals are unable to lose weight or maintain their weight-loss. The current study aimed to assess whether post-surgery care comprising Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), an emerging energy psychology intervention, combined with...

Teaching professionals report higher levels of work-related stress and symptoms of psychological health problems than the general population. This study examined psychological distress, coping styles and wellbeing in 166 Australian teachers (aged 22–65 years; M = 37.74 years, SD = 10.84 years). Participants completed an online survey comprising dem...

Objective: In a direct replication of Church, Yount, and Brooks (2012), this study examined changes in stress biochemistry and psychological distress symptoms in 53 participants randomly allocated to one of three 60-min group interventions: Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), psychoeducation (PE), and no treatment (NT). The Symptom Assessment-45 (...

Background: The burgeoning area of mobile health (mHealth) has experienced rapid growth in mobile applications (apps) designed to address mental health issues. While abundant apps offer strategies for managing symptoms of anxiety and stress, information regarding their efficacy is scarce. Objective: This study assessed the effect of a mHealth ap...

BACKGROUND The burgeoning area of mobile health (mHealth) has experienced rapid growth in mobile apps designed to address mental health issues. Although abundant apps offer strategies for managing symptoms of anxiety and stress, information regarding their efficacy is scarce. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to assess the effect of an mHealth app on use...

Objective This article explores chronic disease patients’ personal symbolic meanings of their diseases, as emergent from their experience of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) therapy. The present study is part of a larger study that explored chronic disease patients’ and EFT practitioners’ experiences of using EFT to support chronic disease health...

Overweight and obesity present alarming global health problems including detrimental health risks that call for effective interventions. Considerable research has examined behavioural and psychological factors associated with weight loss to advance the field of obesity and overweight. In line with the literature, this study aimed to develop a behav...

Background: Growing obesity rates are a problem worldwide. Several studies of emotional freedom techniques (EFT), a brief psychophysiologic technique, have indicated that it may be a promising addition to traditional weight loss interventions. Objective: The current study evaluated food cravings, dietary restraint, subjective power of food, weight...

Although disordered eating in pregnancy has been linked to numerous negative consequences, there is currently no published instrument specifically devised to identify or measure such symptoms in pregnancy. As such, this study systematically reviewed the literature to evaluate the performance of general measures of disordered eating in pregnancy sam...

Using Delphi methodology, the current study utilized a panel of “expert” parents ( N = 23 after three rounds) to examine nine content-based and logistical factors perceived to be important when developing pre-and perinatal (PPN) parenting programs for the modern day. The aim was to attain consensus on 235 items generated from literature and panelis...

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) is an evidence-based self-help therapeutic method and over 100 studies demonstrate its efficacy. However, information about the physiological effects of EFT is limited. The current study sought to elucidate EFTs mechanisms of action across the central nervous system (CNS) by measuring heart rate variability (HRV) a...

Using a three-round hybrid Delphi methodology, the current study utilized a panel of “expert” birth professionals (n=20 after three rounds) to examine content and logistical factors that may be most effective for inclusion in the design, development, and delivery of pre- and perinatal (PPN) parenting programs of the 21st century. The purpose was to...

Clinical EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) is an evidence-based method that combines acupressure with elements drawn from cognitive and exposure therapies. The approach has been validated in more than 100 clinical trials. Its efficacy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been investigated in a variety of demographic groups including war v...

Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFTs) combine elements of cognitive restructuring and exposure techniques with acupoint stimulation. Meta-analyses indicate large effect sizes for posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety; however, treatment effects may be due to components EFT shares with other therapies. This analysis reviewed whether E...

This study aimed to assess and develop consensus on the assessment of disordered eating in pregnancy. A three-round modified Delphi approach was used. Participants were international clinicians and researchers (N = 26) with extensive knowledge on and/or clinical experience with eating disorders, particularly in relation to pregnancy and/or women’s...

Background: This study aimed to establish consensus on the expression and distinction of disordered eating in pregnancy to improve awareness across various health professions and inform the development of a pregnancy-specific assessment instrument. Methods: A three-round modified Delphi method was used with two independent panels. International...

This literature review focuses on the history of pre-and perinatal (PPN) parenting education. The topic constituted one area examined to inform four-studies included in a PhD program of research that investigated factors to consider when designing, developing, and delivering PPN parenting programs for the 21 st century. This article discusses six t...

This study investigated changes in psychological and physiological markers during a weekend meditation workshop (N = 34). Psychological symptoms of anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and happiness were assessed. Physiological markers included cortisol, salivary immunoglobulin A (SigA), heart rate variability (HRV), blood pres...

There is a long history of provision of pre- and perinatal (PPN) education to expecting mothers, and less so to fathers. Due to inconsistencies in both research methodologies and subsequent study findings, understanding what constitutes best practice in PPN education programs remains unclear. This research study was the second of four in a PhD prog...

This study was the first of four within a Ph.D. program of research which examined factors that were perceived to be important considerations when designing, developing, and delivering pre- and perinatal (PPN) parenting programs for the 21st Century. In this research, 54 mothers and seven fathers (N=61) who had attended a PPN parenting program, com...

Background/objective: Traditional methods of delivering therapeutic interventions have increasingly been supplemented by online courses. The current study investigated the effects of Clinical EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) in 76 participants enrolled in a six-week online course called Naturally Thin You. Weight, restraint, the power of food in...

Due to the distinct lack of definition surrounding the desirable attributes of an effective Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) practitioner, this study utilized a modified Delphi technique to explore this. This method is designed to achieve a consensus amongst skilled panelists when an accepted body of literature is lacking. A three-round modified...

Objective To highlight the energy density of fast-foods and reduce energy consumption several countries have mandated the reporting of energy contents. The evidence for their ability to achieve these objectives appears inconclusive. An alternate approach is instead framing energy contents in physical activity calorie equivalents (PACE). Although fi...

Objective Examining the effectiveness of psychological interventions in treating secondary psychological outcomes of obesity has become prioritized in recent times. The objective of the present study was to compare an eight-week Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) intervention program, in the treatment of food...

This study investigates the ability of illness perceptions and coping strategies, primary features of the self-regulatory model of illness (SRM), which has been utilized in several related chronic disease studies to predict adjustment outcomes among individuals diagnosed with hepatitis C (HCV; Hagger & Orbell, 2003; Leventhal, Diefenbach, & Leventh...

Purpose: The objective of the present study was to explore Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) practitioners' experiences of using EFT to support chronic disease patients. This was part of a larger study exploring chronic disease patients' and EFT practitioners' experiences of using EFT to support chronic disease healthcare. Methods: A qualitativ...

Social networking sites (SNSs) provide emerging adults with extreme and unprecedented transparency, exposing them to a plethora of opportunities for social comparison. In light of the growing use of the popular SNS, Instagram, among emerging adults, the purpose of this study was to examine the impact of exposure to social media-based social compari...

Body dissatisfaction is a major source of suffering among women of all ages. One factor that has the potential to mitigate body dissatisfaction, as well as promote a positive body image and psychological wellbeing, is self-compassion. This study explored sources of positive and negative body image by investigating the relationship between self-este...

Objectives. Investigate the ability of illness perceptions to predict Hepatitis C (HCV) treatment outcomes, after first controlling for relevant HCV clinical and demographic data. Method. Thirty two participants with HCV completed two online questionnaires at Time 1 (pre-HCV treatment) and Time 2 (three months post commencement of HCV treatment). T...

Objective Research has consistently indicated that fear of stigma is a pertinent factor when understanding the poor prevalence of treatment seeking among individuals with mental illness, particularly eating disorders (EDs). The purpose of this study was to investigate the treatment experiences of ED sufferers within an Australian context, in additi...

Addressing the internal determinants of dysfunctional eating behaviours (e.g. food cravings) in the prevention and treatment of obesity has been increasingly recognised. This study compared Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) to Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for food cravings in adults who were overweight or obese (N = 83) in an 8-week interve...

Context: The World Health Organization (WHO) places major depressive disorder (MDD), or depression, as the fourth leading cause of disability worldwide. Some studies have found that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) represents the most superior approach in treating mild to severe symptoms. Recent literature has indicated a number of limitations t...

With research highlighting the increasing prevalence and severity of body image and eating disturbances in males, particularly athletes and regular gymnasium users, the current study examined body image and eating disturbances in a sample of male gym users and non-gym users (N = 180). Based on previous research, it was predicted that male gym users...

Background: Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a highly stigmatised condition, with treatment often involving multidisciplinary care. As such, understanding and comparing the attitudes of emerging mental health and medical professionals towards AN, within the content of sex-based differences, is pertinent to facilitate the development of targeted stigma int...

Diet and exercise have been shown to have significant importance in predicting both physical and psychological well-being. However, there is little empirical evidence examining the effects of regular practices which encourage awareness on an individual’s health-related identity and self efficacy. This study examined the effects of a daily awareness...

This study examined the individual and dyadic attachment processes and relationship satisfaction ratings among adults in an intimate relationship and their relationship to psychological distress and illness attitudes. Study participants included 104 individuals (52 couples) who completed a questionnaire package which included the Experiences in Clo...

Context: In Australia and throughout much of the world, rates of obesity continue to climb as do the prevalence of eating disorders, particularly in adolescents. Psychological consequences of childhood obesity include low self-esteem, depression, body dissatisfaction, and social maladjustment (Young-Hyman et al., 2012). Objective and intervention...

Large volumes of heterogeneous health data silos pose a big challenge when exploring for information to allow for evidence based decision making and ensuring quality outcomes. In this paper, we present a proof of concept for adopting data warehousing technology to aggregate and analyse disparate health data in order to understand the impact various...

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is a category of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not generally considered part of conventional medicine. However, the use of CAM by lay people is increasing worldwide. This study investigated the utilization pattern of CAM among registered psychologists, and leve...

Globally the high prevalence of psychological distress among university students is concerning. Two factors associated with low psychological distress among university students are adaptive coping strategies and campus connectedness. The current study examines the cross-cultural differences among university students across three countries, Australi...