The Apex Effect is a term coined by Roger Callahan, founder of Thought Field Therapy, to refer to a phenomenon frequently observed in energy psychology practice. Clients tend to dismiss the effectiveness of tapping because once the problem is solved, they have difficulty believing or remembering that it was once severe.
When offering EFT to veterans at the Veterans Stress Project, therapists sometimes remark on the Apex Effect. After a veteran has had four or five sessions of EFT, he may be feeling much better. He might say something to the therapist like, “I don’t think I ever had PTSD to begin with.” Therapists in the research program keep records of their sessions, including PTSD scores, and they then show the veteran their intake forms. Veterans are often shocked at how severe their PTSD was when they started treatment, and they realize how far they’ve come. When a problem is solved, it can be difficult to remember how bad it was to start with.
A related phenomenon is the tendency by clients to ascribe their success to something other than tapping. An EFT trainer worked with an executive team at a large family-owned company and, before beginning the EFT work, assessed their levels of anxiety and depression using a standardized test. He worked with the treasurer on several deeply disturbing emotional events. They were using an office with a beautiful view overlooking a flower garden. The man was a good candidate for EFT and his SUD scores dropped quickly. He felt much better after the session, and the improvement was reflected in his second batch of test scores on the anxiety and depression scale.
“I feel great,” he said at the end. “This office is so cheerful, and the view is so pleasing, that it’s really improved my mood.” The trainer didn’t disagree with him but chuckled inside. The treasurer ascribed his improvement to the view, an implausible explanation given that he’d seen it many times before.
