Steven Vazquez is a contemporary psychologist and the creator of emotional transformation therapy (ETT).
Professional Life
Steven Vazquez has a PhD in counseling psychology and has maintained a private practice in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area of Texas since 1978. He has studied epigenetics, optometry, neurobiology, and quantum physics and incorporated aspects of these into emotional transformation therapy (ETT).
Vazquez developed and trademarked ETT in 1991, and he has traveled to several countries to share his approach to psychological healing. Vazquez conducts seminars and interactive workshops and authored the books Emotional Transformation Therapy and Accelerated Ecological Pyschotherapy.
Contribution to Psychology
Vazquez developed Emotional Transformation Therapy (ETT) as a therapeutic technique designed to reduce psychological and physical distress. This noninvasive, non-pharmaceutical approach combines traditional talk therapy with the use of colored light to achieve faster results. By stimulating the brain with lights and colors, the neural impulses that affect the nervous system and brain can be reshaped. As the observer and the facilitator, the therapist can recognize emotional responses and influence proper regulation through verbal cues that ultimately lead to behavioral and emotional transformation. The therapist determines what images are presented to the client to target the recovery.
After a therapist establishes a strong, supportive relationship with the client, formal ETT begins. The therapist shines a small light directly into the client's eyes, with the client seated very close to both the light and the therapist, in a dark room. An ETT practitioner will select specific colors to stimulate different parts of the brain that are associated with the client’s concerns. Normal therapy proceeds as the light is projected into the client's eye. Practitioners argue that this combination of verbal and visual processing can speed healing time. Occasionally, therapists used strobe or colored lights, although these can pose some risks for clients with a history of seizures.
Vazquez argues that the light can make people feel more comfortable, because clients don't have to make direct eye contact with therapists. Vazquez endorses Carl Rogers's approach of unconditional positive regard during therapy, and the therapist is encouraged to provide a comfortable, safe environment for the client.
ETT is currently used for various psychological problems, and Vazquez claims that ETT can be used to reduce symptoms of pain. Although there have been a few studies on ETT, all have been performed by Vazquez himself, so the scientific validity or effectiveness of ETT is not currently known.
References:
- Angle, Sarah. (2011, July 6). It is Curious (Orange). Fort Worth Weekly. Retrieved from http://www.fwweekly.com/2011/07/06/it-is-curious-orange/
- Vasquez, S. R. (n.d.). Peripheral light stimulation for rapid emotional, somatic and transpersonal regulation. Subtle Energies and Energy Medicine. Retrieved from http://journals.sfu.ca/seemj/index.php/seemj/article/view/58
