The Effect of Psychotherapy on Stress Biochemistry: An RCT of Psychotherapy and Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT)

Completed · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Stress, Depression, Anxiety

In brief

The purpose of this study is to determine whether there is a change in levels of cortisol, a key stress hormone, during the course of a psychotherapy session. The two forms of psychotherapy compared are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT). A no treatment control group provides a baseline measure. The change in cortisol level is compared between the start and end of a one hour session.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT00641394

Run by

Soul Medicine Institute

People needed

83

Starts

2008-04-01

Expected to finish

2010-09-01

Last updated by the study team

2018-04-25

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 75. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Good Health History

You may not qualify if…

• MDD (Major Depressive Disorder)
• PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)
• Psychotropic Prescription Drug Use
• Currently Under Psychiatric Care
• Major disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease
• Autoimmune disease
• CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome)
• Cushing's Syndrome
• Addison's Disease
• Spontaneous Trauma Recall in Final 20 minutes of Session
• History of Psychological Illness
• Pretest Cortisol level of .5 ng/ml or under, or 7 ng/ml or over

Where it is running

• Soul Medicine Institute — Santa Rosa, California, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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