Tag Archive for: Bob Stone

I never smiled in my life until I was treated with TFT

TFT-Tapping

Our TFT Foundation board member, Suzanne Connolly and documentary crew Bob Stone and Diana Gross have returned safely from Rwanda, with 27 hours of amazing footage.  They will soon begin the arduous task of translating and editing 27 hours of amazing stories, testimonies, and current life, into a single hour that shares a heartwarming and spectacular story of the healing of a country and its people.

Bob posted a journal with pictures, video and notes to keep us all updated on their trip.  You can see this at:  http://www.trauma2peace.com , but I wanted to share the essence with you here:

“Diana and our interpreters work well together, and after the first two Interviews, I ask Diana if there might be some way to condense the interviews, as each one is taking about 30 minutes, which means it’ll take 15 hours to film everyone.

In the next interview, Diana asks the first question and the woman starts talking and doesn’t stop for a full 20 minutes. I see Prosper reaching his memory capacity – how does one retain the details of a story and then relate it back in another language?  Amazing!

This woman was born in 1957 and tragedy started in her life two years later when her village was burned down – then family was killed, her children killed – on and on.

Stories you can only imagine are told and interpreted – stories of what we might consider deep, dark secrets. I am amazed and deeply touched by these people and their willingness to share.

“Do you have photos?
“Yes”
“Are you willing to share them?”
“Yes.”
“Can we come to your home and film you there?”
“Yes.”

But each story included a statement like; “I never smiled in my life until I was treated with TFT.”

These people all use TFT in their lives on a daily or weekly basis and almost all have been trained as TFT therapists, so they have the tools to help their family, friends and neighbors. What a gift!”

On behalf of the TFT Foundation, I want to thank all of you who have helped make this possible, healing and changing so many lives.  Bob has created a brief video clip of the summary that Prosper Ishimwi gave – a heartfelt statement about his country, his people, and how TFT has changed their lives.  This new video clip is available on our US and UK Foundation web sites:   www.TFTFoundation.org  and www.atftfoundation.org.uk

Please go watch this touching account of a strong, and resilient country – healing themselves with TFT.  They need our help to continue to expand the healing to others in Rwanda and beyond.  Please click on the Donate link to help them share TFT with others.

Joanne Callahan, MBA
President, TFT Foundation
www.TFTFoundation.org

My Journal About the TFT Foundation Film-making Trip to Rwanda

There was a trip to Rwanda earlier this month,  to film a documentary on the work the Rwandans are doing using TFT. The Rwandans hope to serve as a model for other countries who have suffered large-scale traumatic events.  The filming went well, and of course, after hearing the stories of healing, the documentarians want to learn TFT!  I am attaching a journal of the 11 day trip for any of you who would like to hear about it. Suzanne M. Connolly, LCSW

The TFT Foundation efforts to make a film documenting the use of TFT in Rwanda got off to a superb beginning.   We landed in Kigali Rwanda the evening of the 8th of January.

Bob Stone, our documentarian, Diana Gross, his assistant and I were greeted at the airport by Father Augustin, organizer of the Byumba segments of the filming; Darling Clementine, organizer of the 2008 research and 2010 follow-up and this year’s TFT training; Billy Gatete, old friend and translator; and Jean de Due, former resident and now supervisor at the Rwandan Orphan Project.

We hit the ground running and by 8am the 9th, Diana, Bob and I were in a car headed to meet some of the new TFT trainees, trained by Celestin Mitabu. We entered the training room, located in Stella Bar, a local restraint/bar, and I was surprised to see many so many familiar faces.  Most of the new trainees, recently trained by Celestin, were former 2008 study participants from the AID’s group, the Widows’ group, and the older orphan groups.  What a pleasant surprise!  Their experience of TFT was such a positive one; they wanted to help others using this technique.

The stories were amazing!  One by one the trainers gathered at the Stella Bar, told their own personal stories.   In a separate room Robert Stone, our documentarian and his assistant Diana Gross got four moving stories on film.  In the larger room, others wanted to share their amazing stories of recovery with the help of TFT.

Each one started with something like: “I thought this was crazy. How could tapping help MY problems?”  But they did follow the instructions of their Rwandan therapists in 2008, and they did tap.  One by one, as they told their stories of trauma and recovery, I heard things like: “I’ve had a sad life.” “The first time in my life that I felt happy was after I joined the Widows group and then we did TFT.” “Now I have a life, a business.”  “Now I have hope, where before I had no hope and thought I would just die and my children would be orphans.” We were all inspired and encouraged by these stories of recovery. Read more