Bi-Tapp News

Karen Willmott is one of the directors at Turn Community Services in Cedar City, Ut and has been with this amazing organization for the past 24 years. Turn Community Services provides a full range of services for individuals with developmental disabilities throughout Utah. Some of these services include day programs, residential living services and supported employment opportunities.

Karen and her team use the tappers with their clients for a number of different reasons. For example, “we have a few people who have the tendency to escalate with problematic behaviors. We have them use the tappers that we call ‘the bracelets’ and after a few minutes, they are back to a regulated system, they are calm.”

She states her team is also using the tappers preventatively, “If we recognize those signs and we know someone is upset, we will have them wear the bracelets before things escalate and it avoids the whole situation.”

Karen states that the great benefit of the tappers is you have a tool you can use in the moment you see someone is distressed because they can’t alway tell you what’s wrong, they can’t verbalize it.”

Dr. Yolle Pierre, Founder & Executive Director of the Source of Life Community Center and her colleagues are working tirelessly to help provide much needed crisis intervention support to Haitians in Jacmel. Haiti is currently facing a severe humanitarian crisis which is impacting every community member. There is food insecurity, widespread violence and displacement due to the violence. There are simply not enough helpers to help those in need.

We had the opportunity to share with Dr. Pierre and her team how the tappers can help with immediate stabilization in crisis situations as well as be used by community members of all ages who are traumatized, triggered, anxious and who are struggling to sleep. Bi-Tapp can be used anytime and anywhere, which is essential when both the helper and the community members they are serving are exposed to high levels of distress due to the unsafe conditions where they live.

Dr. Pierre and her team are also doing all they can to provide basic information on mental health awareness and providing trainings on other important topics. We support this Center’s mission and their focus to provide support, reduce symptoms of posttraumatic stress and increase resiliency to those in need.

Dr. Brian Tierney, is an integrative psychologist, psychotherapist and educator. In this episode, we talk about the development of Bi-Tapp and its uses in the therapeutic setting as well as in our daily lives to help with regulation of the nervous system. The tappers are used in a variety of settings and with a variety of populations all who are reporting similar results: improved attentional focus, improved ability to sleep, improved emotion regulation and overall improved level of functioning. Brian’s research on the role of the cerebellum and how bilateral stimulation improves cerebellum functioning is also discussed.

An increasing number of Utah K-12 students are struggling to meet their basic needs due to circumstances beyond their control. A student who is struggling to meet their basic needs is less likely to graduate from high school than their peers. The Teen Center Project is working with Utah high schools to build or improve services such as food pantries and laundry facilities to meet the basic needs of students in their community. A Teen Center can also be a “space for student-regulation of mental health needs.”

We had the opportunity to meet with the Teen Centers located in Gunnison Valley High School, Gunnison Valley Middle School, Ephraim Middle School and Manti High School. Our meeting took place at Gunnison Valley High School. Each of these centers have staff members who are working hard to provide safe and supportive environments for their students. Each center now has their own Bi-Tapp kit that students can use to help them reduce stress and anxiety, including test anxiety and improve attentional focus. One set of tappers can help multiple students.

Rhonda Marsh, OTR/L, CHT, MBA/HCM, had the opportunity to present her clinical findings at the recent American Society of Hand Therapists annual meeting using Bi-Tapp with patients diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). Rhonda and her colleagues integrated Bi-Tapp along with pain neuroscience education to help manage the increased sympathetic activation patients experienced during the therapy appointments. Bi-Tapps were placed on the wrists/upper arms (or ankles if needed) and used during therapy sessions allowing for therapeutic interventions to take place.

Rhonda reports “The use of Bi-Tapps has helped patients tolerate multimodal interventions necessary to improve functional outcomes.” Her clinical takeaway is, “Bi-Tapps are a tool to help improve tolerance of therapy. Often patients are more relaxed and have less reactivity to traditional therapeutic interventions.” Rhonda reports in addition to using the tappers with patients diagnosed with CRPS, they have also used the tappers with patients diagnosed with chronic pain, amputations, distal radius fractures and phalanx fractures.

The Utah Office for Victims of Crime (UOVC) has approved Bi-Tapp as a resource for those with claim numbers. Bi-Tapp is a patented wearable device that does the bilateral tapping for you, regulating your nervous system in real-time, creating a steady state of calm and focus. The person using the tappers is able to customize the rate of speed and the intensity of the bilateral tapping. The tappers are discreet, portable, and can be worn in pockets or socks, making them ideal for any setting without drawing attention. They provide an effective means for victims of any age to manage stress, anxiety and trauma responses, helping them regain control and calmness, whether it’s going about their daily life or filling out a protective order. 

Most people cannot recall coping skills they have been taught when they are in a state of shock or panic. This is because the thinking part of our brain becomes disabled as the fight/flight response takes over. Use the tappers to help calm your nervous system and “then”, you will be able to utilize any other coping skill you have been taught. 

Here are a few helpful links regarding the use of Bi-Tapp:

1. Overview of the resource
2. Our work with the Enoch, UT community after last year’s tragedy
3. A friend’s experience using tappers after the Enoch tragedy
4. A best friend’s account of using tappers following a domestic violence tragedy

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Mind the Frontline is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing support and resources to those who selflessly safeguard our communities. The chronic exposure to high stress events as well as traumatic events leads to heightened levels of stress, anxiety, lack of sleep, addiction and posttraumatic stress symptoms and even PTSD. Cindy Jones, LCSW had the opportunity to visit with Chris Smetana, Founder/President of Mind the Frontline. In this interview, we discuss how reducing stress levels at the very moment you are experiencing heightened stress is a key factor in achieving optimal performance both on-and off-duty.

YouTube and Podcast

The ECHO (Extension for Community Care Outcomes) network provides a platform for professional development and networking on a variety of topics. Project SCOPE is part of this network and is helping professionals who work with families impacted by the opioid epidemic, including the children exposed to opioids in utero.

We had the opportunity to share how the calming resource, Bi-Tapp is being used by early childhood professionals, medical professionals and behavioral health professionals with the individuals, families and communities they work with. The research is very clear that the higher the activation of the amygdala (fight/flight response), the more the thinking brain is shut down. Therefore, having immediate access to a resource that requires little effort to use is critical. Bi-Tapp is changing the way we approach acute stress, anxiety and addiction recovery.

The Dove Center is dedicated to providing shelter, advocacy and counseling for survivors of domestic abuse, dating violence, sexual assault, rape, sex trafficking, and stalking in Southern Utah. The Dove Center provides comprehensive services to individuals and families in crisis as well as engages in outreach services and community training and education.

We are grateful for the opportunity to work with this agency. Bi-Tapp is being used by clients of all ages as a regulation resource, including immediately after a trauma to help with immediate stabilization. The tappers are also used by the staff members to help them have a self care resource that is easy to use, both in the moment of heightened stress and to help them recover from a stressful event. The chronic exposure to traumatic stress can negatively impact those who are in the helping field. Having an easy to use resource that can be used anytime, anywhere helps build resiliency.

When you are exposed to high levels of stress, it is important that the resource is simple to use and very effective. With Bi-Tapp, all you have to do is push a button and the bilateral tapping automatically begins. Non-invasive, simple to use. You do not need to stop what you are doing to use this resource, the tappers are with you wherever you go, working in the background.

First Responders are using the tappers both on and off duty.

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The mission of Canyon Creek Services is communities free of domestic violence and sexual assault. This agency serves all of Beaver, Iron and Garfield Counties in Utah.

We are grateful for the opportunity to work with this agency. The tappers are used by both staff and clients. Bilateral tapping helps calm an anxious, dysregulated nervous system, no matter your age. The tappers do the tapping for you. They are simple to use and very effective.

“A client came in to meet with me and had a fixed stare ahead and was either not responding to me when I spoke to her or speaking so quietly, I couldn’t understand her. I went and got my Bi-Tapps and asked her to hold on to them. In less than a minute of holding them, she was talking to me audibly and talking to me about her stressors. We were able to fill out a public assistance application during that appointment, something I know we wouldn’t have been able to do without the Bi-Tapps.”
– KayDee, Domestic Violence Advocate

We were grateful for the invitation to share Bi-Tapp with the mental health therapists in Canada.

Bi-Tapp is regularly used by EMDR therapists around the world to help with reprocessing trauma, for both in-person and Teletherapy sessions. The tappers are also used by therapists trained in a variety of treatment modalities to have their clients hold or wear when they are sharing their trauma narratives or are feeling anxious or overwhelmed. The alternating rhythm of the tapping (left/right tapping) helps calm the fight/flight response.

Having access to a resource you can use “while” preparing for and while taking the test helps you focus, relax and perform at your best.

St. George, UT, Jubilee of Trees fundraiser this year is focusing on improving the availability and accessibility of mental health resources for children, adolescents and their families. “The Intermountain West, like much of the nation, is experiencing a pediatric mental health crisis…suicide is the leading cause of death for Utah youth ages 10 to 17.”

Bi-Tapp is actively involved in our local community. We donated a Bi-Tapp kit as part of the Jubilee of Trees fundraiser. We also regularly work with schools, agencies, families, mental health therapists, and the community at large, teaching how to calm you stress and anxiety through bilateral tapping (Bi-Tapp) and other “Help in the Moment” resources.

“Bi-Tapp has been an amazing resource for our students and staff alike. I can’t be at every school every day. Because of Bi-Tapp accessibility, students are able to experience the benefits of increased emotion regulation without missing out on class time.

I am seeing students so excited about the difference that they see and feel within themselves and it’s incredibly empowering. Bi-Tapp has increased the number of students that are able to receive additional help and they are opening doors for students who might not have felt comfortable meeting with me one one one.

Our staff have also found benefit using Bi-Tapp through increased calm and focus.”

Southern Utah University (SUU) Disability Center now has several Bi-Tapp kits available for students to check out and use as needed to:

• Reduce stress and anxiety
• Improve focus in the classroom and while studying
• To use when taking tests (reduce test anxiety)

SUU now has three locations where students can access tappers and check them out, similar to checking out a library book.

Cherish Families is an organization that assists polygamous families and communities with the resources they need to manage crisis situations. Their mission statement is: “We connect individuals and families, primarily from polygamist cultures, with tools and resources for generational success.”

We had the opportunity to work directly with advocates/case managers of Cherish Families. Having a working understanding of the window of tolerance and basic coping strategies to help your nervous system calm down serves those you work with as well as yourself. When you are the “helper” in a crisis or difficult situation, it can be overwhelming. Having access to a resource such as Bi-Tapp that you can use in the moment of distress as well as afterwards to help your stress level return to baseline helps prevent burnout and lessens attrition. Cherish Families uses the tappers for both staff and clients. This tool remediates secondary traumatic stress in their staff, and helps their clients become more calm and focused.

Shirlee Draper, their Director of Operations, stated “Bi-Tapp has made a huge difference for us. I use them to stay focused while working, to help my grandson who has ASD, and to help friends who are going through a rough time. Our team uses them to do intakes for clients in acute crisis, and they have really helped.”