Tapping with EFT focuses on tapping the 12 meridian points of the body to relieve symptoms of a negative experience or emotion. People who use this technique believe tapping the body can create a balance in your energy system and treat pain. According to its developer, Gary Craig, a disruption in energy is the cause of all negative emotions and pain. If you would like to find out about sessions of EFT, click here to get in touch.
What is Tapping with EFT?
Emotional freedom technique (EFT) is an alternative treatment for physical pain and emotional distress. It’s also referred to as tapping or psychological acupressure. As mentioned, people who use this technique believe tapping the body can create a balance in your energy system and treat pain. Though still being thoroughly researched, tapping with EFT has been used to treat people with anxiety and people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
How does EFT work?
Similar to acupuncture, EFT focuses on the meridian points . These are energy hot spots in the body. The technique aims to restore balance to your body’s energy. It’s believed that restoring this energy balance can relieve symptoms a negative experience or emotion may have caused. Tapping with EFT is based on Chinese medicine. The use of meridian points are about areas of the body in which energy flows through. These pathways help balance energy flow to maintain your health. Any imbalance can influence disease or sickness.
Acupuncture uses needles to apply pressure to these very same energy points. EFT uses fingertip tapping to apply pressure instead. So can be a less invasive option. Proponents say the tapping helps you access your body’s energy and send signals to the part of the brain that controls stress. They claim that stimulating the meridian points through EFT tapping can reduce stress. That tapping with EFT can reduce negative emotions you feel from your issue, ultimately restoring balance to your disrupted energy.
Tapping with EFT in five steps
EFT tapping can be divided into five steps. If you have more than one issue or fear, you can repeat this sequence to address it and reduce or eliminate the intensity of your negative feeling.
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Identify the issue
In order for this technique to be effective, you must first identify the issue or fear you have. This will be your focal point while you’re tapping. Focusing on only one problem at a time is purported to enhance your outcome.
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Test the initial intensity
After you identify your problem area, you need to set a benchmark level of intensity. The intensity level is rated on a scale from 0 to 10, with 10 being the worst or most difficult. The scale assesses the emotional or physical pain and discomfort you feel from your focal issue.
Establishing a benchmark helps you monitor your progress after performing a complete EFT sequence. If your initial intensity was 10 prior to tapping and ended at 5, you’d have accomplished a 50 percent improvement level.
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The setup
Prior to tapping with EFT, you need to establish a phrase that explains what you’re trying to address. It must focus on two main goals:
- acknowledging the issues
- accepting yourself despite the problem
The common setup phrase is: “Even though I have this [fear or problem], I deeply and completely accept myself.”
You can alter this phrase so that it fits your problem, but it must not address someone else’s. For example, you can’t say, “Even though my mother is sick, I deeply and completely accept myself.” You have to focus on how the problem makes you feel in order to relieve the distress it causes. It’s better to address this situation by saying, “Even though I’m sad my mother is sick, I deeply and completely accept myself.”
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Tapping with EFT sequence
The EFT tapping sequence is the methodic tapping on the ends of nine meridian points. There are 12 major meridians that mirror each side of the body and correspond to an internal organ. However, EFT mainly focuses on these nine:
- side of hand, sometimes referred to as “karate chop” (KC): small intestine meridian
- top of head (TH): governing vessel
- eyebrow (EB): bladder meridian
- side of the eye (SE): gallbladder meridian
- under the eye (UE): stomach meridian
- under the nose (UN): governing vessel
- chin (Ch): central vessel
- beginning of the collarbone (CB): kidney meridian
- under the arm (UA): spleen meridian
Begin by tapping the side of hand point while simultaneously reciting your setup phrase three times. Then, tap each following point seven times, moving down the body in this ascending order:
eyebrow
side of the eye
under the eye
under the nose
chin
beginning of the collarbone
under the arm
After tapping the underarm point, finish the sequence at the top of the head point.
While tapping the ascending points, recite a reminder phrase to maintain focus on your problem area. If your setup phrase is, “Even though I’m sad my mother is sick, I deeply and completely accept myself,” your reminder phrase can be, “The sadness I feel that my mother is sick.”
Recite this phrase at each tapping point. Repeat this sequence two or three times.
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Test the final intensity
At the end of your sequence, rate your intensity level on a scale from 0 to 10. Compare your results with your initial intensity level. If you haven’t reached 0, repeat this process until you do.
Research about EFT
EFT has been used to effectively treat war veterans and active military with PTSD. In a 2013 study, researchers studied the impact of EFT tapping on veterans with PTSD against those receiving standard care. Within a month, participants receiving EFT coaching sessions had significantly reduced their psychological stress. In addition, more than half of the EFT test group no longer fit the criteria for PTSD. There are also some success stories from people with anxiety using EFT tapping as an alternative treatment.
A 2016 review, compared the effectiveness of using EFT tapping over standard care options for anxiety symptoms. A 2022 study found EFT to be effective in increasing self-esteem in nurses. Another study in 2023 showed that tapping with EFT reduced anxiety and stress for health care professionals during COVID-19. The study concluded there was a significant decrease in anxiety scores compared to participants receiving other care. However, further research is needed to compare EFT treatment with other cognitive therapy techniques.
Sessions of tapping with EFT in London and online
If you would like to book some sessions of tapping with EFT, get in touch. As you can see from this article there is already a lot of research and evidence for its effectiveness. EFT tapping is a wonderful, pain free alternative acupressure therapy treatment. Use EFT to restore balance to disrupted energy. As well as PTSD, tapping with EFT has benefits as a treatment for anxiety, depression, physical pain, and insomnia. Click here to get in touch to book your first session.
