What is EFT Tapping?
Emotional Freedom Technique, or EFT, is an energy psychology technique that involves tapping on acupuncture points with your fingertips to relieve negative emotions and physical pain. This ancient Chinese healing art combines aspects of acupressure, cognitive behavioral therapy and traditional Chinese medicine to address the root causes of both psychological and physical ailments, thereby helping you heal from the inside out. To give you a better idea of how it works, here’s what you need to know about EFT Tapping.
The History of EFT
EFT tapping (Emotional Freedom Technique) was developed by Roger Callahan, PhD in 1982 as a solution to his own health problems. Since that time, hundreds of thousands of people have discovered how simple and effective tapping can be for releasing stress and breaking free from negative emotions such as fear, worry, anger, and sadness. It’s been called acupuncture without needles because it uses similar stimulation techniques to stimulate meridian points on your body with your fingertips. It has become one of today’s most popular methods for improving physical and emotional well-being.
How Does it Work?
According to Gary Craig, who created EFT, tapping releases stress and trauma stored in your body’s energy meridians. Each meridian represents a different aspect of your emotional life. By tapping on specific points along those meridians (using your fingertips), you can release those emotions and achieve lasting relief from emotional pain.
These points are known as acupressure points or acupuncture points. They are located throughout your body—on your face, head, arms, legs, hands and feet—and each point corresponds to an emotion or issue that needs attention. For example: The point between your eyebrows is for headaches; under your arm for heartache; on top of each foot for anger; etc. Once you identify which issues need work, tap through them using EFT’s set-up statement followed by five rounds of tapping. During each round, repeat one of three phrases (you choose which one):
1) Even though I have [emotion], I deeply and completely love and accept myself.
2) Even though I have [emotion], I choose to relax now.
3) Even though I have [emotion], I give myself permission to feel better now. To finish up, use a positive affirmation like I am calm and relaxed or I am at peace with my feelings. Repeat these statements out loud while continuing to tap until you feel better.
My Personal Experience with EFT
One of my favorite things about EFT tapping is that it’s a powerful way to get through trauma without reliving it. This really helps clients benefit from your services, because it cuts down on their need for therapy—they’re able to process and move on, so they can focus on more positive things and create positive change in their lives.
Practical Applications of EFT
I also love how versatile EFT tapping is; you can use it with all sorts of issues, from stress management to relationship problems. It’s an extremely practical tool that I find myself recommending to many people (including friends) who are looking for some extra help in their lives. Plus, it’s easy to learn! It takes only a few minutes to learn how to tap yourself or others; you don’t have to be an expert or even know what you’re doing!
That’s it! The whole process takes about 5 minutes, but it might take some practice before you get good at it. Some people find they get faster results when they combine EFT with other self-care practices such as meditation or yoga.
In clinical research conducted in 2012, EFT was found to have no less than 34 emotional and psychological benefits. Aside from stress relief, depression reduction, and post-traumatic stress disorder treatment, these include relief from phobias (including fear of flying), insomnia, anxiety disorders (such as panic attacks), grief and loss issues, shame and guilt problems, traumatic memories of all kinds (yes—even memories of childhood abuse!), performance enhancement for musicians…and much more. If you’re a coach or therapist who wants to take your practice to a whole new level, you might also want to learn how to use EFT on yourself!
EFT tapping is a powerful self-healing modality that can be used to treat a variety of issues. It has been around for over 50 years and there is a lot of research to support its efficacy. I have personally found it to be helpful in managing my stress, anxiety, and depression. If you are interested in trying EFT tapping, please let me know in the comments below! I would love to hear about your experience with it.