WHAT is EFT and HOW does it work?

The Emotional Freedom Techniques is an approach which combines cognitive therapy with finger tapping stimulation of specific acupressure points.

Bringing together the cognitive approach and the tapping amplifies the effect of both.

The basic tapping protocol is easy to learn as a self-help tool for emotional, mental and physical stress. As a therapeutic modality, with a trained practitioner, EFT is used for a range

of conditions including stress, anxiety, and chronic pain. It is increasingly being used for peak performance and injury recovery with musicians and athletes.

Extensive research over the last 25 years has proven not just the efficacy of EFT but has also shed light on our understanding of the mechanisms of how it works.

What is the process?

When starting to tap we begin with identifying an emotion, thought, issue or memory of an event which is bothering us. We rate the intensity out of 10.

We start with a set-up statement, which is in two parts. The first half states what we are focusing on. The second half is an acceptance statement that reinforces a compassionate attitude towards yourself and helps to create a separation between you and the problem.

eg  “Even though I am feeling … I accept myself anyway.”

We say this statement three times while tapping on the side of the hand. Then we tap each EFT point a few times while saying a reminder word of what the problem is. The basic points are on the head, face and upper body.

After a round or two of tapping we check in to see if the intensity has changed.

A practitioner will know how to facilitate the tapping so that the intensity goes down or knows how to follow a shift in focus if the client feels this is necessary.

EFT is totally led by the client, and their words are used throughout the process which many find very self-affirming. Both the client and the practitioner tap on themselves.

How does it work?

Recent research into the Chinese system of acupuncture, the meridian system and brain imaging with fMRI’s have been fundamental to explaining how EFT works.

The tapping on the acupressure points is a vital part of EFT (research shows that sham points aren’t effective).

The EFT points have a lower electrical resistance and higher electrical conductivity compared to the points near them. When stimulated, these points convert the mechanical pressure into electrical impulses.

The impulses travel along the meridian pathways, which we now know are embedded in the connective tissue and collagen, to the brain. These pathways, which have been know about for thousands of years and used in Chinese acupuncture, have now been mapped by electron microscopes and show up as a microscopic tubular structure, the diameter of a single skin cell.

When doing EFT, the focus on the problem activates specific areas of the brain. EFT uses the meridian system (now called the Primovascular system) to transmit signals to the brain. What the mind focuses on while you are tapping dictates which regions will attract and receive the electrical impulses generated by the tapping.

The brain and body inherently seek balance so the signals will either increase or decrease activation in the brain depending on what is needed to bring the brain and body back into homeostasis.

Thanks to the work of Dr Peta Stapleton and David Feinstein, PhD.

·      The Evidence Based EFT Manual by Dr Peta Stapleton and Naomi Janzen.

·      The Science behind Tapping by Dr Peta Stapleton

·      Tapping by David Feinstein and Donna Eden