About Jade Barbee
When I find myself off in the weeds or feeling bad, a practice of EFT (aka "tapping") is always there to help me weather personal challenges, reconnect with my intuition, calm my nerves, and live life as authentically as I possibly can. It enables me to get back on the horse when I fall, stretch more comfortably, and approach all of my goals more effortlessly.
I use it to help other people too. By acknowledging our true hurts, fears and worries, grief, negative self-talk or limiting thinking – in the context of some gentle, structured and well-facilitated tapping – a lot can change. My training and experience includes hundreds of hours of private sessions and group work since 2006. My Mini-CV includes:
- Assessor, EFT International Training and Accreditation, 2017-present
- Director, EFT International Training and Accreditation 2014-2017
- Accredited EFT Trainer of Trainers (EFT International) 2010-present
- Personal and Professional EFT Practice 2006-present
- Private Tutor and Learning Specialist, 1998-2007
- Teacher and Curriculum Advisor, Exploration Summer Programs, 1990-1996
- Graduate, B.A. Hampshire College, 1994
As an EFT International Accredited, Certified EFT Trainer (of Trainers), I mentor students and other practitioners at all skill levels and bring more than 18 years of experience as a private tutor and learning specialist to my 1-on-1 session work. I also teach EFT introductory and advanced tapping workshops.
My Tapping Story
In early 2005. I was working as a private tutor in New York City, a job where I was traveling from home to home, giving private lessons, tutoring and helping people create technology solutions for themselves.
I did well professionally, but I was pretty unhappy, and I felt as if I was really spinning my wheels. I sensed I was carrying a ton of stress around with me – and I had some good reasons – but I knew I wanted to let go of it, somehow. TMJ (a painful jaw condition) tormented me daily - so much that I used to wake with headaches, and my wrists always hurt from what I thought was simply working on the computer too much. It seemed I was constantly sick in some form or another, always on antibiotics and deeply unsatisfied with my personal relationships.
I learned of EFT almost casually after contacting a hypnotherapist I found online. Before we got around to doing any hypnotherapy, she introduced me to EFT and explained that she had just learned it and wanted to try it on me. I agreed, and, to my surprise and delight, after only five minutes of tapping, several years of “carpal tunnel” pain literally melted away (and did not return for over two years)!
The experience blew me away. EFT eased my physical symptoms, and it also removed the sting from deeper, more troubling memories that slowly — and safely — emerged during the tapping. Had I actually found a cure for the many terrible feelings I had been carrying around with me for so long?
Tapping Out of Trauma
As a child I was bullied for my perceived sexuality and my gender expression. It was relentless, confusing and went on for many years. Like so many young people in my situation, I never asked for help, and at the time I believed it was all my fault.
EFT helped me make connections – to follow the thoughts and feelings I was having now back to those earlier times. As I practiced tapping with myself and with others, I discovered a way to not only acknowledge painful feelings, thoughts and memories but to engage with them – allow myself to have them – and to ultimately disarm and let go of them.
This process has led to an evolving understanding of how vulnerable I had been to the conditioning of my earlier experiences - conditioning that resulted in the many unfortunate beliefs, behaviors and reflexes I developed in response, and the shame that accompanied them.
I don't think I'd ever had much compassion for myself before tapping, and practicing EFT has helped me understand other people better and become more compassionate, as well.
Dedicated tapping practice has also helped me understand that what I experienced growing up (like so many LGBTQ+ folks) is a form of complex trauma. I now know, for example, that the conclusions I came to about myself – that I was defective, that I was wrong – aren't true, and they could never have been true. I've also learned that letting go of the past is a skill we can cultivate, and that recovery from trauma is possible.
