What is EFT Tapping?
EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) or "tapping" is a gentle approach to feeling better and healing old wounds. It can be used alone (for self-help) or together with an experienced practitioner.
There is a lot of varying opinion as well as valid, up-to-date scientific data about what tapping is and how it works. In my opinion, based on practicing it to help myself and others for over 16 years, tapping is a form of mindful acupressure that helps us hold space for our uncomfortable thoughts, feelings and symptoms in ways that can allow us to calm our nervous systems, build our emotional capacity, "get out of our own way", and feel better.
To try EFT Tapping for yourself, tap along with the Constricted Breathing Exercise (below) or get started tapping with my free Tapping for Self-Care sheet and the How to Tap Guide and Free Tapping Points Chart from EFT International.
What is the science behind tapping?
To begin to understand EFT, we can look to our understanding of how stress effects us.
When we are stressed out and feeling poorly – even at a so-called low level – our bodies are in a state of discomfort or even high alert. This sense of being under threat can continue for hours, days, weeks or months, depending upon our unique orientation to life. We might be quite used to this, or simply accept it as a part of living – even as we struggle under the weight of it – physically, emotionally, in our relationships...
This pressure can seem to come from outside of us, but consider that it actually comes from within us - from our own negative thoughts, unexpressed feelings, or as a response to the early troubling experiences we still carry.
When our stress responses have been triggered, we find ourselves in a state of fight, flight, freeze, flop or fawn. Our bodies release adrenaline and cortisol - powerful stress hormones designed to help us take action for safety and survival or shut down for the same reasons. Sometimes this response is appropriate (jumping out of the way of a speeding car, for example), and sometimes it isn't (e.g. inability to express ourselves clearly, screaming at loved one, stuffing down our pain, reaching for the bottle, etc.)
How does EFT tapping work?
When we allow ourselves to have what we are having (e.g. the stress of negative thoughts, "bad" feelings, memories or symptoms we've been avoiding or pushing away), we can feel better, often in a matter of minutes. In other words, tapping is a somatic (body-centered) and systematic approach we can use to experience the benefits of being present – to ourselves.
Everyone has had negative or painful experiences, and each of us deals with these in our own ways: Some of us self-medicate (with food, alcohol, drugs or shopping, for example) others externalize (scream, abuse, blame, etc.) and still many more internalize the pain in the form of self-blame, anxiety, physical symptoms or negative thinking. Sometimes it's a combination of all of these. In essence, we humans can get in the habit of pushing away or trying to bury difficult thoughts and emotions.
Simply put, EFT (or Tapping) helps us sit with these feelings in a structured and proactive way. By tapping on the endpoints of acupuncture meridians and putting words to what feels wrong or uncomfortable (thoughts, feelings, or body sensations), our amygdala (the part of the brain that regulates mood by releasing powerful stress hormones to keep us safe) – can genuinely relax. When we are no longer in a state of fight, flight, freeze, flop or fawn – we can become more naturally grounded and calm.
Does EFT work on ______?
Those of us in the EFT field get this one a lot! If you've read this far, you know tapping works when we allow ourselves to have what we are having, especially any pain, discomfort or uncomfortable thoughts (instead of fighting against these things). For example, if we're anxious, we might just tap with that anxiety, what it feels like in the body OR what we are specifically anxious about (e.g., speaking in front of the school, talking to my son) – and see what happens.
For physical issues, such as an allergic reaction, an injury or a chronic condition, we would tap with how it feels to have the issue, where we feel it/ where it shows up, or even what was going on in our lives when it started.
I have helped people address serious issues, including chronic pain, anxiety, trauma, sleeplessness, allergies, low self-esteem, and more – by working with under-appreciated emotional contributors, like those above. Usually these reveal themselves while we tap...
Does EFT always work? No, but the persistence, experience and skill of the practitioner can make all the difference.
Can EFT help heal trauma?
"Trauma is what happens inside of us" – Gabor Maté
EFT can reliably calm our outsized stress responses – like fear, frustration or chronic anxiety – in the moment it is happening, allowing us to think more clearly and restoring our choice-making ability.
In skilled hands, EFT can further be used to address and disarm what gets triggered that is often at the root of our stress – those bad things that happened, our negative thoughts about them, our unfortunate conclusions about ourselves – so our nervous systems can safely relax. We're likely just trying to protect ourselves – consciously or unconsciously – from bad things happening again.
It may well be that our stress responses now are trauma responses – to what happened then. An EFT approach allows us to gently have our pain – to no longer push it away. When we tap and allow what's most present for us now, a trail can open up back to the early times in life when we developed our strategies and protective coping skills. By being present to the feelings, images, or memories that arise while we tap – we create the space for our discomfort (or "stress") to naturally change or evolve. In this way, tapping can bring lasting relief.
Do you think your issues might be stress-related? If you sense you're stuck in a cycle of stress or struggle, a program of personal EFT sessions can help. How often do you really give yourself the opportunity to be present to yourself or notice what's going on under the surface of your current situation?
How can I learn EFT?
If you're new to EFT, I've co-written a free introductory manual (available from EFT International). Download it here to get started exploring how tapping can help you.
Are you interested in the science behind EFT or the research that's been done? There are 35+ Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs, the gold-standard for research) involving EFT and EFT-related modalities. Head over to EFT International to explore the research archive.
Finally, if you've heard about EFT, experienced it, or sense that it might be the right tool to help you better assist your clients, consider an EFT training course (beginning February 24th, 2023). Together we practice the ins and outs of tapping with other students in a fun, engaging and cooperative group environment – a fantastic way to learn this life-long skill.
