What is EFT?
EFT tapping has been used successfully to treat people with anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in war zones. My own reason for falling head over heels with EFT is actually trauma recovery. I have been using EFT extensively this year to recover from Religious Trauma Syndrome and CPTSD. It works, my friends!
Tapping (EFT – Emotional Freedom Technique) is an energy-healing modality that was pioneered by Gary Craig. It is an alternative and holistic treatment of psychological tension/anxiety, phobias and physiological pain. EFT is also known as psychological acupressure.
According to Gary Craig, we experience negative emotions and pain when there is a disruption in our energy system. By tapping on the relevant meridian points, we can clear any blockages caused by that disruption. Disruption doesn’t always mean major trauma. It is basically any situation that we experience as more than we can cope with.
How Does EFT Work?
Similar to acupuncture but without needles, EFT focuses on stimulating the meridian points. These are the “energy hot spots” of your body’s energy system.
The meridian energy pathways help balance energy flow to maintain our health and well-being. Any imbalance or blockages can cause dis-ease and emotional dysregulation.
EFT uses fingertip tapping with two or three fingers to apply pressure to the meridian points. This makes it a gentle healing modality that can be used anywhere, anytime.
Tapping on the meridian points can have a calming effect on the central nervous system. This reduces stress in general and can also clear the emotional charge from specific negative or traumatic past events.
The EFT Tapping Points
Tapping in 5 Simple Steps
An EFT tapping session can be divided into five steps:
- Identify the issue
- Rate the emotional charge according to the SUDS scale (Subjective Units of Distress)
- Creating a setup statement
- The tapping sequence
- Measure the final emotional charge/intensity level on the SUDS scale
Have a Glass of Water!
Please note that the EFT session will flow more smoothly if you are well-hydrated before you begin.
1. Identify the Issue
Identifying an issue to tap on means finding an issue that triggers a negative emotional charge when you hear or see something relating to the issue. It could relate to a memory from your past but sometimes the memory itself has been forgotten and only neural patterning remains. That’s okay.
You don’t need to know exactly what caused the trigger. You just need to know that something has evoked a feeling of distress or discomfort to tap on it. Try to label the feeling. Give it a name. Rate its intensity. Try locating where in the body it resides. You can even give it a shape and/or a colour.
2. Determine the Intensity of the Emotional Charge
Use the SUDS scale below to rate the intensity of the distress/discomfort that has been triggered
Don’t overthink this part. The first number that pops into your head is usually the right number.
3. The Setup Statement
The setup statement helps you:
- acknowledge the issues
- accept yourself despite the problem
The common setup phrase is: “Even though I have this [name your fear or problem], I deeply and completely love and accept myself.”
Your statement cannot be about someone else’s issue. Saying, “Even though my father has dementia, I deeply and completely love and accept myself” won’t work. Instead, say something like “Even though I’m sad my father has dementia, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.”
4. The EFT Tapping 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. Hence you can tap on both sides simultaneously if you prefer but tapping on just one side works just as well. EFT mainly focuses on these nine points:
- side of the hand sometimes referred to as “karate chop” (KC): small intestine meridian (used for the set-up statement)
- 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
- top of the head (TH): governing vessel
Begin by tapping the karate chop point while saying your setup statement three times. Then, tap each point below five to seven times, moving down the body in the following order:
- eyebrow
- side of the eye
- under the eye
- under the nose
- chin
- beginning of the collarbone
- under the arm (in line with your bra strap or nipple)
After tapping the underarm point, finish the sequence at the top of the head point.
The Reminder Phrase
As you tap on each of the eight points, use a reminder phrase to maintain focus on your issue. For instance, if your setup statement is, “Even though I’m sad my father has dementia, I deeply and completely love and accept myself,” your reminder phrase can be, “This sadness I feel that my father has dementia.”
Say the reminder phrase out loud at each tapping point. Repeat the whole sequence two or three times. Take a deep breath and check your SUDS scale number.
Optional Extra (Tapping in the Positive)
Next, you can do two or three rounds with a positive reminder statement. You don’t need a setup statement for this. Simply start tapping straight after taking your SUDS score after the negative round.
So, let’s say you have been tapping on a fear of not having enough money. You can now tap on feeling abundant and safely provided for. Once you have had a bit of practice, the positive tapping reminder phrase will evolve as you tap. Complete the final round by taking a deep breath and letting go of all tension.
5. Measure the Final Emotional Charge
Ideally, you will have gone to 3 or below on the SUDS scale after your final round of tapping. However, don’t panic if you aren’t there yet.
Allow some time to pass and go about your business as usual. Sometimes the emotional charge releases gradually after a session. Check the SUDS scale again, after a few hours.
Sometimes, you may need to adjust your setup statement so that you go a bit deeper into the real reason for the energetic blockage. An experienced EFT practitioner can help you with this.
Drink More Water!
After the session, when there has been a release of emotional charge, use water to flush out the system of any toxins and to stay hydrated. The healing process may continue for a while after the session so keep topping your water levels up over the next 24-48 hours.
FREE Download – Guide To EFT Tapping
You can access a FREE PDF Download with the EFT Tapping guide by clicking the image above or HERE (Right-click and choose ‘Save link as.’)
You may also wish to check out THIS POST that teaches you how to use Tarot together with EFT. Tapping is also an excellent complement to muscle testing.