Emotional Freedom technique or ‘tapping’
EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) is not actually about being ‘free from emotions’ but it offers a really helpful tool to enable you to manage your emotions in a way that doesn’t overwhelm you and doesn’t throw you completely off course.
EFT, literally involves tapping on easily accessible acupuncture points on the upper part of the body at the same time as identifying and voicing problems/issues/negative emotions/pain etc that cause dis-ease in the body. As part of the tapping protocol, we also reinforce positive affirmations to counteract the judgements that we so readily make of ourselves, and that have such a self-limiting effect.
EFT developed out of an understanding that every thought and emotion causes a reaction in the brain and also registers in the physical body. We all know the feeling of being nervous about something and experiencing this as a feeling of butterflies in the stomach or possibly sweating in the palms.
EFT can be used to overcome unwanted emotions such as fear, guilt, shame and anger. It can be used to change unwanted habits and behaviour such as smoking and cravings as well as addressing self-limiting and debilitating phobias and beliefs that stop us achieving the things we would like in our lives.
Distressing or uncomfortable experiences from the past can have an effect in the present day and be activated by situations that are perceived to be similar, even if there is no current threat or danger. By stimulating these specific points on the body, electrochemical signals are sent directly to your brain at the same time as identifying the particular emotion that is causing the problem. Doing these two things simultaneously, enables the brain to shift its response to the situation.
A real strength of this technique is that alongside working with me, I can teach you to apply this technique yourself as a self-help technique.
How can tapping help me right now
We need to be able to keep ourselves on an even keel so that we can manage the challenges ahead, not only on a practical level but also with those who are close to us, with whom we will have much closer proximity for extended periods of time. Tapping allows us to process feelings of frustration, anger, fear, panic etc and all their physical consequences.
As you will be aware, all these (understandable but) negative feelings also impact on our nervous systems, in particular, the sympathetic nervous system (connected to ‘flight and fight’), with the subsequent release of stress hormones and all the uncomfortable physical sensations that come with it.
RESEARCH:
EFT has now had several randomized controlled trials and numerous outcome studies published indicating a range of positive outcomes for conditions such as post traumatic stress disorder, generalized and specific anxiety, phobias, depression and chronic pain.
EFT produces real, lasting breakthroughs and significantly improves a wide range of health conditions. Research has shown that the brain’s stress and fear response – which is controlled by a part of your brain called the amygdala – can be lessened by stimulating the meridian points also used in acupuncture. [i]
[i] Dr.Dawson Church and his team, performed a randomized controlled trial to study how an hour-long tapping session would impact the stress hormone cortisol. They found that the average level of cortisol reduction was 24%, with up to a reduction of almost 50% in some subjects! In comparison, there was no significant cortisol reduction in those who underwent an hour of traditional talk therapy.
Church performed two pilot studies of EFT (for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). They demonstrated highly significant results despite a small sample size, indicating a robust treatment effect. This led to a randomized controlled trial, published in the oldest peer-reviewed psychiatry journal in North America, showing highly significant results. It demonstrated that 86% of veterans with clinical PTSD were sub-clinical after six sessions of EFT and remained so on follow-up. A concurrent study by an independent research team in Britain’s National Health Servic, showed similar findings, indicating that EFT meets the criteria of the American Psychological Association (APA) Division 12 Task Force as an empirically validated treatment for PTSD. An independent replication of Church’s PTSD study found similar results.
For more information about EFT and the regulatory association, please go to:
