What is EFT Tapping Therapy?

What if someone told you you could feel better by tapping your body? That you could decrease feelings of anxiety and depression, and improve your self-esteem without anything but your own fingers. While this may sound a bit far-fetched, the results are nothing to roll your eyes at.

EFT – An Alternative Therapy

It’s estimated that 10 million people worldwide have used a technique known as EFT tapping to alleviate a number of physiological issues. 

Many people report improvement with the following:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Physical pain 
• Weight loss
• Insomnia
• Phobias
• ADHD
• Overall well-being and mindfulness 

Additional benefits can include better focus, improved confidence, and greater overall happiness from increased positive thinking. 

EFT tapping is considered a Somatic, body-based technique. EFT tapping is based on the belief that the body has the ability to heal itself. Therefore, the goal of EFT is to remove negative energy, which is in the form of thoughts and feelings.  And unlike other forms of treatment, EFT tapping doesn’t require anything other than you!

Benefits of EFT tapping therapy:

• Inexpensive/free
• Painless 
• Easy and accessible for anyone 
• Less time-consuming than other types of therapy
• No side-effects 
• Promotes self-love and self-acceptance 

Many people see the biggest advantage as the ability to have power and control over their treatment.

EFT, not to be confused with another EFT therapy (emotionally focused therapy) stands for emotional freedom technique. It’s a blend of traditional Chinese acupressure and modern psychology. Like other disciplines such as yoga and tai-chi, EFT tapping therapy relies on the mind-body connection. 

Like in acupuncture, EFT focuses on meridian points, which are “energy hot spots” that can restore balance to your body’s energy. You can think of the meridians as energy highways. These highways can become heavily congested, disrupting the healthy flow of energy. The belief is that by restoring this energy balance we can relieve a number of symptoms caused by negative emotions or a negative experience. By tapping on specific points we stimulate the acupressure points. 

It is a simple, self-guided form of therapy. The individual taps with their fingers on acupuncture meridian points on the head and upper body, while speaking about the thing that ails them. 

EFT tapping clears fear that becomes trapped inside of you, and releases cortisol, the stress hormone. Tapping, especially at the beginning may unleash a lot of emotions that have been building up inside you. Some of these emotions may be uncomfortable. If you find yourself, crying and/or feeling a lot of heavy emotions, know that this is completely normal. 

How Does It Work?

In the first two steps of the process, you are engaging the frontal lobe of your brain as you would in more traditional therapy (such as CBT). As you tap, you stimulate the meridian points.  Once the points are activated they send a signal to the part of the brain that controls our fight or flight response, known as the amygdala, telling it to calm down. We cannot access our amygdala through traditional means such as talk therapy. 

The statement or reminder phrase contributes to the decrease of cortisol, which is a stress hormone. Cortisol is a huge contributor to many of our unwanted conditions such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD. If we can reduce cortisol levels, it is possible to increase both physical and mental health, and reduce symptom intensity and frequency

EFT Tapping Steps

The EFT tapping therapy technique follows a sequence of steps. 

Before starting, find the pressure points.

There are 9 pressure points:

1. Side of Hand: The outer edge of your hand, below your pinky
2. Eyebrow point: The inner points of your eyebrows, above the bridge of your nose
3. Side of eye: The bone along the outside point of your eyes
4. Under eye: The bone directly under your eyes
5. Under nose: Under your nose, right above the center of your upper lip
6. Chin point: The crease below your bottom lip and above your chin
7. Collarbone point: The area about one inch below and one inch to the side, where your collar bones meet
8. Under arm: The area on your ribcage, about four inches below your armpit
9. Top of head: The crown of your head

1. Identify what is ailing you and rate the distress

If you’re experiencing anxiety, name it. Then, on a scale of 1 through 10, rate the level of distress it is causing you. 

2. Create a statement/affirmation 

Come up with a statement that identifies the issue and includes a line about self-acceptance. 

Example statement: “Even though I feel [name feeling], I am choosing to let it go, as I deeply and completely accept myself.

You can cater this as you please. 

3. Tap each point 

You can tap with one finger or two, two hands or one.  Whatever feels more comfortable for you. Tap on each point from 7-9 times, starting with your hand and ending with your head, all the while repeating your statement. One round of tapping should take about 30 seconds.

4. Rate your distress again

Using the same scale, rate your level of distress. Continue the sequence until the rating is low, a 2 or 3 on the scale. 

Does EFT Tapping Therapy Work?

Although EFT tapping therapy was not developed by a doctor,  it is an evidence-based self-help therapeutic method. Recent research has shown it to be an effective way to treat a variety of both physical and mental health symptoms. 

Results from a 2019 study showed significant decreases in pain, anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Physiological indicators of health such as resting heart rate, blood pressure, and cortisol also significantly decreased, indicating improvement. Happiness and immune system function also increased. These encouraging findings included diverse populations and people of various conditions.

EFT Tapping and Therapy

While it’s possible to do this technique completely on your own, some people choose to practice with a therapist, who can walk you through the sequence. Therapists can be trained to become EFT practitioners. 

Some people find that supplementing EFT tapping with talk therapy is the most effective option for treating mental health issues. You can use EFT tapping therapy alongside other treatments you’re already receiving such as medication. 

There’s no disputing the connection between the boy and the mind. We can use the body to heal what’s ailing us on the inside. It’s okay to be skeptical, but don’t knock this technique until you’ve tried it, or more accurately, tapped it.