What is the Emotional Freedom Technique (or Tapping)?
If you’ve spent any time in social media circles around self-healing and personal growth lately, you might have stumbled across the term “EFT” or “tapping” and wondered what that practice entailed exactly.
To help shed some light on this amazing modality called the emotional freedom technique, in this article we’re going to do a deep dive into everything you need to know! We’ll cover
What is the “Emotional Freedom Technique” or EFT Tapping?
What are the benefits of EFT tapping?
How is EFT tapping performed?
And, how do I get started with EFT
What is the “Emotional Freedom Technique” or EFT Tapping?
The Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT, or also called “tapping”) is an alternative healing modality that aims to relieve stress, mental health symptoms and physical pain.
Similar to the ancient Chinese practice of acupuncture, EFT is based on the idea that our body’s energy moves along certain pathways and that the flow of this energy can be stimulated in certain points on these pathways.
Unlike acupuncture which uses needles to stimulate these meridian points, EFT works by gently tapping these points with one or two fingertips while thinking about a specific issue or problem that is causing stress or discomfort.
For many of us, the problems that are causing stress and discomfort are often associated with a dysregulated nervous system response, often called “fight or flight mode”. EFT works based on the assumption that by tapping the 9 main meridian points, we send specific signals to our brain that communicate that we are safe and it is okay to relax, thus helping us to relieve some of the stress response and return to a calm and peaceful state.
The procedure is usually performed in a five-step process (which we will explain in more detail below!). But first, let’s take a look at some of the benefits of EFT and why it’s such a great practice to add to your self-healing tool kit!
What are the benefits of EFT tapping?
Tapping can be a great healing modality to add to your self-care tool kit for many different reasons!
According to the world’s leading EFT association, the treatment can have positive effects on a variety of conditions such as:
Chronic stress
Chronic pain
Anxiety
Depression
PTSD & Trauma
Phobias
Food Cravings & Weight Loss
Addiction
And More!
On top of that, it’s incredibly simple, easy to learn and can be performed on your own, making it much less expensive and time-consuming than some of the other treatments out there. Plus, it empowers you to take healing matters into your own hands so you no longer have to rely on costly treatments and professionals if you don’t want to.
How is EFT tapping performed?
There are nine tapping points on the body that form the foundation of EFT tapping. Starting from the top, they are:
Top of Head
The Eyebrow Point
Side of Eye
Under Eye
Under Nose
Chin Point
Collarbone Point
Under Arm
Karate Chop (Side of Hand)
Using these points as a basis, the tapping procedure is most commonly performed in a simple and straightforward, five-step process:
Rate the intensity of your distress around the issue (on a scale 0-10)
While tapping the Karate Chop point, say the setup statement “Even though I have this (fear or problem)/Even though I feel (emotion), I deeply and completely accept myself.” (or a version that feels right to you!)
Go through the sequence of tapping points, and tap each of them 5-7 times while reminding yourself of the issues or challenge you are focussing on
Re-assess the intensity of your distress to see how it changed (again, on a scale from 0-10)
Repeat this entire process as many times as you feel like you need!
If you feel like after one round of tapping, your distress levels are still higher than a 2 or 3, you can keep repeating the process until you feel like you’ve released the stress you are feeling. With every round, you can change then setup statement slightly (only if it feels right to you!) to reflect any changes in your mood/emotions, etc.
If you’ve now become curious or would love to finally incorporate some form of tapping into your life, then you basically have two different options: you can either see a professional or perform EFT yourself!
How do I get started with EFT?
Seeing an experienced EFT practitioner
If you’re looking for supported way of integrating EFT into your healing journey, then finding a 1-on-1 practitioner who performs EFT with you might be the right step for you. The treatment is usually set up as a series of several session. Together with the EFT therapist, you’ll choose to focus on a specific area of your life in which you’re hoping to achieve a breakthrough and see a positive impact.
For a list of accredited EFT practitioners in your area, you can check out the International directory here.
2. Self-Guided EFT
Anyone who is looking for a gentler start into tapping or would prefer to add it to their at-home self-care routine, might find that an self-administered practice of EFT is the right option for them.
Thanks to all the amazing resources available on the internet today, you can very easily learn how to perform EFT on yourself or alternatively, follow along to a video or online instructor.
If you’re looking practical and hands-on advice on how to get started with EFT at home, then we have great news! In The Self Care Space, we have an entire workshop dedicated to teaching you all the basics of EFT, a variety of tips on how it can be used and showing you some demos of how you can apply it to your self-care routine. Plus we are currently taking suggestions from our members for future topics you’d like to learn EFT for!
Don’t know about The Self Care Space or not already a member?
Regardless of where you are on your self care journey, we’ve made it our mission to support you through all of its ups and downs. Our membership is filled with self-guided prompts and programs on self-love, healthy relationships, breaking free from the past and managing a healthy mindset. We have countless guided meditations, healing visualizations as well as weekly live workshops and coaching sessions.
If you want to know more or are interested in signing up , you can find out all the relevant information here.
Whichever route you choose for your personal healing journey, we just want you to know we are proud of you for showing up for yourself in the first place!
Do you finally want to step into your own power? Sign up to join The Self Care Space now and start your journey today!
xoxo,
The Self Care Space
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