EFT 101- Emotional Freedom Technique
WHAT IS EFT? —
EFT stands for Emotional Freedom Technique (also referred to as tapping), and it’s designed to help us move through emotional discomfort and general anxiety. In this practice we literally tap on the upper body and face, targeting meridians similar to those in acupuncture. EFT is essentially psychological acupressure.
THE ORIGINS OF EFT -
The foundational concept behind EFT tapping comes from traditional Chinese medicine, specifically acupuncture, which was developed thousands of years ago. Acupuncture is based on the idea that the body contains energy pathways (meridians) that connect to cells, organs, thoughts, and emotions. It is a way of looking at, and healing the person, on a holistic level.. mind, body and spirit.
In 1962, a man named Dr. George Goodheart, began studying acupuncture and incorporating it into his work a chiropractor. He developed Applied Kinesiology, which uses muscle testing to determine the most appropriate treatments. Dr. Goodheart found that physically "tapping" on acupuncture points could produce similar benefits to traditional acupuncture.
In the 70’s, Dr. John Diamond expanded on Goodheart's work and developed Behavioral Kinesiology. This method took it up a notch and combined the physical tapping with positive affirmations to address emotional issues as well.
Then, in the 80’s, Dr. Roger Callahan, made another breakthrough while working with a patient who had a severe phobia of water. By having her tap under her eyes (corresponding to the stomach meridian in acupuncture), her fear unexpectedly vanished. This led Callahan to develop Thought Field Therapy (TFT), which uses specific sequences of tapping points for different emotional problems.
EFT, as we know it today, was made popular by Dr. Gary Craig (a student of Callahan) who felt that TFT was too complex to be practical; having nearly 200 different tapping sequences. So, in 1995, Craig developed a simplified version called Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), which focuses on 9 primary tapping points.
MY PERSONAL JOURNEY -
I have used EFT to overcome everything from clinical depression, to disordered eating, to heartbreak, to social anxiety.. you name it. It has quite literally transformed my life over the last decade. I remember a buddy introducing me to EFT my sophomore year of college - we would watch Brad Yates (the OG) on YouTube almost every day and it absolutely blew my mind. It felt like some sort of magic.
I consider tapping to be a form of rapid healing which is why it’s one of the primary techniques that I teach within The Lifted Method ™️ (the framework I use to facilitate positive change with clients).
EFT is very simple, and it’s best understood by watching someone do it first. So, here are links to a few Reels I’ve created for you that are like mini-sessions!
THE EFT FRAMEWORK —
When you’re ready to do it on your own, below is a ‘formula’ that should help you flow. Essentially, you’ll talk your way through an issue you’re having and finally arrive at a place of optimism, peace, and understanding that the issue is not as scary as you’ve made it out to be!
First, rate your discomfort from 1-10. You’ll revisit this rating this after you’re done tapping!
Identify the issue. What exactly is the problem? For example: “I feel ______ (scared, upset, etc.).”
Define your ‘phrase of compassion’. For example: “Even though I feel ______ I deeply and completely love, honor, and accept myself.”
Have your emotional goal in mind. For example: “I choose to feel ________ (grounded, confident, etc.) today”.
You’ll then tap on the meridians (pictured) as you speak aloud your blocks and concerns, then work your way up to affirming the most positive outcome. This framework does one of two things, it: A) Gives honest acknowledgment to the pain you’re experiencing. B) Rationalizes a more optimal outcome that makes total sense.
Finally, rate your discomfort from 1-10. Hopefully it went down significantly!
Tapping and working though your discomfort aloud breaks up energy blocks (physically, mentally, and spiritually) on a cellular level. For this reason, it’s super important to drink water before and after to flush out the distorted energy you’ve just cleared!
EFT puts the power back into your hands. You can tap anywhere, anytime, for anything that’s bothering you. I’ve tapped on everything from relieving back pain to allowing miracles to overcoming depression to making more money. Honestly, I have tried just about everything in the book when it comes to healing and but nothing else has made such an obvious difference. There's something about the marriage between somatic healing (the physical tapping) with the honesty and optimism of speaking through a mental block with compassion.
Happy tapping! Let me know how your life begins to expand with this technique.
++ If you’re ready to take your healing to the next level, you can join us in The Lifted Club (a spiritual community) - I teach EFT classes once a month!
