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What’s EFT Tapping? The Ultimate Guide

EFT Tapping is a technique used to reduce the thoughts and feelings that are experienced before, during and after a traumatic experience. It works by releasing any pent-up emotions through various tapping sequences, with the help of a therapist or even alone.

The idea of tapping into the body’s energy meridians to resolve emotional distress was first introduced in the 1990s by Gary Craig on his own website and through his Emotional Freedom Technique EFT manual. The EFT method has been successfully used for decades now, with many people experiencing relief from trauma-related disorders such as PTSD. However, there are far more benefits and uses of the Emotional Freedom Technique.

In this guide, we’ll talk about EFT treatment and EFT techniques, the benefits, and how you can get started with the Emotional Freedom Technique yourself.

Woman tapping the side of her head during EFT

What’s EFT? Understanding the Tapping Process

The EFT tapping process is based on the idea that holding onto negative emotions can be detrimental to one’s mental and physical health. One starts by locating a point in their body where they feel an emotional issue the most, such as their heart, neck, or upper arm. Once they find the point, they do a series of quick taps on it while thinking about what is bothering them or how they are feeling at that moment.

EFT tapping therapy is a type of psychological therapy that helps people manage stress and negative emotions by stimulating acupressure points on the body. The method was created by Gary Craig in 1990 and became popularized in 2000 when it was featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show.

The Benefits of EFT Tapping Therapy

As tapping therapy and EFT treatment is still quite new, research is ongoing as to the benefits of this practice. 

According to the current research, Tapping Therapy can reduce or eliminate many conditions including:

  • Heart palpitations
  • Anxiety and panic attacks
  • Depression
  • Headaches
  • Insomnia
  • Neck pain
  • Toothache

Emotional Freedom Technique EFT (tapping) is a simple and easy technique that deals with emotional issues. Tapping therapy can be used for a variety of purposes such as stress relief, anxiety management, pain management, or to improve cognitive performance. EFT is also often used alongside journaling for mental health too.

Tapping therapy has been shown to reduce cortisol levels in the brain which are responsible for stress and anxiety. Increased levels of cortisol have been linked to a variety of health problems such as heart disease and cancer. Tapping therapy has also been shown to increase serotonin levels in the brain which are responsible for moods like happiness and relaxation.

In recent years, more people have started using tapping therapy because it is an alternative form of treatment that is not only effective but also generally free from side effects.

The number of EFT sessions you need to see the benefits will depend on the issue, but a qualified EFT practitioner should talk you through what to expect before you get started.

How to Tap for an Emotional Issue

EFT Tapping is a technique that helps us bypass our logical brain to help us with emotional issues.

EFT is a very practical, hands-on way to look after your emotional wellbeing. The premise behind EFT Tapping is that when we experience stress, trauma and other negative emotions, we store these experiences in our subconscious mind but because they are not processed fully, the emotions can continue to affect us through our daily life and may cause further problems such as depression or anxiety.

Following is what you’ll expect in most EFT techniques and sessions:

1) Start by identifying the issue you want to work on.

2) Rate how much this issue bothers you, on a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 means not at all and 10 means extremely.

3) Take three deep breaths in and out

4) Focus your attention on the problem

5) State what it is you are feeling (e.g., “I feel worried about my future”).

6) Rate how much this issue bothers you again, then release it by tapping 7 times (e.g., tap under your eye or on your temples).

EFT techniques consist of tapping your fingers on specific points of the skin while simultaneously thinking about a specific traumatic event. This helps to break up the physical sensations and emotional associations with that event, which is thought to help reduce its power over you.

There are eight main points, or meridians, that are used during tapping: Brow, Under Eye, Under Nose, Chin, Collarbone, Top Of Head (or Crown), Thymus and Collarbone. 

How to Make the Most Out of Your EFT Tapping Experience

There are numerous benefits of tapping, but it can be challenging to know where to start. Here are some tips on how you can make the most out of your tapping experience:

Tapping is not a cure-all for mental health issues, but it has been shown to have benefits for anxiety and depression. Make sure you speak to a mental health professional and/or GP alongside an EFT practitioner. 

The benefit of tapping is that it doesn’t take much time and can be done just about anywhere. This means that you can tap while on the bus or waiting in line at the grocery store. Make it work around your life!

Learn the basics first and then adapt the EFT techniques to suit you and your concerns. Our EFT expert, Aga, has an excellent lesson on the fundamentals of tapping for members

There’s also a higher chance that tapping will work for you if you do it consistently. The more EFT sessions you do, the more natural it will become for you.

What is an EFT practitioner and what do they do?

EFT practitioners are people who specialise in EFT Techniques. They use a very specific set of tapping methods to help individuals with a variety of physical, emotional, and mental health issues.

The primary goal of an EFT practitioner is to help their clients release the negative thoughts and emotions that are stored in their subconscious mind. They accomplish this by having the client focus on the issue while they tap on specific meridian points on their body. This type of therapy has been proven effective for anxiety, depression, PTSD, weight loss, and many other problems.

How Long Should I Tap for Each Time?

It is not necessary to tap for the same length of time each time. It is better to vary the length of the taps. It prevents you from doing the same movement over and over again and helps you keep your hands mobile.

The best way to do this is by counting up to 10 in your head with a different number of taps for each number, then counting back down in reverse order.

Summary: Tap Away Your Emotions and Improve Your Life Quality with EFT Techniques

EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) Tapping is a psychological acupressure technique that involves tapping selective points on the body while thinking about upsetting events.

The benefits of tapping are vast. It has been shown to help with a wide range of mental and emotional health conditions, such as PTSD, anxiety, depression, stress and more. It has also been found to be an effective treatment for pain management in many chronic conditions.

This method was developed by Gary Craig who combined the Western practice of EFT with traditional Chinese acupressure. The goal is to release emotional energy that may be trapped in the body’s meridian system, restoring the flow of energy through the body.

You can try practising EFT tapping on your own using the guide above, through an EFT practitioner or even through the lessons we have on our membership platform!

You can learn more about the Emotional Freedom Technique (or EFT Tapping) in this Q&A video with our expert Aga Kehinde.


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