Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)

EFT is a healing method that addresses a large spectrum of physical and psychological conditions, having as a basis the idea that the stress that results from unresolved emotional issues is the main cause for the majority of conditions or illnesses. Through tapping techniques that the individual can apply him/herself in strategic points on his/her body, this stress is reduced and the path to healing can therefore be open. EFT is a self-helping healing system with a rather recent history.

It was founded by Gary Craig in the ’90s and it still holds a somewhat controversial position among healing methods. However, more and more research is being conducted regarding the efficiency of this method and the results are encouraging. It is a non-intrusive method that can be applied by anyone, anywhere, without a prior laborious training or any sort of special machinery. The effects can range from profound relaxation to the complete healing of certain troublesome health conditions.

How it works

EFT is a type of energy psychology technique based on the idea that ‘stimulating energy points on the skin, paired with specific mental activity, can instantly shift your brain’s biochemistry’ (Feinstein et al., 2005). Those points are energy meridians and are usually situated on the face, torso, the fingers and hands. The first step in starting the healing is to recognize the problem. For example, if one has a certain fear, that person should first accept it and also accept himself/herself as he/she is. The next steps are described by Scott (2008) as follows:

• The person marks the condition’s seriousness on a scale from 0 to 10.
• After that, the person declares out loud, three times in a row, that he/she accepts himself/herself and loves himself/herself as he/she is despite having that problem. In the same time, the person taps with his/her fingers a certain point on his/her hand (the Chop Point or the Sore Spot).
• The next step is tapping other parts of the body while speaking the name of the problem out loud.
• After this tapping session, the intensity of the problem is again evaluated on the Likert scale. If the problem did not display lowered intensity, then the whole process has to be repeated.

This technique can be either used in therapy session with a therapist that teaches the client where to press and what to say or by one’s own, using a self-help EFT guide that can be bought and even downloaded for free from certain EFT websites.

What is it for?

Although EFT does not have a 100% success rate in all types of illnesses, its adepts believe that mostly any kind of health condition can be alleviated through its practice.

It is considered to show significant results in anxiety disorders (fears, phobias, trauma), depression, eating disorders, ADD and ADHD,  addictions, self-esteem issues, pain management, insomnia, weight issues, allergies, headaches and blood pressure (Craig, 2010). It proved to be especially useful in treating anxiety disorders, which are some of the most wide-spread mental disorders in America, with 16% of the general population being affected by them (Walley, Beebe, & Clark, 1994). According to a study of Waite & Holder (2003), EFT is helpful in reducing fear, although it could not be proved that positive results can be achieved merely through the act of tapping certain meridians. The intensity with which a person trusts what he/she is saying during a tapping session and how involved one is in the process are matters of crucial importance.

Since a disease is, in Craig’s view, just bad energy accumulated in body cells due to negative emotions that are stocked by someone, a disease can be healed by releasing the accumulated negative energy from those cells. By tapping certain parts of the body and speaking the right words out loud, while being completely absorbed by this process, healing becomes an easy, secure and affordable process. There is no need for complicated diagnosis, for recurrent expensive meetings with conditioners because the healing capacity stands in one’s hands alone. So, it should be only a matter of implication and will to get rid of the negative energy from our bodies and minds in order to make room for happiness, joy and health in our lives.

References:

Craig, G. (2010). The EFT Manual. USA: Bang Printing.
Feinstein D et al. (2005). The promise of energy psychology. Revolutionary tools for dramatic personal change. New York: Jeremy P Tarcher/Penguin; 2005.
Scott, J. (2008). Emotional Free Technique. Counselling at work. Retrieved from www.counsellingatwork.org.uk on 21^st of July 2011.
Waite, W. L., & Holder, M. D (2003). Assessment of the Emotional Freedom Technique: An Alternative Treatment for Fear. The Scientific Review of Mental Health Practice, 2 (1), retrieved from http://www.srmhp.org/0201/index.html on 21^st of July, 2011.
Walley, E. J., Beebe, D. K., & Clark, J. L. (1994). Practical therapeutics: Management of common anxiety disorders. American Family Physician, 50, 1745-1753