EFT stands for Emotional Freedom Techniques. EFT is a practical method that involves using the fingers to gently tap on the body's acupuncture points combined with modern psychology. It is often more commonly referred to as as ‘Tapping’ or even ‘acupuncture without needles’.

(no needles are involved as the treatment only requires the use of fingertips to tap on certain meridian points.)

It is highly regarded as a psychotherapeutic tool and it’s therapeutic effects are widely recognized and is hugely popular among therapists as well as medical and mental health professional in UK and around the world. (over 100 studies have been published in more than 10 countries by more than 60 investigators). Proven to be extremely successful and a long lasting treatment for symptoms of depression, anxiety,  trauma, phobias, PTSD, pain, sleep problems, food craving, smoking.

EFT Tapping is thought to improve immunity and can influence gene expression. EFT can significantly decrease the stress hormone cortisol.

EFT Tapping helps us tune in to the negative patterns that we form around our uncomfortable thoughts, feelings, or troubling memories. We ‘tap’ on the correct pressure points while bringing the thoughts or emotions into consciousness. The aim is to find relief, relaxation, and promote healing around the emotional or physical issues that hold us back. By tapping we are able to free the mind and body from old programmes and patterns that are keeping us stuck. Psychological and emotional issues are often connected to negative old emotions of the past. We can let them go through the use of tapping

Neural pathways wiring the brain aren’t fixed in place. We are constantly being shaped by experience. The brain is therefore seen as flexible, a term to describe this is ‘neuroplasticity’. With every repetition of a thought or emotion, we reinforce a neural pathway. With each new thought, we begin to create a new way of being. These small changes, frequently enough repeated, lead to changes in how our brains work. This is often how habits or unwanted behaviours are created. What tapping does is helps change these neural pathways. It does so by sending a new, calming signal to the amygdala. So, rather than holding onto the negative emotion, or belief that is linked to that emotion, we can let it go. So tapping allows us to let go the emotional connection, or ‘charge’ from a past negative experience. EFT appears to affect  not only the amygdala but also the hippocampus (memory centre. Too much cortisol can result in lowered immune function and ultimately affect our physical health.

If you want to know more about EFT and how it works please do set aside 15 minutes to watch this extremely informative clip in which Dr Peta Stapleton talks in detail about Emotional Freedom Technique.

EFT heals emotional problems by literally undoing the damage from the past.

Traditional Psychotherapy vs. The Emotional Freedom Techniques

With traditional talk psychotherapies you gain insights into the causes of your emotional difficulties and the new behaviours you would like to have.

However, you are left needing to use your will power to try to behave in these new healthier ways.

You still feel the internal urges in your "gut" to behave in the old ways.

The result is an ongoing internal struggle between your gut feelings and your will power. This is very hard and progress can be very slow, sometimes taking years or even never.

The EFT Advantage

EFT doesn't have this problem. After working through an issue using EFT, you come out feeling different and you actually are different.

Your gut is no longer telling you to behave in the old unhealthy ways.

New behaviors are now natural because there is no internal struggle–you have changed inside and are a different person around this issue.

The struggle is over.

EFT Research – More Effective and Much Faster

The first large-scale clinical trial of  EFT or Tapping Therapy is reported in some detail in Energy Psychology Interactive and summarized here.

Approximately 5,000 patients diagnosed at intake with an anxiety disorder were randomly assigned to an experimental group (EFT) or a control group (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) with medication, which is traditionally considered the therapy of choice). Here are the results:

Outcome Comparisons with 5,000 Anxiety Patients at Close of Therapy