Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT)

Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), also known as ‘tapping’, is an evidence-based brief set of self-applied stress reduction techniques. It uses cognitive therapy alongside the physical stimulation of the primo vascular system of points on the body. This produces piezo-electricity or ‘electricity generated by pressure’. You may have heard EFT described as ‘acupuncture without the needles’ and indeed the use of tapping evolved from the same concepts as acupuncture.

EFT combines stimulating the primo vascular system by using pressure or tapping with two fingers while focussing on a specific issue or problem, as well as an acceptance statement. As clinical evidence shows, it works extremely well! EFT is highly effective for rapidly reducing anxiety, stress and other emotional issues and it works on both real and imagined stressors.

EFT is now an entirely evidence based form of integrative medicine/therapy with statistics as follows:

• Increased: Happiness (31%); Immune Markers (113%)

• Decreased: Pain (57%); Anxiety (40%); Depression (35%); PTSD symptoms (32%); Cortisol/stress hormone (37%); Blood Pressure (8%); Food Cravings (74%)

Source - Bach et al., 2018, Clinical EFT Improves Multiple Physiological Markers of Health (Journal of Evidence Based Integrative Medicine)

How EFT works...

We often think that it’s the ‘upset’ or perhaps even the traumatic events in our life that have given us a negative mood. Yet it’s then hard to understand why others who’ve had similar troubles, seem almost unaffected. The EFT answer is simple: The event does not cause the emotional upset; it’s the thoughts about the event that brings about the negative emotions. And this means, that just thinking about this situation causes the same emotional upset as actually being in the situation! This affects not only our mood, but biochemical and physiological changes happen as well.

Clinical trial research on EFT shows that stimulating a known acupuncture point on the body, sends deactivating signals to the stress centre in the brain (amygdala) which in turn has an effect on the brain’s memory centre (hippocampus) all of which are involved in our behavioural and emotional responses. In other words, the areas that control stress and fear.

The tapping affects these areas possibly by sending ‘noise’ or ‘disruption’ that alters the ‘conditioned emotional response’ to the event memory. We can relate this idea to that of ‘neural-plasticity’ where it’s suggested that the memory becomes active and pliable, open to taking in new information. This allows an easier updating of information which positively and permanently changes our normal response to the memory.

As well as deactivation of the amygdala (stress centre in the brain) and hippocampus (memory centre) the mechanisms behind EFT include recent research into vagal nerve improvement. EFT has also been shown to significantly lower cortisol levels, which is the stress hormone. 

Research on gene expression indicates EFT has has the ability to down regulate genes associated with the stress response, and up-regulate or improve immune functioning.

EFT has previously been found to be an “evidence-based” practice for anxiety, depression, phobias and PTSD when measured against the standards of the American Psychological Association’s Division 12 Task Force on Empirically Validated Treatments. 

EFT now currently under review with the APA (2022) for its effectiveness for trauma and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (under the APA's current criteria).

EFT frees us from these trapped responses, and our thoughts and feelings about such events stop concerning us. This ensures that balance is restored and we stop feeling stressed.

Using EFT yourself…

From your first tapping session, you will start using EFT yourself in a basic yet very effective way. Over consecutive sessions I will show you how to work towards an adequate way of using the techniques as a trusted tool in your life. You can experience very reasonable success with doing this and can come back any time for another session, should you feel the need.

The science behind EFT

Clinical EFT trials are showing it to affect the amygdala (stress centre in the brain) and hippocampus (memory centre). Both of these brain regions play a role in our decision-making process, when we need to decide if something is a threat or not. This is well known as the fight or flight response. EFT has also been shown to lower the levels of cortisol, the stress hormone and increase the dopamine response, the relaxation hormone. Too much cortisol can result in lowered immune function and ultimately affect our physical health.

This effect EFT has is related to that of “neural plasticity”, proposing that the memory becomes active and pliable, inclined to taking in new information and allow an easier renewing of information into the patterning of emotional response to the memory.

There is a growing body of research pointing to the efficacy of EFT and more can be found through the founder of EBEFT Dr Peta Stapleton. If you’re interested in reading more about the science behind EFT, I recommend buying Dr Stapleton’s book The Science Behind Tapping.