EFT or tapping

One of the techniques I find works very well for many of my clients is Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), also known as tapping. It is called tapping because that is literally what we do – we use the fingers to gently tap on various points around the face and upper body.

When I first explain about this type of therapy and what we are going to do, I say to my clients that it can sound a ridiculous idea to some people! How can tapping gently on your face have any impact on feelings of anxiety and stress? Yet my own experience of using the technique, that of many of my clients and a growing bank of clinical research is that it can have a tremendous impact.

EFT is based on acupressure points and the specific places where we tap our fingers – the eyebrow, side of the eye, under the eye, under the nose, chin, collar bone, underarm and top of head – are places where acupuncture meridians intersect. So by tapping on only these eight places, we are able to cover all of the meridiens. No one knows, yet, exactly what is taking place in the body when we tap, but the theory is that we are generating energy that can travel along the connective tissue which then is able to clear blockages in energy. 

Research has shown that tapping actually reduces the levels of stress hormones in the blood – proof that it is having a measurable, biological effect on the body.

Who can benefit from EFT? 

The answer is that many people can benefit from learning this technique. The way that I use tapping is two-fold: in therapy sessions I use it to help a client to process painful emotions about events or thoughts, but I also teach the client how to tap on themselves. This enables them to use tapping whenever they begin to feel anxious. As one client recently said to me:”Tapping is the first really good, proactive tool that I’ve been given to deal with my anxiety.”

As well as helping clients with all kinds of anxiety and phobias, tapping is also very useful in helping clients to overcome comfort eating and food cravings. In fact, I have yet to find a client who wouldn’t benefit from learning EFT.

If you would like to know more, feel free to email me and I would be happy to arrange a time to talk to you about it