What is Emotional Freedom Techiques?

What is Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) Tapping?

Emotional Freedom Techniques Tapping is a highly effective mind /body method that has been proven to relieve the effects of stress in the body. In addition to eliminating unhealthy stress, it can be used to address a wide range of issues including overwhelm, anxiety, fears, phobias, procrastination, the emotional toll of physical pain, cravings, and much more.

Tapping has been referred to as psychological acupressure because we use our fingertips to gently tap on acupressure meridian end points on the face, head and upper body. Tapping brings together Eastern and Western healing modalities by combining the principles of ancient Chinese acupuncture, contemporary Cognitive and Behavioral Psychology and leading-edge neuro-biology science.

While EFT Tapping is still considered experimental there is a growing base of evidence that is demonstrating its effectiveness. There are now over 100 peer reviewed studies documenting the technique’s powerful results. The alternative health field of Energy Psychology (EP), the study of our electromagnetic and subtle energy systems, is expanding its reach and acceptance through training and research. Traditional allopathic health professions are gradually starting to acknowledge the effectiveness and broad uses of EP, which includes but is not limited to EFT Tapping.

From an energy medicine perspective, EFT restores mind/body wellness and balance by eliminating blocks and releasing trapped energy caused by difficult emotions, events, memories, beliefs. Psychologically, by focusing on the negative issue, we bring it to the surface, expose ourselves to what is difficult to look at, de-sensitize ourselves to it so that it doesn’t hold influence over us, acknowledging and releasing the repressed the emotions and thoughts. We’re able to reframe our beliefs, cognitive perceptions and thoughts about what we experienced. From a neurobiology perspective, tapping opens the blocked electromagnetic pathways for signals to travel to and from the brain to other organs, communicating with the rest of the body. The body’s stress reaction and the corresponding stress hormones that have been released are turned off. This allows the relaxation response, with its corresponding hormones, to send a calming signal to the fight, flight, freeze center of the brain. Cortisol is lowered, and the production of the feel-good hormones dopamine and serotonin are enhanced. The result is a calmer, less stressed and reactive you, with the negative consequences of stress no longer accumulating, disrupting or influencing your mental, physical or emotional health and wellbeing.

Tapping has several uses. It can be an easy to use self- help tool for reducing stress, gaining clarity and for emotional self-regulation. When working with a practitioner/coach it can be used as a wellness and motivational tool for identifying goals and working through the blocks to achieving them. And when working with a trained mental health professional, tapping allows for deep but gentle work as a therapeutic technique that can be highly effective when integrated into psychotherapy, with addressing longstanding emotional wounds.

For more information about EFT Tapping including up to date research visit www.scienceoftapping.org