Tapping into Healing

Imagine being able to reduce a physical pain, dissolve a phobia or help release the guilt about something done in the past by tapping with your fingertips on specific points of your body. It sounds almost too simple and maybe even a little strange. Yet Emotional Freedom Techniques, commonly known as EFT or "tapping," is found to be able to do it.  In fact, two days before I wrote this article, Sr. Juliette was complaining of pain at the base of her backbone.  I led her through the EFT exercise.  After three rounds of tapping, she reported that her pain had disappeared.  There is research-based evidence that EFT works.  So, what exactly is EFT, and how does it work?

What is EFT?

            EFT was developed in the 1990s by engineer Gary Craig (1940-2026), building on the pioneering work of psychologist Dr Roger Callahan.  At its core, EFT is a healing technique that combines gentle tapping on a sequence of acupressure points located on the face, chest, and hands while focusing on a specific emotional problem, memory, or physical discomfort.  EFT is generally considered a complementary self-help technique rather than a replacement for medical or psychological treatment. You may visit the website palaceofpossibilities.com for much free material.

            A typical EFT session begins with identifying an issue: perhaps a lingering feeling of grief, a fear of dogs, or the headache you are experiencing. You rate the intensity of your problem on a scale of 0 to 10. Then, you tap the side of any hand with the fingers of the other hand while stating your problem pairing it with a statement of self-acceptance, e.g., “Even though I have this severe headache, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.”  After this you tap through the sequence of points on your body with your fingers, while repeating your problem in a few words, e.g., severe headache.  After two or three rounds, you reassess the intensity.  If it has not reached zero or a manageable level, repeat the tapping with slightly updated statements.

Science Behind Tapping

            At the heart of EFT's effectiveness is its impact on the amygdala, which is the brain's alarm system responsible for triggering the fight-or-flight stress response. When you feel anxious, traumatised, or overwhelmed, the amygdala fires, flooding the body with cortisol and adrenaline. Frequent stress keeps the body constantly in high alert.  Researchers suggest that tapping may send calming signals that reduce activation of the amygdala, which restrains the hypothalamus from prompting the adrenal glands to overproduce cortisol and adrenaline.  Consequently, you feel calm.  Research by Dr. Dawson Church and colleagues has shown that EFT tapping measurably reduces cortisol levels, by over 40% in single sessions during replication studies.

            Nick Ortner who has been studying EFT since 2004 explains that the points used in EFT correspond to endpoints of the body’s meridian system used in acupuncture, the Traditional Chinese Medicine. Tapping stimulates special nerve endings in your skin called mechanoreceptors, which convert that pressure into electric signals. Those signals travel through neural pathways to the amygdala, conveying the message, “you are safe.”

            When practising EFT, two things happen.  First, focusing on and naming a problem (e.g., “Even though I feel angry with Tim, …”) reactivates the memory.  Your amygdala perceives danger, becomes activated, and triggers the fight-or-flight response, producing an emotional charge.  However, tapping on the meridian points simultaneously sends a safety signal to the amygdala. Receiving two conflicting messages at the same time, “this is dangerous,” from the thought, and “it is safe” from tapping makes the amygdala release the negative charge and rewrite the memory.  You will still remember getting angry with Tim, but the emotional charge (e.g., feeling hot, the urge to yell) will have disappeared.  This process is known as memory reconsolidation.  [For a more detailed explanation see Nick Ortner’s blog, “Why Your Brain Gets Stuck on a Thought (And What We Discovered About Breaking the Loop)].

What Can EFT Help With?

            Clinical studies have found EFT to be effective for a wide range of conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, phobias, chronic pain, and food cravings. Gary Craig, who developed EFT, invites us to “try it on everything.” If it works -- it will at least reduce the intensity of the physical or psychological issues -- you have gained.  If it does not, you would not ordinarily hurt yourself as it has no side effects (intense emotions can occasionally arise when working with painful memories) and does not cost money. Craig cautions that EFT complements rather than replaces professional care for serious conditions.

A Tool Anyone Can Learn

            One of EFT's most appealing qualities is its accessibility. Unlike many therapeutic interventions, it requires no equipment, no special setting, and no professional training to use on yourself for everyday stress. It can be learned in a few minutes and practised anywhere — before a difficult conversation, during a sleepless night, or in the middle of a busy day.

How to Tap

            EFT is easy to learn. It is reportedly being taught in some schools in countries such as Australia, Greece, and the USA.  Once you know the sequence of points and the basic structure of a round, you have a self-help tool you can use anywhere, at any time. Here are the basic steps.

Choosing an Event

            Choose an event you want to work with.  It could be emotional (e.g., guilt) or physical (e.g., thumb pain).  Re-live it (if it is something from the past) and measure its current intensity on a scale of ‘0’ to ‘10’, where ‘0’ indicates no intensity and ‘10’ maximum intensity.

The Setup

            Formulate the Setup Statement.  It is a statement, in the present tense, that names the problem and combines it with self-acceptance.  Accepting the problem is not endorsing it, but acknowledging the truth of where you are, which is needed for releasing it.  The standard formula is: "Even though I have this [problem], I deeply and completely love and accept myself."

            For example: "Even though I feel very guilty for lying to Anne, I deeply and completely love and accept myself."  “Even though I feel pain at the base of my right thumb, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.”  Use the present tense.  Be specific.  The more precisely you name what you're experiencing (e.g., instead of saying pain on the thumb, say pain at the base of the right thumb), the more effective the tapping tends to be.

            While saying the setup statement audibly, tap continuously on the fleshy side of the hand below the small finger of any hand (Karate Chop Point) using the fingers of the opposite hand.  Tap firmly but gently.  Repeat three times.

Reminder Phrase

            The reminder phrase is two or three words that briefly state the problem, e.g. “very guilty for lying,” “pain at the base of my right thumb.”  You will say this phrase aloud as you tap through the points of the sequence.

The Sequence: Tapping Points

            Using two fingers (e.g., index and middle finger) tap through the following points moving from one to the next.  Give each point about five to seven taps, gentle and firm.  Keep repeating the reminder phrase as you tap.

            1. Top of the Head: The very crown of your head, in the centre. Tap with two or more fingers of one hand.

            2. Eyebrow: The inner edge of either eyebrow, right where it begins, just above and beside the nose. Tap one eyebrow using one hand, or both eyebrows simultaneously using both hands.

            3. Side of the Eye: On the bone at the outer corner of either eye. Tap one or both sides.

            4. Under the Eye: On the bone directly beneath the centre of either eye, roughly in line with the pupil. Tap one or both.

            5. Under the Nose: In the small groove between the base of the nose and the upper lip. Use one hand.

            6. Chin Point: In the indentation midway between the lower lip and the chin.  Use one hand.

            7. Collarbone: Find the notch at the top of your breastbone, move about an inch to either side, then drop an inch down. You'll find a slight hollow just below the collarbone. Tap one or both sides.

            8. Under the Arm: On the side of the body, roughly four inches below the armpit — about level with the bra strap on a woman, or the nipple line on a man. Tap one or both sides.

Reassessing the Exercise

            Once you've tapped through all eight points, that is one complete round.  Repeat the round (only the sequence) two more times. Take a breath.  Reassess the intensity on a scale of ‘0’ to ‘10’.  Often, the feeling decreases, changes quality, or moves to a different part of the body.  This is normal and a sign that the process is working. Now update your Setup Statement to reflect what you notice: "Even though I still feel some guilt …”  “Even though I have slight pain at the base of the right thumb …” and do the exercise once more, with the new setup sentence and new reminder phrase (e.g., some guilt, slight pain). If the intensity does not come down to ‘0’ at one sitting, you may repeat the exercise any time later.

            Using these basic steps, you can apply EFT to many everyday emotional and physical concerns. While it is not a substitute for professional care when needed, many people find it a practical tool for reducing stress and emotional distress. Sometimes the simplest tools prove surprisingly helpful.

Blurbs

EFT “is a universal healing tool that can provide impressive results for physical, emotional, performance and many other issues” -- Gary Craig

“Tapping can be brilliant for processing intense trauma or releasing deep-seated beliefs… It’s also incredibly powerful as a daily tool for the thousand small moments that make up a life” – Nick Ortner