About EFT

‘Tapping’

To put it very simply, the practice of Emotional Freedom Techniques (also known as ‘EFT’ or ‘tapping’) involves focusing on a negative issue whilst you use your fingertips to tap on different points on your hand, head and upper body.

The first time I tried it I felt a bit silly and wondered if I was buying into some woo-woo practice that didn’t work.

To my surprise, I started to feel more relaxed after only one round of tapping.

So how this is possible? How can tapping on your skin while you think about a negative issue make you feel calmer? It sounds like some kind of magic trick.

Let me break it down for you.

The points being tapped on are acupuncture points from traditional Chinese Medicine.

The theory goes: when you tap on an acupuncture point, you create an electrical signal that travels to the part of your brain that is responsible for keeping you safe, the amygdala.

The amygdala functions like a smoke detector – it is constantly scanning your environment for danger. When it senses danger, it puts your body on alert. You have probably heard of the Fight, Flight, Freeze or Faint response? That is your internal smoke detector at work!

When you are thinking about a negative issue, your amygdala goes into action and you may feel a response in your body. For example, if you had a past experience of a huge spider dropping on your face you are likely to feel fear whenever you see or think about a spider.

By focusing on the negative issue, you are deliberately exposing yourself to it, activating your amygdala and triggering a response in your body.

When you tap on the acupuncture points whilst thinking about the negative issue, that electrical signal starts to calm the amygdala, like a barking dog being patted on the head. The body and mind start to relax and feel calmer.

Research suggests that tapping deactivates the amygdala (the brain’s stress centre), the hippocampus (memory centre) and regulates the hypothalamus (heart rate, blood pressure, breathing etc).

Tapping is a simple tool that you can learn to use on your own, with lasting effects.

The practice has its origins with a clinical psychologist in the 1970s and has developed into a technique used by millions of people around the world.

Clinical research trials have shown that the action of tapping on acupressure points whilst focusing on an issue can reduce the levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the body.

Clinical or evidence based EFT has been proven to be effective with the following:

  • Pain Relief

  • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

  • Phobias

  • Cravings & Weight issues

  • Anxiety & Depression

  • Sports Performance.

EFT is more than just an alternative therapy: it’s a well-researched, self-applied technique with the power to shift how you respond to stress. By understanding the connection between your thoughts, your body, and your brain, you can take an active role in your healing and begin to create meaningful, lasting change.

If this sounds like it could be of benefit to you, get in touch for a free 15-min chat today, or contact me directly to book an appointment.

I know what it’s like to hold everything in… until you can’t anymore.

My own experience with EFT

I used to believe that I could ‘think’ my way through any issue. If I had a problem, I would mull it over, consider different angles and be able to work my way through it over time to resolve the issue.

But in 2020, something shifted. I felt low. Flat. I couldn’t rely on logic to find a way forward.

So I reached out for support. And it felt weird at first, indulgent even, to talk about my own life for a whole hour without having to ask, 'And how are you?' But it helped.

I found a practitioner who used Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) which I had heard about on a podcast.

That’s when I learned: your body holds stress and thinking your way out of it doesn’t always work.

EFT gave me something that talk therapy alone couldn’t: a way to calm my body first so my mind could follow.

In just a few sessions, I felt a lot calmer and more like myself. EFT enabled me to let go of stressors that I had been carrying for years, some of which I wasn’t even consciously aware.