What is EFT?

EFT is a technique for healing negative emotions as well as dramatically relieving physical symptoms and the debilitating effects of trauma. It is a self-care tool that uses the principles of acupuncture and acupressure to balance the energy flow within the body. It is based on the discovery that the cause of all negative emotions is a disruption in the body's energy system. Correcting this energy disturbance eliminates emotional and physical discomfort. EFT is successfully used for a wide variety of problems by thousands of clients. Many of the concepts underlying EFT come from the work of Dr. Roger J. Callahan, the originator of Thought Field Therapy and author of the book, The Five Minute Phobia Cure.

How does EFT work?

Gary Craig has developed one comprehensive meridian sequence which is used for all emotional and physical problems, instead of 10 to 15 different patterns used for specific problems. Clients use their fingers to tap out a simple 9 point pattern on the body as they focus on the problem and repeat a reminder phrase.

The process takes two or three minutes. Success is measured by levels of physical and emotional discomfort on a scale of 0 to 10, 0 is neutral and 10 is extreme. One round of the sequence is often effective in reducing emotional and physical distress immediately. However, several rounds of the basic routine may be necessary for the elimination of resistant discomfort.

Lingering anxiety may be closely connected to a past trauma, a distorted belief, or repressed anger. Discovering the different aspects associated with the presenting problem and applying the recipe to these issues yields a measurable decrease in the client's distress. Within 30 minutes most presenting problems are reduced or eliminated with lasting effectiveness. Success enables a client to think about or experience a disturbing situation without a negative reaction.

Psychological reversal prohibits the body-mind system from eliminating a symptom. It is a way the body consciousness protects itself by holding on to the current symptom. When psychological reversal is present, it is overcome by touching a point and stating aloud: "Even though I have a fear of spiders, I deeply and completely accept myself."

What are the Benefits of EFT?

It mobilizes the body's natural healing system-the meridian energy system. It eliminates negative emotions and thoughts that negatively affect the body's chemistry, suppressing the immune system in particular. It can be applied mentally as well as physically. It can be applied for another person. You can tap on yourself for another or imagine tapping on the other. It disrupts stress before it creates tension and disturbance in the physical body. It works on many levels simultaneously--the emotions, thoughts, body and soul.

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Case presentations:

Sam came into a session with sinus pain and congestion with a discomfort level of 5, on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the highest. Within five minutes of tapping the EFT points, all pain and congestion were gone. He eliminated this symptom and continued the session free of this physical disturbance.

Phyllis came to me in a crisis. She was experiencing panic attacks because she couldn't reach her son by telephone several weeks after he left for college. She didn't know where he was. Her symptoms were heart palpitations, racing thoughts, and pacing around the house. She felt panic about going crazy with no one to help her and feared something terrible would happen to her son. Just talking about the event made her visibly anxious. She reported a discomfort level of 10. We applied three rounds of EFT 1) to her physical signs of anxiety in the session, 2) to her fear of going crazy with no one to help her, and 3) to her fear of being separated from her son. After several rounds of applying EFT, which took approximately 20 minutes, she became calm with no symptoms of anxiety. When she focused on the original scene of panic, she remained calm. She tapped for several days after the session to reinforce this calm, and she was able to fall asleep after a crisis in the middle of the night in which her son called her because he was locked out of his apartment.

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