Emotional Freedom Technique – EFT

Emotional Freedom Technique or EFT is a form of therapy that releases negative and painful emotions and/or physical symptoms. It is based on the recent developments and principles of Energy Psychology which states that everything, including our bodies, is made of energy. It works on the understanding that our thoughts about ourselves, our experiences and circumstances can all disrupt the energy system in our bodies and that this disruptions can cause negative feelings, which then manifest as physical symptoms.

So it’s based on the premise that the underlying cause of all negative emotions is a disruption or imbalance in the body’s energy system. Therefore by tapping on the meridian or acupressure points around the body, the blocked energy can be released and the body’s natural energy (chi) can flow freely once again, creating positive change as it does so. When this happens the problem, negative emotion or ailment often reduces or is eliminated completely. In this way, EFT can best be described as an emotional clearing technique that releases any ‘stuck’ feeling which is preventing you from moving froward in your life.

EFT is usually described as a kind of psychological acupuncture, but without the needles. It involves focusing on either the negative feeling you want to change or an anxiety producing event, while tapping with fingers on specific points on the meridians – points located on the head, face, upper body and hands. Lightly tapping with fingertips around these points rebalances the energy system which then changes the feelings, often dramatically. Usually, when the feelings are different, you spontaneously think about things differently as well. This is often referred to as the mind-body connection.

It is used on a whole range of conditions including anxiety & panic, phobias, aches and pains, confidence issues, insomnia, traumatic experiences, tension and stress, addictive behaviours, cravings, weight issues, poor performance, low moods, and many other conditions. This simple but highly effective process is especially useful for releasing negative memories or relieving the burdens of childhood memories, and even though the memory remains after a course of treatments with EFT, the emotional charge which was attached to the memory normally loses its intensity and in most cases disappears completely.

The beauty of this technique is that it can easily be learned by anyone, and it can be used in-between the therapy sessions, as a self-help tool to alleviate any pain, discomfort, or simply to boost one’s confidence.

EFT is based on the discovery of Dr. Roger Callahan that (as outlined above) emotional discomfort is caused by a disruption in the mind and body energy system. Dr. Callahan combined ancient wisdom (acupuncture) with modern techniques (kineseology) and developed Thought Field Therapy (TFT). Gary Craig, who was trained by Dr. Callahan, streamlined TFT into Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT).