EFT - Emotional Freedom Technique

EFT- EMOTIONAL FREEDOM TECHNIQUE

Simple, Fast & Powerful

EFT is a powerful tool for healing and stress reduction. Like other Energy Psychology techniques (see “Energy Psychology” on this site for a detailed description of this term), it uses acupressure – light tapping on the body – to bring about profound mental and emotional changes. A person uses two fingers to tap on 8 different points on the body while keeping in mind an issue that is causing disturbance. These 8 points are located on meridian pathways (the pathways used by acupuncturists during treatment). Something about tapping on these points while holding the disturbance in mind causes the disturbance to shift into relaxation and balance. Instead of feeling badly, the person now feels peaceful and unburdened.

For instance, a few minutes of EFT can calm intense upset or anger or release a stubborn worry. A few minutes of EFT can lift a bad mood, turn off feelings of panic or diminish a troubling memory. Regular use of EFT can decrease stress and signs of stress like headaches, stomach aches and backaches. In fact, people use EFT to help improve health in all sorts of ways: to speed healing from injury, reduce chronic symptoms, turn off a cold, minimize food intolerances, reduce or eliminate pain, and much, much more. Indeed, the motto of EFT is “Try It On Everything!”

What Can EFT be Used For?

Here is a list of some of the things that people are using EFT for:

• To reduce food cravings, cigarette cravings or other cravings
• To help with weight loss
• To treat chronic pain
• To stop thinking too much
• To worry less about loved ones
• To worry less about finances
• To worry less about tests or examinations
• To overcome fears (public speaking, animals, flying, needles etc.)
• To have more confidence
• To feel less stress and pressure
• To get over an upsetting incident
• To recover from a frightening or terrifying incident
• To make peace with the past
• To overcome grief or loss
• To get over heart break
• To improve mood
• To improve self-esteem
• To get places on time
• To treat insomnia
• To calm down after a nightmare

How is EFT Used in Counselling?

EFT is a wonderful, easy-to-learn and easy-to-use self-help tool. Even children can quickly learn to use EFT to help themselves with myriad issues. Couples can learn EFT to help them stop triggering each other and to help them calm down from irritation and upset. Some people come to counselling specifically to learn how to use EFT to reduce stress in their lives. Others will first learn about EFT in a counselling session. A counsellor generally teaches a client how to use this simple technique on his or her own so that the client can help him or herself outside of the client hour and outside of the process of counselling altogether. EFT becomes part of the client’s “toolkit” for life!

A mental health professional may also use EFT during treatment of certain issues. For instance, EFT can be used to very quickly process an upsetting memory or occurrence in the client’s life. A teenager who was bullied at school and who is very upset about it may quickly be helped to remove that upset from his or her system with the help of EFT. EFT helps the client to acquire a new feeling, thought process and action tendency in relation to previously stressful or disturbing material. This is true whether that material is of recent origin or whether it goes back to earliest childhood. It is true whether the area of focus is one central issue like a particular grief or fear, or whether the area of focus is broad, like a difficult childhood that has affected self-esteem and confidence. Mental health practitioners trained in EFT can use the technique as one of the important tools in their therapeutic toolkit.