What is EFT and How Does it Work?
- Lisa Ainslie
- Jun 18
- 4 min read
If you've seen or heard about EFT Tapping but don't have a huge amount of familiarity with it, you'll no doubt have a few questions. It does look odd after all. How on earth can tapping on your face and upper body help relieve emotional stresses? As an Advanced level practitioner, I can assure you I had the same questions when I started out. Here's a rundown of what it is and the most up-to-date explanation of how it works.
EFT, or Emotional Freedom Techniques, is both a straightforward self-help tool and a more complex therapeutic modality depending on how it's used and for what purpose. It comprises of tapping on specific 'meridian' points on the face and upper body while focusing on an upsetting thought or feeling. The tapping can help release the grip of the emotion, allowing you greater freedom from the challenges associated with it. It can be used in the moment to relieve unhelpful feelings such as anger, nervousness, stress and irritation. When working with a practitioner, trained in the specific techniques, it can be used to help alleviate more deep-seated difficulties, such as addictions, the impact of trauma, phobias and long-standing confidence issues.
Background
Originally, EFT was developed in the '90s by personal development coach Gary Craig, who developed it off the back of Roger Callaghan's TFT (Thought Field Therapy) procedure. Callaghan's approach also involved tapping on meridian points, but involved a more complex system of 'algorithms' - specific tapping sequences used to treat specific problems. Gary Craig streamlined this approach and developed one sequence, now known in EFT as the 'basic recipe', that is used regardless of the issue. This is the most commonly used sequence in EFT sessions.
How does it work?
So, let me start by saying the mechanism that makes tapping so effective is still being explored by researchers, but I can give an explanation of the origins of tapping and the most up-to-date scientific answers.
Both TFT and EFT use tapping on meridian points. These are the points that are the focus of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) approaches such as acupuncture. According to TCM teachings, when we are in the grip of a difficult emotion, energy is stuck in the body and needs to be manoeuvred to release the emotion. Tapping on the meridian points helps shift this stuck emotion, allowing us to move forward. This is the basis for how EFT works.
Research by Western scientists aims to offer an explanation that fits within the current paradigms of Western medicine. The most recent explanation is that, by tapping on these specific points which contain lots of mechanoreceptors - tiny sensors that detect touch and pressure - while focusing on a problem, a 'safety' signal is sent to areas of the brain including the amygdala - the brain's alarm system. The combination of tapping on the points and focusing on the problematic emotion reduces the intensity of the emotion.
What are the main tapping points?
These are 9 points used in the basic recipe alongside their corresponding meridians:
Side of hand/karate chop point - small intestine meridian
Start of eyebrow - bladder meridian
Side of eye - gallbladder meridian
Under eye - stomach meridian
Under nose - governing vessel
Chin (between lower lip and chin) - central vessel
Collarbone - Kidney meridian
Under arm - spleen meridian
Top of head - Governing vessel/crown chakra
How to use tapping yourself.
Before starting to tap, you first identify the specific emotion you are feeling in that moment and rate its intensity on a scale of 0-10 with 10 being highest. Notice where you are feeling it physically too.
In a round of tapping, you start by repeating a set-up phrase* three times while tapping on the karate chop point. Then you work your way around each point, tapping gently approximately 5-10 times while saying aloud what you are feeling. Continue tapping on the main points, starting at the eyebrow point, until you've done three or four rounds, then check the intensity again. Keep going till you bring the intensity down as low as possible.
*Set-up phrase - a short phrase that acknowledges the problem and demonstrates self-acceptance, e.g. 'Even though I'm feeling stressed and have a tightness in my chest, I acknowledge that this is how I feel right now.'
For a short video guide to how to use EFT tapping, follow the link below:
What happens during an EFT session?
We start by talking about the problem, identifying key aspects of it that we can explore in forthcoming sessions. You decide which aspect of the problem is most prevalent and we start there. We approach the issue gently. As a qualified practitioner, I’m trained in using specific techniques that allow us to approach difficult issues as delicately as possible; although it’s important to recognise difficult feelings during the session, it’s not necessary to become retraumatised.
We work to reduce the intensity attached to as many aspects of the problem as is necessary for you to feel an overall sense of release. It’s not about changing the reality of a situation, it’s about releasing its emotional grip so it no longer keeps you stuck.
How do I integrate EFT in hypnotherapy sessions?
EFT can work powerfully alongside hypnosis to help create thought and behaviour change at a deep level. Sometimes we use EFT before hypnosis, sometimes we only use EFT, sometimes we don’t use it at all. Importantly, whether or not we use it in a session, and how it is integrated, is entirely dependent on the client’s needs and if they’re comfortable with it.
If you want to find out more…
I’m always happy to answer any questions about what I do. Visit the link below to arrange a free, no-obligation discovery call.
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