Emotional Freedom Technique
What is EFT?
What is EFT? The Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) is a therapeutic method that merges ancient Chinese acupressure with a contemporary application to alleviate emotional distress, challenge negative beliefs, and alleviate emotional discomfort.
Commonly known as "tapping," EFT involves the gentle tapping on specific meridian points on the body while focusing on the current emotional or physical issue. This tapping is thought to release energy blockages within the body's energy system, thus reinstating equilibrium and fostering overall emotional and physical wellness. EFT integrates verbal affirmations, termed setup statements, which serve to recognize the problem at hand while encouraging self-acceptance and constructive change.
Through the repetitive tapping sequence and affirmations, individuals can experience decreased intensity of negative emotions, relief from physical symptoms, and a heightened sense of emotional liberation.
This workbook focuses on the application of beginner EFT. Many resources focus more on the background of EFT and how it works. The suggestions in this workbook are only suggestions and you should only do what you feel comfortable doing. Let’s get started!
What are the benefits of EFT?
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Stress Reduction: EFT has been shown to lower cortisol levels, the hormone associated with stress.
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Emotional Regulation: People often experience a reduction in the intensity of negative emotions.
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Improved Mood: Tapping can stimulate the release of endorphins!
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Trauma Resolution: EFT is often used in trauma therapy to help process traumatic memories and emotions.
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Improved Energy Flow: Traditional Chinese medicine teaches that addressing meridian points helps to balance the body's energy system.
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Behavioral Change: Tapping can be effective in addressing unwanted habits and limiting beliefs.
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Individual results may vary, and it's not a substitute for professional medical or psychological treatment when needed.
EFT Coaching
Are you trying to decide if you need EFT coaching or to use the working? The workbook can be very helpful for some issues. But if you are dealing with something more complex, or just would like to benefit from the experience of an EFT coach.
How do I do EFT?
How do you do EFT? I will be your guide on what to say, think, during your EFT tapping sessions. So don’t worry too much about the particulars just yet. For now, you just need to learn where the tapping points are, the sequence, and the process.
First, let’s identify the tapping points and tapping sequence. See the figure below.
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Eyebrow
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Side of the eye
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Under the eye
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Under the nose
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Chin
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Collarbone
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Under the arm
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Top of head
EFT sessions begin with a setup statement. Setup statements are verbal affirmations. They are to acknowledge the issue.
being addressed and promote positive change. Say the setup statements while you are tapping on your karate chop point as shown in the figure below. Here is an example of a setup statement:
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"Even though I feel anxious about [specific situation], I deeply and completely accept myself." In this example, the issue of anxiety is acknowledged, and self-acceptance is affirmed, creating a supportive foundation for the EFT tapping process.
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Practice a setup statemen now. On a scale of 1-10 how worried are you about learning this new technique? While you are
tapping on your karate chop point say the following 3 times:
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Even though I feel anxious about learning EFT, I love and accept myself.
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Now that we have identified what we want to work on, rated the discomfort on a scale of 1-10, and voiced our setup statement, it is time to tap on the meridian points. While you are tapping on the points, feel as worried as you can about learning this new technique and say aloud “This worry about learning EFT”. This is called the reminder statement. I know that sounds odd, that is to try to feel bad, but the worse you can make yourself feel while activating the points the more effective it will be. As you learn how amazing EFT is you will feel more and more comfortable letting yourself feel temporarily bad.
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So let’s give it a try! After voicing your setup statement while tapping the karate chop point, tap on each of the following points as shown in the figure and say, “This worry about learning EFT”.
Great job! You identified the issue, rated the intensity, used the setup statement, and tapped on all the meridian points while saying your reminder statement. Now check and see if your concern about learning a new skill has changed. 1-10 Did it go up? Did it drop? If it didn’t drop to 0 repeat the session again and again until you feel confident. Now you know the basics of the technique and can follow the instructions in this workbook!
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Please get a pen and paper ready. Write down the 3 feelings bothering you the most. For now, choose the one that you are most comfortable addressing. For this exercise we will repeat what you just did but with an emotion that is bothering you.
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Start by rating how strong the emotion is on a 1-10 scale. Setup Statement while tapping on the karate chop point: Even though I feel [emotion you selected], I love and accept myself." Repeat 3 times while tapping on the karate chop point. Reminder Statement: Say and FEEL the emotion you are working on as you tap on each point in sequence.
Say your reminder statement as you tap on all points. For this exercise, your reminder statement will be the same for every point and is the emotion you selected to address. Later your reminder statements will be different.
Is there a situation in your life that causes you stress? 1 - Write down all the emotions associated with this situation. 2- After you have made your list, write about the situation as if you are writing a letter to someone who loves you and asked to hear all about it.
Stress Release Part 1
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You are ready to use different reminder statements for each point! Feel free to add other statements too. Many find that after they get started new feelings and thoughts come. Include them in your tapping round. You may be tapping on feeling insecure and part of the way through you start to feel anger at someone who made fun of you. There is no need to go back to the setup statement just start feeling that anger and saying “this anger” as you tap on each point until it
passes. Then you can get back to your script or move on to the next feeling that came up\
Setup Statement Even though I feel so much stress, I love and accept myself.
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Reminder Statement
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1.Eyebrow - “This stress is overwhelming”
2.Side of the eye - “I don’t see how it can get better”
3.Under the eye - “I feel so much stress”
4.Under the nose - “All this stress”
5.Chin - “There is no way out of this”
6.Collarbone - “This stress”
7.Under the arm - “This stress”
8.Top of the head - “All this stress”
Stress Release Part 2
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Next, make a list of all the feelings that came up when you made your list of things you didn’t like about yourself. If you don’t remember what you felt, just revisit that list and see what emotions come up then write them down. Setup Statement
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Even though I sometimes feel bad about myself, I love and accept myself.
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Reminder Statement
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1.Eyebrow - “Pick an emotion on your list.”
2.Side of the eye - “Pick an emotion on your list.”
3.Under the eye - “Pick an emotion on your list.”
4.Under the nose - “Pick an emotion on your list.”
5.Chin - “Pick an emotion on your list.”
6.Collarbone - “Pick an emotion on your list.”
7.Under the arm - “Pick an emotion on your list.”
8.Top of the head - “Pick an emotion on your list.”
Download the complete EFT workbook here.
