EFT Tapping: What You Need To Know (2024)

EFT tapping is a self-help tool and therapeutic technique useful for many clinical and stress-related issues, says Roseann Capanna-Hodge, a licensed professional counselor and certified school therapist based in Ridgefield, Connecticut. “It’s centered around the understanding that emotional stress creates blockages in the body that impede healing,” she says. While it’s important to know specifically where on the body to tap, EFT tapping can be performed on oneself or by someone else.

EFT tapping is based on the same energy and meridian system used in acupuncture for thousands of years, explains Capanna-Hodge. “By literally tapping into the meridian system, energy flow can be restored along with the body’s ability to heal itself,” she adds.

As with acupuncture, Capanna-Hodge says tapping is done on specific points on the body, but rather than selecting points based on symptoms or treatment goals, EFT tapping utilizes the same energy points regardless of the condition being treated.

EFT tapping also incorporates exposure therapy, which is part of CBT and a psychological treatment that helps someone confront their fears, according to Allison Ewing, a licensed social worker, psychotherapist and EFT practitioner based in Chicago. The pressure points are stimulated while someone is experiencing an anxious moment—including phobias—and the tapping helps to take the body from a state of fight-or-flight to one of rest, she says, adding that EFT tapping can also be done by simply thinking about what makes you anxious or afraid. You don’t necessarily have to be in the thick of an anxiety-producing experience to put it into practice.

Capanna-Hodge explains that someone can put EFT tapping into practice during an anxious moment (or by thinking about what makes them anxious) by gently tapping on the body’s meridian points, which are considered passageways through which energy flows in the body. This tapping is done while repeating a statement that both acknowledges their discomfort and offers assuring self-acceptance. An example of one such statement would be: “Even though I’m ashamed, I completely accept myself.”

“It’s through this process that you move energy through the meridians while releasing negative thoughts and limiting beliefs,” adds Capanna-Hodge.

The History of EFT

EFT tapping’s origins are connected to Thought Field Therapy (TFT), which was developed in the 1980s by psychologist Roger Callahan, Ph.D., according to Capanna-Hodge. “TFT is very similar to EFT in that they both involve tapping on specific points on the body while focusing attention on a specific emotion or problem,” she says.

The main difference between the two methods is that TFT uses different tapping sequences for different causes while EFT uses the same tapping sequence regardless of the situation, she explains. This change was ushered in by a Stanford University-educated mechanical engineer named Gary Craig, who was working with Dr. Callahan in the 1990s, says Ewing, who adds that Craig set out to make TFT simpler and came up with EFT. He started working with clients to test his theory and found it to be effective.

While it’s important to note that Craig was not a psychologist or doctor, Ewing says EFT tapping has been extensively researched to assess its effectiveness for treating mental health conditions, most commonly anxiety and related conditions, such as phobias and PTSD.

Scientific studies show that tapping allows the brain and body to release stress and negative emotions, as well as calm and regulate the central nervous system, according to Capanna-Hodge. While researchers aren’t sure exactly how tapping moderates stress, they have observed a decrease in cortisol (often referred to as the “stress hormone”), showing that a physiological change is occurring.

Capanna-Hodge explains that when the nervous system is calmed via EFT, it allows a person to review an issue causing stress or anxiety without their body becoming activated by uncomfortable emotions. This is why it can be especially effective for overcoming phobias and PTSD, according to available research. One 2017 review in Explore found four and 10 sessions of EFT tapping to be an effective treatment for people with PTSD^[2]Clond, M. Emotional Freedom Techniques for Anxiety: A Systematic Review With Meta-analysis. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease.2016;204(5):388-395. .

“It’s really astounding,” Ewing says of EFT tapping’s ability to treat phobias and PTSD. “The meridian points are very powerful points when stimulated, and [research has shown] they send a calming signal to the brain.”

EFT tapping can also reduce feelings of depression, according to a 2016 review and meta-analysis in Explore^[3]Nelms J, Castel L. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized and Nonrandomized Trials of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) for the Treatment of Depression. Explore. 2016;12(6):416-426. . Ewing believes that this effect is due to a combination of tapping while repeating empowering statements, which are used to replace negative ones. To her point, scientific studies show that repeating empowering statements, such as “Even though I’m scared, I deeply accept myself,” activates the parts of the brain in charge of self-processing and behavior change. This activation, in turn, could lead to feeling more positive.

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Now that you know the science behind EFT tapping and its potential benefits, you may be wondering how to start. If you’ve never done EFT tapping before, you might want to work with an EFT tapping practitioner who can guide you through the process. There are also many high-quality EFT tapping resources available online if you want to learn more about the process before working with a practitioner.

Ewing strongly recommends working with an EFT practitioner if you’re interested in using EFT tapping to work through trauma so that a trained professional is present and can offer support and guidance if needed. You can find an EFT tapping therapist through the Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology’s database (select EFT in the “holistic methods” field).

If you do want to try EFT tapping on your own, follow these steps, according to Capanna-Hodge:

• Decide what to focus on. Pick one uncomfortable or negative thought, issue or stressor you want to clear or overcome.
• Evaluate your level of distress. Rate your discomfort on a scale of zero to 10, which will determine how long your EFT tapping session will be (you should continue to tap until your level of distress is under a three).
• Tap for three rounds along the meridian points. Follow this sequence through the nine main tapping points (bilaterally): the side of the hands near the pinky finger, the inner edge of the eyebrows where the eyebrow hair begins, on top of the bone at the corner of each eye, directly under the center of the eyes, under the nose in the space between the nose and the upper lip, under the mouth in the chin crease, one inch below and to the sides of each of the collarbones, under the arms four inches below the armpit, and on top of the head right at the crown. Tap each of these points even times gently using your index and middle finger.
• Mentally or audibly repeat a statement while going through the tapping rounds. An example of an EFT tapping statement includes: “Even though I’m scared, I deeply and completely accept myself.”
• Continue as needed. Stop when your discomfort level is less than a three on a scale of one to 10.

Below are some examples of when EFT tapping can be beneficial, according to experts and available research.

• To overcome stress or anxiety: Experts say that you can use EFT tapping in an acutely stressful or anxiety-producing situation or when focusing on something that causes stress or anxiety.
• To overcome a specific phobia: You don’t need to wait until you encounter a phobia to utilize EFT tapping: Simply focusing on your phobia while you go through the tapping sequence can help, says Ewing, though more research is needed to support this claim.
• To overcome PTSD: Similarly, EFT tapping can be done while focusing on a traumatic experience. As it can be quite intense, it’s best to work with an EFT tapping practitioner who can be present and offer emotional support and guidance.
• When you feel depressed: Both experts say that EFT tapping can be used to clear negative thoughts. However, it should be used in conjunction with other established treatments, such as talk therapy or prescription medication. Speak with a health care provider if you think tapping might benefit you.

Can Tapping Yourself Really Benefit Mental Health?

EFT tapping has been shown to be beneficial for people experiencing anxiety, depression, phobias and PTSD. However, Ewing says although there are many scientific studies showing the benefits of EFT tapping, it’s not as widely accepted as other holistic or complementary therapies, such as acupuncture.

Ewing believes this is due to the fact that the founder of EFT tapping didn’t have a background in psychotherapy or medicine. “The fact that he didn’t have this traditional background has made EFT tapping slower to catch on than some other forms of therapy, such as EMDR,” she says.

When researching EFT tapping, you may come across claims saying it can help with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), eating disorders, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and chronic pain, while clients have reported benefits, more research is needed to statistically support these statements.

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Both Ewing and Capanna-Hodge say that EFT tapping can benefit anyone who experiences stress, anxiety, depression, phobias or PTSD. “There are no known side effects or negatives of EFT tapping, and it really is a safe, effective and accessible therapy that can be used by children and adults,” says Capanna-Hodge.

While EFT tapping is widely considered safe, some people may start feeling emotional during an EFT tapping session, according to Ewing. This response occurs, she says, because you’re quite literally tapping into your emotions in a profound way. “It’s just something to keep in mind in terms of when you may want to do or avoid doing EFT tapping when you’re working through big emotions,” she says. “For example, you may not want to do it right before a work meeting.”

In general, EFT tapping is a safe and effective way to feel less stressed, anxious or depressed. Speak with your doctor or a mental health professional to see if EFT is right for your unique mental health needs.