Is often
referred to as emotional acupressure. This relatively new
development in holistic treatments uses tapping on a number
of acupuncture points to stimulate the body’s natural
healing response.
What can EFT help with?
EFT can
be used to treat a broad spectrum of emotional and
emotionally based problems for example;-
Fears
related to performance like public speaking,
concentration, sports, etc.
Phobias such as the fear of heights, flying, enclosed
spaces, driving, etc.
Trauma from emotional or physical abuse, war
experiences, bereavement, etc.
Distressing emotions such as depression and anger.
Addictive patterns of behaviour involved in smoking,
obesity, alcoholism, drug addiction, etc.
Insomnia
Emotions surrounding physical conditions such as pain
management and incapacity.
How EFT Works
Based on
Traditional Chinese Medicinal philosophy (Acupuncture,
Shiatsu, etc) that emotional and physical problems are
reflected in imbalances in the energy and meridian systems
in the body, EFT relieves symptoms using tapping with the
fingertips on a simple series of acupuncture points on the
body.
The
tapping releases the emotional blockages that are created
when a person is triggered by a memory of a disturbing
situation or circumstance. After the blockage is released,
the memory remains, but the emotional charge has gone as the
system becomes balanced.
As the
whole body system is so dynamically linked; with emotional
stress creating physical problems, and physical problems
creating emotional stress, the balancing of any part of the
system can have a dramatic effect on the healing process of
the entire body.
The great
benefit of EFT is it’s simplicity which means it can easily
be learnt by the patient so that they can take the
techniques away with them and continue to help themselves at
home.
What to expect from an EFT session
Each
session lasts about 1 hour and the patient remains
seated and fully clothed.
After
an initial consultation to determine your current health
status and the issues you want to address, the
practitioner will explain the procedure and take you
through the tapping protocol addressing any specific
issues that come up in turn.
Most
issues can be partially or completely relieved within a
short space of time using this process, however, others
may need the process repeated with variations in the
focus, wording or approach to the issue being addressed,
as the treatment may well reveal some deeper issues.
Take a look yourself -
Background
EFT was
developed in the mid 1990’s by Gary Craig, whose academic
training includes a Stanford Engineering Degree. While
personal healing has been his passion for over 30 years,
Gary is neither a licensed therapist nor a trained
psychologist. Many of the concepts underlying EFT came from
Gary's training in Thought Field Therapy (TFT) under the
tutorship of Dr. Roger Callahan.
TFT
involves the use of 10 or 15 individualized tapping
routines. EFT differs in that it employs only one
comprehensive tapping routine which is used for all
emotional and physical problems.
Case Studies
I went to see Elaine to stop smoking. I believe we spent no
longer than 15 minutes tapping the various points on the
body while at the same time working with different
affirmations on my need to smoke. What I found amazing was
my resistance to come up with a plausible reason why I
needed to smoke. While working with the affirmations a
strange thing started to happen. I was suddenly aware that
my need to smoke was starting to subside. At first I felt
nauseous, but very soon I was unable to imagine what it was
like to smoke. It was like recovering from an illness, like
a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders. The sense
of relief that I no longer have to smoke is immense. Since
going to see Elaine I have not smoked a single cigarette. I
do not feel as mentally and physically congested as I did
when I smoked. You don’t have to rely on willpower as the
technique is designed to eliminate cravings; which it does.
I have had mild twinges and I think this has to do with
routine, but because the technique allows the patient to
able to self treat, a few taps in the right places and I
feel fine again. Matthew, Hertfordshire
Please
note: Before undertaking any course of complementary therapy
if you have a specific medical problem you are advised to
seek professional medical help.
