EFT Tapping
Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) is a powerful tool of energy psychology. This technique combines elements of cognitive behavioral therapy and prolonged exposure with acupressure point stimulation, allowing for the processing of emotional blocks.
What is EFT and why does it work?
EFT is based on a scientific premise: traumatic or stressful events become encoded in our nervous system. When we recall a difficult event, the amygdala (the brain's alarm center) is activated, triggering a fight, flight, or freeze response.
Tapping involves gently tapping with your fingers on specific points along the nerve endings of the body's energy meridians while focusing on the problem. By doing this, you send a mechanical calming signal to the midbrain. The brain receives two conflicting signals:
- The cognitive cue: "I am remembering this trauma."
- The physical signal: "I am safe."
This contradiction generates a desensitization, allowing the brain to "re-file" the memory without the painful emotional charge.
How is the technique performed? The Clinical Protocol
Although the process used as a relaxation technique is easy to learn, in therapy we use it clinically to delve deeper and release layers of emotional distress.
1. Identify the "Target":
We don't work on "anxiety" in a generic way. We look for the specific event, the image associated with the anxiety, or the bodily sensation.
2. Measure the Intensity (SUDs):
We assess discomfort on a scale of 0 to 10. This allows us to monitor progress in real time during the session.
3. The Setup Phrase:
While hitting the "karate point" (the side of the hand), we verbalize the problem, accepting our reality:
"Even though I feel this lump in my throat when I think about [X], I accept myself completely and deeply.".
This phase is crucial because it works on paradoxical acceptance and reduces resistance to change.
4. The Tapping Sequence:
We stimulate a series of specific points while repeating a "reminder phrase" to maintain the connection with the emotion,
Clinical Evidence EFT
Research has shown that Tapping produces measurable physiological changes in the body and brain:
A. Drastic Reduction of Cortisol
A seminal study (Church et al., 2012) demonstrated that a one-hour EFT session reduces salivary cortisol levels (the stress hormone) by 24%, compared to a 14% reduction in conventional talk therapy and rest. More recent studies have raised that figure to as high as 43% in intensive interventions.
B. Regulation of Gene Expression (Epigenetics)
Recent research suggests that EFT can influence the expression of genes related to stress response and immune function, helping to "turn off" genes that promote chronic inflammation.
C. Neuroimaging and the Amygdala
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has shown that stimulating acupressure points sends a deactivating signal to the amygdala. This breaks the "fight or flight" response, allowing the hippocampus (memory) and prefrontal cortex (reasoning) to process the experience in a healthier way.
Benefits in Clinical Psychotherapy
Integrating EFT into a holistic therapeutic framework offers specific benefits:
Speed of Desensitization:
It helps reduce the emotional burden of traumatic memories.
Opening the Window of Tolerance to emotional and physical sensations:
By calming the nervous system, the patient emerges from the state of "blockage" (Dorsal Vagus) or "panic" (Sympathetic), allowing the psychological work to be much deeper.
Self-Management Tool:
One of the greatest benefits is that the patient learns the technique and carries it with them as a way to cope with anxiety and induce states of relaxation.
Clinical literature supports the use of EFT with high success rates in:
Anxiety and Phobias, PTSD (Trauma), Depression, Chronic Pain and Addictions.