Emotional Freedom Technique

Energy psychology is a field that encompasses a range of different techniques and approaches to break through blockages in emotions, cognition and health. It works with energy patterns and the bioenergetic field along with other more traditional therapeutic tools. It can quickly and effectively clear blockages and traumas, usually without having to dredge up past or painful feelings or experiences. The premise is to rebalance the energetic systems of the body through interactions with biofields and meridians. It is truly a mind-body approach. One of the modalities that falls within the umbrella of energy psychology is Emotional Freedom Technique, or the “tapping” technique.

EFT works on the meridians of the body, which requires tapping specific points in a certain order while voicing positive affirmations. The combination of these two elements helps to “short circuit” the emotional blockage and restores balance to the system.

What I love about EFT is that it is easy to learn and can be practiced in a few minutes a day, as many times are as needed, and on any topic or issue. It can be used for everything from overcoming sugar cravings to deep traumas from past events. The results are instant! I remember one day when I had to go to a location that I had not been to since a good friend of mine had had a gruesome accident and died there. I had traumatic memories of that event because I had been right there with him. I experienced severe anxiety whenever I thought about returning to that place, and yet I simply had to. I did a few minutes of tapping around the issue and the anxiety melted away. I still thought of him when driving to that place, but it was not traumatic. I was able to think of good memories, and although I did think of the last time I saw him there, it didn’t trigger feelings of panic and trauma as it had before.

Dr. Mercola has a section on EFT on his website that has videos too. Gary Craig, who is one of the developers of EFT, also has a book, The EFT Manual, and a website (www.emofree.com). There’s also a book I like called The Tapping Solution that I find to be a good introduction by Nick Ortner.

While there are plenty of skeptics, I have seen EFT bring profound changes in many individuals. Because it’s a therapy that one can learn and practice at home in a short period of time (and for free!), I believe it is worth checking out. For those who want professional guidance or want more advanced energy psychology work, there is a practitioner listing at www.energypsych.org.

I have experienced EFT personally and have seen how quickly and profoundly shifts occurred in my own life. Now I do not hesitate to recommend it to others. I just encourage them to keep an open mind and be willing to receive the benefit!!