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What is EFT tapping?
Emotional freedom technique (EFT) is an alternative treatment for physical pain and emotional distress. It’s also referred to as tapping or psychological acupressure.
People who use this technique believe tapping the body can create a balance in your energy system and treat pain. According to its developer, Gary Craig, a disruption in energy is the cause of all negative emotions and pain.
Though still being researched, EFT tapping has been used to treat people with anxiety and people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
How does EFT tapping work?
Similar to acupuncture, EFT focuses on the meridian points — or energy hot spots — to restore balance to your body’s energy. It’s believed that restoring this energy balance can relieve symptoms a negative experience or emotion may have caused.
Based on Chinese medicine, meridian points are thought of as areas of the body energy flows through. These pathways help balance energy flow to maintain your health. Any imbalance can influence disease or sickness.
Acupuncture uses needles to apply pressure to these energy points. EFT uses fingertip tapping to apply pressure.
Proponents say the tapping helps you access your body’s energy and send signals to the part of the brain that controls stress. They claim that stimulating the meridian points through EFT tapping can reduce the stress or negative emotion you feel from your issue, ultimately restoring balance to your disrupted energy.
EFT tapping in 5 steps
EFT tapping can be divided into five steps. If you have more than one issue or fear, you can repeat this sequence to address it and reduce or eliminate the intensity of your negative feeling.
1. Identify the issue
In order for this technique to be effective, you must first identify the issue or fear you have. This will be your focal point while you’re tapping. Focusing on only one problem at a time is purported to enhance your outcome.
2. Test the initial intensity
After you identify your problem area, you need to set a benchmark level of intensity. The intensity level is rated on a scale from 0 to 10, with 10 being the worst or most difficult. The scale assesses the emotional or physical pain and discomfort you feel from your focal issue.
Establishing a benchmark helps you monitor your progress after performing a complete EFT sequence. If your initial intensity was 10 prior to tapping and ended at 5, you’d have accomplished a 50 percent improvement level.
3. The setup
Prior to tapping, you need to establish a phrase that explains what you’re trying to address. It must focus on two main goals:
- acknowledging the issues
- accepting yourself despite the problem
The common setup phrase is: “Even though I have this [fear or problem], I deeply and completely accept myself.”
You can alter this phrase so that it fits your problem, but it must not address someone else’s. For example, you can’t say, “Even though my mother is sick, I deeply and completely accept myself.” You have to focus on how the problem makes you feel in order to relieve the distress it causes. It’s better to address this situation by saying, “Even though I’m sad my mother is sick, I deeply and completely accept myself.”
4. EFT tapping sequence
The EFT tapping sequence is the methodic tapping on the ends of nine meridian points.
There are 12 major meridians that mirror each side of the body and correspond to an internal organ. However, EFT mainly focuses on these nine:
- karate chop (KC): small intestine meridian
- top of head (TH): governing vessel
- eyebrow (EB): bladder meridian
- side of the eye (SE): gallbladder meridian
- under the eye (UE): stomach meridian
- under the nose (UN): governing vessel
- chin (Ch): central vessel
- beginning of the collarbone (CB): kidney meridian
- under the arm (UA): spleen meridian
Begin by tapping the karate chop point while simultaneously reciting your setup phrase three times. Then, tap each following point seven times, moving down the body in this ascending order:
- eyebrow
- side of the eye
- under the eye
- under the nose
- chin
- beginning of the collarbone
- under the arm
After tapping the underarm point, finish the sequence at the top of the head point.
While tapping the ascending points, recite a reminder phrase to maintain focus on your problem area. If your setup phrase is, “Even though I’m sad my mother is sick, I deeply and completely accept myself,” your reminder phrase can be, “The sadness I feel that my mother is sick.” Recite this phrase at each tapping point. Repeat this sequence two or three times.
5. Test the final intensity
At the end of your sequence, rate your intensity level on a scale from 0 to 10. Compare your results with your initial intensity level. If you haven’t reached 0, repeat this process until you do.
Does EFT tapping work?
EFT has been used to effectively treat war veterans and active military with PTSD. In a 2013 study, researchers studied the impact of EFT tapping on veterans with PTSD against those receiving standard care.
Within a month, participants receiving EFT coaching sessions had significantly reduced their psychological stress. In addition, more than half of the EFT test group no longer fit the criteria for PTSD.
There are also some success stories from people with anxiety using EFT tapping as an alternative treatment.
A 2016 review compared the effectiveness of using EFT tapping over standard care options for anxiety symptoms. The study concluded there was a significant decrease in anxiety scores compared to participants receiving other care. However, further research is needed to compare EFT treatment with other cognitive therapy techniques.
The bottom line
EFT tapping is an alternative acupressure therapy treatment used to restore balance to your disrupted energy. It’s been an authorized treatment for war veterans with PTSD, and it’s demonstrated some benefits as a treatment for anxiety, depression, physical pain, and insomnia.
While there are some success stories, researchers are still investigating its effectiveness on other disorders and illnesses. Continue to seek traditional treatment options. However, if you decide to pursue this alternative therapy, consult with your doctor first to reduce the likelihood of injury or worsening symptoms.
EFT tapping is an alternative anxiety therapy that involves tapping with the fingertips on specific points of the body. Learn about the practice and how it might be helpful for anxiety.
Treatment for anxiety involves a combination of medication, psychotherapy and alternative therapies. Emotional freedom technique (EFT), also known as tapping or EFT tapping, is a therapeutic intervention that combines both cognitive and physical elements. EFT tapping therapy has been demonstrated to improve the symptoms of several mental health disorders, including anxiety and depression. EFT tapping for anxiety is an effective way to reduce anxiety symptoms such as excessive worry, irritability, sleeping difficulties and difficulty concentrating.
Article at a Glance:
- One alternative anxiety treatment is emotional freedom technique (EFT) tapping that has both physical and cognitive elements.
- EFT sessions involve tapping with fingertips on points of the body while a patient focuses on something specific.
- EFT tapping is used for anxiety, depression, headaches, pain, weight loss and more.
- The main EFT tapping points are the side of the hand, eyebrow, the side of and under the eye, under the nose, chin, collarbone, underarm and top of the head.
- Research has found EFT tapping to be effective for some people.
What Is EFT Tapping?
EFT tapping was created in 1995 by the psychotherapist Gary Craig. Since then, detailed manuals have been written to allow for consistent training and clinical practice. EFT tapping therapy combines aspects of cognitive therapy, exposure therapy and physical touch. During an EFT session, tapping with the fingertips on specific points of the body occurs while the participant focuses on a specific concern. These points on the body are called meridian points, which are considered hot spots of the body’s energy. While tapping, participants recite short phrases directed to an emotional or physical symptom. The goal of EFT is to balance energy and decrease stress, thereby improving emotional health. When tested against the standards of the American Psychological Association’s Task Force on Empirically Validated Treatments, EFT is considered an evidence-based therapy for anxiety, depression, phobias and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Uses for Tapping
There are many evidence-based uses for tapping. EFT tapping points can be useful for treating:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Pain
- Phobias
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Headaches
- Weight loss
History Behind Tapping
EFT tapping history begins with the practice of thought field therapy (TFT), which was created in 1980 by the psychologist Dr. Roger Callahan. While working with a patient with a severe water phobia, Dr. Callahan utilized his training in traditional Chinese medicine to devise a novel therapeutic technique. The patient’s fear of being near the water caused them to experience chronic stomach pains. Based on his previous training, Dr. Callahan knew there was an acupuncture point for the stomach meridian on the cheekbone. By directing the patient to tap their cheekbone, he was able to relieve their stomach pain and decrease their water phobia.
Dr. Callahan’s tapping technique was subsequently refined to form the base of thought field therapy. A student of Dr. Callahan, Gary Craig, then modified and simplified the TFT technique to create EFT during the 1990s. Rather than requiring the direction of a trained TFT therapist, Craig’s EFT technique could be learned and practiced by anyone.
How Does EFT Tapping Work?
Tapping utilizes connections between the body and the mind to address harmful thoughts and emotions. Practitioners believe that tapping stimulates the energy system that travels along the body’s meridian pathways, thereby restoring balance and relieving distress. During a tapping session, the participant focuses on an undesirable emotion, such as a stressful situation, specific fear or bad memory. While maintaining focus on the concern, the participant uses their fingertips to tap on each of the body’s nine meridian points. Specific phrases are repeated during the session to maintain the focus on the issue at hand. Tapping on the meridian points while concentrating on accepting the negative emotion or concern helps re-balance the body’s energy.
The nine main EFT tapping points include:
- Karate chop (side of the hand)
- Eyebrow point (EB)
- Side of eye (SE)
- Under eye (UE)
- Under nose (UN)
- Chin point (CP)
- Collarbone point (CB)
- Underarm (UA)
- Top of the head (TH)
Basic Tapping Sequence
Tapping for anxiety can be an effective way to decrease distress. Many people wonder how to use EFT tapping to relieve their symptoms. The EFT tapping method utilizes several simple steps, including.
- Identify concern: The participant identifies a concern they would like to address. For example, anxiety is identified as a concern.
- Rate the distress level: The participant rates their current distress level on a scale of 0 to 10, with zero being baseline and ten being the highest level of distress. This rating system is called a Subjective Unit of Distress (SUDS) scale. For example, the current distress level in an anxious participant may be eight.
- Formulate setup statement: The participant formulates their concerns as part of a setup statement, which helps them tune into their distress. The setup statement consists of two parts. The first part emphasizes acknowledging the problem they wish to address, while the second part focuses on self-acceptance. For example, the setup statement may be “even though I feel anxious, I profoundly and fully accept myself.”
- Tapping sequence: The participant engages in the physical tapping process, focusing the touch on EFT tapping points on the face and body. Each point is tapped in a specific sequence about five to seven times. While tapping, the participate repeats short phrases to maintain focus on the problem at hand. This repeated phrase is called the reminder phrase. A sample tapping sequence for anxiety may include the following steps.
- With four fingers on one hand, tap the karate chop point on the other hand
- Repeat the setup statement three times, while simultaneously tapping the karate chop point
- Tap about five to seven times each on the remaining eight points
- Each point is tapped while repeating a simple reminder phrase, such as “my anxiety”
- Repeat until resolution: The distress level is reevaluated and the tapping sequence is repeated until a zero or one on the SUDS scale is achieved.
Benefits of Tapping
There are many proposed benefits of EFT tapping, including:
- Decreased anxiety or depression
- Improved symptoms of chronic pain
- Reduced headache frequency and intensity
- Increased weight loss
- Improved mood
- Reduced stress and levels of the stress hormone cortisol
Related Topic: Finding Support for Mental Health Disorders through Teletherapy
The Science Behind Tapping
EFT tapping research demonstrates its effectiveness for anxiety and depression. One large-scale study looked at 5,000 patients with anxiety who received either traditional anxiety treatment in the form of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with or without medication, or tapping with no medication. The majority of patients (90%) who received tapping therapy experienced a reduction in their anxiety symptoms compared to 63% of the CBT participants. Similarly, an analysis of 14 randomized controlled trials of EFT for anxiety disorders found that EFT treatment was associated with a significant decrease in anxiety scores.
Researchers studying depression reported that after group intervention using EFT for depression in college students, those who received EFT had significantly less depression than those who did not receive it. A recent study of 81 patients showed reductions in post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression symptoms in EFT participants.
Although further research is needed to uncover the science behind EFT tapping and determine how EFT tapping modifies the body’s response to stress, some practitioners believe that the amygdala is involved. The amygdala is a part of the brain involved in the body’s stress and fight or flight responses. Supporting this theory, studies using EEG (electroencephalogram) to evaluate EFT tapping found that EFT reduces the brainwave frequencies associated with stress or amplifies those associated with relaxation.
Additional Resources on Tapping
The following are some helpful additional apps, videos, and books that can provide additional information EFT Tapping.
The Nobu Mental Health App
Check out the Nobu App to learn more about EFT tapping techniques for anxiety. It is free and for anyone that is looking to reduce anxiety, work through depression, build self-esteem, get aftercare following treatment, attend teletherapy sessions and so much more. Download the Nobu app today!
EFT Tapping YouTube videos:
Watching videos is a great way to start your EFT journey. Here are a few to check out:
Books on EFT tapping:
Here are some helpful books that can guide you through the process of EFT tapping step-by-step:
If you or a loved one is struggling with anxiety along with a substance use disorder, The Recovery Village can help. You can receive comprehensive treatment at one of the Recovery Village facilities located throughout the country. To learn more about treatment programs, call The Recovery Village to speak with a representative today.
Editor – Gretchen Pruett
Gretchen Pruett is a writer and editor based out of Detroit, specializing in academic and evidence-based content. Read more
Medically Reviewed By – Dr. Candace Crowley, PhD
Dr. Candace Crowley received her B.S. in Biochemistry from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and her Ph.D. in Immunology from UC Davis, where her thesis focused on immune modulation in childhood asthma. Read more
Medical Disclaimer
The Recovery Village aims to improve the quality of life for people struggling with substance use or mental health disorder with fact-based content about the nature of behavioral health conditions, treatment options and their related outcomes. We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals. The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers.
