Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) Tapping: A Beginner’s Primer
Imagine easing anxiety or stress by gently tapping your fingertips on your forehead or chest. It may sound unusual, but this practice – known as Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) or tapping – has been gaining attention in wellness circles. EFT tapping is a mind-body method that involves tapping on specific acupressure points while focusing on an emotional issue. Advocates say it can help calm the mind and even alleviate physical tension in minutes. Here’s a journalistic-style primer to introduce you to EFT, its origins, how it works, and how you can try it yourself.
What Is EFT Tapping and Where Did It Come From?
EFT tapping is often described as a form of “psychological acupressure” that aims to reduce stress and emotional pain (medicalnewstoday.com). In practice, a person taps on a sequence of points on the face and upper body – similar to acupuncture points – while acknowledging an issue they'd like to resolve (medicalnewstoday.com healthy.kaiserpermanente.org).
The technique was first introduced in the early 1990s by Gary Craig, a Stanford-trained engineer and personal coach, who built on the work of psychologist Dr. Roger Callahan (webmd.com) .
Callahan had developed a precursor called Thought Field Therapy in the 1980s to help patients overcome phobias by tapping on meridian points (webmd.com). Craig simplified those methods into a uniform tapping routine that anyone could learn, coining it “Emotional Freedom Techniques” and making it widely available as a self-help practice (webmd.com).
Today EFT is simply known as tapping for its distinctive tapping process, and it’s used by people around the world to manage stress, fear, cravings, and more.
Gary Craig founder of EFT taps on specific acupressure points (mainly on the face, head, and torso) while focusing on an emotional issue or stressor.
How Does Tapping Support Emotional & Physical Wellness?
EFT tapping draws on concepts from both Eastern medicine and psychology to promote wellness. The method targets the same energy meridian points described in traditional Chinese medicine – the pathways along which vital energy (“Qi”) flows [medicalnewstoday.com].
By tapping on these points with one’s fingertips (rather than using needles, as in acupuncture), EFT practitioners believe they can restore balance to the body’s energy flow and relieve negative emotions or pain [medicalnewstoday.com healthline.com].
Proponents say the tapping sends calming signals to the brain’s stress center, essentially telling the body it’s safe to relax [healthline.com].
At the same time, EFT incorporates elements of modern psychology. While tapping, individuals maintain focus on a specific problem or feeling and often repeat a reassuring phrase. This process can resemble a brief mindfulness or exposure exercise: you acknowledge a distressing feeling but pair it with a calming physical stimulus.
According to EFT developer Gary Craig, this combination helps “balance the energy” around the issue, reducing its emotional charge [medicalnewstoday.com].
Some researchers note that tapping may also work by distracting the mind and inducing a relaxation response, similar to meditation or deep breathing [medicalnewstoday.com].
In essence, EFT provides a structured way to confront an emotional issue while simultaneously soothing your nervous system.
Potential Benefits of EFT Tapping
People turn to EFT tapping for a variety of emotional and even physical concerns. Although research is still emerging, many individuals report meaningful benefits from this technique.
Here are some of the potential benefits:
• Stress and Anxiety Relief: Tapping is perhaps best known for its ability to rapidly reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. Users say it helps them calm down quickly in tense moments webmd.com . In fact, studies have found that after an EFT session, participants had lower heart rates, lower blood pressure, and even reduced levels of cortisol – a stress hormone webmd.com . This physiological shift corresponds with a sense of relaxation. Health providers note that EFT may help if you’re feeling overwhelmed, angry, or worried, serving as a handy tool to dial down acute stress healthy.kaiserpermanente.org .
• Emotional Regulation and Trauma Support: EFT is used to cope with difficult emotions ranging from everyday sadness to more serious trauma. Tapping has been applied for anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with promising results medicalnewstoday.com . For example, in one study with war veterans, a course of EFT coaching significantly reduced PTSD symptoms – over half of those who tried tapping no longer met the clinical criteria for PTSD afterward healthline.com . Therapists have integrated EFT alongside conventional treatments to help people process grief, phobias, and past traumas in a gentle, self-empowering way. While experts caution that EFT isn’t a standalone cure for serious trauma, it appears to be a useful complementary technique for emotional regulation healthy.kaiserpermanente.org .
• Personal Growth and Positive Mindset: Because EFT involves self-affirmation and release of negative feelings, many people use it as a personal development tool. Tapping practitioners often speak of “clearing emotional blocks” that hold one back. By reducing stress and fear, EFT might help individuals move past limiting beliefs or habits. Some anecdotal reports and small studies suggest tapping can boost self-esteem and confidence – for instance, a 2022 study found EFT tapping increased nurses’ self-esteem while lowering their work stress healthline.com . Others use it to overcome performance anxieties: public speakers, athletes, and even creative artists have tapped to find a calmer, more focused state before high-pressure events. In short, EFT can serve as a quick emotional reset, potentially allowing for improved focus, creativity, and overall mindset purdue.edu .
• Physical Well-Being: Interestingly, the mind-body approach of EFT may carry over into physical symptoms that are stress-related. There is evidence (and plenty of user testimony) that tapping can help diminish stress-related aches and pains – such as tension headaches, muscle knots, or the physical aspects of anxiety [purdue.edu].
Some individuals use EFT to curb cravings or unwanted urges; by tapping through the anxiety or emotion driving the craving, they find the urge lessens purdue.edu . Other reported benefits include better sleep and even support in weight loss journeys by reducing emotional eating triggers [purdue.edu].
While more scientific research is needed to confirm these outcomes, the existing studies suggest a broad range of potential uses for tapping, with minimal downside. Experts note that EFT has no significant known side effects and you can use it alongside standard medical or psychological care – though it shouldn’t replace professional help for serious conditions healthy [kaiserpermanente.org .
How to Do EFT Tapping: A Simple Step-by-Step Guide
One reason EFT has grown in popularity is that it’s easy to learn and do on your own. A basic tapping routine only takes a few minutes. Here’s a simple step-by-step guide to try EFT tapping for yourself:
1. Identify the Issue: Choose one specific problem, emotion, or stressful memory to focus on. It could be anything from “an upcoming presentation” to “feeling hurt by a comment.” Narrow it down to a single issue for the session (EFT works best when you tackle one feeling at a time) medicalnewstoday.com .
2. Rate the Intensity: Before tapping, take a moment to measure how much this issue is bothering you right now. Give it a subjective intensity score from 0 to 10, where 0 means no distress and 10 means extremely upsetting medicalnewstoday.com . For example, you might rate your current anxiety about the presentation as a 7 out of 10. This step establishes a baseline so you can compare your feelings after tapping.
3. Create a Setup Statement: Come up with a simple phrase that acknowledges the problem and affirms self-acceptance despite it. The classic EFT setup statement is: “Even though I have this [problem], I deeply and completely accept myself.” medicalnewstoday.com Insert your own issue into the phrase. For instance: “Even though I’m nervous about this presentation, I deeply and completely accept myself.” Say this statement out loud while tapping the karate chop point – the outer edge of your hand (along the fleshy side of your palm below the little finger) [medicalnewstoday.com]. Repeat the statement 2-3 times. This helps “set” your intention and tune your mind into the issue.
4. Tap the Sequence of Points: Next, you will tap a series of key points on your body, using two or three fingertips. Use a firm but gentle pressure – enough to feel it, but not painful. Tap each point about 5–7 times. As you tap on each spot, you can say a short reminder phrase to keep your focus on the issue (for example, “this nervous feeling” or “anxious about the talk”). The main EFT tapping points, in order, are: top of the head, beginning of the eyebrow (inner eyebrow near the bridge of the nose), side of the eye (on the bone outside the eye), under the eye (on the bone below the eye), under the nose (between the nose and upper lip), chin (the crease between lower lip and chin), collarbone (just below the collarbone notch), and under the arm (side of torso about 4 inches below the armpit) healthy.kaiserpermanente.org . You can tap on one side of the body (since the points mirror on both sides) or even use both hands tapping each side. Maintain a steady breath as you go through the sequence. (If it feels a bit awkward at first, that’s normal – with practice the sequence becomes more natural.)
5. Assess the Intensity Again: After one round of tapping, pause and rate your emotional intensity on the 0–10 scale again healthy.kaiserpermanente.org . How do you feel now when you think about the issue? Many people notice the feeling has decreased — for example, the anxiety might have dropped from 7/10 to 4/10. If there’s still discomfort (say your rating is not down to 0 or 1 yet), you can do another round of tapping on the same points using the same reminder phrase. It’s common to do 2–4 rounds, slightly adjusting the wording as needed, until you experience significant relief or a shift in perspective [medicalnewstoday.com].
Once your distress rating has substantially lowered, you can finish by taking a deep breath and acknowledging the change.
Congratulations, you’ve just done an EFT tapping session! (Tip: If new emotions or thoughts came up during tapping, you can repeat the process focusing on those aspects. EFT is a flexible technique – you can experiment with different wording or tapping additional points, but the basic above sequence is a great starting template.)
Growing Popularity and Recent Insights
What began as a niche therapy has steadily entered the mainstream wellness arena. In the last decade, EFT tapping has attracted a wide following – from psychotherapists and life coaches to everyday people seeking self-help tools [thetappingsolution.com].
There are now books, workshops, and even smartphone apps dedicated to tapping; for example, the Tapping Solution app offers guided EFT sessions and has brought the practice to users’ fingertips globally [thetappingsolution.com purdue.edu].
Key figures in the self-help world have also embraced EFT.
Personal development gurus like Tony Robbins teach it in their seminars, and popular media have taken notice. Television personality Dr. Mehmet Oz once featured EFT tapping on his show, introducing it to a broad audience with practitioner Nick Ortner as a guest [inciteinspirations.com]. Even Oprah Winfrey’s O Magazine ran a feature titled “Tapping Her Potential,” highlighting how tapping can help people overcome personal hurdles [inciteinspirations.com].
Such high-profile exposure has fueled curiosity and social media buzz, making EFT a trending topic in wellness communities.
Beyond the anecdotes and celebrity endorsements, a growing body of research is examining EFT’s effectiveness. Recent clinical studies have started to back up some of the claims. For instance, a large 2020 trial found that people who used EFT tapping for anxiety had greater improvement than those who received conventional talk therapy or medication [webmd.com]. Other studies have reported significant reductions in anxiety and PTSD symptoms after a series of tapping sessions [webmd.com].
Researchers have documented physiological changes too, such as decreased cortisol levels and improved heart rate variability, suggesting a lowered stress response [webmd.com]. These findings are encouraging, and they help explain why some psychologists and health professionals are integrating tapping alongside standard treatments [webmd.com].
That said, experts emphasize that more research is needed.
Some skeptics attribute benefits to a placebo effect or the therapeutic elements (like focused breathing and affirmations) rather than the tapping itself [webmd.com].
For now, the consensus is that while EFT is not a magic bullet, it can be a useful stress-reduction and self-soothing technique.
From a personal growth perspective, EFT tapping’s rise in popularity speaks to a broader trend: people are looking for accessible, DIY methods to take charge of their emotional well-being.
The appeal of EFT lies in its simplicity – anyone can learn the basics in minutes – and its empowering message that we have tools at our own fingertips to help heal emotional stress.
It’s free, portable, and can be done virtually anywhere, anytime you need it [thetappingsolution.com].
In wellness circles, you’ll hear many first-hand stories of “tapping” bringing relief during difficult times, whether it’s a working professional using a quick tapping break to dissipate work stress, or a trauma survivor using EFT techniques to ease a flashback.
Not every story is scientific data, of course, but the accumulating positive experiences are part of why EFT’s reputation has grown by word of mouth.
In summary, Emotional Freedom Technique is an unconventional yet intriguing approach to emotional wellness and personal development. It blends ancient acupressure concepts with modern psychological strategies in a way that’s easy to try for yourself.
While skeptics call for further evidence, many beginners find that a few minutes of tapping helps them feel noticeably calmer, more centered, and “free” from the intensity of whatever emotion was weighing them down.
If you’re curious, it may be worth giving EFT tapping a shot – with an open mind and a bit of practice, you just might tap into a new sense of emotional freedom [thetappingsolution.com].
Sources for this article: • Gary Craig’s introduction of EFT and its origins webmd.com thetappingsolution.com
• Description of EFT tapping technique and theory medicalnewstoday.com healthline.com
• How EFT relates to acupuncture points and energy meridians medicalnewstoday.com webmd.com • Claims on stress relief and physiological effects (cortisol, etc.) webmd.com thetappingsolution.com
• Uses of EFT for anxiety, PTSD, cravings, and other issues medicalnewstoday.com purdue.edu • Kaiser Permanente on using EFT for managing emotions and stress healthy.kaiserpermanente.org healthy.kaiserpermanente.org
• Step-by-step EFT tapping guide adapted from clinical sources medicalnewstoday.com healthy.kaiserpermanente.org
• Research findings and expert opinions on EFT’s effectiveness healthline.com webmd.com • Examples of growing popularity and mainstream exposure inciteinspirations.com purdue.edu
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