The Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) Process

Designed to be completely user friendly, Emotional Freedom Techniques invites you to take charge of your own emotional healing. EFT is based on the principles of acupuncture and acupressure. You tap on selected points while focusing your attention on specific physical or emotional reactions to events (whether past or present) that affect your current physical and mental health.

The simplicity of EFT is one of its best features. No matter what the issue you are addressing while using EFT, the process itself never changes. You use the exact same process each and every time. EFT is easy to learn and easy to adapt. It uses points that we are all familiar with and is easily modified by the user. If you have negative feelings that currently interfere with your enjoyment of life or keep you from reaching your life goals, in just a few minutes, you can feel some relief and take a step closer to uncovering the root cause of these feelings so that you can resolve them in a healthy way.

The EFT process has three main steps: 1) clarification of the issue, including recording how intensely you feel about it RIGHT NOW, 2) the Setup statement, and 3) the Tapping Sequence.

Step 1 – Clarification and testing

The first step in EFT is identifying an issue that you want to resolve with EFT. Once you begin using EFT, you will find it useful for everyday events that bring up negative feelings for you. However, EFT is a very effective tool for resolving issues that have bothered you for some time. The Personal Peace Procedure is a personal guide to excavating your past so that you can uncover and resolve feelings that began in negative events of the past but continue to bother you today. Whether you use EFT for an event from the distant past or for the bad day you had at the office today, you want to begin by making your issue very specific.

Remember that you are going to tap on acupressure points while focusing on the specific negative feeling. The specific feeling can be the memory of an event that triggers a physical reaction, the emotion that arises from the reaction, or a behavior that the emotion inspires. The important thing is to be as specific as possible. Zero in on the one detail that triggers the strongest negative feeling for you. So, for example, you don’t want to tap on the general “bad day at the office.” Tap instead on the memory of your boss’s red face looming over you and the hot spray of spittle that hit your chin when he yelled at you and the way your stomach heaved when he slapped the heavy file onto your desk and the way you couldn’t stop shoving cream-filled donuts in your mouth after he left.

Once you’ve identified a specific aspect of your issue take a moment to quantify it so that, later, after the tapping, you will be able to measure your progress. Write down a number on a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 being the worst it could be, that measures exactly how much this feeling bothers you RIGHT NOW.

Step 2 – The Setup

The Setup begins with creation of a two-part statement, the Setup statement. The Setup statement includes the specific issue you identified along with a statement of self-acceptance. The form for the Setup is simple:

“Even though _______, I deeply and completely accept myself.”

So for your bad day, you might say

“Even though my boss screamed at me and made my stomach feel sick, I deeply and completely accept myself.”

Remember to use whatever specific detail causes the most intense reaction for you. Focus on one specific issue. You can always move on to another one as you feel the first resolve.

Continue the Setup by making the mind-body connection. Say the Setup statement three times while continuously tapping on the Setup Point.

The Setup Point

There are two points that people commonly use for Setup Point. The first is the Karate Chop point. It’s is the fleshy side of either hand, the place where your fingers wrap someone else’s when you shake hands. The second point is called the Sore Spot and is located about 3 inches down from the V-shaped notch at the base of your throat and 3 inches to the left or right, roughly in line with your nipple. Some people have more success with the Karate Chop point for distinct issues and the Sore Spot for more global issues. EFT is very flexible. Try the different spots and do what works best for you.

The Rationale Behind the Setup

The idea behind EFT is that all negative emotions are caused by disruptions in the body’s energy systems. At times, even when we want to clear these disruptions, we may have resistance to letting go of our problem. Change is difficult, even positive change. Resistance to resolving an issue is called Psychological Reversal, or PR, from the idea that the energy is somehow “reversed.” Reversals do not always occur but, when they do, they can be time-consuming or difficult to diagnose. The Setup was designed to preclude the possibility of reversal. In other words, doing the Setup will help to clear any reversals that might exist, without you having to take the time to find out if they do or not.

After saying your Setup three times while continually tapping, or rubbing, either the Karate Chop point or the Sore Spot, you are ready to move on to the Tapping Sequence.

Step 3 – Tapping

The tapping sequence is accomplished by saying a Reminder Phrase, based on your Setup, as you tap about seven times on each of the tapping points. Seven times on each point in the sequence while continually saying the Reminder Phrase constitutes one round of EFT. You tap as many rounds as needed to lower the intensity measurement when you think about the original issue. So, for instance, if the detail of your bad day that has the most intensity for you is the upset feeling in your stomach, and you measure the intensity, originally, at an 8, you will tap, beginning at the top of head, saying “This upset stomach.” Move through one or two rounds, then measure again. If the intensity has not dropped to a comfortable level, for instance, below a 3, continue with more rounds or move to an alternate technique.

The Points

The following series of points are located on both sides of the body, so you can use two or three fingers to tap the points on either side of your body, or both sides at once. You can tap first one side, then the other. Many people even find one point that seems to work best for them. The have success concentrating on that one point, returning to it often, or even, at times, using that point alone. Again, experiment, and do what works for you.

With EFT’s flexibility, there is no required order to the points, but, they are generally taught beginning at the top of the head and moving down the body simply because they are easier to remember in that order. EFT instructions vary in the points they recommend. Since EFT is so flexible and people have different preferences, different practitioners and writers have defined different sets of points. Some sets are shorter than others. Some include the top of the head point and the liver point. Some don’t. Some include the hand points. Some don’t. All the points included here are useful.

• The Top of the Head point is about a finger’s width behind the exact crown of the head. Many people can feel a slight depression or tenderness there.
• The Eyebrow point is at the tip of the eyebrow near the nose, on the bone. Both sides of the body are used.
• The Side of Eye point is at the outside tip of the eyebrow. Both sides of the body are used.
• The Under the Eye point is on the top of the cheekbones underneath and in line with the pupil.
• The Under the Nose point is in the indentation between the nose and upper lip.
• The Chin point is in the crease between the bottom lip and the chin.
• The Collarbone point is the soft spot about an inch toward the outside of the body from the hollow V shape at the base of the neck, just off the sternum (breast bone), just under the collarbone.
• The Under the Arm point is about a hand’s-breadth below the armpit. Both sides of the body are used. For some people who are chemically dependent, this spot can drive up distress so you may delete this spot if needed.
• The Rib point is also called the Liver point. It is between the 6^th and 7^th ribs in line with the nipple (for women, it’s about where the bra band would be).
• The Thumb point is at the base of the nail bed on the side of the thumb toward the body.
• The Index Finger point is at the base of the nail bed on the side of the index finger toward the body.
• The Middle Finger point is at the base of the nail bed on the side of the middle finger toward the body.
• The Little Finger point is at the base of the nail bed on the side of the baby finger toward the body.

Remaining Issues

When you’ve finished a few rounds, but the intensity has not fallen to zero, you may wish to tap another round or two modifying the Reminder to acknowledge the remaining issue:

“This REMAINING memory of my boss’s looming red face….”

You may also repeat the Setup, tapping the Karate Chop point or Sore Spot, with a modified Setup:

“Even though, I STILL have some of this REMAINING memory of my boss’s looming face…”

Begin a new round of tapping with this new Reminder Phrase, continuing until the intensity measures 0.

The 9 Gamut

The 9 Gamut is a quick technique designed to help balance the brain by providing both left and right brain activity. You can add it at the end of a sequence when the intensity is low, but doesn’t seem to be dropping to 0.

Begin by tapping the 9 Gamut point.

• The 9 Gamut Point is on the back of the hand about a half inch below the spot where the where the indention between the knuckle little finger and the knuckle of the ring finger.

While continuously tapping this spot, hold the head still, looking straight ahead, and perform the following nine movements:

• Eyes closed
• Eyes open
• Eyes sharp down to the right
• Eyes sharp down to the left
• Roll eyes in clockwise
• Roll eyes counterclockwise
• Hum a tune for 5 seconds
• Count to 5
• Hum again for 5 seconds

Reassessment

When you feel as if the distress may be gone, test by using the Movie Technique to review the details as if it were a 2 minute movie. As you review the story, monitor your level of distress. If you are working by yourself, you can imagine the movie silently or pretend you are telling someone about it. If the distress increases to 2 or 3, do the tapping sequence again until it is at 0, then continue to the end of the story. Any time you feel a rise in your feeling of stress, stop and tap until it tests at 0.

EFT Plus

Occasionally, tapping alone doesn’t lower the intensity measurement as much as you’d like. In that case, there are additional techniques that often help to finish the job.

If your distress or level of intensity did not change at all while tapping through the EFT sequence, you might have some stubborn disruptions or blocks in your energy system that would respond to some simple corrections. Some disruptions can be cleared by changing your physical circumstance. Try taking a few deep cleansing breaths and then resume your tapping. You may be dehydrated, so make sure you take a long drink of water. Change rooms or go outside. Change lighting or noise levels. At times, disruptions might be corrected by removing metal belts or underwire bras.

Some disruptions may be Psychological Reversals that weren’t cleared sufficiently with the Setup. PRs are type of disruption or block caused when your wise and reasonable mind can

be overwhelmed by your emotional mind.  A classic example of this phenomenon  is the reason dieting doesn’t work.  This is nothing to worry about; it is correctible, and it happens to everybody. Rarely, impediments to success with EFT may be neurological/energy disorganization, or energy toxins and allergies. Energy toxins are rare, but if you suspect them, you might consider avoiding all scented products or replacing old fabrics like pillows or curtains. Since energy toxins are rarely the problem, they are worth considering but alternative techniques, such as focused use of the Sore Spot or Collarbone Breathing Therapy should be tried first.

Correcting Psychological Reversal with Use of the Sore Spot

To clear PRs, focus your attention on the specific problem being treated and rub the Sore Spot on the left side of your chest while saying out loud

“Even with all my problems and limitations, I deeply and completely accept myself.”

To clear remaining psychological reversals, place attention on the problem to be cleared, tap directly under nose and say 3 times emphasizing the underlined words,

“Even if I never get over this problem, I accept myself deeply and completely.”

Tap the karate spot on the side of the hand continuously while saying each of the following sentences twice:

“I accept myself deeply and completely, even if

• I am not ready to eliminate this problem.
• I don’t deserve to get over this problem.
• I feel it’s not safe to get over this problem.
• I am scared to try to deal with this problem.
• I will feel deprived if I get over this problem.
• I will not do what is necessary to get over this problem.
• I will lose my identity if I get over this problem.

Clear Neurological Disorganization with Collarbone Breathing Therapy (CB2)

To clear Neurological Disorganization, use Collarbone Breathing Therapy. You’ll do one complete cycle on the right and left collarbones with the right hand, then one complete cycle on the right and left collarbones with the left hand.

Right hand:  Begin by holding two fingertips from your right hand on your right collarbone point and, with the left hand, tap the right gamut point continuously while doing the following breathing sequence:

• Breathe half way in and hold it while tapping for 5 taps.
• Breathe all the way in and hold it for 5 taps.
• Breathe half way out and hold it for 5 taps.
• Breathe all the way out and hold it for 5 taps.
• Breathe normally for 5 taps.

Next, bend fingers of right hand, touch the right knuckles on the right collarbone point, tap while doing breathing sequence again.

Repeat the entire cycle with the right fingertips, then the right knuckles, on the left collarbone point.

Left hand:  Move to the left hand by holding two fingertips from your left hand on your right collarbone point and, with the right hand, tap the left gamut point continuously while repeating the breathing sequence.

Next, bend fingers of left hand, touch the left knuckles on the right collarbone point, tap while doing breathing sequence again.

Repeat the cycle with the left fingertips, then the left knuckles on the left collarbone point.

When finished do the EFT Protocol again, focused on the original issue.

Loretta Sparks 2002 selfcarepower.com

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Self Relief with EFT is a compact guide that will give you the tools to understand and evaluate stress that has accumulated over the years and its current impact on you. Also, in this handy guide is the Stress Level Rating Scale, which provides a unique way to assess your behavioral response to stress, rather than just identifying the stressor. Particularly useful for people who are use to living with stress and are not aware of their stressors until they feel fried.

How do you know if you take reasonable care of yourself? Well, odds are if you do take good care of yourself, you don’t often relate to words like, worried, troubled, uneasy, anxious pressured, ill at ease, disturbed, concerned, distressed, restless, nervous, uncomfortable, overwhelmed and panicky. These words all describe various degrees of stress, which is the single greatest health hazard we face today.

Stress takes it emotional toll on us to be sure, but it also is incredibly destructive to our bodies. It causes 95% of the illnesses for which we seek medical care . As hard as it is to believe it’s true. 95% of the illness that we see doctors for is stress induced. While that’s really bad news, it’s also a powerful piece of good news.

What makes it good news? STRESS can be reduced, eliminated, resolved, in other words dealt with. When SELF CARE becomes the center of your healthy life focus you are actively in service of your emotional and physical health. And that is what this website is all about, SELF CARE. What it is and isn’t!! How to get it and keep it! How the experience of SELF CARE empowers your life with a balanced understanding of your needs and the needs of others.

A balanced understanding of your needs vs needs of others allows you to figure out how not to over extend yourself. How to say ‘no’ or ‘sorry, I’m, not available,’ without feeling guilty and and overwhelmed (stressed) with inappropriate responsibility.

At this point you may be wondering what I mean by SELF CARE and what in the world to I mean by SELF CARE POWER? So many people over the years have looked at me as if I stopped speaking English when I launch into the basic of SELF CARE as being a healthy, positive way to live your life, because to them SELF CARE means the same a SELFISH! So let me share with you the difference. SELFISH means that you are depriving someone of that which is rightfully theirs. If we were supposed to share something equally and I took it ALL then I’m being SELFISH or SELF CENTERED. But I ask you, am I being selfish or self centered when I follow the airline’s directions and put the oxygen mask on myself first, then put it on my child? I think not. If I am not at my best and strongest, I cannot protect my child. If I am not at my best, I cannot provide those I care for with my strength, caring and protection, my POWER.

Excessive behavior can be linked to the disproportionate use of a substance like food, alcohol, drugs, cigarette. Excessive behavior may also involve an activity such as sex, gambling, shopping or exercise. From the perspective of Energy Psychology, when you engage in an excessive behavior, you are attempting to soothe an unresolved emotion or trauma. Instead, we use Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) to soothe the emotional trauma and the need to engage in excessive behaviors subsides.

• Has the behavior I’m concerned about caused any problems with family members?
• Have they said anything or do I hide my behavior from them?
• Has it caused and problems on the job?
• Have I missed work or not done the job I’m capable of doing because of my excessive behavior?
• Have I neglected my friendships or hidden my behavior from them?
• Have any of my friends expressed concern about my behavior?
• Has my behavior caused me to have legal problems or have I been lucky (for example driving under the influence of alcohol and not being stopped or shoplifting and not being caught)?
• Does my excessive behavior cause me emotional distress or physical problems?
• Is there any history in my ‘blood’ family of anyone who has exhibited excessive behavior?

By determining the impact, or consequences of your behavior you can begin to determine if it is a problem and take steps to heal the foundational emotional issues associated with the behavior. Using EFT, we are not suggesting that you use willpower to force yourself to avoid unresourceful behavior, but to calm the disruption in your subtle energy system so that engaging in the behavior has less urgency.

Overcoming addiction is one of the greatest challenges a person can face.  Often it requires every tool available: medical support, social support family support, psychotherapy and persistence.  EFT augments and supports treatment at every step in the recovery process.  It reduces stress and anxiety; it treats trauma and other negative emotions, without retraumatization; it eliminates barriers to treatment and increases self care.

The typical approach to treating addiction is to view any addiction as a problem. However, it is important to understand that the addiction is not the problem but a carefully constructed solution to a problem that the addicted person has yet to identify or solve. Unfortunately, the solution eventually causes problems that compromise the emotional and physical health of addicted people and their loved ones. It is those secondary problems become the focus of society and treatment. Generally, the primary problem is ignored.

If the addiction is not the problem – then what is the problem?

The problem is rooted in an addicted person’s negative belief system, which results in a negative view of self, a negative view of life and a negative view of making positive changes. This overwhelming negative view is usually a result of unresolved emotional issues and/or traumas experienced in the past. When unable to resolve past issues, a person may attempt to tranquilize the feelings with addictive substances like drugs, alcohol or tobacco, or behaviors like gambling, pyromania, kleptomania and sex addiction.

A person struggling with addiction is most often an individual who is emotionally stuck in past negative events. As a result, the addicted person often feels overwhelmed by life’s demands, and finds relief in the addictive substance or behavior.

A physical dependency exists if someone is habitually using substances like alcohol, drugs and tobacco to feel better. These drugs are called psychoactive substances and they temporarily alter the chemicals of the brain. In cases of serious or long-term addiction, withdrawal from the substance may have physical side effects like pain and/or tremors.

Someone who has a psychological dependency may engage in potentially harmful behaviors in order to feel better. These may include gambling, pornography, shopping, sex, internet use and food. It is the compulsive preoccupation with the behavior that makes it addictive and damaging. When withdrawing from these addictions, a person may experience psychological withdrawal symptoms like anger, irritability, anxiety, insomnia, and/or depression.

Whether viewed as a disease, a biological disorder or physical and psychological dependency, addictions are treatable by addressing unresolved emotional issues and/or traumas. At Self-Care Power, we use Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) to balance the body’s emotional and energetic charge caused by past traumas. Typically, as balance is restored, the need for the addictive substance or behavior relaxes … or is eliminated.  Further, we encourage participation in 12 Step support groups to provide a focus on recovery and long-term sobriety as well as opportunity to replace emotional isolation with community.

In addition to addressing your particular dependency, you can gain relief from both physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms by working with Emotional Freedom Techniques.

The more stress we are experiencing in our lives, the more our health, vitality and wellbeing are compromised. According to the principles of Energy Psychology, this is because all types of stress – Past, Present and Future Environmental stress – create an imbalance and disruption in the body’s subtle energy system. These imbalances can be corrected with Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT).
We often fail to notice the effects of stress. Or we fail to associate our physical and emotional symptoms with the insidious impact of the daily stressors in our lives. By addressing stress with EFT, not only can we reduce the impact that common stressors have on our mind, body and spirit, but also alleviate the physical and emotional symptoms of stress.

Whether your personal stressors involve money, work, family, personal concerns or your personal health and safety, EFT presents a singular solution to reducing the energetic impact that stress makes on your physical and emotional health. Rather than waiting to become ill and overwhelmed before taking action against stress, consider Stress Resolution treatment and/or workshops with Loretta Sparks

However, if you are already feeling the physical and emotional manifestations of stress – and are among the 85% of Americans seeking medical care for stress related health problems, Stress Resolution work is necessary. We can work together to identify the impact of the stressors in your life and use EFT to systematically eliminate the physical and emotional manifestations. Within a few sessions you are likely to feel an enhanced sense of calm, and a resolution of physical symptoms as well as a sense of resilience in the face of your stressors.

While we may not be able to change the reality of the stressors in your life, we are likely to reduce the physical and emotional impact of past and present environmental stress and positively prepare you for future stressors.

In this video, Loretta Sparks demonstrates how to deal with family stress by using the Emotional Freedom Technique.

Over the years people have asked me how I first learned about EFT and why did I move my focus to using it in my practice. The story I’m going to share with you is about my EFT first client. It was published in Counselor Magazine, December 2009

Sally was sitting in front of me reluctantly rolling up her sleeve to show me the razor cuts she had made on her arm the night before. She cut herself to alleviate the unbearable emotional tension she felt growing inside of her. “I went to a (AA) meeting. I shared. I even went out to ‘fellowship’ with everyone after the meeting, but nothing helped until I cut myself.”

Sally had been placed on my caseload 2 years earlier. She had a graduate college degree, a well-paid, senior level job in a local industry. She had been married for 25 years, had two children, none living at home. She came to the Addiction Medicine Department at the large HMO where I worked seeking assistance stopping her drinking which had been a problem, by her account for over 20 years. In the two years I had been working with Sally, she maintained her abstinence, got a sponsor, did her step work and tried to commit suicide 3 times.

Her self-injury increased as did her bouts with depression. She was admitted on two occasions to our Mental Health Hospital for stabilization. The psychiatric medications that had been prescribed didn’t stop the internal nightmare that Sally struggled with every day of her life. She was determined not to drink, but it was getting harder. Alcohol would at least numb her.

As a licensed psychotherapist with many years of experience in the addiction field, I had been trained in a number of modalities to address trauma. But Sally was too raw to even talk about the betrayal and horror of the sexual abuse she sustained almost daily as a child. Even the groups focused on sexual abuse at our clinic could not provide a safe therapeutic container for the kind of experiences she had endured. So I reached out to my professional community and from there learned of a therapeutic technique, a tool, that I hoped would allow for the treatment of her pain and trauma. That was in 1995.

My introduction to Energy Psychology and my subsequent training in Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) was what I had been looking for, a way of treating Sally’s traumatic memories without retraumatizing her. I introduced EFT to Sally as a type of emotional acupressure. Though skeptical at first, she was willing to try this unusual approach. The result of our initial session was stunning. For the first time in the two years that we had been working together, Sally’s emotional pain was visibly eased during our session. Even though EFT is extremely gentle, some of Sally’s memories were so overwhelming that we had to find ways of addressing them indirectly. Her fear of talking about them was almost as strong as the pain of the memories themselves. With EFT and some creativity, we were able to find ways to address years of trauma and start the deep healing that was necessary for Sally to have a life. A life she deserved, free of the horrors of the past and free of alcoholism.

Today much of the therapeutic creativity Sally and I thought up has long faded into user-friendly protocols that are commonly used in the EFT treatment. The Tearless Trauma, The Movie Technique, The Tell-a-Story Technique and others all allow you to work with clients in a manner that will yield positive results without creating any more pain.

While the EFT case history I shared with you was about an individual with over two years of recovery, I have found EFT extremely powerful at all stages of recovery. In the early stage of treatment, EFT is dynamic and powerful in its ability to stop cravings and urges. It is also extremely useful in addressing psychological barriers to recovery and recovery activities. EFT can eliminate particular stressors that trigger relapse and when used several times a day can reduce an individual’s stress overall. EFT is also helpful to family members who have suffered the collateral damage of addiction. Their resentment, guilt, anger and codependency issues can keep the family in turmoil and undermine the alcoholic/addict’s recovery.

After abstinence has been stabilized mid-stage in recovery, treatment for trauma can be addressed with EFT. Remember, trauma work is for the client who is stable in recovery. In the final stage of treatment, EFT can be used for any necessary remaining trauma resolution issues. Stress is always a concern in recovery. Stress management and stress resolution are integral parts of EFT treatment at all stages of recovery.

Okay, just what are Emotional Freedom Techniques and how do they work? EFT is a kind of psychological acupressure. Like acupressure, EFT addresses the body’s energy system. Foundational to EFT is the understanding that all negative emotions are disruptions in the body’s energy system. These disruptions are at the root of all addictions, anxieties, traumas, and phobias, all negative emotions.

Most of us who treat addiction have little exposure to treating the energy system. We have been trained to focus on the behavioral and cognitive aspects of our client’s functioning. EFT brings with it the challenge of expanding our view of our clients, a view beyond their thinking or behavior, a view that addresses their energetic system.

How does it work? EFT uses energy meridian treatment points on the face, torso and hand. The client, while focusing on their disturbing thought, rates the distress it causes them on a scale of 0 to 10 (10 being worse). Then, while concentrating on the troubling thought, the client using his/her fingertips to tap on the energy meridian treatment points. When the distress of the disturbing thought has been reduced to 0 then, truly, the client has reached emotional freedom.

After using EFT for a dozen years, I continue to be grateful to be able to share these wonderful techniques with my clients. They are easy to learn, easy to use and a blessing in a recovering person’s sobriety tool box.