EFT Tapping As A Revitalizer: What You Need To Know

The Concept of Tapping

Suppressing a feeling only works for so long and when the outburst inevitably comes, you’re left with damage control. EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) tapping offers coherence of the mind and body by guiding the nervous system from a state of reactivity to one of flexibility and capability. 

In this article, we’ll unravel the science behind tapping, give resources for learning how to apply it, and provide a fresh perspective for the skeptical mind, empowering you to decide if it's a tool to add in your mental health journey. 

EFT Tapping at Its Core: A Bridge Between Mind and Body 

Tapping fuses fundamental aspects of acupressure points from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) with the exposure and cognitive restructuring principles of Western Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). 

• The Eastern Perspective (TCM): TCM teaches that our bodies are fueled by a vital energy called qi, which flows through energetic pathways known as meridians. When this flow is blocked or unbalanced, it can lead to emotional and physical distress. Techniques like acupuncture aim to restore balance by stimulating specific acupoints along these meridians. Tapping uses the same points, but with your own fingertips instead. 

• The Western Perspective (CBT): CBT focuses on changing the negative thought patterns that influence our emotional distress. Tapping incorporates this concept of ‘cognitive restructuring’ by using specific, accepting language to reframe how we relate to a problem. 

This unique blend creates a holistic practice supported by a growing amount of clinical evidence to demonstrate its efficacy for alleviating both emotional and physical distress. 

This modern form of EFT was developed in the 1990s by Stanford graduate Gary Craig as a simplified, versatile adaptation of an earlier energy psychology technique: Thought Field Therapy. He streamlined the process into a single, accessible sequence that can be tailored to any issue, making it a practical tool for self-application. 

The Mechanism of EFT: How Tapping Calms Your Nervous System 

There are two components to a tapping session: 

1. The Physical Act: You lightly tap with your fingertips on 9 of the 12 acupoints, sequentially (e.g., side of the hand, in between eyebrows, under the eyes, under the nose, under the chin). 

2. The Verbal Element: While tapping, you voice your specific concern using a structured, compassionate phrase. 

The combination of gentle, repetitive touch and focused language sends a safety signal directly to your brain’s fear response center, the amygdala. This process helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), which is responsible for rest and rejuvenation. When the PNS takes action, your heart rate slows down, cortisol (the stress hormone) decreases, and your body moves out of fight or flight mode. 

With repeated practice, tapping leverages your brain’s ability to rewire itself, known as neuroplasticity, creating lasting change in how you respond to stress. 

Your Guide to the Tapping Language:  

The words you use while tapping act as a guide to your nervous system, leading it toward acceptance and change. Here’s the standard two-round approach: 

Round 1: The Acknowledgement 

• Start with a “Setup Phrase” on the side of the hand point. It follows a saying akin to this, “Even though I ___(issue)___, I deeply and completely accept myself.” 

• If that phrase doesn’t resonate, EFT International’s Tapping Manual encourages you to alter the wording to best suit you. The goal is that the issue gets acknowledged and that there is a notion of acceptance and love towards yourself. It could sound something like, “Even though I am allowing myself to feel ____, I am slowly starting to create safety to feel this.” 

• Then, tap through the remaining points while repeating a “Reminder Phrase,” like “this anxiety, or this stress,” to keep your focus on the issue. 

Round 2: The Reframe 

• After one full round, taking a moment to pause and assess how you feel helps process the experience. 

• The second round consists of altering the phrase to support a shift in the relationship you have towards the emotions. This might sound like, “Even though I still have some of this anxiety, I deeply and completely accept myself.” or  “As I show up for myself, I feel my ability for self-love growing.”

The rounds can be repeated as many times until you feel a noticeable shift, but typically a few full rounds are enough to feel a difference. In this process, we act as a kind, curious guide for ourselves, landing in clarity. 

Extra Tip: “Zeroing In” for Stronger Results

To move beyond general stress and create profound change, it helps to be precise in what you are targeting. Instead of noting that you are stressed, “Zeroing In” takes it a step further by adding what is making you stressed.

• Vague: “I’m stressed about work.”

• Zeroed In: “Even though I’m overwhelmed by tomorrow’s presentation to the team, I show myself love and acceptance.”

Often, a core issue has “aspects”, which are other connected emotions that surface. If you start tapping for a fear of heights and suddenly feel a wave of powerlessness, that is considered an aspect. Tapping on each aspect fully processes the emotional complexity, moving you past a temporary “band-aid” solution, arriving at genuine relief. 

Is EFT Actually Effective? 

In an interview, Founder Gary Craig suggests that about 90% of the population would be able to benefit from the practice, noting that not everyone gets results. Similar to medication and other therapies, tapping isn’t a “one size fits all” practice. 

Still, the emerging research shows substantial results that back its effectiveness, ranging from evidential data to personal insights. It’s most known for positively influencing key biomarkers of health. A meta-analysis research study shows tapping’s effect on the central nervous system after a 4-day workshop demonstrating: 

• Cortisol: 37% reduction 

• Heart Rate & Blood Pressure: significantly improved heart rate variability and coherence

• Immune Function: over 100% increase in immune response

Most strikingly, research has demonstrated EFT’s power for complex conditions: 

• A study with war veterans found that after 10 EFT sessions, participants not only had less severe PTSD symptoms, but also showed positive changes in gene expression, which reduces inflammation genes and boosts immunity genes. 

• Clinical trials have consistently shown it to be effective for anxiety, depression, phobias, and chronic pain. 

As for any evolving field like EFT tapping, the research is ongoing. Scientists are working to deepen understanding with more advanced studies. This includes double-blinded trials and further research to pinpoint the exact mechanisms at work. 

Already, there are over 100 published studies on tapping, with a complete list available on the official site of EFT Universe, founded by Dawson Church, PhD. 

Addressing the Skeptics: Is Tapping Too “Out There”?

Western science hasn’t been able to reliably support the existence of meridian centers in research studies, leading skeptics to argue the validity of tapping. However, the mechanism of gentle, repetitive touch is gaining scientific traction. 

A 2023 German study examined the neural impact of different types of touch. They found that gentle, repetitive touch had a significantly greater calming effect on the brain’s self-regulation and executive function centers than quick, phasic (singular) touch. 

This correlation doesn’t draw any conclusion that meridian centers exist, but it strongly suggests that the repetitive tactile stimulation in tapping is a key factor in nervous system regulation. Modern science is teaching us that the body, it seems, is an essential partner in healing. 

Considering EFT Tapping? Risks and Recommendations 

EFT is considered very low-risk and accessible to almost anyone. When confronting distressing emotions, there is a risk of emotional flooding, where intense emotions, memories, or flashbacks surface. This is why it’s critical to: 

• Go at your own pace and exercise self-compassion. 

• Seek an accredited and experienced EFT practitioner if you struggle to process emotions alone, or if you are navigating emotional complexities like PTSD or other mental health conditions. 

Tapping is a powerful technique to aid healing, but isn’t a replacement for mental health treatment. As always, it’s important to talk with your doctor before making changes to your health regimen. 

When Should You Practice? 

Tapping can essentially be used for any situation where internal change is wanted. The circumstances can range from everyday stressors to more serious conditions like chronic pain. 

Maybe it's been difficult to maneuver the stress of an approaching work deadline, and the built up effects are creating inner turbulence. In these situations, tapping helps us to “land the plane safely.” 

Sessions with professionals usually last an hour. If self-application is an option, it can be as short as 5 minutes depending on the intensity of the issue. 

Learn how to apply: 

The following are resources to explain how to practice EFT tapping: 

• EFT International Tapping Manual 

• YouTube video guide by Nick Ortner, a member of “The Tapping Solution” 

• Step by Step written guide from the Tapping Solution

Tap to Your Potential 

Once the decision is made to help yourself with tapping, it’s no longer only your mind having to do the work. The innate wisdom of your body will be a part of the conversation. Here, the mind and body work with, not against, each other, building safety and acceptance from within. 

Whether you’re navigating everyday stress, chronic pain, or the lingering effects of past trauma, this tool offers a path forward. It’s affordable, low-risk, and puts the power of emotional regulation directly in your hands. 

Inner coherence provides relief, like a breath of fresh air after staying cooped up in the house for too long. Tapping offers that clarity and calm and the power to access it is now in your control.