What is EFT (Tapping) and how exactly does it work?

June 2022

What is EFT?

EFT is a form of energy psychology and can be described as ‘psychological acupuncture’. It enables us to tune into an issue thereby activating a memory or model of how we see the world while tapping on acupressure points to deal with the stress caused by the issue being addressed. We can then bring new information to the issue because at the same time we are actively lowering the stress in our body. This enables us to rewrite the memory, belief or unwanted thought patterns and bring about lasting change. It is quick, easy and effective.

Why do we Tap on Acupressure Points?

EFT is an effective somatic intervention because it activates the mind-body connection via acupressure points. We tap on acupressure points in order to lower stress levels in the mind and body. According to Chinese medicine, disease and disharmony in the body and mind is caused by energy blocks in the meridian pathways. Up until recently there was no scientific evidence of these pathways. Now it is known that the energy meridians are found in the connective tissue and that we can activate the meridian pathways by tapping on some of the many acupressure points that exist throughout our bodies. Tapping (pressure applied to the skin) produces an electrical signal which is transmitted to the brain via the energy meridians found in the connective tissue. Connective tissue contains a lot of collagen which acts as a semi-conductor, moving the electrical signals quickly to the brain. One advantage of EFT is that we can activate the meridian pathways without the pain of acupuncture needles.

What Happens in the Brain?

When we tune into an unwanted issue, we are arousing the fear response via the amygdala (stress centre) and the hippocampus (memory centre). This is why the EFT process initially focuses on the negative. We need to use negative words to trigger the amygdala and hippocampus so that the healing can begin. Meanwhile, we can send an electrical signal that down regulates the arousal firing in the amygdala by tapping on the meridian points located below the skin in the connective tissue. This down regulation also reduces cortisol levels in the body, which are elevated when we experience any form of stress.

What about those Pesky Emotions?

EFT works by activating the emotion of an unwanted model (e.g. fear of snakes) while creating a contradictory experience (i.e. lowering stress hormones in the body). The body is getting opposing messages. Verbally, the statement might be “all this fear” which causes the mind to focus on the issue (e.g. snake phobia). But at the very same time, tapping on the acupressure points sends a contrary message to the amygdala (i.e. the amygdala is being down regulated while the mind is focussed on fear-inducing thoughts). When we tap for long enough we can diminish the stress and then bring new information to the issue/memory/model. The memory persists but not the arousal.

How do we Know it is Working?

There are a number of tools that can be used to assess if tapping is working. EFT practitioners typically ask clients to score their level of distress using a subjective unit of distress (SUD) scale. This score is reassessed periodically during a session in order to determine progress. Future pacing is another technique that can be used to determine progress (e.g. if you imagine yourself hiking next week and you come across a snake, what is your imagined level of distress?). The goal is to stop the amygdala firing when you next encounter the cause of your distress.

If you want to know more, there is a significant and growing body of scientific evidence showing the effectiveness of EFT. Check out The Science Behind Tapping by Peta Stapleton, Ph.D for a detailed analysis, or this review article written by David Feinstein, Ph.D.