Two Key Ways to Use EFT Tapping
One of the questions I’m often asked is how a single technique like EFT Tapping can be used for so many different challenges.
In this article, my aim is to simplify things by breaking down the two key ways you can apply EFT Tapping: firstly, for managing day-to-day stress and secondly, for addressing deeper, more complex issues.
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What is EFT?
EFT stands for Emotional Freedom Techniques – it’s often simply called Tapping because it involves tapping gently with the fingertips on pressure points on the face and upper body.
At its core, EFT is a stress reduction technique that helps us step out of the stress response and calm the mind and body, it can be used on a wide range of physical and emotional issues.
(For a deeper introduction to EFT, check out this blog post)
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How Can EFT Tapping Work for So Many Issues?
The simple answer is that EFT addresses the stress response in the mind and body, and stress is a key component underpinning many of the issues and challenges we face in life – by calming the stress response and processing and clearing the emotions and experiences that sit beneath it, we can make real, lasting change in our lives.
There are two fairly distinct ways in which you can use EFT Tapping:
1. EFT for in the Moment Stresses
2. EFT for Deeper Work
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1. EFT for In The Moment Stresses
This is where you use EFT as a tool to overcome immediate stress, overwhelm or difficult emotions in the moment, as you are experiencing them in your day-to-day.
It might be that you’ve had a particularly stressful day at work or perhaps a hard conversation with a friend or family member.
You can use EFT Tapping to process and clear the stress and emotions that you are feeling in that moment in order to feel relief and to be able to get on with your day.
In these situations you’d more than likely to using eft independently (on your own as opposed to working with a practitioner) and you may like to use a guided tap along meditation to help you get started (although the more specific you can be about what you’re experiencing the better, so it’s great to use your own words too).
When I do events and workshops with people in organisations, I teach them how to use EFT Tapping and this is the approach we focus on.
Using EFT in this way feels incredibly empowering – it provides you with a safe, effective and often very quick way to overcome stresses you face in your day-to-day.
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2. EFT for Deeper Work
The other way to use EFT Tapping is when you’re working on overcoming bigger challenges in your life – EFT can be applied to most issues you would work on in a coaching or therapy type setting.
The key difference in this second application of the technique is that you’re not just responding to what you’re experiencing in the moment as with the first approach, rather you are making the conscious decision to spend time exploring and working on a specific issue that’s causing you difficulty or holding you back in life more generally.
In a coaching or therapy setting, EFT is a powerful tool that:
Provides a safe, gentle, and effective way to address challenges
Uncovers past memories and emotions underpinning your current struggles as well as giving you a means to process and clear them
Enhances the executive function part of the brain, offering greater clarity and perspective
Helps you rewire your brain with a new, more empowering story about what you are capable of
Allows you to go beyond understanding your challenges on an intellectual level to work at the level of emotions and the nervous system – which brings about powerful change
Has been shown to deliver long lasting results faster than other therapeutic approaches in recent research trials
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When Should You Work with an EFT Practitioner?
As mentioned above, when you’re addressing in ‘In the Moment Stresses’ you’re more than likely working independently however, if you’re doing ‘Deeper Issues’ work, you may benefit from working with a practitioner.
When to work with a practitioner will be a personal choice - if you are confident in using EFT you can absolutely do this level of work independently however, there are two things to keep in mind:
Holding Space
One of the key benefits of working with a practitioner is that they ‘hold the space’ for you.
The reason this is valuable is that it can be challenging to be both the person experiencing and processing emotions as well as the one guiding yourself through it (i.e. trying to see things objectively and know the direction to move in/the questions to ask yourself to make progress etc).
When you work with a practitioner, that weight is lifted - you can focus fully on what’s coming up, knowing that someone is there to keep you on track, support you, and help you move through it safely and effectively.
Safety is Key
It’s important to be mindful when working with deeper or more intense experiences because processing big emotions too quickly can sometimes feel overwhelming.
A trained EFT practitioner can help pace the sessions, provide guidance, and create a safe, supportive space for you to work through things at a comfortable rate.
If you’re exploring something that feels particularly heavy or complex, having that support can make all the difference in ensuring the process feels safe and effective.
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Ready to experience EFT for yourself?
If you would like to find out more or try EFT Tapping for yourself or your workplace, I’d be delighted to support you.
EFT in Your Organisation
I share the science and practice of EFT Tapping in organisations:
Guest speaking at away days and events
Team EFT Tapping Coaching
1:2:1 EFT Tapping Coaching in organisations
If you’re interested in how we can work together to introduce EFT Tapping in your organisations, you can find out more here.
1:2:1 EFT Tapping Sessions
I also offer one hour, 1:2:1 EFT Tapping sessions over zoom either as standalone sessions or in discounted multi-session packages. You can find out more here.
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