EFT Level One Online

WHAT IS EFT? Based on impressive new discoveries regarding the body's subtle energies, the Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) has been proven successful in thousands of clinical cases. It applies to just about every emotional and physical issue you can name, the Emotional Freedom Techniques often works "where nothing else will". The Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) is a simple tool for emotional healing and was developed in the early nineties by Gary Craig, a personal performance coach with a fascination for the human potential. EFT is a powerful therapeutic tool that uses words to tune into an emotional disturbance which is then balanced and cleared using acupressure tapping. The process is easy for you to memorize and is portable so you can do it anywhere. When witnessing the Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) for the first time I was very sceptical, it looked too weird, too implausible and I almost walked away from it. Fortunately I gave EFT a chance to grow on me, because now, some years later, I wouldn't be without the Emotional Freedom Techniques both for myself and for my clients. The reason I am so passionate about the use of EFT is that I've seen headaches disappear, nightmares vanish and even seen the Emotional Freedom Techniques take care of several cases of trauma in less than 3 sessions. Give yourself the freedom to experience this amazing technique and just like me you will be glad you did. You will, within a few minutes of receiving the treatment, feel a greater sense of calm and, often for the first time in a long while, a fresh perspective and renewed optimism about your life. What's more, because EFT is a technique that can easily be learned and applied by anyone, it will give you back control of your life and fill you with a new sense of confidence. SOUND SCIENTIFIC PRINCIPLES The Emotional Freedom Techniques are based on sound scientific principles and the process launches off the EFT Discovery Statement which says... "The cause of all your negative emotions is a disruption in your body's energy system" Albert Einstein told us back in the 1920's that everything (including our bodies) is composed of energy and Eastern medical experts have know this for over 5,000 years.

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These ideas have been largely ignored by Western Healing Practices and that is why EFT often works where nothing else will. It's not that EFT is so stunning. Rather, it is because conventional healing methods have simply overlooked the obvious. So or though the emotional Freedom Techniques are an ultra-modern complementary therapy EFT still has its origins in ancient Chinese medicine. This is why we say that the Emotional Freedom Techniques are an emotional version of acupuncture, but instead of using needles, we stimulate the well established energy meridian points on the energy body by tapping them with the fingertips. It is an incredibly gentle technique and you remain relaxed and fully clothed at all times. Electrical messages are constantly sent through your body to keep it informed of what's going on. Without this energy flow you would not be able to see, hear, taste, smell or touch. It has been proven that disruptions or blockages in these electrical pathways can cause limiting thoughts and emotions and lead to ill-health. WHAT DOCTORS AND THERAPISTS ARE SAYING ABOUT EFT Gary is not the only one to get excited by this new technique, psychologists, therapists and medical doctors from all over the world have found EFT to be rapid and profoundly powerful. Creating positive results for all kinds of emotional problems. EFT has helped my clients deal successfully with addictions, grief, fears, phobias, sexual abuse, performance issues, self-image and stress. Dr. Catherine Saltzman HOW CAN EFT HELP YOU? For those of you who have spent weeks, months, or even years trying various drugs, counselling and alternative therapies in a desperate search for relief from your emotional problems, EFT may come as a welcome change. It's only natural to view new innovations with scepticism, particularly those that relate to our health and which promise rapid results. Tapping often gets results "when nothing else works".

EFT can be easily learned by anyone and can be used over the telephone. You can work with EFT on emotional problems and EFT can also alleviate persistent physical problems. A round of EFT takes less than 30 seconds to complete and once you have learned how to do it you can use it daily! Whenever you realise you are falling into some bad habits, or you have a recurring thought or emotion or anxiety you would prefer not to feel, doing a quick round of EFT will work to either eliminate the problem, or at least significantly reduce it. WHAT ARE THE RESULTS? The results are fast and generally lasting. Strong emotions such as fear, anger, shame and sadness dissolve into clear thinking, enabling a fresh perspective and you may find yourself achieving relief within minutes or you may require a few sessions to really benefit. It is particularly effective for conditions such as anxiety where clients are often unable to pinpoint the exact reason for their unease. My experience of using EFT is now with several hundred people and over 90% get some sort of result. Because there are no drugs or invasive procedures involved in the application of EFT, it is perfectly safe to use it alongside other forms of medication and complementary therapies. However, EFT offers such quick and effective results that you may not feel the need to use additional therapies. EFT is now used worldwide by therapists, health care professionals, teachers, parents and individuals. [However, in the case of serious psychological problems, EFT should not be seen as a substitute for qualified medical advice from your GP. You should always consult your GP or existing care provider prior to engaging in complementary therapies.] If you are reading these pages having already had an EFT experience then what you read will not seem weird or far-fetched and you'll know that emotions and tensions can dissolve in seconds. If you have not yet experienced EFT for yourself then I hope you'll understand that EFT has to be experienced to be accepted and no words I could say or write can be a substitute for that convincing experience. EFT HISTORY You can trace EFT's origins way back over 4000 years when the Chinese started to explore points on the body that later became what we understand as acupuncture.

More recently the forerunner of EFT was a therapy called Thought Field Therapy (or TFT). This was formulated by a psychologist, Dr Roger Callahan in the late 70s. Dr Callahan was working with a client, who we'll call Mary, who had an intense phobia about water. He had been working with her for about 18 months and she was managing her fear, and could approach water, but the fear was still there. Her improvement was minimal. One day she came to see him with a stomach ache. He had been learning about Traditional Chinese Medicine, and acupuncture, and wondered what would happen if he tapped on the end point of the Stomach meridian. A brief intro to meridians Meridians are central to Traditional Chinese Medicine, which has been the primary form of medicine in China for more than 5000 years. They are pathways in the body, which energy flows along. Meridian are usually associated with an organ, so there are meridians for Stomach, Spleen, Gall Bladder, Liver and others. Traditional Chinese Medicine is about achieving balance in what's called the 5 element system, and between the yin & the yang. The Five Elements each include two meridians, one Yin, one Yang (except Fire, which has two pairs) and are associated with certain emotions. There are also two extra meridians called Central and Governing, which like overseers of the whole system. If either of these is out of balance, the whole system will be. You don't need to know anything about Chinese Medicine to use EFT. Suddenly Mary said "It's gone" and jumped up. Dr Callahan thought she meant the stomach ache, so was surprised and horrified when she ran out of the room and down towards his pool. He ran after her, and she called back "Don't worry, Dr, I know I can't swim". Her fear of water was gone, never to return. But notice that her common sense didn't disappear with it! So Dr Callahan started working with the meridians, and developed tapping protocols for many emotional conditions. His system required a therapist to diagnose the nature of the emotional problem and apply an exact sequence of tapping points, which was different for each problem.

Along came Gary Craig, a Stanford trained engineer and personal coach. He learnt the TFT system and was impressed by it's capabilities. But he felt it should be available to everybody, without having to see a therapist every time. So he surmised that if you repeatedly went through all of the tapping points that were used in TFT, regardless of the problem, it would still work. So he developed the EFT algorithm, which uses the same points for everything. His original "recipe" involved: A setup sequence A tapping sequence A "gamut" sequence for integrating right and left brain function A repeat of the tapping sequence Then you reassess the problem and repeat. Gary Craig's system became phenomenally successful, and has been in use since the early 1990's. Over time, a shortcut tapping sequence has been introduced, some extra tapping points are sometimes added, and one round is more likely to include:

The set up One round of the shortcut

This is effective in most cases, and if the shortcut isn't effective, nothing has been lost, and you can still do the whole recipe. ENERGY DISRUPTION (Taken from Gary Craig's website emofree.com) Looking back at Mary's water phobia, we could see that she was experiencing her fear and this caused the energy (or chi) going through her stomach meridian (under the eye) to become disrupted. This is the most important point, and the one thing about EFT you must remember, is that the energy imbalance was what was causing her emotional intensity. Tapping under the eyes sent pulses through the meridian and fixed the disruption. It balanced it out. Once the energy meridian was balanced, the emotional intensitythe fearwent away. This is the most powerful thing you are ever going to learn about your unwanted emotions. They are caused by energy disruptions in the meridians. Notice what the statement does not say.

It does not say that a negative emotion is caused by the memory of a past traumatic experience. This is important to recognise, because that presumed connection of traumatic memories to negative emotions is a mainstay in conventional psychotherapy. In some circles, it is the accepted practice to "treat the memory" and, in the process, ask the client to repeatedly relive some emotional, painful event. EFT, by contrast, respects the memory but addresses the true cause. A DISRUPTION IN THE BODY'S ENERGY SYSTEM So you can see that it is the disruption that is the direct cause of the emotional upset. If the memory does not cause a disruption in the body's energy system then the negative emotion cannot occur. That is why some people are bothered by their memories and others are not. Compare the energy flow in your body to that of a TV set. As long as the electricity flows through your TV normally, the sound and picture are both clear. But what would happen if you took off the back of the TV set and poked a screwdriver amongst all that electronic spaghetti? You would quite obviously disrupt or reroute the flow of electricity and an electric "zzzzzt" would occur inside. The picture and sound would become erratic and the TV would exhibit its version of a "negative emotion". In the same manner, when our energy systems become imbalanced, we have an electrical "zzzzzt!" effect going on inside. Straighten out this "zzzzzt!" and the negative emotion goes away. It's that simple. I am well aware of how strange this may sound and difficult it can be to believe at least at first. I wouldn't believe it myself if I hadn't seen so many marvellous changes after applying these techniques to myself and others. The Missing Piece It is widely assumed, for example, that a past traumatic memory is the direct cause of emotional upset in someone. It is not. There is an intermediate step between the memory and the emotional upset. That step is a "disruption in the body's energy system". It is that disruption, that "zzzzzt", that is the direct cause of the emotional upset.

And, let me add, emotional upset is most often the root cause of physical ailments. EFT, by balancing the body's energy system, collapses the emotional upset and heals the body. PSYCHOLOGICAL REVERSAL (Taken from Gary Craig's website emofree.com) Psychological reversal is a reversal in your energy flow, it is as though you have your batteries fitted in backwards. This causes self-defeating behaviour; it often occurs subconsciously and is normally outside of our awareness. Roger Callahan found, that if you muscle tested people about their commitment to their goal, they would inevitably test "weak" on it. For example the dieter's test muscle would go weak when they made the statement "I want to lose weight". The salesperson would test weak on "I want to increase my sales to xx,000.00 a year." He called this problem Psychological Reversal (PR). This does not mean they have a conscious desire to fail. But for some reason, their energy system is locked in a pattern of resisting their goal. Psychological reversal exists almost 100% of the time in people who have chronic illness, auto-immune disorders or addictions. About 40% of the time any person may be psychologically reversed on a given issue. The good news is that Callahan found that by rubbing certain spots on the body or tapping the Karate chop point while saying an affirmation about the issue, one could temporarily get the reversal to right itself and the person would test strong for their goal. Then, by tapping on specific acupuncture points while thinking about the issue and the emotional energy around the problem, the emotional charge would literally "vanish". Dr. Callahan developed an elaborate system for diagnosing and treating various problems using what he called "algorithms" a detailed sequence of tapping on specific energy meridian end points. On average psychological reversal will only be present and hinder the Emotional Freedom Techniques about 40% of the time. When it is present it will stop any attempt at healing, including EFT. Tapping the karate spot normally corrects psychological reversal unless the reversal is considered to be what we term "massive reversal".

This is dealt with using collar bone breathing and other methods which are explained later. LOOKING FOR RESONANCE If your friend is suffering from a trauma, it is advised that they seek out a qualified EFT practitioner. If you work with someone, pay close attention to how they express their emotion. Look at:

Body posture Facial expressions Movement (i.e. head, neck, eyes, hands, feet, shoulders) Skin colour, temperature Tone of voice
Breathing problems as well as the tone of your friend's voice may indicate some kind of change. All of these changes can indicate a resonance emerging in the energy system. We need to recognise this resonance and work with it using the EFT process and something called the SUDS level. When using SUDS we can put a number on how they feel. SUDS AND ENERGY DISRUPTION The technical term is taking a SUDS level or SUDS scale reading. It stands for Subjective Units of Disturbance. What you do is ask yourself on a scale of zero to 10, (10 being the highest imaginable pain/fear/sadness/discomfort, and zero being completely calm, pain free, tranquil, relaxed and happy) how would you rate what you are experiencing in this moment? You may use the SUDS scale on yourself and others. The aim is to get a feeling for the level of the resonance of the issue in hand. This works for emotions as well as for physical sensations and even for beliefs which might be the problem. EXAMPLES On a scale of zero to 10

How depressed are you right now? How painful is your leg? How bad is your fear of heights? How distressing is this memory?
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EMOTIONAL FREEDOM TECHNIQUES

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SET-UP There are two parts to the set-up. Repeat a set-up statement three times while Continuously rubbing the sore spot or tapping the karate chop point.

THE SORE SPOT To find the sore spot point, place two fingertips in the hollow of your neck. Then go straight down the chest about an inch, then over to either side about an inch. This spot may be a little sore. If it is really sore, rub the other side of the chest or tap the karate chop point.

THE KARATE CHOP The karate chop point (small intestine) is the fleshy part of the hand below the outside of the little finger, the area that is contacted when you make a karate chop motion on the side of a table. Tap on that spot with two fingers of your dominant hand, while repeating the set-up statement three times. Roger Callahan was the first to discover what is now called psychological reversal (PR), and that by either tapping the karate chop point or rubbing the sore spot whilst saying the set-up statement you can disperse this problem. SET-UP STATEMENT To start the process we have what we call the set-up statement and it follows the format of acknowledging that you have a problem and then affirming self-acceptance.

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The default set-up statement is formatted like this: "Even though I have this anger, I deeply and completely love and accept myself." "Even though I have this sadness, I deeply and completely love and accept myself." "Even though I have this grief, I deeply and completely love and accept myself." "Even though I have this pain, I deeply and completely love and accept myself." It doesn't matter whether you believe the affirmation or not, just say it. It is more effective if you emphasize the words "deeply and completely love." THE TAPPING SEQUENCE Before you begin tapping for any subject or problem, take the time to take a SUDS rating and make a mental note of it. Then, when you have completed an EFT sequence, ask the question again to find how much it has changed. It is a good way to be able to assess how well the treatment has worked and if you need to repeat the treatment. Sometimes, the problem can go from as high as 10 to as low as zero in a single treatment. More often though, you start with eight or nine, and after a round of tapping, the severity is reduced to a four or a five. This means that the treatment is beginning to work but there is more to be done. Perform the tapping sequence by tapping with the index and middle fingers of your dominant hand about five or seven times on each of the following points listed (see chart on page 14) while repeating a reminder phrase such as "this anger" and focusing on the problem. The best reminder phrase is a short description about the emotion or problem named in the set-up statement. We create the set-up statement by using the words that make us feel uncomfortable. What I mean by this is that if you are talking about a time when you were attacked in some way, the word you would use may be the word "attacked" or you may even say "hurt feeling" etc. So you would have a set-up statement that looks like this:

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"Even though I was hurt when I was four, I deeply and completely love and accept myself". The PR point is located in the middle of the fleshy part on the outside of the hand between the top of the wrist bone and the base of the baby finger. It is also called the karate chop point and you tap on this spot or rub the sore spot for psychological reversal (PR). Remember to start tapping the karate chop or rub the sore spot as you say the set-up statement that you have created, something like: "Even though I have this hurt feeling, I deeply and completely love and accept myself" and then shorten it to a reminder phrase such as "this hurt feeling", as you tap the rest of the points on the head, body and fingers.

1) At the beginning of the eyebrow, just above and to one side of the nose 2) On the bone bordering the outside corner of the eye 3) On the bone under an eye about one inch below your pupil 4) On the small area between the bottom of your nose and the top of your upper lip 5) Midway between the point of your chin and the bottom of your lower lip 6) The junction where the sternum (breastbone), collarbone and first rib meet. To locate it, first place your forefinger on the U-shaped notch at the top of the breastbone (about where a man would knot his tie). From the bottom of the U, move your forefinger down towards the navel one inch and then go to the left (or right) one inch.

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7) On the side of the body, at a point even with the nipple (for men) or in the middle of the bra strap (for women). It is about four inches below the armpit. 8) On the right hand side of the nail as it joins the skin on your thumb, index, middle and lastly little finger. 9) On the back of either hand half an inch behind the midpoint between the knuckles at the base of the ring finger and the little finger. If you draw an imaginary line between the knuckles at the base of the ring finger and little finger and consider that line to be the base of an equilateral triangle whose other sides converge to a point (apex) in the direction of the wrist, then the point would be located at the apex of the triangle. The liver point is just under the breast and is not generally used due to social awkwardness. As we tap we are tapping with two fingers: the index and middle fingers. The index finger is on the large intestine meridian - when blocked this may lead to someone dwelling on the past or having guilt feelings. The middle finger is on the circulation/sex meridian, and is connected with low self-esteem, jealousy, regret, sexual problems and unhappiness. You can tap on points on either side of the body. You can even change sides during the sequence. Tap just enough to stimulate the energy, but not hard enough to hurt yourself. Once a full round of EFT is complete, take a deep breath and focus on the emotion or physical problem you are addressing. The type of EFT process that we use in this manual is the original or traditional way of doing EFT. You will find that, as you progress, some aspects may be discarded to aid efficiency. So, this is not the only way to do it, but one way to do it. I have described the traditional EFT so that you have an in-depth knowledge. In our level three training we use a short-cut version which reduces the number of tapping points and particularly omits the nine gamut process. This makes the method more efficient and short cuts the process, but I would like to encourage you to learn the long form of EFT as this can be used to fall back on when and if the method seems to falter.

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9 GAMUT The gamut point is used in the middle of two sets of tapping; if you think of a sandwich, the top part of the bread would be the first part of the tapping, the filling would be the gamut procedure, and then another round of tapping without the set-up (but just starting with the eyebrow again and working your way down the points on the fingers) would make the other slice of bread. So we put the gamut or the meat into the sandwich between two rounds of tapping. The gamut point is on the back of the hand (see 9 above): you can find it by making a fist and drawing a triangle back from the knuckles at the base of the baby finger and ring finger. The depression in the middle of this triangle is known as the gamut point. The 9 gamut point covers the start of the thyroid triple warmer meridian. The procedure is a brain-balancing exercise that involves eye movements, humming and counting. Always follow the 9 gamut with another round of tapping as this adds efficiency to EFT and hastens progress. As a rule you use the 9 gamut once only in the process, so in other words, as you do the next lot of tapping you are taking out the meat from the sandwich, as two lots of tapping back to back should be enough to do the job. However, if you do not get relief, then you may try placing the 9 gamut back into the tapping. 9 GAMUT PROCEDURE This describes how to do the 9 gamut procedure. Keep your mind tuned in to the problem, tap on the gamut point continuously, and look straight ahead and then: 1) Close eyes 2) Open eyes 3) Look down to the floor to the right keeping head steady 4) Look down to the floor to the left keeping head steady 5) Roll you eyes around in a circle 6) Roll eyes in the opposite direction 7) Hum five seconds of a song such as happy birthday 8) Count from one to five 9) Hum five seconds of a song again After you have done the 'sandwich' sequence, rate the intensity of the original problem or issue on the scale of zero to 10. Compare this number with the original rating before you began tapping. You would expect to find either complete relief, partial relief or no relief.

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If you have complete relief, you have experienced, in a few moments, the power of EFT! On the conservative side, a few more rounds of tapping may help the effectiveness of the process and ensure that the original problem won't return. In the subsequent rounds, it is important to adjust the set-up statement and the reminder phrase to address the rest of the emotion or feeling. Use wording similar to: "Even though I still have some of this problem, I deeply and completely love and accept myself" during the set-up statement. Then repeat: "This remaining problem," during the tapping sequence. Do as many rounds of EFT as necessary until the intensity of your problem is at a zero. If you are working on others and you get down to a two or a one, you can finish neatly the process by tapping the gamut point and having them watch your index finger as you point it to the floor in front of them, and slowly raise it to the ceiling as they tap and watch the finger. This normally clears out the remainder of the issue. You may also try this for yourself by raising your eyes from the floor to the ceiling in about six seconds, whilst tapping the gamut point. If you get down to a zero, check this out by asking them how much out of ten they believe the statement - 10 being "I do" and one being "I'm not sure". If you experience no relief after a few rounds of tapping, you may not be doing it correctly. The basic recipe of EFT is a powerful device, about 80% effective, but a higher success rate is possible when you know how to handle impediments. When EFT doesn't work, it is usually not that it isn't working; rather the real reason for not seeing results is because EFT has not been correctly applied. FOR RESULTS THAT ARE TERRIFIC IT IS BEST TO BE SPECIFIC THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING SPECIFIC (Taken from Gary Craig's website emofree.com) This tutorial should be read several times. It is that important. Why? Because it addresses one of the most common errors made by newcomers to EFT. Once this is corrected, your results will have much greater consistency and many of your difficult cases will melt away quite easily. The problem is that most clients tend to see their issues through "global glasses". That is, they describe their issues using broad labels, which to them seem very specific. Examples might be "I just don't feel very good about myself." "My father always abused me."

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"My mother never gave me the love I should have had." "I don't do very well with relationships." "I'm easily rejected." Each of these, and countless more like them, is like emotional forests made up of specific trees (negative events) which contribute to the overall problem. Using EFT on the globally stated problem is like trying to chop down an entire forest with one swing of the axe. If you try to address the global problem in this way, you will probably make some progress each time you swing. However, compared to the enormity of the forest, the progress is not likely to be noticed and thus the client will probably claim "no result". You might erroneously conclude that they are beset with energy toxins, or you might give up and think EFT "doesn't work". Instead of using EFT on an issue like, "Even though I'm easily rejected" it is best to break down the globally stated problem into specific events such as: "Even though my high school teacher embarrassed me in front of the class" "Even though my high school sweetheart said, 'I've grown tired of you'" "Even though I was sent to my room for the whole day at Christmas at age 8" "Even though Mom told me 'you'll never get married unless you are thin like your sister'" These are the true contributors to the "I'm easily rejected" issue. They represent the foundation of the problem. The feeling of rejection is but the symptom of these underlying specific causes, how could we possibly feel rejection? The answer is 'we couldn't' because there would be no prior experience by which to measure a current "rejection". So, we need to neutralize these causes by using EFT on individual trees. When we do, several benefits occur. 1) The client can easily recognise whenever EFT has eliminated a negative tree from their forest. They may start with an intensity of seven to 10 for a given event and end with an intensity of zero. This is clearly noticeable and thus substantially improves the client's (and your) confidence in the method.

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2) Each tree that is removed thins out the forest. This allows the client to walk through the forest with more ease instead of consistently bumping in to yet another "rejection tree". The sting of rejection becomes less and less. 3) An important generalisation effect occurs. The various "rejection trees" tend to have some common themes among them so that removing one tree has an effect o the remaining ones. So after you address a few related problems with EFT, the process starts to generalise over all those problems. For example, someone who has 100 traumatic memories of being abused usually finds that after using EFT, they all vanish after neutralizing only five or 10 of them and then watch the whole forest fall. I cannot overemphasize the importance of being specific. It often spells the difference between dramatic success and apparent failure. Sometimes we tend to lump together a number of specific problems under a larger heading. This can handicap our progress with EFT. For example, most people would like to have a better "self image" but don't realise that the term is a general label which serves as a catch all phrase for numerous specific problems (i.e. memories of abuse, refection, failure, fears of all kinds). Gary Craig, the founder of EFT, uses a metaphor that likens the general problem to a diseased forest in which each of the underlying specific issues is a negative tree. The forest may be so densely populated with trees that it may seem impossible to find our way out. As we neutralise each specific negative event with EFT we are, effectively, cutting down a negative tree. Continue cutting down these trees and, after a while, the forest will have thinned out so we can walk out of it rather easily. It is very important to be specific when working with EFT. ASPECTS (Taken form Gary Craig's website emofree.com) On many occasions, you need only apply one or two rounds of EFT to a specific event in order for its emotional intensity to vanish forever. These are our "one minute wonders" and, fortunately, they occur with delightful frequency. Many lives have been instantly shifted in positive directions because of this feature.

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Sometimes, however, even after you have made professional efforts to tap on specific events, the client still reports the problem as "no better." Why would this be? Why does the process work so easily in most cases but appear to get bogged down in others? There are a few possibilities here (the others will be covered later) but one of the most common causes is that the client is "shifting to different aspects." Some issues, it turns out, have many pieces, or aspects, to them. These are actually separate issues. However, clients don't usually make this distinction unless you point it out to them. Suppose, for example, a client wants help with their frightful memories regarding an automobile accident. You can apply EFT, of course, to "this accident" and you are likely to make good progress. If you don't, however, you can ask for more specifics (aspects) with a question like: "What about the accident bothers you the most?" Let us suppose the client says, "Oh, the headlights, the headlights, I can still see them coming at me!" You can then tap on "the headlights" or "my fear of the headlights" or any other words that seem to fit. After the client's reaction to the headlights has been EFT'd to zero, you can then ask: "What else about the accident bothers you?" At this point the client may bring up other aspects such as, "The screams in the car" or "My anger at the other driver" or "My anger at the doctors," etc. The list can be quite long. Usually, though, it contains only one or two aspects. Tap on these other aspects until the client can no longer find anything bothersome about the accident. As a test, ask them to "run the movie" of the accident in their mind in vivid detail. This will bring up any trailing aspects for tapping. Eventually, the client should have no charge on the accident. It will just be an unfortunate event in their life, and that is all. One mistake that is often made along the way, however, is to tap on "the headlights" and then ask too much of a global question such as, "How do you feel about the accident now?" That question doesn't ask for any new aspects. It just asks for an overall feeling. In fact, if there are any other aspects (such as "the screams in the car") the client will report "no progress" because they still have intensity.

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Remember, the client doesn't distinguish between the aspects. To them, it is all one big problem. You have to make the distinction by first recognizing that aspects exist (that is just simply experience) and, second, asking the right questions to bring them to the surface. Aspects can happen with almost any emotional issue. Examples might be: A war trauma can have aspects such as: the sight of blood, the look in a comrade's eyes before they die, the sound of a hand grenade, etc. A rape experience can have aspects such as the smell of the assailant's breath, the impact of a fist, the penetration, etc. A fear of public speaking can have aspects such as the sight of microphone, the on-looking eyes of the audience, a memory of being ridiculed as a child, etc. Another thing to recognise is that an aspect can also be an emotion. Thus, some clients report that the anger they had regarding a given event has shifted to sadness. Pick up on these clues. These different emotional aspects are taking you deeper into the problem. They are opportunities for greater healing and present you with great possibilities for mastering your craft. Our tape sets are loaded with live examples of aspects which you can replay over and over again. I don't think you will find better examples anywhere of how to address this important subject. Pay particular attention to Dave and his fear of water at the end of the first tape in the EFT Course. This hour-long very thorough session, is a classic example of aspects and how to address them. Hugs, Gary BEING PERSISTENT (Taken from Gary Craig's website emofree.com) When working with a specific aspect or with a general issue, persistence is sometimes the key to success. Although you may see instant success with EFT with some issues, many times creativity and patience are the difference between failure and success. The key to real success is to get the issue to a zero, not just stop at a two or a three. Be flexible; follow emotions or pains as they change during a session as this is often symbolic of new aspects or issues needing treatment during a session.

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Asking such questions as: "What does this remind you of?" "When was the first time you felt like this?" "What in your life is a pain in your neck?" when treating neck pain, often brings up aspects that are contributing to the problem. It might seem very freeing to have an intense problem that we previously experienced as a 10 to drop to a two, but, a little bondage can be just as troublesome in the long term as a lot of bondage. Once we have achieved a low level, let us not limit what we can achieve. Let us settle for nothing less than complete transformation. Test the changes out in the real world. Ensure that you have tested all possible provocations for the problem returning and when you have learned EFT, often you will find you have other issues in your life to which you could apply it, but you may not think to do so. YOUR POINT As you are using EFT you may feel that you are drawn to a particular point on your body it may be the collar bone or karate chop or some other point. If you are tuned in to this and your intuition is pointing the way then you must go with it. Some people have had one minute wonders by using EFT in this way. It is also useful to use just the karate chop if working on the telephone with a client who finds it hard to take in your description of the points and the areas of the body that they may be found. TRY IT ON EVERYTHING (Taken from Gary Craig's website emofree.com) Some of our beliefs need help, especially if we are to truly understand and effectively use the wide-reaching versatility of EFT. We have been conditioned to believe that each of our ailments requires a specific remedy. Thus we take aspirin for headaches and antihistamines for allergies. We also see specialists such as podiatrists, psychiatrists, urologists and gynaecologists. Further, in emotional healing we consider fear, guilt, grief and trauma to be separate problems requiring separate techniques. The list goes on. These aren't "bad beliefs" by the way. To the contrary, some of these specific remedies have been quite useful in our quest to obtain healing relief. However our belief systems now have a new challenge. That is, there has never before been such a "one approach addresses everything technique."

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To most, it is a completely foreign idea to use the same technique for a headache that you use for a height phobia. Yet, that is precisely what we do with EFT. As you know from our various training tapes we try it on everything - and we usually get results. We use the same approach for trauma of every description. We use it for the fear of public speaking and for grief over the loss of a loved one. We use it for stress, anxiety, addictive cravings, stuttering and depression. We've had success with almost every physical ailment including pain, lactose intolerance, allergies, and everything from TMJ and infertility to PMS. We use it to enhance sports and music performance as well as relationships. We use it to give educational freedom to those with learning disabilities, to relieve nightmares and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and to help victims of rape, accidents, abuse and war. Again, the list goes on. Unfortunately, many people use EFT to relive just one ailment and completely miss its use for all the others. Why limit EFT to 1% of its capabilities? There is, of course, an "art of delivery" that separates the beginning EFTer from the master. However, even the novice can apply the basics and achieve high percentage results. Mastery, fortunately, is a choice and is achievable by anyone. You need only pursue it. Try it on everything also assumes common sense. It would be inappropriate, for example, to drink a gallon of gasoline to see if you can "tap it away". Similarly, untrained people should not go where they don't belong and thus should not try EFT on truly emotionally disturbed people. THE IMPORTANCE OF TESTING YOUR WORK (Taken from Gary Craig's website emofree.com) When using EFT it is so important to test your work and challenge your results. One way to do this is to ask the client out of ten, how much they believe the statement that they just gave about being at zero intensity. If they pause you know that some intensity is still available to work on. Also if they say that around three is left, ask them what that three may be made up of. Also ask pointed questions, re-enact a bothersome memory, have the client vividly imagine the event, etc. Never just be satisfied with a zero; challenge your results in the real world.

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You are also watching form immediate physical non-verbal signs of relaxation and resolution. Facial muscles, yawns, sighs etc could show the person has gained some relief on the problem. You only start serious checking of the results if you think your person has largely collapsed the problem. You want to see if there are other aspects. There are multiple ways to do this but they usually fall into one of these three categories. One of the best tests is to re-enact the scene. This is not always possible but you want to work with them to role play the situation as much as you can. E.g. re-create the tone of voice or look on the face or physical placement. You want to assess if all the aspects to the issue are resolved. Stop immediately at the least sign of upset and tap again. If you can't re-enact it, help the person vividly imagine the situation. It is helpful to go through the five senses: see, hear, feel, smell, taste and help them make it bigger, larger, and brighter, etc. As always stop and tap if you find any sign of upset. On Gary's tapes, you will see him at times ask very pointed questions designed, as he says, to make the person's emotional knees buckle. However, EFT is designed to be as gentle as possible and you would not use this method to check for aspects unless you believed the person had not resolved most if not all of the problem. Ask pointed questions Re-enact a bothersome memory Vividly imagine the event HANDLING EXCESSIVE INTENSITY (Taken from Gary Craig's website emofree.com) Despite the usually gentle nature of EFT, some people bring with them some very intense issues and, as they tune into them, they may exhibit extreme intensity. Handling this requires skill and experience. In the past, it has been found quite effective to simply tap the EFT sequence repeatedly until they calm down. This may take several minutes and 20 or more rounds. NO guarantees of success, of course, but this method has been effective in a high percentage of cases. Also take a look at out section on abreactions. It should be noted that if you are not trained in certain areas of work, and the work you are considering is usually undertaken by medical professionals, say in mental health, then you should not attempt to do the work. Don't go where you do not belong.

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People's issues can be intense Tuning in may bring up intense emotions Tap over and over until they calm down Don't go where you don't belong! A SESSION Start by identifying the problem. Take your intensity level and then create a set-up and reminder phrase. Do the sequence followed by the 9 point gamut finished off with another sequence. Once you have done a round or two stop, close your eyes and re-evaluate the problem. If there is still some feeling, do another round. This time though change the setup phrase to start with "even though I have this remaining . '. So for the example of the headache it would become: "Even though I have this remaining headache, I deeply and completely accept myself" The reminder phrase should also be changed to "this remaining .". Keep checking and repeating rounds until the problem has reached a zero. If after several rounds you are getting stuck, repeat the set-up phrase while tapping KC, finish by forgiving/letting go Do the 9 gamut procedure, remember to keep tapping GP Repeat the sequence Check intensity level Repeat if necessary with 'this remaining ..' Make sure all feeling has gone and intensity is rated at zero SHORT CUT Doing a complete round may seem simple enough, but you can make it shorter still. Many therapists are now leaving out the 9 gamut procedure, using it only when a client is getting stuck. This usually makes no difference to the treatment other than to make it quicker.

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Leaving out the points on the fingers also seems to work. In most cases going straight to the karate chop point after doing the face and body works just as well as the full sequence; another 20 seconds saved. Some practitioners prefer to keep these points in as they believe it makes the treatment more effective, and it takes so little time. My advice is experiment and see what works for you. Trust your intuition with each case. Using the karate chop point instead of the sore point for the set-up phrase at the beginning of each round works most of the time. This is easier for group and telephone work. When a client is experiencing the pain intensely in the present moment, often the set-up and reminder phrases can be dropped. The client's attention is already focused on the problem. This is good to calm them down so you can start a full treatment. If things are really bad, using just the karate chop point will help to start with. STORY APPROACH (Taken from Gary Craig's website emofree.com) Newcomers to EFT soon awaken to the vast possibilities for elevating the emotional joy in our lives. And why not? Why be satisfied with routinely taking care of most headaches, phobias, traumas, angers, etc. when you can get underneath them and resolve years of underlying issues? Why let self-doubt dominate when it can be replaced with an enhanced sense of peace and freedom? In short, why be an average practitioner when mastery can provide so much more? I have great respect for beginners who have become "mechanical tappers" because they provide a valuable service for themselves and those they come in contact with. However, there is so much more to learn and a rich experience awaits those who choose to graduate from the mechanics to mastery. Along these lines, EFT already provides many tools for mastery and among them are: (1) The Tearless Trauma Technique (2) The Movie Technique (3) Borrowing Benefits and (4) Choices All of the above are covered in detail on our level one and two workshops and these are all pre-designed processes by which even the

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beginner can deliver impressively thorough healing. If they are not already familiar to you, please study them with dedication and apply them to yourself and others. With a little experience, they will soon move you toward mastery. There is another tool for mastery that I call the "tell the story" technique. I've been using it for years and you can see live examples of it on the "six days at the VA" video available from our website: www.garywilliamsassociates.com The idea is very simple. Just have the client narrate a specific event (about a trauma, grief, anger, etc.) and stop to tap whenever they get to emotionally intense parts of it. Each of the stopping points represents another aspect of the issue that, on occasion, will take you to even deeper issues. Conceptually, this is about as easy as it gets and it has a tendency to bring up important aspects that would otherwise take sophisticated detective work to locate. There are a few guidelines to enhance the process and I list them below. 1. After describing the "tell the story technique" to the client, ask them how they feel now about the mere thought of telling the story. Often you will get some substantial intensity at this stage and, if so, it is worthwhile to do a few global type rounds of EFT to take the edge off. "Even though I'm nervous about telling the story....." "Even though I'm afraid what might happen when I tell this story...." "Even though I don't like this whole thing....." "Even though just starting the story gives me the jitters...." 2. When the client feels comfortable about starting the story (perhaps an intensity level of zero - 2), ask them to begin at a time when there is nothing to be concerned about. An example might be having lunch with a friend just before having a car accident. This tends to ease the client into the experience. 3. Instruct the client to stop the moment they feel any intensity whatsoever. This is critical to the success of this procedure. Most clients are conditioned by conventional techniques to "be courageous" and to "feel the feelings" and to "be brave and get through it." Thus, they are likely to go right by an important tapping point without telling you.

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The client needs to understand that if they don't stop, they have missed a healing opportunity. Hit this one hard. Emphasize it. Raise your voice a bit to punctuate it. Insist on it. Remind them that we are looking for minimal pain here and that they get no points for bravery. 4. Have the client repeat the story while doing EFT until they can tell it nonchalantly--like it was a shopping trip. 5. Then ask the client to close their eyes and vividly imagine the whole event and ask them to try to get themselves upset by exaggerating the sights, sounds and feelings. Chances are they will get through it fine but, if they don't, then you will have uncovered an important aspect or underlying cause. Use EFT for whatever comes up until they cannot get upset about the issue by either imagining it or talking about it. 6. The ultimate test, of course, will be to physically visit the scene/person again and see if anything else arises. If there are any remnants left, they will show up during the "real deal." This "tell the story technique" has several benefits.... 1. It is easy to perform and, because the client talks a lot during the process, it often parallels what clients consider "real therapy." Thus the perception of EFT's "weirdness" is minimized. 2. The "story" provides a built - in procedure for finding aspects. 3. It can be used either as a primary technique or as a way to test your results. 4. It allows the issue to unfold as gently as possible. 5. The client gives you solid information along the way that allows you to know how you are progressing. PERSONAL PEACE PROCEDURE (Taken from Gary Craig's website emofree.com) "If you are ultimately going to do something important that will make a real difference, do it now" Howard Wight The personal peace procedure that I am about to unfold for you is not just a way to "feel a little more peaceful."

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Properly understood, this technique should be the healing centre piece for every person on earth. Every physician, therapist, spiritual counsellor and personal performance coach in the world should be using it as a leading edge tool for helping others and themselves. In essence, the personal peace procedure involves making a list of every bothersome specific event in one's life and systematically EFTing their impacts out of existence. By diligently doing this we can pull out every negative tree from our emotional forests and thus eliminate major causes of our emotional and physical ailments. This, of course, propels each individual toward personal peace which, in turn, contributes mightily toward world peace. Here are some uses. 1) As homework between sessions with a physician or therapist, this is certain to accelerate and deepen the healing process 2) As a daily procedure to clear out a lifetime of accumulated emotional debris, this will enhance self-image, reduce self-doubt and provide a profound sense of freedom 3) As a means to eliminate a major contributor (if not sole cause) of a serious disease. Somewhere within one's specific events are those angers, fears and traumas that are manifesting as disease. By addressing them all, you will likely cover those responsible for the disease 4) As a useful substitute for finding core issues. If you neutralize all the specific issues you will have automatically included core issues. 5) As a means for consistent relaxation 6) To become an example to others as to what is possible This simple concept should shift the entire healing field. I can state it in a sentence: Most of our emotional and physical problems are caused (or contributed to) by our unresolved, specific events, the vast majority of which can be easily handled by EFT. Not bad for a mere engineer, eh? That sentence, if adopted by every healing practitioner and patient, would likely 1) Dramatically increase our healing rates while 2) Precipitously dropping our costs

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Please note that this idea completely ignores chemical causes such as those propounded by the medical model. That is because I have repeatedly seen improvements in clients where drugs and other chemical solutions have failed miserably. This is not to say, however, that drugs, proper nutrition and the like don't have their place. Indeed they do. They can often be vital. In my experience, however, our unresolved specific events are nearer the foundational cause for illness than anything else. Thus they deserve our primary attention. How obvious! Experienced EFTers are well aware of EFT's ability to cleanly wipe the negative specific events off our mental walls. This is the area wherein our highest success ratios appear. To date, however, we have focused our efforts on those negative specific events that underlie a given ailment such as a phobia, headache or traumatic incident. This is good, very good, and we should continue doing so. On the other hand, why not use EFT on all the other specific events that are behind our more generalized, but very important, issues such as: self image anxiety depression persistent insomnia addictions compulsions feelings of abandonment As you eliminate the emotional baggage from your specific events you will, of course, have less and less internal conflict for your system to deal with. Less internal conflict translates into a higher level of personal peace and less emotional and physical suffering. For many, this procedure will likely result in the complete cessation of lifelong issues that other methods have not touched. How is that for peace in a paragraph? The same applies to physical ailments as well. I am talking here about everything from headaches, breathing difficulties and digestive disorders to AIDS, MS and cancer. It is becoming more widely accepted that our physical maladies are caused (or contributed to) by unresolved angers, traumas, guilt, grief and the like. Many physicians in recent years are coming to the conclusion that emotional strife is a major cause of serious disease. Until now, however, there hasn't been an effective way to eliminate these health bandits. We can mask them with drugs, of course, but true cures have

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been hard to find. Fortunately, EFT and its many cousins now provide easy and elegant tools that will aid the serious health practitioner in killing the root causes of disease, instead of the patient! What I share here is not a substitute for quality EFT training nor is it a substitute for quality help from a masterful EFT practitioner. Rather, it is a tool that properly applied, is capable of wide ranging relief; quality training or quality assistance will add to its effectiveness. 1) Make a list of every bothersome specific event you can remember. If you don't find at least 50 you are either going at this halfheartedly or you have been living on some other planet. Many people will find hundreds. 2) While making your list you may find that some events don't seem to cause you any current discomfort. That is OK. List them anyway. The mere fact that you remember them suggests a need for resolution. 3) Give each specific event a title, as though it was a mini movie. E.g. "Dad hit me in the kitchen"
1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) 10) 11) 12) 13) 14) 15) 16) 17) 18) 19) 20) 21) 22) 23) 24) 25) _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ 26) 27) 28) 29) 30) 31) 32) 33) 34) 35) 36) 37) 38) 39) 40) 41) 42) 43) 44) 45) 46) 47) 48) 49) 50) __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________

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4) When the list is complete, pick out the biggest redwoods in your negative forest and apply EFT to each of them until you either laugh about it or can't think about it any more. Be sure to notice any aspects that may come up and consider them separate trees in your negative forest. Apply EFT to them accordingly. Be sure to keep after each event until it is resolved.
1) __________________________________________ 2) __________________________________________ 3) __________________________________________ 4) __________________________________________ 5) __________________________________________ 6) __________________________________________ 7) __________________________________________ 8) __________________________________________

9) __________________________________________ 10)__________________________________________

If you cannot get a zero to 10 intensity level on a particular movie then assume you are repressing it and apply 10 full rounds of EFT on it from every angle you can think of. This gives you a high possibility for resolving it. After the big redwoods have been removed, go to the next biggest trees. 5) Do at least one movie (specific event) per day, preferably three, for three months. It only takes minutes per day. At this rate you will have resolved 90 to 270 specific events I three months. Then notice how our body feels better. Note too how your threshold for getting upset is much lower. Note how your relationships are better and how many of your therapy type issues just don't seem to be there any more. Revisit some of those specific events and notice how those previously intense incidences have faded into nothingness. Note any improvements in your blood pressure, pulse and breathing ability. I ask you to consciously notice these things because, unless you do, the quality healing you will have undergone will seem so subtle that you may not notice it. You may even dismiss it saying, "Oh well, it was never much of a problem anyway". This happens repeatedly with EFT and thus I bring it to your awareness.

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6) If you are taking medications, you may feel the need to discontinue them. Please do so only under the advice of a qualified physician. DAILY TAPPING My mini movie for today is Intensity level now zero - 10 ______________ Say three times "Even though I have this ________________________ movie, I accept myself as I am" Reminder phrase "_________________________movie" Intensity level now zero - 10_______________ (Work on what comes up for you or move on to the next section) Say three times "Even though I have this fear or anxiety about ______________________I deeply and completely love and accept myself" Reminder phrase "Anxiety/fear/insecurity _____________________" (whatever issue causes the fear etc) Intensity level now zero - 10 ______________ (Work on what comes up for you or move on to the next section) Say three times "Even though until now I have had this anxiety/fear/insecurity about _____________________________ (whatever issue causes the fear etc), I now let go and feel totally secure and capable of dealing with this". Reminder phrase "Anxiety/fear/insecurity about ________________" (whatever issue causes your fear) Intensity level now zero - 10 ______________ (Work on what comes up for you) about

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Alternative Quick Method This works well for depression, feelings of hopelessness and guilt. Tap above your upper lip and say, "I completely accept myself with all my problems and limitations" three times. Using your intuition, tap any other points. See what comes up for you after tapping in this way and then get creative and make some of your own phrases. The more tapping that you do the more you will become a master in the art of the Emotional Freedom Techniques. IF YOU GET STUCK (Taken from Gary Craig's website emofree.com) Remember that most issues are like an onion: as you peel off one layer, there is another and another until finally all layers are gone. Each time a new layer appears, you are a little closer to your goal. If you have difficulty focusing on the problem, try one of the following: 1) Create an image of the problem in your mind and notice how you feel about the problem. As you think about the problem, locate any place in your body where you feel discomfort or tension and focus your attention on that physical sensation. Continue using the technique, following that physical sensation and any sense of physical discomfort that arises until you feel physically neutral. Focus your attention on the problem and pay attention to any negative thoughts that come up. Say them aloud, with feeling. Continue using the techniques following any new thoughts until you feel complete. 2) BREATHE 3) Drink lots of water! Energy flows easier when you are well hydrated. Avoid all dehydrating foods and beverages such as chocolate, coffee and alcohol if you can. 4) Balance your energy. Use whatever technique is most effective for you, including Meditation, Yoga, Tai Chi, Brain Gym, any form of exercise not forgetting walking outside in nature. 5) Consciously connect to spirit. Allow yourself to feel your connection in whatever way is most effective for you. 6) Eliminate toxins. Many common household products can block or interfere with your energy. A prime example is the detergent Tide.

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7) If all else fails call me! We can work together on the phone. It is my hope that the Personal Peace Procedure becomes a worldwide routine. A few minutes a day will make a monumental difference in your quality of life. But these are meaningless words unless you put the idea into practice. "If you are ultimately going to do something important that will make a real differencedo it now" You can learn The Basic Recipe from reading the manual and watching the first EFT videotape. From there, many people go out into the world and apply it to clients, friends and family, often with superb results (including some "one minute wonders"). However, if they don't study the rest of the EFT Course (in proper order), these practitioners are certain to scratch their heads in some instances and say "it doesn't work." WHEN EFT DOESN'T WORK (Taken from Gary Craig's website emofree.com) Introduction to this extensive answer: When progress with EFT seems stopped, or it seems like "it doesn't work" EFT is usually not the problem. Rather, the reason for the lack of progress can most often be traced to the inexperience of the user. Why do I say this? Because those who master EFT don't miss very often. They not only get their share of "one minute wonders" but, compared to conventional techniques, impressive progress is also made for just about any problem with an emotional cause, including many physical ailments. In those cases where the masters are stumped, however, they don't point the finger at EFT for "not working." Rather, the masters ask themselves questions like: "What's in the way here?" "What have I not seen yet?" "What core issue have I been unable to find?" I'm not saying here that EFT is a panacea for everything. It won't paint your toenails, for example, nor will it allow you to drink gasoline. But just about anything that has an emotional cause, including many physical ailments, is a clear candidate for EFT.

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It often works beautifully, even in the hands of a beginner. But that doesn't mean we have perfection here. We are still learning and should give thanks for those "tough cases" that challenge us to perfect our skills. Those who want to achieve mastery of EFT will be interested in the following reasons why it sometimes appears that EFT "doesn't work." The EFT course was not completed properly I know it is tempting to skip through all those video tapes and audio tapes to get to "your topics." Many people do this despite the instructions given on the first page of the EFT Manual. This often results in taking the EFT Course out of order or, even worse, ignoring parts of the course altogether. When this happens, the importance of certain topics (e.g. aspects, psychological reversal, being specific, persistence, etc.) go unappreciated and are ineffectively used. You can learn the basic recipe from reading the manual and watching the first EFT videotapes. From there, many people go out into the world and apply it to clients, friends and family, often with superb results (including some "one minute wonders"). However, if they don't study the rest of the EFT course (in proper order), these practitioners are certain to scratch their heads in some instances and say "it doesn't work." Maybe psychological reversal needs to be done more emphatically. Maybe the client is actually making progress but is shifting aspects behind the scenes. Maybe the core issue hasn't been discovered yet. Maybe the problem is being approached too globally. Maybe, maybe, maybe. These topics, as well as many of the other topics in this Question and Answer section, are covered in the EFT course. The EFT course not only teaches the basic recipe in great detail but it also goes on to display the art of delivery with over 80 people in live sessions. You see and hear how people respond. You are taught ways to get at core issues and how to deal with aspects, psychological reversal etc. And because it's all on videotape you can watch it repeatedly to pick up more fine points. The more fine points you pick up the more masterful you will be and the less you will say, "it doesn't work." I can't emphasize this "take-the-EFT-course-properly" suggestion too strongly. Therein lies the foundational problem beneath almost every "it doesn't work" claim I've ever heard. In the hands of an artist, EFT can restore clients' lives into the living masterpieces they were meant to be.

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For a practitioner to fall short of that is to miss the real "juice" in this procedure. The problem is being approached too globally The EFT course stresses the value of being specific where you can. Some people tap on generalized anxiety (a very global problem) and wonder why their results are either temporary or non-existent. The reason is because global items such as generalized anxiety, self image problems, persistent anger, childhood abuse, etc. are comprised of numerous specific past events. The sum total of all of one's specific fears, rejections, traumas, guilt, etc. evolve into such global problems as generalized anxiety and self image problems. Approaching the problem too globally is a fairly common error by newcomers. To illustrate, here's a letter I just received along these lines: "I cannot successfully treat my own generalized anxiety disorder. I have used EFT while focusing on "my anxiety problem" or the binge eating, or generalized mental paralysis that sometimes ensues, and I feel slightly better following, but there is no lasting effect." Usually we need to break a global issue down into its specific parts and neutralize each of them independently. This is clearly illustrated on "six days at the VA," a videotape in our EFT course wherein EFT is applied to our Vietnam veterans. Rich, the first vet on the tape, had "over 100 war memories that were 10's." These contributed to his more general ailment known as post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We used EFT with a couple of specific events on film and Rich worked with three or four other specific events on his own. As a result, all 100 of the memories faded and ceased to bother him. You can tap on a global issue, of course, and still make headway. However, the progress will usually seem gradual as the process will tend to chip away at the various aspects of the larger problem. One advantage of working with specific events is that we can usually provide relief for them rather rapidly, thereby allowing the client to recognize the result immediately. Another advantage is that, after knocking down a few of those negative trees in that negative forest, the whole forest tends to fall. It's as though each of the individual specific trees have items in common with all the rest of the trees. A generalization effect tends to occur and the whole problem becomes cleared. I have seen this many, many times.

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The set-up was not performed completely enough The set-up is that procedure within the basic recipe that corrects for psychological reversal (PR). When PR is present it blocks the whole process from working. So, if you aren't getting anywhere, you would be well advised to "start from the top" and perform the set-up more thoroughly. By this I mean to tap the karate chop point harder or rub the sore spot more vigorously while emphatically saying (even yelling) the affirmation. On many occasions I have been stuck and, after having the client rub that sore spot with great vigour and literally yelling the affirmation, we broke through the PR barrier and proceeded to get our normal results. One example of this is on our steps toward becoming the ultimate therapist tapes where one participant, Richard, was having difficulty getting EFT to "hold" on a stomach distress that he had suffered from for years. A few moments of an emphatic set-up (including yelling) and the problem lifted. Richard wrote me months later that his stomach ailment went away and stayed away except for rare occasions when he had unusual emotional stresses. All previous efforts with tapping (of any form) produced only temporary results at best. Also, let me extend a thank you to Dr. Fred Gallo for introducing what he calls criteria related reversals. In his experience, people who are stuck in reversal may find it useful to focus the affirmation more specifically. Examples might be "Even though I don't deserve to get over this _________" "Even though it isn't safe for me to get over this _________" I have used this myself with good success and recommend it as a useful tool. Another way to approach PR is as evidence of a major secondary gain or loss, that is, a much larger issue hiding beneath the presenting problem. This is the presumption I make when I am making no progress. I start looking for core issues. Once found, the reversal problem seems to fade and the client reports relief. We are still learning here and I'm not sure if this theory is correct. It works well in practice, however.

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The client is switching aspects Often, the client makes good progress but doesn't report it because s/he keeps switching to new aspects of the problem. The original aspects are actually relieved but the remaining aspects still cause distress. The client is not at fault here because s/he is often unable to distinguish between the relief already obtained and the stress still remaining. This happens frequently and serves to fool both the client and the EFT practitioner into thinking "it doesn't work." Here's an example. Suppose a client still exhibits trauma symptoms from an auto accident of 20 years ago. When asked what bothers them about the accident the client says, "The headlights!! The headlights!! I can still see them coming at me." EFT is then applied to the headlight emotion and the client is then asked if the accident still bothers them. The client says, "Yes." Unless one investigates further here, it would appear that the client is making no progress and that EFT "didn't work." If, instead, the client is asked, "Do the headlights still bother you?", the typical response will be something like, "No, but I can still hear the screams in the car." Do you hear another aspect? Sure. Now it is the screams in the car. Once that is relieved you may run into other aspects such as guilt for going too fast, anger at the other driver, etc. Many emotional issues are single-aspected and it only takes one or two rounds of EFT to give them relief. They are among our "one minute wonders." Others, of course, have many aspects and require more diligence. How do you find these aspects? The process is usually simple. Just ask the client to describe the problem after each round of EFT and notice how their language changes. They may start out, for example, talking about the problem in terms of fear and, after one round of EFT, discuss the problem in terms of guilt. Also, the events they focus on may change (e.g. from headlights to screams). Further, the physical sensations in their body may change from, perhaps, a "tightness in the stomach" to a "constriction in the throat." The alert student might notice here that this "aspect switching" problem, while appearing to give evidence that EFT "doesn't work," actually gives resounding evidence of the opposite. The reason the client switches aspects is because the original aspect was given relief. The headlights are no longer a problem (EFT success) so now the client focuses on the screams (the next aspect in line).

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A core issue is interfering This was covered above under the section on the set-up but bears elaboration here. When an important core issue is "hiding" behind a lesser presenting issue, the whole process seems to falter. This is because the real issue is not being addressed. Finding the core issue is what therapists are trained to do, of course. It is the centre piece of the therapeutic art. One way to find the core issue is to listen to how the client describes the problem. The keen ear will pick up the clues leading to "the bottom line." Another way is to develop the intuitional ability to hone right in on the real issue. This is demonstrated in great detail in our steps toward becoming the ultimate therapist tapes. Before I began to develop (trust) my intuitional skills, I would just simply ask the client questions like, "If there was a larger emotional issue here, what might it be?" I know that question seems elementary but I found it to be quite successful. I would ask them the question and often they would say, "I don't know." Then I would gently prod them to give me an answer. I might just ask them to guess or I might use my favourite NLP question and say, "If you did know, what would it be?" Eventually, they give an answer and it almost always takes us in a useful direction. Sometimes all that's missing is the human touch There is something about the "connection" between two people that sometimes allows the process to work more efficiently. I know this is an intangible item that doesn't lend itself well to scientific scrutiny. Nonetheless, I have seen plenty of anecdotal evidence for it. Sometimes, I find, the process will appear not to work until the practitioner physically taps on the client. Then, almost magically, the problem fades away. This is fairly rare but it does happen. Some other procedure (e.g. 9 gamut, collarbone breathing) is called for or some other points need to be tapped As you recall, a short cut to the basic recipe was introduced in the EFT course wherein (1) only half of the points needed to be tapped and (2) it was suggested that the 9 gamut and collarbone breathing procedures could be put "on the shelf" until needed. So, if you aren't progressing, these previously omitted points and procedures could be reinstated. The need for this is infrequent, however. I would pursue the above avenues first.

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COLLARBONE BREATHING You can start with either hand, but this explanation assumes you will start with your right hand. During the whole exercise keep you elbows and arms away from your body, so that you only touch your body with your fingertips and knuckles as described. Place two fingers of your right hand on your right collarbone point and with two fingers of your left hand tap your right gamut point continuously while performing the following breathing exercises. Breathe halfway in and hold for around 7 taps Breathe all the way in and hold for around 7 taps Breathe halfway out and hold for around 7 taps Breathe all the way out and hold for around 7 taps Breathe normally for around 7 taps Now place two fingers of your right and on your left collarbone point and, while continuously tapping your gamut point, do the breathing exercise again. Next bend the fingers of the right hand so that the knuckles are prominent, and place them on the right collarbone point. Again tap the gamut point while completing the breathing exercise again. Now do the same using the right hand on the left collarbone point. You have now completed half the collarbone breathing procedure. To complete the other half of the procedure do the same routines again but use the left hand to touch the collarbone points. COGNITIVE BELIEF SHIFTS (Taken from Gary Craig's website emofree.com) One of the nice things about EFT is that its results are often very rapid (minutes instead of hours) and insights, or cognition, changes at the same time. Clients discuss the issue differently after EFT. You may have missed that. Watch Robert again on the veterans' video. He is the one who had to shoot the young boy that was walking towards him with a hand grenade. At first his insight about it contained major guilt as he said tearfully, "You don't shoot little kids!" On our follow-up the next day he discusses it in a completely different light (insight). He calmly says, "I'm more rational about it now. It was him or me." I hope you see the shift in insight/cognition there.

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He did it within himself while experiencing EFT. I didn't have to plant or reframe anything. It's still not his favourite subject, of course, and he wishes the event never happened. Nonetheless, the charge on this problem has clearly dissipated and it no longer has the tug on his heart that was the centrepiece of constant intrusive thoughts. Those vets don't complain about not having insights. That is because the insights have indeed changed in a manner that is so subtle, so normal, that they don't think to articulate them. You as a therapist, however, can prove the changes to yourself by proper questioning. It is a good way to test the power of your work. There is a lot we don't know about EFT, TFT and all the other "power therapies" and your question brings up one of these unknowns. I have not kept statistics on the above matter so I don't know for sure whether or not EFT is unlocking the previous work of one or more therapists. I rather doubt it; however, as I can think of a number of cases where cognitive change occurred in EFT clients who had never seen a therapist before. For example, many public speaking phobics don't seek formal therapy for their problem. They just don't speak in public. After EFT, however, the typical client shifts their view of an audience from "intimidating" to "friendly". I think what goes on here is similar to my views on self-image improvement. To me, our basic nature is positive, but, as our life unfolds, it becomes forested with negative trees. Life does have a way of planting them, it seems. Once these trees are removed, our naturally occurring positive attitudes are allowed to blossom. I see much evidence of this. What appears to be a cognitive shift may actually be the removal of a negative barrier so that the healthier cognition (which was always there) reappears. Some may disagree with me on this. So be it. Like I said, we have so much to learn. WHAT IS AN ABREACTION? By contrast to almost any other process, EFT is quite gentle and rarely has any serious side effects. It is often used instead of other procedures, because of its gentle nature. In 1997, an informal questionnaire was put out to 250 therapists asking for descriptions of significant abreactions with EFT or TFT. Out of an estimated 10 000 applications of these energy tapping procedures, only 20 such cases were reported. This is approximates 0.2%.

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Please find a copy of the Level One exam paper below. A 70% pass rate is required if you wish to obtain certification. Level One Exam Paper Please keep your answers a short as possible. Question One What fear did Mary Lose? Question Two When looking for resonance, what should we be looking for? Question Three Explain Psychological Reversal? Question Four How many times does the set-up statement need to be repeated? Question Five Name the founders of both TFT and EFT? Question Six What is the cause of all negative emotions? Question Seven How will you know if your client has had a cognitive shift? Question Eight What are SUDS? Question Nine Why is the liver point not used in EFT? Question Ten Explain the Gamut process? Question Eleven What are aspects? Question Twelve How do we deal with a client who is stuck? Question Thirteen Name three questions you could use when EFT appears not to be working?

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Thank you for taking the online course you are now ready to move on to our level two course featured below. PRIVATE TREATMENTS You can come and have a treatment at our treatment rooms in Milton Keynes or we can put you in touch with a more local EFT therapist. For details and to book an appointment. Please telephone: 01908 218465 EFT WORKSHOPS On the 19th November 2004, Gary Craig introduced new guidelines to standardise the training of EFT throughout the world. The course below is approved by Gary Craig and conforms to these new standards. Although the workshops will benefit anyone prepared to learn and try out radically new methods for personal development, it is not suitable for anyone experiencing psychological or serious emotional problems. Level One and Two Certified A.A.M.E.T 2 Day Practitioner Training: 1. Principles from the Palace of Possibilities Identification of client's belief structures and the origins of their development. Utilisation of affirmations identification of tail-enders that limit their effectiveness. 2. Extra Tapping Points The addition of extra tapping points developed from the work of Michael Gandy 3. Methods to inject more gentleness into EFT Some client issues carry a lot of emotion. EFT can be utilised in several ways that allows the therapist to minimise or eliminate any discomfort. These methods include: * Tearless Trauma Technique * Chasing the Pain * Sneaking up on the problem 4. Dealing with Physical Issues Utilising the chasing the pain approach and becoming more specific. As well as dealing with any emotional issues with maybe a part of the problem. 5. Working via the telephone Delivering therapy on the phone is commonplace in America. This component prepares the therapist to use this method of delivering therapy.

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6. Delivering EFT in groups One of the most interesting things about EFT is the fact that it can be used with groups as opposed to just working one on one with a client. This component of the course provides the trainee with experience working in group situations. Note: Advanced booking is required. Disclaimer:
The Emotional Freedom Techniques are gentle and easy to use, and have to date yielded remarkable results for relieving emotional and physical distress. While there have been no harmful side effects reported to my knowledge, this does not mean that you will not discover side effects for yourself. IF YOU INTEND TO USE EFT, YOU MUST AGREE TO TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOURSELF AND OTHERS WHILE APPLYING IT. You may wish to consult a trained Emotional Freedom Techniques practitioner. If you continue to use EFT, you are agreeing to take full responsibility for yourself and others when applying it, and shall hold neither Gary Craig, myself nor anyone else associated with EFT responsible for any adverse side effects or outcomes.

Thank you for attending our online workshop, please get in touch if you would like to take your learning further. We would be happy to discus any questions or queries you may have. You could also take a look at our website: www.eftworldmagazine.com Thank you again and I look forward to working with you in the future. Warm regards

Gary Williams http://www.eftworldmagazine.com hypnomk@googlemail.com Tel: 01908 218465

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