EFT stands for Emotional Freedom Techniques and was founded by Gary Craig in 1995.

It is
also called tapping therapy or psychological acupressure.

So even though it was founded in 1995, it has its roots in the age old traditional healing system
of acupressure. So it is a combination of ancient healing modality - acupressure & the modern
healing systems like psychotherapy’

EFT therapy is very effective as it engages our mind, body & emotions. We do the healing at the
physical level (when we tap at specific acupoints in our body ) & at the psychological level
when we say certain affirmations or statements which make us experience pleasant emotions)

EFT allows us to release and transform the way uncomfortable feelings like hurt, guilt, fear, or
anger may be affecting our experience. EFT can also be used to help transform the thoughts
and beliefs behind our emotional experiences.

“Emotions are our body’s reactions to our thoughts.”

– Eckhart Tolle

When we are able to transform our thoughts & emotions, we are able to transform our physical
health too, as our mind, body & emotions are deeply connected.

Developed by engineer Gary Craig and inspired largely from the work of Dr. Roger Callahan,
EFT is easy to learn and flexible enough to be used by anyone. As we explore EFT for
ourselves, we become empowered to respond to our own emotional states and help ourselves
feel better. With the aid of this simple and natural healing tool, we can discover just how our
thoughts, beliefs, and emotions affect our bodies and our lives – and how we can more
consciously make the changes we desire.

Emotions, The Body’s Energy System and The Brain

EFT works with the body’s subtle energy system – a network of energy pathways, called
meridians in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Some people are very skeptical of the existence of
pathways that previously could not be detected. However, with the development of more
sophisticated medical technologies, the existence of the primo vascular system has been
established. These documented pathways are accessible via specific locations on the body
called acupoints.

Acupuncture uses needles on these points, ostensibly to release stuck, stagnant energy and
rebalance the system; EFT has been called a psychological version of acupuncture, as the
simple process of tapping certain acupoints while focusing on an emotional upset has the effect
of releasing the intense charge of troubling emotions.
We can think of EFT as helping reboot our personal energy system in relation to the issue at
hand, similar to the way we reboot a computer, which has gotten stuck or has crashed. EFT can
help us reset our personal energy system little by little at a pace that is right for us. Once our
system begins “rebalancing” as we tap, we usually start feeling better – more relaxed, peaceful
and serene – in relation to our specific problem or issue.

Our body, mind, and emotions are intricately connected. When we apply EFT to something that
is bothering us, we can feel the shift in our thoughts, our feelings, and our bodily responses (i.e.
stress or tension).

Uncomfortable emotions have an energy pattern to them that we can feel (i.e. feeling bad), and
we can be keenly aware of the change in the energy (i.e. feeling better). Using EFT, we may get
noticeable relief and ease – quantum leaps of healing – with seemingly insurmountable
problems, often where nothing else has worked in the past.

EFT and The Brain

Another reason why EFT works so well is the effect that it often has on the brain. Scans of the
brain, including fMRIs (functional MRIs), have shown that the stimulation of acupoints with
needles sends signals directly into the "survival" parts of the brain where the fight-or-flight part
of us lives. Words alone cannot reach these areas of the brain, which do not have direct neural
connections with rational language centers.

It may be that EFT, which involves acupoint stimulation with tapping, reaches the
survival-instinct mechanism of the brain and helps to reprogram our reactions at that level. This
feature is not available in many modalities.

When we are under stress, the prefrontal cortex of the brain goes “offline,” and our body begins
flooding with adrenaline and cortisol. The EFT intervention can help calm the amygdala,
facilitate the release of calming chemicals, and bring us back to a more resourceful state.