Eft/tft

Briefly, TFT (Thought Field Therapy) is the "original" meridian therapy which involves a combination of tapping on acupressure points and focussing on the problem/issue, developed by Dr Roger Callahan. The more complex version of TFT requires diagnosis of problem using muscle testing/kinesiology, and application of specific sequences of tapping points designed to treat that particular problem. In the UK, they teach mostly "algorithm"-based TFT, where you do not have to diagnose but learn different formulae of tapping points for specific problem.

EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) has been developed by Gary Craig from TFT, to make it more accessible to all, as we can use a standard set of tapping points to treat every problem (though experienced practitioners often make their own adjustments). To illustrate its accessibility - I can probably teach a 5-year old child in about 10 minutes how to tap away "monsters in the wardrobe" or other fears/anxieties. When I worked in Styal prison there were some girls truly "off their heads" on drugs, medication, traumatised, and there was no way they could engage in any talk therapy - however they could learn the basics of EFT and help relieve some of their emotional and physical pain.

Even though EFT does look simple on the surface, to use it really well requires a lot, a lot, a lot of practice, skill and understanding - but even beginners tend to get pretty good results quickly. I am not actually trained in Thought Field Therapy so I am obviously biased, but I do find EFT a versatile, accessible, democratic and highly effective therapeutic intervention and self-help tool

Masha

Has anybody seen the type of tapping that Paul Mackenna does? I was wondering if that was TFT.

He suggests it for fears and cravings for fattening foods. He showed the sequence of tapping once, i think it was on GMTV.

I know in EFT, sighing or yawning is a good sign of release while tapping, and this always happens to me when i try it Pauls way, though i don't usually find it does much more than that.

Has anybody seen the type of tapping that Paul Mackenna does? I was wondering if that was TFT.

Yes, Paul McKenna does TFT rather than EFT.

Masha

I have been looking at both of these therapies as I am wanting to do some more training. The other therapy that I see advertised along side EFT is Emo trance, can anyone explain a bit more about Emotrance please and also how well it works along side EFT?

Lorraine x

Hi SoulSecrets,

I work with Emotrance. Sometimes combine with some EFT, but usually use it as a single therapy and find it very effective. Have alook at through all that is on this site . There should be plenty in there for you to read and ponder.

Cheers

Hi Swordfish

Thank you for the link 🙂 Can i just ask where abouts you did your training please?

Thanks for the info Masha. I've got the online free downloads re Gary Craig and I've just started reading a book about TFT, 'Tapping the Healer Within'. Although not far through the book yet, the two therapies were looking very similar.

If it is very easy to treat yourself with EFT, does this not take a lot of work away from the therapists?

If it is very easy to treat yourself with EFT, does this not take a lot of work away from the therapists?

Potentially, yes. However, it is often found to be better to have a practitioner treat you. Not because we say that so we can get the clients, but because a practitioner can offer guidance and pick up on things that the client may not see whilst they're discussing their issues. Even a practitioner can struggle sometimes to treat themselves because we often can't see the wood for the trees as they say. It's good to have an experienced outsider view of things to point out the obvious.

😉

I agree with Giles on this - even being an experienced "tapper", I very much appreciate having EFT treatment with another practitioner, though it is also invaluable to be able to use it for yourself quickly in emergency situations and for everyday self-help.

I also believe that the fact that EFT is so accessible is actually of benefit to EFT practitioners, as it does spread very quickly from person to person, since most people who learn and use it for self-help get so enthusiastic that they cannot keep it to themselves. The more people know about EFT (it is still a very young therapy and has only been around for about 15 years max, so any publicity by word of mouth is can be seen as a good thing!), the more business EFT practitioners will get - whilst we can often go further in helping in ourselves using EFT than with many other self-help methods, treatment with a qualified and experienced practitioner can help tackle some of the complex issues that we may find difficult to deal with on our own.

Masha

As it's obvious there are people on here that know a lot about tapping, can i ask what anyone thinks about how many tapping points are best to use. Some people say only the eyebrow to under the arm, and others say to start with the top of the head and on the rib cage under the nipple. Also some say to do all the tapping points including the ones on the hands..

What have you found to work best?

As it's obvious there are people on here that know a lot about tapping, can i ask what anyone thinks about how many tapping points are best to use.

Most experienced EFT practitioners will use head and body points and will only occasionally add in the finger points (if at all - many consider the latter "old-fashioned"), perhaps when the problem is more complex. I find finger points extremely useful for the following purposes: (a) tapping on yourself in a public place if you want to do it discreetly - e.g. if you are sitting in a meeting where someone is irritating you, you can tap or massage your finger points under the boardroom table without anyone noticing! (b) if my client has a strong emotional reaction during session and begins to cry, shake etc, I would ask for their permission to hold their hand and tap on their finger points until they calm down, which is usually a lot quicker than to leave them to their own devices, and also gives a significant release of emotion without the client attempting to stifle it.

In terms of the head points (there are many acupressure points around the top of the head, so we just tap gently all around the crown - unless someone has a high blood pressure, for whom it is best not to stimulate the head points, just leave that out), I tend to do this at the end of the "round", after the "under arm" points, whilst many practitioners use it at the beginning, or omit it altogether.

Many experienced EFTers will develop ideosynchratic tapping sequences, using intuition - or sometimes muscle testing, which is normally part of Thought Field Therapy rather than EFT - to determine where the client needs to tap.

Masha

If as you say someone was irritating you, and you wanted to tap or massage your finger points, would you need to tap or massage the side (karate point) of your hand before, and mentally say a set up phrase 3 times before tapping the points? Or would you just acknowledge your 'irritation', and tap? Also do you need to tap all the finger points, or are any particular ones ok to do?
In one of Gary Craigs news letters, a woman said that while she sat waiting nervously to get up to speak in front of a crowd, she tapped only her karate point and felt relief.

Energy3, the set-up phrase is only usually necessary if the so-called psychological reversal (self-sabotage on energy level) is taking place - the set-up is normally included in the standard EFT procedure, since, if we don't use muscle testing, it is difficult to be certain whether the individual (or yourself) is reversed in relation to a particular issue - though reversal can be assumed to be always present with serious addictions, chronic depression and some other chronic conditions.

The main purpose of the words (other than the set-up phrase) we use in EFT is to tune us into/focus on the problem, as EFT works best when the emotion is present - so if the level of emotional intensity is high, you can tap without words as you are already well tuned in - if it is low-ish to mid-range, do keep using the reminder phrase to keep focused on what you are tapping about.

When I choose to tap just on my fingers I don't tend to use the set-up phrase, and tap on the karate chop and all the fingers (Gary Craig's manual misses out the ring finger point but I tend to include it - it is positioned on the opposite side of the nail in comparison to all the other finger points, and on the same meridian as the Gamut point).

You may find your "favourite" finger which does the job for you much of the time - or it could be the Karate chop; I personally like the little finger and may stay on it a bit longer than on others, but this is very individual and very much down to personal preference.

Masha

Mash B,

Is the gamunt point on the back of the hand between the little and ring finger? I thought that the ring finger was missed out because of tapping on the back of hand counts for that point?

Sorry Masha B,
I've got mixed up on what side of the fingers to tap. Ignore me i'mgetting confused...

Yes the Gamut point is just behind (about 1 cm) the knuckles of the ring finger and little finger, and if you use the Gamut point you would not normally use the ring finger point.

Masha

Hello

Do you believe this is something that can be self taught from dvd's and a book or does eft and emotrance need to be learnt from a qualified practitioner?

Thank you
Amber

Hello

Do you believe this is something that can be self taught from dvd's and a book or does eft and emotrance need to be learnt from a qualified practitioner?

Thank you
Amber

Some people learn EFT quite successfully from Gary Craig's DVD's manual for self-help but I would definitely recommend attending face-to-face practical training if you are intending to use the technique with other people.

On a basic level it may appear superficially simple, and often even beginners achieve spectacular results quickly, but on a deeper level EFT is a profound and powerful psychotherapeutic approach that needs to be practised with care, under guidance and with support of an experienced/practitioner trainer.

You can only get insurance to practise EFT in the UK if you have attended practical training; the academic qualification based on Gary's DVDs and manual will not be accepted by the UK insurers.

Masha

Thanks Masha for explaining that- all makes sense

Amber