EFT stands for Emotional Freedom Techniques.
Clinical EFT is a manualised, evidence-based stress reduction technique that utilises elements of cognitive therapy with physical stimulation of acupressure points (Church, 2013a). EFT is often referred to as ‘Tapping’ as it uses a two-finger tapping process on known acupuncture points. (Church, 2013b)
It involves gentle systematic tapping on particular parts of the face and body, sometimes described as psychological acupuncture, as the tapping points are located at the same points which are used in traditional acupuncture.
EFT allows us to release the intensity 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.
After just a few rounds of tapping, people often report feeling lighter and calmer and able to breathe more easily – almost as if they have more space inside now. They also report that their thinking has changed, they have gained new insights or that they are feeling better, overall.
EFT is a surprisingly simple technique. By stimulating pressure points on the body with these two finger-tapping techniques, Emotional Freedom Techniques result in a calming effect on two important parts of the brain.
The first one is called the amygdala (the stress centre of the brain). This part plays a role in the stress response. When the amygdala sends a distress signal, another part of the brain activates the ‘fight or flight’ response, which may provoke feelings like anger, anxiety or worry and physical symptoms like changes in our breathing and heart rate.
The other part of the brain that EFT tapping has an impact on is the hippocampus (the brain’s memory centre). This part of the brain is responsible for storing memories and can remind us of similar events from the past, which may be linked to us feeling anxious and fearful.
EFT also seems to have a calming effect on cortisol – the stress hormone. When we are under stress, the prefrontal cortex of the brain, our rational thinking brain goes “offline,” and our body’s levels of adrenaline and cortisol increase. The EFT intervention can help calm the amygdala, facilitate the release of calming chemicals, and bring us back to a more resourceful state.
We also know from clinical trials that EFT has the ability to turn off or deregulate up to six genes in our bodies that are involved in stress symptoms.
Stress, anxiety, and emotional distress are present along the entire cancer care pathway. (Gary et al., 2022)
These factors impact the efficacy of treatments, patient outcomes, recovery time, and cost of care. Most importantly, they present a significant burden to cancer patients, their families and friends, clinicians, and the wider society.
Interest in fostering positive patient outcomes beyond survival is growing among patients, clinicians, and those paying for cancer services. Effective mitigation of these factors requires early identification followed by effective intervention.
A stress reduction technique, EFT is well supported by clinical research (Stapleton, 2022). Benefits include reduced psychological distress, improved quality of life, and a positive impact on various psychological and physical symptoms.
Tapping can be particularly supportive for patients who are experiencing the emotional impact and physical side effects of their cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Clinical EFT’s stress-reduction capacity makes it also effective in alleviating multiple psychological conditions, including phobias, PTSD, anxiety, and depression (Church et al., 2022) that are often associated with a cancer diagnosis (Pitman, et al 2018).
EFT can be used as an adjunct to traditional treatment and is effective in reducing the side effects of Tamoxifen in women with breast cancer (Baker et al, 2015), improving quality of life and reducing fatigue or cancer-related cognitive impairment (Tack, L.,et. al 2021).
EFT can help cancer patients in many ways:
Quote: “I didn’t want the mastectomy. I didn’t want to have the deformity. I believed it would be impossible to start a new relationship… I would never feel confident in my body again… I needed emotional support to understand why I didn’t want to give myself the best chance of living. EFT helped me understand that I wanted to live more than I was worried about the deformity. Now I have a new life and I am really incredibly happy”. CR; Breast Cancer patient.
Quote: “The second chemo on Friday was a different experience. .. I feel that the change in my attitude towards the treatment has played a very significant part – and this has come directly from our meetings and EFT. Welcoming the poison into my body, trusting my body to work with it as it kills the cancer cells floating around my body, all in pursuit of strengthening and revitalising my health and my well-being. The effect of forgiving and accepting my decision to try again has been extraordinary” RW, Breast Cancer patient.
EFT has the potential to be a powerful tool to improve the care of palliative patients who have distressing emotions (Quilty et al, 2017).
The EFT process involves clients identifying a concern or an issue they wish to address and rating their level of distress on a Likert-type scale out of 10 (10 is the maximum amount of distress and 0 represents the minimum or a neutral state). This is called a Subjective Unit of Distress (SUDS)(Wolpe 1973).
Participants then state their concerns in a “Set-up Statement,” which assists in tuning them into their level of distress. This is typically stated in this format: “Even though I have this problem (e.g., anger), I deeply and completely accept myself.”
The first part of the set-up statement emphasises exposure, while the second half frames the traumatising event in the context of self-acceptance. The participant then engages in the tapping process on acupoints while they repeat a shortened phrase to stay engaged (e.g.; angry). This is called the “Reminder Phrase.” The tapping sequence uses 9 acupoints (see Figure 1) on the face and upper body and is normally repeated until the SUDS rating reduces to one or zero.
EFT helps to deal with the emotional and physical impact of cancer and cancer treatments, it is NOT a cancer treatment. Using EFT will complement and support conventional cancer treatment. EFT can lead to an increased sense of calm and well-being and enable patients to cope with difficult treatments.
The level of stress generated by cancer and the medical process is huge, long-lasting and toxic. The aim of EFT sessions is to reduce the stress substantially, introduce coping strategies and encourage a return to a relaxed and well-resourced state.
As of January 2023 there are:
All but one document the efficacy of EFT
All above document EFT efficacy
So far EFT has been approved by the following organisations:
Some important findings:
Research into EFT for cancer
For more detailed information on EFT research see Peta Stapleton, The Science behind Tapping or https://www.efttappingtraining.com/eft-research.
The recordings of the 2023 EFT International Scientific Symposium “EFT and Issues around Cancer” can be purchased here.
The “mechanisms of action” for a technique such as EFT describe what is happening in the body during application of the technique. The following research papers describe the neurological, epigenetic, psychoneuroimmunological and hormonal pathways engaged by EFT.
The following scientific references include research and trials done on the efficacy of EFT:
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