Healing Series: Emotional Freedom Techniques
Have you ever experienced a situation that made you so angry that it ended up ruining your whole day or even your entire week? Have you experienced a sense of loss that permeated all other areas of your life? Have you ever felt that your emotions tend to get the better of you, making it hard for you to make good decisions that would benefit yourself and others?
Are emotions bad? No! Emotions are not only natural, but may even be necessary as they inform us about our unfulfilled needs. When you are feeling angry, perhaps you feel that you have been unfairly treated by someone else. Hence, acting upon this anger in a constructive manner can help you become more assertive with others and set healthy boundaries.
However, many of us get stuck when emotions become excessive, and instead of letting emotions guide us in taking positive steps to improve ourselves or the situation, they become obstacles to our spiritual growth. We become disconnected with our inner wisdom, make choices that increase our own misery and even that of others, and our energy gets drained by the resultant never-ending cycle of negative thoughts and beliefs about ourselves and the world.
Getting to the root of our problems
Often, people come to therapy wanting to know how they can solve their problems. Yet, the truth is, staying in a state of anger, depression, guilt, etc would not enable anyone to resolve their problems in a positive way. When the mind is confused and the heart is not peaceful, one will not be able to analyse the situation accurately or make the right move. Wanting to solve the problem is like trying to get rid of the weed by cutting it with a shear. As the roots are still growing, the weed will reappear after sometime. The best and most permanent way of solving the problem is by getting to the root of it - which is the negative beliefs and emotions.
So how do we clear those negative beliefs and emotions? There are MANY methods of doing this, and one method is by using Emotional Freedom Techniques, or EFT for short, developed in US by Gary Craig, and fast growing in popularity around the world because:
- It’s simple - even a 6 year old child can do it for him/herself!
- It’s effective - beginners can often have an over 50% success rate, while seasoned practitioners can have up to over 90% success rate
- It works on almost everything, from physical ailments e.g. chronic pains and wounds, to emotional problems e.g. depression, anxiety, phobias, addictions, low self-esteem, interpersonal conflicts
- It’s natural – we are our greatest healers, once our blocks are cleared, hence, this technique allows the body to heal itself
- It shows rapid results that is nothing short of miraculous at times - a problem that has lasted for decades and where years of traditional psychotherapy has not helped significantly, can be cleared within a few sessions, and at times, even within a single session or even a few minutes
- It does not depend on the person’s belief in the technique - even skeptics have found great results with EFT
- It produces permanent results when done correctly
What exactly is EFT and how does it work?
The principle behind EFT is that “the cause of all negative emotions is a disruption of the body’s energy system”. EFT is often described as “emotional accupuncture without needles” as it involves using the fingers to gently stimulate (by tapping, rubbing or touching) the main meridian points of the energy system, hence correcting any energy disruptions that is causing the emotional blockage. During this process, the person should be focusing on one specific problem as well as using the phrases involving self-acceptance, others-acceptance, positive affirmations, etc. Contrary to popular belief, this is not merely a “distraction technique” as millions of people who have tried it have obtained immediate and lasting results, whereas with distraction techniques, the problem remains unsolved in the long run.
While EFT was first used for emotional problems, it was discovered that it works for physical problems too. This makes sense as we intuitively know that our emotions can manifest on a physical level and in recent years, science has caught up with this ancient wisdom, with studies that prove the mind-body connection. Today, most people know that chronic anger can lead to heart attacks and chronic depression can lead to cancer.
Steps for doing EFT – Do It Yourself!
Rate the intensity of your problem* on a scale of 1 - 10, 10 being the highest intensity.- Perform the Karate Chop by hitting the sides of your palms against each other, while focusing on the phrase “Even though (describe the problem), **I deeply and completely accept myself” three times
- Tap on the 8 meridian points (as shown on right) while focusing the problem in your mind (it may be helpful to say it aloud if your mind tends to wander)
- Rate the problem on a scale of 1 - 10 again to evaluate the improvement, if any.
- Repeat the procedure until the problem reaches zero, or your preferred number.
Note * The problem can be a physical sensation, emotion or belief. It has to be specific enough for you to see a significant result, as general problems such as “low self-esteem” would take much longer for results to show, simply because those general problems comprise many specific causes, all of which could be EFT-ed individually. An example of a specific problem would be “feeling angry because he called me names”, which includes both the emotion and the specific event causing the emotion.
Note ** As not everyone is comfortable with the phrase “I deeply and completely accept myself”, using variations or add-ons can be helpful. Examples are:
- I try to accept myself anyway
- I am open to forgiving myself and other people who have contributed to this problem
- I choose to feel confident/healthy/etc (any positive qualities that would help you manage this problem better)
- I thank God/ Buddha (or any other higher power) for the resources I already have to manage this problem
While the technique is simple enough to be used as a DIY technique by almost anyone, its extent of effectiveness will vary according to the person’s skills as there are certain tactics that differentiate the amateur and the advanced practitioner. A free 80-page beginner’s manual can be found on the main EFT website created by Gary Craig: www.emofree.com. On his website, you will also found thousands of testimonials and articles containing tips that will be helpful in improving your effectiveness in using this technique.
Beginners would find it a thrill to use EFT on simple problems that happen in everyday life because of its often instantaneous results - try it! However, it can be challenging to use EFT on ourselves for more deep-rooted problems due to our own blind spots and resistances. If EFT doesn’t seem to be working for you, working with an experienced EFT practitioner can help to bring about much better results because of his or her objectivity, skill, and the synergy effect of the interaction between both of you.
Emotional Freedom Techniques Video
Watch the excellent EFT introduction video here.
For private sessions and EFT workshops in Singapore, you may visit Shan You Counselling Centre (www.shanyou.org.sg), a non-profit organisation that provides counselling services to the public, regardless of race, religion and ability to pay. Aside from EFT, our trained counsellors at Shan You also uses other Mind-Body therapies such as breathing techniques, guided imagery, autogenic training, etc, to complement the therapy in a way that is best suited to the client’s unique needs and preferences, hence helping the client to achieve his or her goals for counselling. Make an appointment today for a one-time free consultation by calling 67419293 or visit us at Blk 5 Upper Boon Keng Road #02-15 Singapore 380005 (opp Kallang MRT).
Join our upcoming EFT Level I workshop where you can develop your skills in using EFT to get even better results! Date/Time: 20 & 27 July (Sunday) 2 – 5 pm. Investment of $60 per workshop (2 days) to get training in this powerful self-help healing modality that can potentially save you and your loved ones thousands in medical bills! Email shanyou@shanyou.org.sg for enquiries and registration. Limited seats, book yours now!
About the Writer
 | Lena Chen is a counsellor at Shan You Counselling Centre in Singapore who is experienced in using EFT to facilitate her clients’ healing, through the clearing of unnecessary blockages that result in stress and the lack of fulfillment, as well as empowering them to live their lives with a true sense of joy and purpose. She has worked with clients on issues such as fear of public speaking, low self-esteem, insomnia, depression, anxiety and many others. She believes that all problems can be resolved once we come to a genuine state of self-acceptance. In her experience, EFT is one of the most powerful tools in helping one to reach this state, and it’s something that can be used by everyone. |