Large effectiveness: 0.93
What are Emotional Freedom Techniques?
- Focus on the negative emotions you’re having. Tap on a set of 10 acupuncture
points, 14 meridians. Tapping will release the disturbance in these meridians. Some acupuncture points overlap
2. First tapping point (use 2 fingers): top of head, beginning of the eyebrow, corner of the eye boney socket, below the eye on the bone below the pupil, under the nose, chin middle, collar bone V shape on the corner, under the arm with all 4 fingers, wrist band with flat fist, karate chop center on side of hand
3. First step: come up with a phrase that describes the emotional experience you’re having. Problem phrase. Short and descriptive
Example. I’m afraid of taking the test tomorrow.
4. Measure on a scale of 0-10 how strong the emotion is. “8 out of 10.”
5. Start tapping process. “Even though I’m really scared about the test tomorrow, I deeply and profoundly love and accept myself.” (Setup affirmation) Emphasize the second half. Say it 3 times.
6. Repeat reminder phrase while tapping on the 10 points. Focus on negative experience. “Scared about the test tomorrow…”4-5 taps is enough. Then again.
7. Take a deep breath. Reassess how intense the emotion is on a scale of 0-10.
8. After this, “even though I still have some fear about taking the test tomorrow, I deeply and profoundly love and accept myself.” Tap through the points, “remaining fear about taking the test tomorrow…” x3
9. Then do it again until it’s 0. When you feel calm about taking the test tomorrow.
Evidence:
0.74 moderate effect: reduced anxiety in adolescents (Gaesser, & Karan, 2017)
0.90 large effect: reduced anxiety and pain in patients with limited range of motion (Church, & Nelms, 2016)
1.10 large effect: reduced depression in patients with limited range of motion (Church, & Nelms, 2016)
1.23 large effect: reduced anxiety (Clond, 2016)
0.66 moderate effect: produced a moderate effect overall (Gilomen, & Lee, 2015)
Church, D., & Nelms, J. (2016). Pain, range of motion, and psychological symptoms in a population with frozen shoulder: A randomized controlled dismantling study of clinical EFT (emotional freedom techniques). Archives Of Scientific Psychology, 4(1), 38-48. doi:10.1037/arc0000028
Clond, M. (2016). Emotional freedom techniques for anxiety: A systematic review with meta-analysis. Journal Of Nervous And Mental Disease, 204(5), 388-395. doi:10.1097/NMD.0000000000000483
Gaesser, A. H., & Karan, O. C. (2017). A randomized controlled comparison of emotional freedom technique and cognitive-behavioral therapy to reduce adolescent anxiety: A pilot study. The Journal Of Alternative And Complementary Medicine, 23(2), 102-108. doi:10.1089/acm.2015.0316
Gilomen, S. A., & Lee, C. W. (2015). The efficacy of acupoint stimulation in the treatment of psychological distress: A meta-analysis. Journal Of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 48140-148. doi:10.1016/j.jbtep.2015.03.012
How To Therapy 