FAQs
EFT helps conquer unwanted feelings such as anger, fear, stress, self-doubt, worry, grief, sadness, overwhelm, feelings of panic, performance anxiety, physical pain, fear of public speaking and much, much more.
A: What are the advantages of using Emotional Freedom Technique?
* Easy to learn
* Can be used anytime
* Engages both the subconscious mind and the physical energy system to bring about a holistic solution
* Helps to explicitly identify and deal with blocks or resistance to healing. For example, if someone is experiencing overwhelming stress and at the same time is holding a subconscious belief such as ‘I work better under pressure’, then the belief could undermine the effectiveness of the technique. EFT can help to identify and unplug conflicting beliefs as part of the process.
Q: How do I form my setup statement correctly?
A: To form your setup statement you simply need to identify what is bothering you and describe it to yourself in a way that is meaningful to you. Get specific about details and include how you are affected by the problem. In other words, give your issue a voice. Don’t worry about how it sounds or if you are doing it right, just state the problem to yourself as it is in the here and now while tapping the Karate Chop point. You may say the same statement 3 times or mix it up a bit as the example below shows.
NOTE: This statement should be negative because EFT works on the negative.
Here is an example for physical pain:
“Even though I have this sharp pain in my right shoulder when I bend my elbow and try to lift it, and it keeps me from holding my grandson, I deeply and completely accept myself anyway.”
“Even though I have to ask for help when I want to work in my garden, I deeply and completely accept myself anyway.”
“Even though it’s hard for me to drive this way, and I’m angry because I feel so limited by my shoulder, I deeply and completely accept myself anyway.”
Q: Can you help me decide what issue I should start with?
A: If you are unsure of where to start or what to tap about it may be because you are overwhelmed with some area of your life- work, family, financial issues or other obligations. In this case you can take the edge off by starting with some general statements like this:
“Even though I’m overwhelmed with my life, (my job, my kids, my money troubles), I deeply and completely accept myself.”
“Even though my life feels out of control, I deeply and completely accept myself.”
“Even though I feel like such a failure, but I deeply and completely accept myself.”
Try to describe to yourself what isn’t working in your life.
“Even though I’m the most qualified person at work for the upcoming promotion, I still don’t think I’ll get it, but I still deeply and completely accept myself.”
“Even though I work really hard so my kids will have nice things, I still feel guilty sometimes for not being home when they get out of school, but I deeply and completely accept myself.”
“Even though every time it seems like I might get ahead a little bit, something goes wrong, the car breaks down, my son needs braces, the water heater goes out, but I still deeply and completely accept myself.”
Q: What if I can’t figure out my intensity level?
A: By rating how intense you feel before, during and after a tapping round you will be able to measure your progress. If it seems difficult to choose a number it may be because you are trying too hard to get it right. Please don’t worry yourself about choosing the correct number (there’s no such thing). Go with your instinct and trust your gut. Often, it’s the first number that comes to mind.
Q: Why is the Setup Statement always negative?
A: Because EFT works on the negative! Positive statements or affirmations are great for conditioning the conscious mind, but EFT works on the negative thoughts and beliefs that keep us from acting in harmony with our desires and goals.
For example, someone who wants to lose weight repeats the affirmation, “I’m thin, energetic and I feel great!” This kind of statement is very encouraging to the conscious mind. But then comes the subconscious tail-ender. It is the whispering from your soul saying, “Don’t be ridiculous. No one in our family has ever been thin. You can’t change your genetics.”
Tail-enders are a dead give away for what we really believe deep down. Now that you have the underlying belief identified (No one in our family has ever been thin) you can point your EFT statements directly at it:
“Even though no one in my family has ever been thin, I deeply and completely accept myself.”
“Even though I know being fat is part of my genetics, I deeply and completely accept myself.”
“Even though I don’t believe I can get thin, I deeply and completely accept myself.”
EFT gives your negative subconscious belief a loud and clear voice, allowing it to be acknowledged and released. At the same time it combines an empowering positive affirmation, “I deeply and completely accept myself.”
Q: Do the positive results last?
A: Generally speaking, yes. Once an energy flow pattern has been shifted it is usually permanent. However, there are occasions when it appears that an issue has returned to its former state. Upon closer examination though, you will nearly always find that whatever is showing up is a different aspect of the issue.
Q: Can EFT eliminate too much fear?
A: EFT can only release unreasoning fears and panicky feelings. For example, reasonable fear would keep you from getting too close to edge of a cliff in order to avoid falling off. EFT cannot take away your sensible reasoning abilities. Rather, it releases the kind of fear that clouds your judgment and thinking ability. In short, EFT removes fear that is not useful to you.
Q: Do I have to believe EFT works to get results?
A: No. It’s quite understandable for you to be skeptical about EFT at first. After all, it looks very strange to see someone tapping on themselves and saying “Even though I have this problem, I accept myself anyway.” However, if you are willing to suspend your disbelief and try it with an open mind, you will be pleasantly surprised.