Eight ways to overcome barriers to success with EFT

By Karin Witzig

The intention of this tip-sheet is to 1) acknowledge the often unspoken barriers to continue using EFT as a tool to move past personal and professional blocks.  And 2) provide focus, direction and re-inspiration when an EFT user most needs it … in the beginning.

When I first started using EFT in 2004, I immediately brought this tool into my health counseling practice and noticed a big difference between the clients that were willing to work with EFT and those who weren't.

The clients who worked with EFT in their sessions moved forward much more quickly and seemed to “forget” the health and nutrition issues they originally hired me for.  (The latter being the most fun for me to notice.)

Over the years I’ve noticed some common barriers, both in myself and with my clients, to putting this powerful tool into regular practice.

1. I feel goofy when I tap.

Solution: Use EFT to address this feeling.

Here’s the deal: You’ll get over it.  Once you start using this tool and experience the benefits, you’ll feel pretty cool knowing how to tap.  When I look back to how goofy I used to feel when I first began using EFT, secretly tapping when I knew no one to be around, and now I’ve got a video demonstrating the technique on YouTube.com for the entire world to see – that makes me realize this stuff works and that I’ve come a long way.

And of course, you can always use EFT on this very issue.  Here’s an example:

Karate Point Set Up Phrase: REPEAT THREE TIMES. Even though I feel goofy using EFT and tapping on my body…  (followed by one of the phrases below of your choice)

- I love and accept myself anyway

- I choose to love and accept myself anyway

- I deeply and completely love and accept myself

Top of Head: I feel like a dork

Eyebrow: I really feel goofy doing this

Side of Eye: People are gonna think I’m nuts

Under Eye: Maybe I am nuts?!?!

Under Nose: No I’m not

Chin: Oh yes you are!  Look at you go!

Collarbone: I feel so goofy

Under Arm: I can’t believe I’m doing this

Top of Head: It seems to make me feel better though

Eyebrow: I don’t mind doing EFT in private

Side of Eye: I’m okay

Under Eye: It’s okay to try new things

Under Nose: I can trust myself

Chin: I love trusting myself

Under Arm: This is kinda fun!

Take a deep breath, exhale and if you desire, continue tapping on this topic if you still have some intensity.  How I do this is by paying attention to the first thought or feeling that pops up after a round of tapping on the negative and positive aspects of the issue.  And if there is still some intensity, I continue to do a few more rounds on that related thought or feeling.

2. I don’t really know what to say when I tap.

Solution: Follow Gary Craig’s model for repeating a summary phrase of the issue you’re working with, through the Basic Recipe tapping points.  This will help you gain comfort and confidence in the EFT movements and phrases.

I personally use a technique I learned from Dr. Carol Look of mixing up what I say at each tapping point, just because it’s fun and keeps me (and my client) engaged.  And of course, I use my intuition and experience on the issue at hand to phrase the tapping points.

In the beginning, I became comfortable in this style of tapping by simply allowing myself to talk about the issue I was working on.  (Commonly called “Tell the Story Technique in EFT)  I noticed I was able to access the emotion at hand and therefore, release the pattern of stress and resistance.

Having said this, when I first started with EFT (when I had little confidence in making sure I was just doing it right) I stuck to Gary Craig’s sure-fire model that anyone can do.  Here’s an example of this:

Karate Set Up Phrase: Even though I feel like I don’t really know what I’m doing with EFT…

Head: I don’t know what I’m doing

Eyebrow: I don’t know what I’m doing

Side of Eye: I don’t know what I’m doing

And so on, repeating the same phrase, through all the tapping points.

Positive Reframing Round:

Head: I could be gentle with myself while learning new things

Repeat this phrase through all the Basic Recipe tapping points.

3. I can’t get the issue down to a zero.

Solution: Start using the emotional intensity measure to access the core issue.

At first, I didn’t measure my level of intensity on a scale of 0-10.  I changed my approach once I started using EFT with clients.  I wanted to be sure we had worked their issue to a zero out of 10, and needed something to keep them focused on the topic at hand (as our minds can drift from issue to issue).  After all, they were paying me!

I noticed that I was able to direct my clients to complete relief (a zero out of 10) by using this technique.  It’s very common for another issue to pop up and “interrupt” the issue we’re working with, as many issues are naturally connected.  It’s important to stay focused on what we’re working on to experience the complete benefits of EFT, as someone can jump from issue to issue without realizing it and therefore, never really experiencing complete relief.

How to do this: When my client reports on the level of emotional intensity regarding what we’re working on, I simply ask them what feelings, thoughts or sensations makes it that number on the intensity level.  Their reply gives me spot-on access as to what to tap on next.

This is particularly helpful when you get to the lower end of the emotional intensity scale as clients are usually thrilled to be, for example, at a number three down from an eight.  However, you’ve got to keep going to completely release the issue.

4. I tend to forget to use EFT.  It’s on and off for me.

Solution: Set up systems of support to become consistent in your efforts.

Having support when you’re learning something new can be the key to success.  It’s easy to feel alone in the process, especially with something as cutting-edge as EFT.  Partner up with a friend who’s willing to learn the basics, or an EFT workshop attendant you bonded with at an event and create a system of support to keep at it.

Check in with each other once a week to share your breakthroughs or exchange EFT guidance sessions by practicing on each other.  (Role-playing client and practitioner)  This could be a ten-minute call first thing in the morning or a 30-minute evening chat.  Whatever works for you is fine, but the bottom line is, you’ve got to have a system of support.  Do what it takes to create this for your self.

5. I feel alone in the process.

Solution: Read the emofree.com newsletter case studies more regularly.

One of my favorite ways of increasing my EFT confidence and skills is by reading Gary Craig’s weekly EFT Support Newsletter.  I read the case studies, tips and endless success stories and I always learn new tapping language and practical suggestions for busting through unwanted patterns.

Sometimes I only have time to read the articles that relate specifically to my life, but mostly, I read them all as I believe I can learn something from each contributor.  From total newbies to EFT Masters, the resources are profoundly helpful.  And it’s FREE!  Find a way to make this a habit and you’ll learn so much.

By connecting with contributors’ work and reading along with other people’s successes, you’ll never feel alone in your EFT progress.  Rather, you’ll feel a part of something BIG.

6. Sometimes I’m not sure if it’s working for me.

Solution: Embrace your inner drama queen.

A common block to EFT success is to casually report on thoughts and feelings during the tapping sequence versus fully feeling.

It’s natural to not want to “go there.”  After all, you’re usually tapping on unwanted “stuff.”  I found a great way to deal with this is to request from my clients, during EFT sessions, to try to match my voice tone while we tap.  I give them full permission to embrace their inner drama queen and let themselves speak dramatically.  (They usually laugh when I say this.)

This helps them “feel into” what’s challenging them about the issue we’re tapping on and soon enough, they find it freeing to speak in this way, especially since what we’re tapping on what usually feels “ugly or forbidden.”  This in itself is very healing.

The more you allow yourself to speak freely during your EFT sessions, the more likely you’ll access what’s at the core of the issue you’re tapping on.

7. I don’t have enough time to use EFT consistently.

One Solution: Five minutes is better than no minutes.

Whenever I want to create change, I try to do five minutes of adding more of what I want in life, rather than taking something out that I don’t want.  What naturally happens is my body naturally starts to crave more of what feels good.

Whether I’m assisting a client to exercise more often, eat more veggies or use EFT regularly, I always start with five minutes.  As you can imagine, it’s an easy “yes.”  (And if you don’t have five minutes, well then, you are not giving yourself anything to work with.)

Creating healthy changes has often been associated with a diet and deprivation mentality.  Few of us have the experience of letting ourselves evolve in an easy, natural and organic manner.  It doesn’t have to be all or nothing.  Start where you are and remember, five minutes is better than no minutes.

Trust that you will naturally progress to doing more EFT just by letting it happen slowly, over time and starting with just five minutes.

Another Solution: Tapping in the car

One of my favorite ways to get some EFT in my life is by tapping in the car.  Now, provided you’re familiar with your route (and it’s not a windy road) it’s a perfect place to practice.  I use the steering wheel to tap on the karate chop point of one hand for the set up phrase.  There’s nowhere else to go and nothing else to do but stare at the road, so why not tap?  I’ve gotten some of my best insights this way.  (This is especially good for busy moms who are parked and waiting for their kids’ after school events.)

8. I know I should do EFT on what’s bothering me, but I feel resistant to using this technique for some reason.

Solution: Tap on your resistance to tapping,

So what do you do when you know you should tap on an issue, but you feel stuck and don’t really want to?  Bypass this resistance and start tapping on your fear of change, or the feeling of it being safe for you to change.  Here’s an example:

Karate Point Set Up Phrase: Even though I don’t really want to tap right now… 

Top of Head: I feel stuck

Eyebrow: I don’t want to deal with this right now

Side of Eye: Maybe I’m afraid to let this go

Under Eye: Maybe I don’t really want to move on

Under Nose: Oh yes I do!

Chin: No I don’t!

Collarbone: I’m really stuck!

Under arm: I don’t want to do this

Top of Head: I want to feel better

Eyebrow: It could be nice if this were no longer an issue for me

Side of Eye: I could let a little bit go

Under Eye: It’s safe to let this go now

Under Nose: I’m safe

Chin: It’s safe to change now

Collarbone: I know how to protect myself and I do it

Under arm: I’m an adult and I’m safe now

I hope this has been helpful!

Author Contact Information:

Karin Witzig