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Official EFT Tutorial

PART I For Everyone: The EFT Tapping Basics

Strategies for Getting Started: Pain, Personal Peace, Physical Disease and More

Explore These Common Uses of EFT Tapping Basic Recipe

EFT Tapping Explore image
Exploring common uses of
The EFT Tapping Basic Recipe

If you came to this website looking for a fast, easy solution for an issue that nothing else has been able to resolve, you are not alone. EFT Tapping is often represented as a miraculous quick fix because sometimes it is. The rest of the time, however, we need to explore emotional issues and use a variety of approaches before we see lasting results. If that seems like more of a commitment than you anticipated and you just want to see how far you can get with the basics, here are a few helpful strategies.

EFT Tapping For Pain or Symptom Relief:

The EFT Tapping Basic Recipe can be used for the relief of pain or symptoms, resulting from any kind of injury or diagnosed condition. Start by putting the symptom itself in the Setup and Reminder Phrases and tap through a round or two of the Basic Recipe, measuring the level of discomfort before and after each round, like this: 
“Even though I have this pain in my knee, I deeply and completely accept myself.”

If you find some relief, feel free to keep using it whenever you like.

You can also read the article on Being Specific to see how describing the pain or discomfort more precisely can bring better relief.

This strategy can be used as often as you need, but is probably best seen as temporary relief for pain or discomfort. Although you may be able to get the intensity of the symptom down to zero on occasion, we would not expect a zero every time.  Also, we would not expect long term results with this approach, although that does occur from time to time. If the symptom keeps returning and you would like to consider exploring emotional issues, the Tutorial will be here when you are ready. 

Always consult physicians on medical issues.

EFT Tapping For Behavior and Performance Issues:

Similar to physical pain, any unwanted behavior or limit on your personal performance can be seen as a symptom of unresolved emotional issues. Targeting the limit itself with The EFT Tapping Basic Recipe, or the thing you can’t yet do, would be the same kind of target as a physical symptom.

  • “Even though I’m lousy at free throws, I deeply and completely accept myself.”
  • “Even though I’m afraid to go to the dentist, I deeply and completely accept myself.”
  • “Even though my monthly sales totals are stuck at $100K, I deeply and completely accept myself.”
  • “Even though I criticize my spouse when he/she is late, I deeply and completely accept myself.”

We recommend trying EFT with that first, and if you get the results you want without further exploration, then don’t bother going any deeper. You can use this tapping approach whenever it suits you.

If you can put yourself in the actual situation that causes the intensity and tap when you feel it, the process can be more effective. Otherwise, imagine yourself in the situation so you can generate the intensity, then use The EFT Tapping Basic Recipe to bring the intensity down. You may notice that the next time you are actually in that situation, your intensity is lower than usual.

As with physical symptoms, we would not expect the intensity to come down to zero every time, nor would we expect permanent results with this approach. However, if it helps you move forward and feel more comfortable, use it as often as you like.

If you find that this surface approach is not producing the kind of results you want, then finding and targeting the emotional issues in the background would be the next step. Determining the emotional issues that could be affecting your performance or behavior may be as easy as considering what was happening in your life when the problem started. You might hear an echo of something your mother or father used to say, or you might remember being rejected, ridiculed, or neglected in some earlier situation. If you don’t have something obvious to get you started, then The EFT Personal Peace Procedure will be a very helpful tool. Study the Tutorial through the end of Part 2 and you will have plenty of targets from which to choose.

EFT Tapping For Fears:

Heights, insects, public speaking, flying, crowds, and enclosed spaces are all common fears to address. Start by imagining what you are afraid of, measure the intensity, and use the The EFT Tapping Basic Recipe for some kind of relief. Examples:

  • “Even though that spider freaks me out, I deeply and completely accept myself.”
  • “Even though I’m afraid to be on the roof, I deeply and completely accept myself.”

Tapping Fear image

Then try putting yourself in the actual situation … go find a spider, climb a ladder, stand in front of a crowd and say something … and see if you still have intensity. If so, then tap before you go any further.

You can read the chapters on Finding Aspects within the EFT Tapping Process and Intro to Being Specific With EFT Tapping -- The Triad to help you identify anything more specific to target about your fear like the spider’s hairy legs or that critical person in the front row, and that can help you make more progress. If the fear keeps coming back, consider looking for deeper emotional contributors.

People tend to use the word “phobia” loosely, but if you have been diagnosed with a phobia or your fear is not just situational, then professional help might be in order for your EFT process.

EFT Tapping For Cravings:

Whether it’s chocolate, sugar, alcohol, cigarettes, potato chips, shopping or any other compulsive habit, you can start by using the The EFT Tapping Basic Recipe when you feel the urge.

  • “Even though I really want that chocolate, I deeply and completely accept myself.”
  • “Even though I can’t resist that glass of wine, I deeply and completely accept myself.”

If that disarms your cravings, then keep trying it whenever the cravings come up as repeated uses of The EFT Tapping Basic Recipe may weaken them still further. Keep in mind that craving is a lighter form of addiction, and once someone is addicted to alcohol, cigarettes, or any other substance or behavior, there are bound to be some deeper issues to address.

If you can’t make progress on your habit, you can learn about emotional issues and try the The EFT Tapping Personal Peace Procedure to unravel those underlying issues. You can also consider Borrowing Benefits (Easy EFT) - Tapping Along With Live Sessions, or  professional EFT help.

EFT Tappping For Teachers/Parents/Children:

Teachers or parents who are dealing with occasional behavior issues or just trying to help a child regain focus can use The EFT Tapping Basic Recipe on whatever the problem is.

  • “Even though I was teased at recess and I’m still upset, I’m still a really great kid.”
  • “Even though I’m all wound up about something, I’m still a really great kid.”
  • “Even though I’m nervous about reading out loud, I’m still a really great kid.”

You will want to adjust the language a bit to be sure it represents the problem from their point of view, but from there most kids respond well to energy work.

At home, parents can tap the points while their child tells their stories about what may have been difficult for them that day. Helping a child process events as they happen without storing the disruptions is the best gift we can give them.  See Evening EFT for Children.

For diagnosed issues like Dyslexia, ADD, Aspergers, Autism, or any kind of ongoing trauma at home, you will want to turn them over to someone with professional training. We would hope that someday each school or district has a nurse or counselor trained in EFT or knows of a local provider that can help.

Tapping Disease image
EFT Tapping for Physical Diseases

EFT Tapping For Physical Disease:

Use the same strategy as you would for pain or symptoms above as the discomfort presents itself. However, any chronic or diagnosed condition is likely to involve some work on emotional contributors, and there may be physical causes that Tapping can’t resolve. Our theory is that carrying decades of unresolved issues or stress around can make our bodies more vulnerable to disease, so we always recommend clearing as much of that out as possible. The EFT Personal Peace Procedure and Borrowing Benefits (Easy EFT) - Tapping Along With Live Sessions are our best self-help tools, but you can also consider professional EFT help.

EFT Tapping For War Veterans/PTSD:

PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) is the result of one or more traumatic events. Thus, in many cases, we can get directly to the disruptions by aiming The EFT Tapping Basic Recipe directly at the event(s).  For Veterans, those events are usually obvious but highly traumatic. If you have memories that are extremely painful, but you feel like you could tap your way through one at a time without causing yourself additional distress, then The EFT Tell the Story Technique - The Workhorse Tapping Method is the tool we recommend. Study the Tutorial through Part 2 and then give it a try.

Either way, we do recommend using EFT with the guidance of a qualified professional just to be sure you have support if you need it.

We recognize the urge to help Veterans as they come home from war, but do not see PTSD as something a neighbor or layperson should attempt to resolve. Please refer the Vet or his/her family to our website where they can find trained professionals if necessary.

Other PTSD cases may involve a longer history of smaller traumas, and those can be more difficult to navigate. Try the The EFT Personal Peace Procedure and/or Borrowing Benefits (Easy EFT) - Tapping Along With Live Sessions.  If you need help sorting through the past, that’s what the professionals are trained for.

EFT Tapping For Emotional Issues:

Almost everyone these days has a current issue to address that has an obvious emotional foundation. Anger management, relationship issues, workplace stress, social anxiety, and low self-esteem are just a few examples. Although these labels seem specific, they are actually quite global in EFT terms. The best way to produce results, using just The EFT Tapping Basic Recipe, is to address the feelings that are related to the issue.

For example, in a relationship issue, think about something the other person does that causes you intensity and then tap on that.

“Even though my spouse is late and I feel overlooked, I deeply and completely accept myself.”

For anger management, think about the situations in which you become unreasonably angry and tap on that.

“Even though I hate it when people cut me off, I deeply and completely accept myself.”

Social anxiety, workplace stress, or anything else will also generate emotional intensity in certain situations, and you can address these feelings with The EFT Tapping Basic Recipe as they come up in your everyday life, just as you would with physical symptoms or unwanted behaviors.

The examples above are based on a version of Being Specific With EFT Tapping that you will learn by continuing through the Tutorial. If you already have an emotionally based issue to address, then the material in the Tutorial should apply directly to your process. By the time you get to Tapping on Specific Events - An Essential Concept Within the EFT Process, The EFT Tell the Story Technique - The Workhorse Tapping Method, and The EFT Personal Peace Procedure, you will be able to navigate through this issue and any others that come up.

Tapping Personal Peace image
EFT Tapping for Personal Peace

EFT Tapping For Personal Peace:

The ultimate goal here is Emotional Freedom. We all want quick results for the irritating discomforts in our lives, but as with anything, the “quick-fixes” are rarely a permanent solution. With this Tutorial we promote the kind of overall personal peace that comes from resolving the issues from the past and working through any new ones without accumulating new energy disruptions. No matter what kind of issue has brought you here, we urge you to consider EFT as a longer term program for emotional health and use The EFT Personal Peace Procedure on a regular basis.

Common Sense:

No matter what you have heard about EFT and how quickly it can resolve issues, real results will always be easier and faster with simpler cases. If you have been diagnosed with a medical or mental health condition then, chances are, your case is not among the easy ones. A LOT of progress can be made over the long term with professional help, and EFT may indeed provide results where nothing else would, but expecting a quick fix on a chronic or diagnosed condition is probably not reasonable.

CAUTION:

If your physical pain is chronic, you have a diagnosed medical condition, or you are aware of a longer history of trauma or stress that may have led to your symptoms, then the EFT process is likely to be more involved, and may cause you to feel worse before you feel better. This is because EFT is often much more powerful than it may seem on the surface. Learn as much as you can from this Tutorial about addressing your emotional issues. But if you don’t get the results you want or if tapping starts to cause you any kind of additional distress, consider hiring help from an EFT professional. 

Note to Health Professionals:

Professionals in the healing or self-improvement fields are welcome to try any of these approaches with clients as long as they are consistent with your existing work. Not everyone is in a position to sit with a client and go through the details of an event from the past, but using just the Basic Recipe on emotions, behaviors, or symptoms of any kind can be a helpful alternative.

Keep in mind that continued use of EFT can open up deeper layers of an issue, so if your client experiences any additional distress or discomfort from the tapping process, then please refer to someone with professional training in EFT or obtain that training yourself.

REVIEW:

In this article, you have learned some helpful strategies for getting started with the EFT basics.

  • The EFT Tapping Basic Recipe can be used on a variety of common issues.
  • Start by directing the tapping process at the complaint you have and see if that works. If not, keep learning and dig deeper.
  • If you have a diagnosed condition or a history of trauma, the EFT process may be more involved, and these tips are not likely to provide lasting relief.  You will probably need more advanced uses of EFT.
  • A properly trained EFT Professional can be a valuable asset in your healing process, no matter what the issue.

 

 

© Gary and Tina Craig
All Rights Reserved

Please note: This Tutorial, while useful, was replaced in 2014 by my newest advancement, Optimal EFT. More efficient. More powerful. Full explanation given in my free, easy-to-read e-book, The Unseen Therapist