EFT stands for “Emotional Freedom Techniques” and was developed by the Stanford engineer Gary Craig. Its aim is to dissolve blockages in the body’s energy system by tapping on acupuncture points. Even though this method may seem a bit strange in the beginning, it is very effective for treating negative feelings such as fears, sadness, guilt, disgust, etc. and is particularly impressive in its ability to make permanent changes instantly. I have personally witnessed extreme and persistant phobias that were successfully treated in less than an hour. Of course, this can never be guaranteed, however if the therapist gets to the key points or origins of the problem (for which hypnosis is very helpful), very often the change and improvement of the problem is experienced quite quickly.
The effectiveness of EFT has been examined in many studies . In 2012, David Feinstein published an article called “ACUPOINT STIMULATION IN TREATING PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS: EVIDENCE OF EFFICACY” in the journal “Review of General Psychology” of the American Psychological Association. In this article, which is considered to be a milestone towards academic recognition of EFT, Feinstein writes:
“A literature search identified 51 peer-reviewed papers that report or investigate clinical outcomes following the tapping of acupuncture points to address psychological issues. The 18 randomized controlled trials in this sample were critically evaluated for design quality, leading to the conclusion that they consistently demonstrated strong effect sizes and other positive statistical results that far exceed chance after relatively few treatment sessions. Criteria for evidence-based treatments proposed by Division 12 of the American Psychological Association were also applied and found to be met for a number of conditions, including PTSD. “