Emotional Freedom Techniques and How They Affect Relationships

Ongoing research of Emotional Freedom Techniques and the benefits of tapping on the acupuncture points to improve relationships have generated some research over the last 50 years. Based on my research, I have found that there is no relationship that has not contained some controversy in the form of arguments or problems.

Emotional Freedom Techniques advanced psychological therapy in solving difficulties in some relationships. How can Emotional Freedom Techniques benefit the relationships? By using Emotional Freedom Techniques, one could possibly re-arrange the energy cycle in the human body. Current negative emotions could be caused by a past experience that has been suppressed for a period of time. Rather than focusing on identifying these pains and talking them out as traditional therapy would do, tapping is used instead.

This negative energy could be resolved by using Emotional Freedom Techniques. Also, Emotional Freedom techniques could decrease the likelihood of emotions from one's past triggered by anything from color, sound, a place, even different smells from different sources such as laundry detergent, shampoo and any other chemical based substance. If the brain recognizes similarities between a distressing signal in the past and a current one, the brain signals distress whether you are in distress or not. This means that any trigger can work to further distress your emotional health, and tapping can help. It may be that the tone of voice of a spouse reminds one of getting reprimanded by his father as a child. Thus, continues the cycle of negative energy. This kind of energy psychology involves stimulating specific points on the skin that send electrochemical signals to the brain.

In 1960's, Dr. George Goodheart - an American chiropractor - made an observation that a weak muscle could be treated and the strength of that muscle immediately improved. From this simple observation, began a lifelong search for other treatment methods that could improve muscle strength. Along the way, he discovered factors that could negatively affect the strength and functioning of muscles. In the beginning, he named this area of investigation and discovery Applied Kinesiology. He chose to use the term kinesiology, as this implies the study of motion, movement and muscle function. He also incorporated acupuncture principles. In 1970's, John Thie studied with Goodheart and developed Touch for Health (TFH) that was published by John Thie in which a simplified version of Applied Kinesiology was organized into a manual so that lay people could learn, use the techniques, and pass on the techniques to others sharing this gift of healing.

In 1980's, An Australian psychiatrist, John Diamond, then began to apply kinesiology to psychological problems. One of his students, a clinical psychologist called Roger Callahan, adapted this approach, devising sequences of acupressure tapping for particular psychological problems. He called this 'thought field therapy'. They separately developed field of energy psychology. In 1990's Gary Craig simplified Callahan techniques to create Emotional Freedom Techniques. Emotional Freedom Techniques is an emotional version of acupuncture without needles and established energy meridian points on the body by tapping on them with fingertips. Now there are many other experts and practitioners of EFT. The full recipe of Emotional Freedom Techniques contains several easy steps for a basic level of treatment that works in most cases. Also, there are more advanced steps for deeper negative emotions that need to be resolved.

First, the person needs to choose the problem and rate the distress. Instead of focusing on a vague problem such as anger, the person must focus on a specific incident that presents the problem. While thinking about the problem, the person would then rate the distress on a scale from zero to ten being the maximum. Then, the practitioner must start tapping on the side of the hand and saying, "Even though I have this (specify the problem), I deeply and completely accept myself." From there, the person would tap on all the points by following the tapping sequence and remind himself of the problem at each point by saying "this (specific problem)." Re-rate the distress and mark the graph.

The person would continue repetition of this sequence until his distress level goes down to zero. Sometimes changing the location or the "mantra" used or even the smell will help to solve some problems while the tapping is being performed. Using this technique is very effective in majority of cases to resolve the negative emotions that's been hold inside of the body out of relationship problem or argument. Many of relationships problems came from a deep problem inside the human body that triggered by a current incident.

To arrange my chosen sources in a logical manner, I have organized them according to the history of Emotional Freedom Techniques and the real cases that used these techniques to resolve problems. While Emotional Freedom Techniques started in the 1990's and it is still an ongoing research, I included real cases stories that happened and has been treated by using EFT Techniques. I have arranged my sources as follows:

I. General Bibliography and History - This section provides an introduction and details on where Emotional Freedom Techniques did come from. The actual techniques of tapping are also explored.

A. History-Some of these references contain the history of EFT and the evolution of

how it came to be what it is.

1. Birth of EFT

2. History of EFT

B. Technique-Other references cite the technique in order for laypeople to begin to

use EFT to improve their lives.

II. The Research on Tapping-While the field does not have much in the way of proven research, there is at least one preliminary study that does look promising.

A. Preliminary Report on Large Scale Study of Energy Psychology. This study was

so definitively positive that the results were published early. The benefits of using

EFT to solve all kinds of issues is clearly documented.

B. Long-term Effects of EFT

C. Assessment of EFT for Fear and Anxiety

III. Case Studies-These research sites contain actual case studies of people who have benefited from tapping.

A. Abha

B. Jeddah

C. Various case studies from a documentary

IV. Putting It All Together with EFT-There are several books published on the subject that offer everything from the very basics to very detailed techniques. These sites will provide more detail for people who really want to learn about EFT and how to do it.

A. Tap Into Joy

B. Attracting Abundance

C. The Promise of Energy Psychology

D. Freedom at Your Fingertips

E. The Tapping Cure

General Bibliography and History

Carrington, Patricia, Doctor. History of EFT. http://www.masteringeft.com/History_of_EFT.htm

This source discusses the history of EFT thoroughly and its connections with acupuncture. Carrington discussed the technique of Dr. George Goodheart, a chiropractor who was among the first to try the techniques. Then, John Diamond took over in the field of chiropractics, leading off the research of Goodheart. Then, in the 1980's Dr. Callahan took over and perfected the idea of tapping to solve all kinds of physical and emotional difficulties. Then, Gary Craig came in with Energy Theories and then Dr. Carrington developed the EFT Choices Method, which expanded the work of Dr. Craig. EFT is still in its infancy, and more variations are yet to come.

Emotional Freedom Techniques. The Birth of EFT. http://www.eft-help.com/intro/EFThistory.htm

This web site also details the history of EFT. However, this article begins with the work of Gary Craig and Roger Callahan. It tells the story of Callahan's patient named Mary, who is quite famous for being one of the first who was helped by the techniques of EFT. From the success with Mary, both Craig and Callahan began perfecting and expanding these techniques. The web site then discusses the evolution of EFT and the future of EFT, which includes becoming very popular internationally.

Craig, Gary. "From EFT to The Palace of Possibilities." EFT Foundation Library, fundamentals CD, page 23, 1995

This article discusses the EFT and how it is remarkably simple to apply. The one minute Basic Recipe with a Setup affirmation and reminder phrase that aims at the problem. Then, he explains, we must do as many rounds as necessary until the problem is gone. This easy process can be used with persistence to literally re-engineer your system. Practicing EFT will unload the fears, anger, grief, depression and other negative emotions that cause people to drive through life with their brakes on, and along the way it may give them relief from headaches, asthma, pain and a seemingly unending list of physical ailments. The possibilities for ETF use are essentially endless.

Craig, Gary "EFT Manual." PDF file on Foundational Library CD, page 41, 1995

In this article the author explains how EFT differs from a quick fix and if does last. Throughout history healing techniques of various kinds have usually been slow and inefficient until someone finds the true remedy for the ailment. When the true remedy is found, everything changes and the old methods become relics of the past. EFT hit it in the eye and performs as a true remedy should--quickly, easily, and permanently. If EFT used to solve only the skin level of the problem, then the problem might come back again. It is the case that EFT goes all the way to the root of the current problem and is used to resolve the negative issues. In other words, EFT will last because it digs deep to get to the true heart of the problem.

Hartman, Silvia. Overcoming Negative Emotions and Feelings In and About Relationships with ETF Emotional Freedom Techniques. http://starfields.org/Relationships/

This web site contains information about how to identify problems and use the techniques giving actual examples. Hartman then discusses what will happen when your body uses these techniques, such as the ability to think clearly again. The site discusses all of the options in which one might choose to use ETF, such as changing beliefs. Even if someone has conflicting emotions, ETF can be used. The site also contains a link to tapping by proxy. In other words, tapping for someone else like a small baby can also be effective. Hartman gives step-by-step instructions to do that. Although it sounds a little strange, it has been known to work.

McDowell, Pamela. The Emotional Freedom Technique. http://www.eftemotionalfreedomtechnique.com/

This web site discusses the techniques that were published by Steve Wells in Clinical Psychology in September of 2003. McDowell cites many examples of what EFT's are used for and what it is. There are diagrams of the human body that show various tapping points as well as particular points on the hand. These are particularly helpful for people just starting ETF so that they know exactly where to tap in order to achieve the desired results. McDowell then details the steps involved in using ETF techniques, including what to do if the feelings have not subsided after tapping techniques have been used. If issues have not been resolved, the first thing to do is another round of EFT, only used more intensively.

Tuttle, Carol. Freedom at Your Fingertips. http://fayf.com/what_is_eft.htm

While this web site is eventually a site devoted to the book Freedom at Your Fingertips by Carol Tuttle, it also contains a lot of useful information about EFT. It details exactly what EFT is and the evolutionary process of its development from Roger Callahan to Gary Craig. The site explains the Chinese concept of energy circuits and meridians and how these relate to the modern concept of EFT. EFT uses the ancient concept of meridians in order to clear blockages and improve spiritual, emotional, and physical health. While Western medicine has begun to pay attention to these things, much more needs to be done. It also contains the Foreword to the book by Dr. Joseph Mercola in which he explains the evolutionary process he went through in order to support the concepts of EFT and the importance of this book. The web site also contains dozens of testimonials from people who have tried EFT and been pleased by the results.

The Research on Tapping

Andrade, Joaquin, Dr. and Feinstein, David, Ph.D. Preliminary Report on the First Large-Scale Study of Energy Psychology. http://www.emofree.com/Research/andradepaper.htm

This paper reports that in a preliminary study of 29,000 people using a randomized, double blind study, the results were so remarkable that preliminary findings were presented with emphasis on preliminary. Sixty-three percent of the control group were improved as compared with ninety percent of the experimental group. Fifty-one percent of the control group were found to be free of symptoms as compared with seventy-six percent of the experimental group. At the one-year follow up, the experimental group was far less prone to relapses than the control group as well. Although the tracking was informal, the results prove promising, and that is why they were published early.

Rowe, Dr. Jack "Research study on the long term effects of EFT (Using Borrowing Benefits)." www.emofree.com , 2003

This research discusses how borrowing benefits involves tapping along while someone else is undergoing EFT. In his research Dr. Jack Rowe said that if you keep your own issue in the background while tapping for someone, one will likely resolve your issue even though you are tapping for someone else's problem. He said that one will be creating one's your own subconscious parallel to the issue and borrowing benefits from someone else. In another word, this will enable anyone from tapping on another person to resolve his problem without tapping on himself.

Waite, Wendy, and Holder, Mark. Assessment of the Emotional Freedom Technique. The Scientific Review of Mental Health Practice. Spring/Summer Volume 2. Number 1. http://www.srmhp.org/0201/emotional-freedom-technique.html

In this study, ETF was used for fear and anxiety. In a four-group design method, 119 university students participated in the study. One group received EFT methods; one group received only a placebo; one group received modeling treatment, and the other group was a control group. Baselines were self-reported at the beginning of the study. All groups, except the control group reported decreased fear and anxiety through self-reporting at the end of the study, but the group that received applied EFT treatment reported the largest decrease. This study differs from others in that it shows that treatment involving the tapping of meridians is not the only effective treatment. Other concepts of EFT are equally as effective.

Case Studies

Alabri, Homoud. "http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/eft_arab/." Case study on Abha, Saudi Arabia 2007

This case study is a real case that happened on Abha, Saudi Arabia on 2007. It does start with a lady who did contact EFT consultant group in Saudi Arabia and has a severe problem in her relationship with her husband. They fought on a daily basis. She did try everything to resolve the problem, and her family took her to get psychology therapy treatment, but nothing ever worked. Dr. Homoud Alabri consulted her himself and taught her how to use EFT in her problems and how to focus on the problem she and her husband are having. Then he started going back with her in her life to find out if there was any issue in her past that was triggering the current problem she was having. They found out about the fear that consumed her as a child from her father. He used to argue with her mother all the time and that caused the negative emotions inside her. They did tap on the problem for few hours, and her life changed after that. He had a recorded call with her few months after the treatment, and she said that her life never improved like this ever before and she is been tapping all the time and did teach her husband to tap in his issues too. EFT essentially solved her problem by helping to take her back to diagnose the real stem of her problems.

Alabri, Homoud. "http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/eft_arab/." Case study on Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 2007

This case study is a real case that happened on Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on 2007. This article does explain how to tap using Emotional Freedom Techniques and how they work, regardless if you believe on it or not. The case was for a difficult relationship between a mother and her 19-year-old son. The relationship problems were because of the age difference and the uneducated mother and her orders at home. Mr. Manhood met a friend who attends a seminar by Dr. Homoud Alabri explaining EFT level II. Mr. Mahmood didn't believe anything about EFT and he was thinking it was voodoo or some other work. He started using the Emotional Freedom Techniques the same night he heard about it. He tapped for hours. He posted his story three weeks later on the online group and listed all the success he achieved in his relationship with his mother after using EFT, even that he didn't believe on it. Even skeptics or downright nonbelievers will benefit from EFT.

Look, Carol. EFT Expert and Author "Try It On Everything." Documentary movie, 2006.

This movie contains a study for four days on a small group using Emotional Freedom Techniques. One of the interesting cases from the group is a 27-years-old man who was carrying all his negative emotions with him about his wife's death. This man was feeling that he is responsible of his wife's death. He used Emotional Freedom Tapping Techniques, and he went to the core of his problem. He talked about his life with her and all that she meant to him. He screamed and cried, trying to take all the negative emotions and the guilt off of his chest. By the end of the fourth day, Emotional Freedom Techniques did change his life and made him look at the bright sight of his life. He did not relapse and is better able to deal with emotional issues as they arise.

Putting It All Together with EFT

Busen, Susan Jeffrey, Tap Into Joy: A Guide to Emotional Freedom Techniques for Kids and Their Parents. iUniverse, Inc. February 14, 2007.

Ms. Busen who is certified in natural health wrote this book to help parents and their children thrive together as well as to help parents know how to change the limiting beliefs that their children hold. With energy therapy and EFT, a parent can help a child get rid of negative energy, conquer fears, release guilt, and more. Starting these techniques early in the life of a child will provide them with the tools to release emotional baggage all their lives. This book is set up so that parents can read the introduction, which includes instructions for using the book. Then, they can choose a topic from the Table of Contents and proceed to that chapter to follow further instructions. This book contains 61 of the most popular problems for toddlers through teenagers. Many of these topics are designed to help them build and maintain healthy relationships. Parents highly recommend this book as it builds the parent child relationship and enhances skills that children can use well into adulthood to help them become satisfied adults.

Look, Carol, Attracting Abundance with EFT. Authorhouse, July 28, 2005.

Carol Look, a leader in the field of ETF provides the reader with over 45 different techniques to release the blocks that hold us back using 4 simple techniques. First, we must clear energy blocks to success and abundance. Then we must increase our prosperity consciousness and activate the Law of Attraction. The law of attraction can be explained in the way that we are all magnets, and we are magnetized to draw certain qualities and people into our lives. We must learn to magnetize what we really want to achieve in life. Finally, we must claim our own abundance. For each step, many variations are provided as examples so that people can use them for their own specific situations. The book begins by explaining EFT is very succinct language. Carol Look also provides specific scripts to use as well as positive clearing scripts in order to end each of the individual scripts. These are important for the layperson in order to actually practice EFT. There are also many abundance games that are actually fun to play in order to attract people to the concept of EFT and to help them maximize the benefits received. The appendix contains suggestions for additional training, essential web sites, and recommended reading.

Eden, Donna, Feinstein, David, and Craig, Gary. The Promise of Energy Psychology. The Penguin Group. November 3, 2005.

This groundbreaking book by leaders in the field discusses the idea of personal change by using this new and somewhat revolutionary approach. There are chapters discussing the electric brain, the basic recipe for EFT, how to focus on both problems and potentials, and the energies and joys of the body. In Chapter 6, EFT is broken down into an even more manageable approach for the average person. The book is written in a way that everyone can understand, not necessarily a scholarly tone that one might expect from experts in the field. Pictures are included with every technique in order to help the average person really understand. The first part of the book is focused on technique while the second half of the book focuses on expanding the information including ways to balance and energize the body, boost the immune system, etc. This book actually documents the brain scan of a man who was treated with tapping over a 4-week period. The brain scan clearly shows that the disturbed brain-wave activity shown at the beginning of his treatment had become normal by the end of his treatment. This document goes a long way in appealing to all the skeptics because it is hard, scientific evidence showing the benefits of EFT.

Mercola, Joseph. Freedom at Your Fingertips: Get Rapid Physical and Emotional Relief with the Breakthrough System of Tapping. Inroads Publishing. April 26, 2006.

This book is like others in that it teaches the EFT method thoroughly. However, it is unlike other books in that it is set up as a reference guide in a Question and Answer approach. Readers can look up the question in the Contents and turn to the page where they can find the answer. The subject matter ranges from addictions to children and teens, fears and phobias, happiness, health, personal relationships, sexuality, and spiritual growth. Twenty EFT experts have written sections about how to overcome the most common problems, such as anxiety, relationships, personal development and many more. There are over 300 set up phrases and over 50 real life cases so that one can see that EFT really works. Some would call this a self-help toolkit all on its own.

Temes, Roberta. The Tapping Cure: A Revolutionary System for Rapid Relief from Phobias, Anxiety, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and More. De Capo Press. February 22, 2006.

This book teachers tapping as well. However, Temes tells many stories or anecdotes along the way in order to help the reader really see the benefits of EFT. For example, she tells the story of Jen, who has extreme phobias that harm her relationships with others. Jen telling her stories to therapists was nothing new, but according to Temes, knowledge of fears can only help so much. So, instead of rehashing the same stories again, Temes teaches her how to tap. Within five minutes, she was feeling markedly better. Temes admits that it seems strange to others that five minutes with almost no talking helps Jen the way nothing else has. However, she also gives a quote about breaking the norm in order to achieve progress. She also discusses in detail some ideas about why tapping works. Whether it is a matter of restoring energy or that our electrical energy gets all tied up and must be unknotted, tapping works. Temes gives a fantastic background into the whole idea of energy theory and although it is not practiced yet in traditional medicine, she gives examples like the TENS machines. Electrical impulses, for example, are delivered to jaws, in order to help with pain. She concludes that doctors do actually believe in some ideas involved in energy fields, even if they aren't aware of it. She also gives a thorough history of energy fields, even in ancient history. She discusses thoroughly the controversies that surround tapping. She gives step-by-step approaches to fine tuning the results of tapping. She ends with a very thorough list of practitioners and where they can be found in case someone is looking for a tapping expert. The appendix contains tapping spots, sentence endings and a quick fix chart for reference.

Synthesis

In order to summarize the results of all my research, EFT looks promising in many ways. Rather than delve into the causes and the "talk" cure as many modern psychologists will do, EFT involves simply learning the sequence of tapping as described above. This method will appeal to many people who would decline traditional therapy. Likewise, modern medicine may call these theories a ruse, but they already use parts of the energy theory in ideas like the TENS machine. Modern medicine cannot discredit the research that goes all the way back to ancient Chinese theories about meridians. Others are attracted to EFT entirely because it is rooted in ancient medicine but is a relatively new age style of approaching all kinds of problems. The variety of issues that EFT can be used to treat is a draw all on its own. The research clearly outlines the steps involved so that the common person has no problem administering these methods by themselves. No psychologist is needed although many experts can be hired if desired by the client. The slow acceptance of these techniques demonstrate the skepticism of people even though EFT has been proven to work. There are literally hundreds of testimonials out there to show for EFT. However, sometimes rapid results are the reason people are skeptical; it becomes too good to be true.

In order to fully appreciate these ideas even more, one would need to become an expert in energy theories as well as ancient Chinese medicine. The real beauty of the theories of energy psychology and EFT is that one does not have to be an expert to make it work. Obviously, the more one knows, the better. Anyone can practice EFT and be successful in achieving his goals and stopping the flow of negative energy. What would truly be beneficial would be to attend the seminar of one of the modern experts in this field, like Gary Craig or Carol Look and to see the process demonstrated by someone who knows the theories inside and out.