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Tips on Technique
"Even though, for whatever reason,

I may not want to over-come this problem,
somehow I accept
myself deeply,
completely
and profoundly."
"Begin to expect great things." 

      The Secret
Children:  When working with children, use the phrase "Even though (I feel badly)..... I am an awesome kid!"  Some children may be sensitive to the tapping; you can use a circular rubbing motion or a simply touch each point instead.  With young children, talk to them about touching their "magic buttons" and continue to talk to them in soothing tones while you tap/rub.  If the child is too young or will not talk for themselves, you can say it for them:  ie, "even though you have this pain in your belly, it's okay."

Parents:  It can be hard to effectively tap for our own children because we are so connected to them.  Take the time to first tap yourself for your own fears, etc, and then you will be able to comfort them.  They just need to hear you confirm for them that "It's okay" and this can only be done if you yourself "feel okay."

Surrogate Tapping:  It is possible to tap for your child (or someone else) by physically tapping on your own body.  You do this by tapping as if you are them - put yourself in their place, into the emotions that they seem to be feeling, and tap.  Read this article about how a mother taps for infant sleeplessness.

Emphasize:  it may help to either rub more vigorously on the "sore-spot" and/or YELL! the set-up phrase.

One Point:  You may notice as you do EFT more and more often that one particular tapping point seems to be the most significant one for you, or the one that seems to provide the feeling of "release."  Sometimes you can tap only this point rather than the whole sequence, and still see results.  Great for a shortcut, or if you are out in public, etc.

Metaphors:  Tap whatever metaphor is there for you, ie, "Even though it feels like I have glue in my finger joints, I accept myself...."  "Even though it's as if someone is tapping my skull with a hammer..."

Language:  Sometimes it is important to speak the language you spoke when the trauma occurred, whether that be a second language, or a particular accent, or phrasing.  Stick with the exact wording of the self-talk that goes on inside your head.  In this way, using curse words can sometimes be very effective.  Read this article as an example.

Total Honesty:  Don't censor yourself in any way!  Don't pre-judge your "set-up" phrase.  It is important to state it exactly the way you feel it.  (If you want to dissolve it, you have to let yourself "Go" there.)  For example, it won't be as efficient to say, "Even though (this) upsets me..." when what you are really thinking is:  "Even though I absolutely hate (that) to the point that I wish (they) never even existed..."

Forgiveness:  In the set-up phrase, sometimes more powerful than "acceptance" of yourself is "forgiveness" of yourself.  Use the phrase:  "Even though (I have this pain)....  I forgive myself for everything I may have said or done to contribute to this feeling."

Not Getting Over it:  Along with tapping for "even though I have this problem..." tap for "even if I don't get over this problem, I deeply love and accept myself."  We all have a tendency to get so caught up in having to make it go away.  If you are feeling that kind of frustration, please tap for it first.  It's important to reduce your stress about HAVING the condition, which may sometimes be just as hurtful as the condition itself.  Read more about acceptance tapping.





               
Fear it Will Come Back:  Whatever the issue, we often hold a belief that we won't be over it, or that being over it now has no bearing on whether it will reappear in the future.  Tap for the fear that it (the emotion/problem/pain) will come back.

Choose:  Often times with statements that we use (particularly with positives and affirmations) there is a part of you that is in disagreement.  For example, when you say,  "I react calmly and confidently when introduced to new people"  or "I accept myself"  there may be a part of you screaming "no, I do not!"  To establish a link between the phrase and your reaction to it, try the following:  "I CHOOSE to be calm and confident when I meet other people." or "I CHOOSE now to accept myself."

Health Habit:  Persistence is the key -  just keep tapping!  It doesn't even matter what you are tapping for.  If you can't think of something specific, say "even though I have all these problems..."  Try this:  do 3 rounds each day for 30 days, and note the changes you see.  Make it a "health habit" the same way you brush your teeth and wash your hands several times each day.  It takes only moments - you can tap every time you go to the bathroom, or at every red light.

Meditation and EFT together:  use of EFT is limited only by your imagination.  Be creative.  Use it in conjunction with as many other areas of your life as possible.  Read how EFT and meditation were partnered in this article.

Tool:  EFT is a tool, and it does work.  Consider any renovation job - a hammer never gets blamed if the contractor doesn't know the most effective or efficient way to use it!  It can help to just call someone who can give some guidance or pointers.  Be gentle with yourself!  Sometimes you might need to just tap on "Even though this EFT stuff doesn't seem to be working for me..."

EFT Words to Use:  Use this great resource, provided by Karin.  Simply click on the appropriate link from her page ("This feeling", or "This thing that happened") and follow the script that she has provided for you.
"In essence, you accept that the problem is there before anything else is changed."
                                             David Lake, MD
"Through tears of joy Jorge called me an angel; one of the lovely benefits of facilitating EFT is the gratitude one receives." 
                              Deborah Miller, PhD
Copyright © 2009 Cora Rennie, Petawawa, ON
DISCLAIMER:  Information on this site is not intended to and does not constitute medical advice, recommendation or counselling under any circumstance.
Tap both sides:  when possible, tap the points on both sides of the body for greater effectiveness.

Somehow:  particularly if you are aware of resistance within yourself while stating "I accept myself," use the phrasing:  "Even though (I have this issue)....  SOMEHOW, I accept myself...."

Tap their Spine:  There are meridian points up and down the spine (there are meridian points almost anywhere on the body! but particularly a concentration of them up and down the spine.)   When doing EFT with someone else, it can be more comforting for them if you tap on their back rather than their face, etc.  Or try tapping along their spine while they tap the other points for themselves.


"We don't claim 100% results with EFT but our success ratio is high enough to cause us to wonder 'what happened' when we appear to strike out. These cases where EFT 'didn't work' offer us opportunities to learn and further enhance our skills."

                                                        Gary Craig