How Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) Could Change Your Life

Here at Integrated Health Specialists, we offer a range of highly advanced, cutting-edge therapies and programs to help our clients achieve personal breakthroughs and overcome struggles with anxiety, stress, depression, low self-esteem and even trauma. Our highly trained and expert therapists employ a number of integrated modalities and techniques in order to provide the most effective treatment for each of our clients. In our last blog, we discussed the psychotherapeutic technique EMDR, or Rapid Eye Movement and Desensitization. Here, we will take a look at another type of therapy we specialise in: EFT, or Emotional Freedom Techniques.

Introduction to ‘Emotional Freedom Techniques’

You might have heard the term Emotional Freedom Techniques, it is an evidence-based therapy and as such it is quickly growing in popularity around the world as therapists and clients alike begin to understand just how powerful a tool it can be. EFT, or Emotional Freedom Techniques, was developed with the understanding that negative emotions can be attributed to an imbalance or misalignment in the body’s energy system. EFT is a particularly potent therapeutic technique, as it can be effective in the treatment of both physical and emotional pain and distress.

The technique was first established by Gary Craig in the 1990s and awareness of the therapy has steadily grown over the years due to its ability to reduce conventional therapy treatments from months or weeks, to much less, and often without the need for medication. Results can be achieved with Emotional Freedom Techniques quickly in comparison to traditional therapy alone, and the technique can be used on an ongoing basis to help sufferers of emotional or physical distress to manage their pain effectively. In fact, Emotional Freedom Techniques can be effective in treating many concerns, including depression and anxiety, PTSD, stress, weight loss, and even addictions and phobias.

The technique involves focusing on a troubling thought, memory, or feeling whilst simultaneously tapping the fingers at various specific points of the body. These points correspond to ‘energy meridians’, which have traditionally been used in ancient Chinese medicine and are still used widely today. The practice draws on the wisdom of other similar techniques such as acupuncture and kinesiology, using the body’s innate energy network. However, the most important difference between Emotional Freedom Techniques and these other techniques is that EFT is a gentle therapy which does not require the use of needles or any other external equipment.

“The understanding behind EFT is that negative emotions are caused by disturbances in the body’s energy field and that tapping on the meridians whilst thinking of a negative emotion or physical sensation alters the body’s energy field, restoring it back to ‘balance’.” Read more about EFT on our EFT Gold Coast page.

Why Emotional Freedom Techniques?

In today’s day and age, the most immediate response of doctors or some therapists is to turn to medication to alleviate things such as depression, anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder, and other mental health concerns. Furthermore, medication is often the only solution prescribed for the treatment of physical pain. Of course, medication itself raises another set of concerns, and can cause a range of unpleasant and dangerous side effects, not least of which is addiction. For this reason, many people are seeking alternatives and are interested in techniques which avoid the use of medication.

Psychotherapy aims to treat both common and serious emotional and psychical distress by addressing the underlying causes, behaviours, and thought patterns behind these concerns, and hence, is well-suited to align with the fields of Energy Psychology and Energy Medicine.

Here at Integrated Health Specialists on the Gold Coast, we utilise Emotional Freedom Techniques and a range of other powerful tools, to give our clients an effective, non-pharmaceutical, fast-acting tool to manage and overcome their distress.

As we explain in detail on our EFT Gold Coast page, negative emotions are developed in a specific pattern, which are deeply entrenched, and this can make them difficult to eliminate. The stages through which negative emotions are developed are as follows:

1. A negative experience occurs
2. Negative emotions arise as a result of this bad experience
3. These negative emotions develop misaligned or inappropriate programming within the body
4. The body’s energy system is disrupted, and energy fields are misaligned

Addressing the negative or traumatic experience itself is often not enough to overcome the negative emotions being experienced, as the misalignment caused within the body’s energy system needs to be rectified, alongside efforts to address the negative experience. This is where Emotional Freedom Techniques, or EFT, is so beneficial. The negative emotions we feel can cause physical changes in our bodies at a cellular level, which go on to impact the way we interact with the world. These changes and disruptions in our bodies can go on to cause further distress and can manifest into serious concerns such as depression, anxiety, physical pain, and more. It is important to treat the cause of the distress – the disruption in the body’s energy system – to effectively and permanently relieve these symptoms and allow true healing to take place.

“EFT can realign the energy meridians with respect to those negative memories, disconnects the physical discomfort that we attached to it, and consequentlyreduces the resulting symptoms. This allows healing to take place on both a conscious and a sub-conscious level.” 

Is EFT right for you?

If you’ve suffered trauma, or are experiencing depression, anxiety, stress or other emotional concerns, EFT may very well be the safe and effective therapy you’ve been searching for. At Integrated Health Specialists, our experts are trained in EFT therapy and can treat your emotional and mental health concerns in a safe, non-judgemental, supportive environment. We’ve used EFT to help many of our clients overcome their struggles with distress and trauma and we would love to help you, too. Get in touch to find out more about this incredible therapy and start your journey to recovery today.