EFT World Level One EFT Course
EFT World Level One EFT Course
EFT World Level One EFT Course
WHAT IS EFT?
When witnessing the Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) for the first
time I was very sceptical, it looked too weird, too implausible and I
almost walked away from it. Fortunately I gave EFT a chance to grow on
me, because now, some years later, I wouldn't be without the Emotional
Freedom Techniques both for myself and for my clients. The reason I
am so passionate about the use of EFT is that I've seen headaches
disappear, nightmares vanish and even seen the Emotional Freedom
Techniques take care of several cases of trauma in less than 3
sessions.
Give yourself the freedom to experience this amazing technique and just
like me you will be glad you did. You will, within a few minutes of
receiving the treatment, feel a greater sense of calm and, often for the
first time in a long while, a fresh perspective and renewed optimism
about your life. What's more, because EFT is a technique that can easily
be learned and applied by anyone, it will give you back control of your
life and fill you with a new sense of confidence.
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These ideas have been largely ignored by Western Healing Practices
and that is why EFT often works where nothing else will.
Gary is not the only one to get excited by this new technique,
psychologists, therapists and medical doctors from all over the world
have found EFT to be rapid and profoundly powerful. Creating positive
results for all kinds of emotional problems.
EFT has helped my clients deal successfully with addictions, grief, fears,
phobias, sexual abuse, performance issues, self-image and stress. Dr.
Catherine Saltzman
For those of you who have spent weeks, months, or even years trying
various drugs, counselling and alternative therapies in a desperate
search for relief from your emotional problems, EFT may come as a
welcome change. It's only natural to view new innovations with
scepticism, particularly those that relate to our health and which promise
rapid results.
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EFT can be easily learned by anyone and can be used over the
telephone. You can work with EFT on emotional problems and EFT can
also alleviate persistent physical problems.
A round of EFT takes less than 30 seconds to complete and once you
have learned how to do it you can use it daily! Whenever you realise you
are falling into some bad habits, or you have a recurring thought or
emotion or anxiety you would prefer not to feel, doing a quick round of
EFT will work to either eliminate the problem, or at least significantly
reduce it.
The results are fast and generally lasting. Strong emotions such as fear,
anger, shame and sadness dissolve into clear thinking, enabling a fresh
perspective and you may find yourself achieving relief within minutes or
you may require a few sessions to really benefit.
If you are reading these pages having already had an EFT experience
then what you read will not seem weird or far-fetched and you'll know
that emotions and tensions can dissolve in seconds. If you have not yet
experienced EFT for yourself then I hope you'll understand that EFT has
to be experienced to be accepted and no words I could say or write can
be a substitute for that convincing experience.
EFT HISTORY
You can trace EFT's origins way back over 4000 years when the
Chinese started to explore points on the body that later became what we
understand as acupuncture.
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More recently the forerunner of EFT was a therapy called Thought Field
Therapy (or TFT). This was formulated by a psychologist, Dr Roger
Callahan in the late 70s.
The Five Elements each include two meridians, one Yin, one Yang
(except Fire, which has two pairs) and are associated with certain
emotions. There are also two extra meridians called Central and
Governing, which like overseers of the whole system. If either of these is
out of balance, the whole system will be. You don't need to know anything
about Chinese Medicine to use EFT.
Suddenly Mary said "It's gone" and jumped up. Dr Callahan thought she
meant the stomach ache, so was surprised and horrified when she ran
out of the room and down towards his pool. He ran after her, and she
called back "Don't worry, Dr, I know I can't swim". Her fear of water was
gone, never to return. But notice that her common sense didn't
disappear with it!
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Along came Gary Craig, a Stanford trained engineer
and personal coach. He learnt the TFT system and
was impressed by it's capabilities. But he felt it
should be available to everybody, without having to
see a therapist every time. So he surmised that if
you repeatedly went through all of the tapping
points that were used in TFT, regardless of the
problem, it would still work.
So he developed the EFT algorithm, which uses the same points for
everything. His original "recipe" involved:
A setup sequence
A tapping sequence
A "gamut" sequence for integrating right and left brain function
A repeat of the tapping sequence
The set up
• One round of the shortcut
•
This is effective in most cases, and if the shortcut isn't effective, nothing
has been lost, and you can still do the whole recipe.
ENERGY DISRUPTION
(Taken from Gary Craig's website emofree.com)
Looking back at Mary's water phobia, we could see that she was
experiencing her fear and this caused the energy (or chi) going through
her stomach meridian (under the eye) to become disrupted. This is the
most important point, and the one thing about EFT you must remember,
is that the energy imbalance was what was causing her emotional
intensity. Tapping under the eyes sent pulses through the meridian and
fixed the disruption. It balanced it out. Once the energy meridian was
balanced, the emotional intensity…the fear…went away.
This is the most powerful thing you are ever going to learn about your
unwanted emotions. They are caused by energy disruptions in the
meridians. Notice what the statement does not say.
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It does not say that a negative emotion is caused by the memory of a
past traumatic experience. This is important to recognise, because that
presumed connection of traumatic memories to negative emotions is a
mainstay in conventional psychotherapy. In some circles, it is the
accepted practice to "treat the memory" and, in the process, ask the
client to repeatedly relive some emotional, painful event. EFT, by
contrast, respects the memory but addresses the true cause.
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And, let me add, emotional upset is most often the root cause of
physical ailments. EFT, by balancing the body's energy system,
collapses the emotional upset and heals the body.
PSYCHOLOGICAL REVERSAL
(Taken from Gary Craig's website emofree.com)
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This is dealt with using collar bone breathing and other methods which
are explained later.
If your friend is suffering from a trauma, it is advised that they seek out a
qualified EFT practitioner. If you work with someone, pay close
attention to how they express their emotion.
Look at:
• Body posture
• Facial expressions
• Movement (i.e. head, neck, eyes, hands, feet, shoulders)
• Skin colour, temperature
• Tone of voice
Breathing problems as well as the tone of your friend's voice may
indicate some kind of change. All of these changes can indicate a
resonance emerging in the energy system. We need to recognise this
resonance and work with it using the EFT process and something called
the SUDS level. When using SUDS we can put a number on how they
feel.
You may use the SUDS scale on yourself and others. The aim is to get
a feeling for the level of the resonance of the issue in hand. This works
for emotions as well as for physical sensations and even for beliefs
which might be the problem.
EXAMPLES
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EMOTIONAL FREEDOM
TECHNIQUES
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SET-UP
SET-UP STATEMENT
To start the process we have what we call the set-up statement and it
follows the format of acknowledging that you have a problem and then
affirming self-acceptance.
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The default set-up statement is formatted like this:
"Even though I have this anger, I deeply and completely love and accept
myself."
"Even though I have this sadness, I deeply and completely love and
accept myself."
"Even though I have this grief, I deeply and completely love and accept
myself."
"Even though I have this pain, I deeply and completely love and accept
myself."
It doesn't matter whether you believe the affirmation or not, just say it. It
is more effective if you emphasize the words "deeply and completely
love."
Before you begin tapping for any subject or problem, take the time to
take a SUDS rating and make a mental note of it. Then, when you have
completed an EFT sequence, ask the question again to find how much it
has changed. It is a good way to be able to assess how well the
treatment has worked and if you need to repeat the treatment.
Perform the tapping sequence by tapping with the index and middle
fingers of your dominant hand about five or seven times on each of the
following points listed (see chart on page 14) while repeating a
reminder phrase such as "this anger" and focusing on the problem.
The best reminder phrase is a short description about the emotion or
problem named in the set-up statement. We create the set-up
statement by using the words that make us feel uncomfortable.
What I mean by this is that if you are talking about a time when you
were attacked in some way, the word you would use may be the word
"attacked" or you may even say "hurt feeling" etc. So you would have a
set-up statement that looks like this:
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"Even though I was hurt when I was four, I deeply and completely love
and accept myself".
The PR point is located in the middle of the fleshy part on the outside of
the hand between the top of the wrist bone and the base of the baby
finger. It is also called the karate chop point and you tap on this spot
or rub the sore spot for psychological reversal (PR).
Remember to start tapping the karate chop or rub the sore spot as you
say the set-up statement that you have created, something like:
"Even though I have this hurt feeling, I deeply and completely love and
accept myself" and then shorten it to a reminder phrase such as "this
hurt feeling", as you tap the rest of the points on the head, body and
fingers.
1) At the beginning of the eyebrow, just above and to one side of the
nose
2) On the bone bordering the outside corner of the eye
3) On the bone under an eye about one inch below your pupil
4) On the small area between the bottom of your nose and the top
of your upper lip
5) Midway between the point of your chin and the bottom of your
lower lip
6) The junction where the sternum (breastbone), collarbone and first
rib meet. To locate it, first place your forefinger on the U-shaped
notch at the top of the breastbone (about where a man would
knot his tie). From the bottom of the U, move your forefinger
down towards the navel one inch and then go to the left (or right)
one inch.
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7) On the side of the body, at
a point even with the
nipple (for men) or in the
middle of the bra strap (for
women). It is about four
inches below the armpit.
8) On the right hand side of
the nail as it joins the skin
on your thumb, index,
middle and lastly little
finger.
9) On the back of either hand half an inch behind the midpoint
between the knuckles at the base of the ring finger and the little
finger. If you draw an imaginary line between the knuckles at the
base of the ring finger and little finger and consider that line to be
the base of an equilateral triangle whose other sides converge to
a point (apex) in the direction of the wrist, then the point would be
located at the apex of the triangle.
The liver point is just under the breast and is not generally used due to
social awkwardness. As we tap we are tapping with two fingers: the
index and middle fingers. The index finger is on the large intestine
meridian - when blocked this may lead to someone dwelling on the past
or having guilt feelings. The middle finger is on the circulation/sex
meridian, and is connected with low self-esteem, jealousy, regret, sexual
problems and unhappiness.
You can tap on points on either side of the body. You can even change
sides during the sequence. Tap just enough to stimulate the energy, but
not hard enough to hurt yourself. Once a full round of EFT is complete,
take a deep breath and focus on the emotion or physical problem you
are addressing.
The type of EFT process that we use in this manual is the original or
traditional way of doing EFT. You will find that, as you progress, some
aspects may be discarded to aid efficiency. So, this is not the only way
to do it, but one way to do it. I have described the traditional EFT so
that you have an in-depth knowledge. In our level three training we use
a short-cut version which reduces the number of tapping points and
particularly omits the nine gamut process.
This makes the method more efficient and short cuts the process, but I
would like to encourage you to learn the long form of EFT as this can be
used to fall back on when and if the method seems to falter.
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9 GAMUT
The gamut point is used in the middle of two sets of tapping; if you think
of a sandwich, the top part of the bread would be the first part of the
tapping, the filling would be the gamut procedure, and then another
round of tapping without the set-up (but just starting with the eyebrow
again and working your way down the points on the fingers) would make
the other slice of bread.
So we put the gamut or the meat into the sandwich between two rounds
of tapping. The gamut point is on the back of the hand (see 9 above):
you can find it by making a fist and drawing a triangle back from the
knuckles at the base of the baby finger and ring finger. The depression
in the middle of this triangle is known as the gamut point. The 9 gamut
point covers the start of the thyroid triple warmer meridian. The
procedure is a brain-balancing exercise that involves eye movements,
humming and counting.
Always follow the 9 gamut with another round of tapping as this adds
efficiency to EFT and hastens progress. As a rule you use the 9 gamut
once only in the process, so in other words, as you do the next lot of
tapping you are taking out the meat from the sandwich, as two lots of
tapping back to back should be enough to do the job. However, if you
do not get relief, then you may try placing the 9 gamut back into the
tapping.
9 GAMUT PROCEDURE
This describes how to do the 9 gamut procedure. Keep your mind tuned
in to the problem, tap on the gamut point continuously, and look straight
ahead and then:
1) Close eyes
2) Open eyes
3) Look down to the floor to the right keeping head steady
4) Look down to the floor to the left keeping head steady
5) Roll you eyes around in a circle
6) Roll eyes in the opposite direction
7) Hum five seconds of a song such as happy birthday
8) Count from one to five
9) Hum five seconds of a song again
After you have done the 'sandwich' sequence, rate the intensity of the
original problem or issue on the scale of zero to 10. Compare this
number with the original rating before you began tapping. You would
expect to find either complete relief, partial relief or no relief.
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If you have complete relief, you have experienced, in a few moments,
the power of EFT! On the conservative side, a few more rounds of
tapping may help the effectiveness of the process and ensure that the
original problem won't return. In the subsequent rounds, it is important
to adjust the set-up statement and the reminder phrase to address the
rest of the emotion or feeling. Use wording similar to:
"Even though I still have some of this problem, I deeply and completely
love and accept myself" during the set-up statement. Then repeat:
"This remaining problem," during the tapping sequence.
This normally clears out the remainder of the issue. You may also try
this for yourself by raising your eyes from the floor to the ceiling in about
six seconds, whilst tapping the gamut point. If you get down to a zero,
check this out by asking them how much out of ten they believe the
statement - 10 being "I do" and one being "I'm not sure". If you
experience no relief after a few rounds of tapping, you may not be doing
it correctly. The basic recipe of EFT is a powerful device, about 80%
effective, but a higher success rate is possible when you know how to
handle impediments. When EFT doesn't work, it is usually not that it
isn't working; rather the real reason for not seeing results is because
EFT has not been correctly applied.
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"My mother never gave me the love I should have had."
"I don't do very well with relationships."
"I'm easily rejected."
Each of these, and countless more like them, is like emotional forests
made up of specific trees (negative events) which contribute to the
overall problem. Using EFT on the globally stated problem is like trying
to chop down an entire forest with one swing of the axe. If you try to
address the global problem in this way, you will probably make some
progress each time you swing. However, compared to the enormity of
the forest, the progress is not likely to be noticed and thus the client will
probably claim "no result". You might erroneously conclude that they are
beset with energy toxins, or you might give up and think EFT "doesn't
work".
"Even though I was sent to my room for the whole day at Christmas at
age 8…"
"Even though Mom told me 'you'll never get married unless you are thin
like your sister'…"
These are the true contributors to the "I'm easily rejected" issue. They
represent the foundation of the problem. The feeling of rejection is but
the symptom of these underlying specific causes, how could we possibly
feel rejection? The answer is 'we couldn't' because there would be no
prior experience by which to measure a current "rejection". So, we need
to neutralize these causes by using EFT on individual trees. When we
do, several benefits occur.
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2) Each tree that is removed thins out the forest. This allows the
client to walk through the forest with more ease instead of
consistently bumping in to yet another "rejection tree". The sting
of rejection becomes less and less.
Gary Craig, the founder of EFT, uses a metaphor that likens the general
problem to a diseased forest in which each of the underlying specific
issues is a negative tree. The forest may be so densely populated with
trees that it may seem impossible to find our way out. As we neutralise
each specific negative event with EFT we are, effectively, cutting down a
negative tree. Continue cutting down these trees and, after a while, the
forest will have thinned out so we can walk out of it rather easily. It is
very important to be specific when working with EFT.
ASPECTS
(Taken form Gary Craig's website emofree.com)
On many occasions, you need only apply one or two rounds of EFT to a
specific event in order for its emotional intensity to vanish forever.
These are our "one minute wonders" and, fortunately, they occur with
delightful frequency.
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Sometimes, however, even after you have made professional efforts to
tap on specific events, the client still reports the problem as "no better."
Why would this be? Why does the process work so easily in most cases
but appear to get bogged down in others? There are a few possibilities
here (the others will be covered later) but one of the most common
causes is that the client is "shifting to different aspects."
You can apply EFT, of course, to "this accident" and you are likely to
make good progress. If you don't, however, you can ask for more
specifics (aspects) with a question like:
Let us suppose the client says, "Oh, the headlights, the headlights, I can
still see them coming at me!" You can then tap on "the headlights" or
"my fear of the headlights" or any other words that seem to fit. After the
client's reaction to the headlights has been EFT'd to zero, you can then
ask:
At this point the client may bring up other aspects such as, "The
screams in the car" or "My anger at the other driver" or "My anger at the
doctors," etc. The list can be quite long. Usually, though, it contains
only one or two aspects. Tap on these other aspects until the client can
no longer find anything bothersome about the accident.
As a test, ask them to "run the movie" of the accident in their mind in
vivid detail. This will bring up any trailing aspects for tapping.
Eventually, the client should have no charge on the accident. It will just
be an unfortunate event in their life, and that is all.
One mistake that is often made along the way, however, is to tap on "the
headlights" and then ask too much of a global question such as, "How
do you feel about the accident now?" That question doesn't ask for any
new aspects. It just asks for an overall feeling.
In fact, if there are any other aspects (such as "the screams in the car")
the client will report "no progress" because they still have intensity.
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Remember, the client doesn't distinguish between the aspects. To them,
it is all one big problem. You have to make the distinction by first
recognizing that aspects exist (that is just simply experience) and,
second, asking the right questions to bring them to the surface.
Aspects can happen with almost any emotional issue. Examples might
be:
A war trauma can have aspects such as: the sight of blood, the
look in a comrade's eyes before they die, the sound of a hand
grenade, etc.
Our tape sets are loaded with live examples of aspects which you can
replay over and over again. I don't think you will find better examples
anywhere of how to address this important subject. Pay particular
attention to Dave and his fear of water at the end of the first tape in the
EFT Course. This hour-long very thorough session, is a classic example
of aspects and how to address them.
Hugs, Gary
BEING PERSISTENT
(Taken from Gary Craig's website emofree.com)
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Asking such questions as:
"What does this remind you of?"
"When was the first time you felt like this?"
"What in your life is a pain in your neck?"
when treating neck pain, often brings up aspects that are contributing to
the problem. It might seem very freeing to have an intense problem that
we previously experienced as a 10 to drop to a two, but, a little bondage
can be just as troublesome in the long term as a lot of bondage. Once
we have achieved a low level, let us not limit what we can achieve. Let
us settle for nothing less than complete transformation.
Test the changes out in the real world. Ensure that you have tested all
possible provocations for the problem returning and when you have
learned EFT, often you will find you have other issues in your life to
which you could apply it, but you may not think to do so.
YOUR POINT
As you are using EFT you may feel that you are drawn to a particular
point on your body it may be the collar bone or karate chop or some
other point. If you are tuned in to this and your intuition is pointing the
way then you must go with it. Some people have had one minute
wonders by using EFT in this way. It is also useful to use just the karate
chop if working on the telephone with a client who finds it hard to take in
your description of the points and the areas of the body that they may be
found.
TRY IT ON EVERYTHING
(Taken from Gary Craig's website emofree.com)
These aren't "bad beliefs" by the way. To the contrary, some of these
specific remedies have been quite useful in our quest to obtain healing
relief. However our belief systems now have a new challenge. That is,
there has never before been such a …"one approach addresses
everything technique."
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To most, it is a completely foreign idea to use the same technique for a
headache that you use for a height phobia. Yet, that is precisely what
we do with EFT. As you know from our various training tapes we try it on
everything - and we usually get results.
Unfortunately, many people use EFT to relive just one ailment and
completely miss its use for all the others. Why limit EFT to 1% of its
capabilities? There is, of course, an "art of delivery" that separates the
beginning EFTer from the master. However, even the novice can apply
the basics and achieve high percentage results. Mastery, fortunately, is
a choice and is achievable by anyone. You need only pursue it.
When using EFT it is so important to test your work and challenge your
results. One way to do this is to ask the client out of ten, how much they
believe the statement that they just gave about being at zero intensity. If
they pause you know that some intensity is still available to work on.
Also if they say that around three is left, ask them what that three may
be made up of.
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You are also watching form immediate physical non-verbal signs of
relaxation and resolution. Facial muscles, yawns, sighs etc could show
the person has gained some relief on the problem.
You only start serious checking of the results if you think your person
has largely collapsed the problem. You want to see if there are other
aspects. There are multiple ways to do this but they usually fall into one
of these three categories.
One of the best tests is to re-enact the scene. This is not always
possible but you want to work with them to role play the situation as
much as you can. E.g. re-create the tone of voice or look on the face or
physical placement. You want to assess if all the aspects to the issue
are resolved. Stop immediately at the least sign of upset and tap again.
If you can't re-enact it, help the person vividly imagine the situation. It is
helpful to go through the five senses: see, hear, feel, smell, taste and
help them make it bigger, larger, and brighter, etc. As always stop and
tap if you find any sign of upset. On Gary's tapes, you will see him at
times ask very pointed questions designed, as he says, to make the
person's emotional knees buckle. However, EFT is designed to be as
gentle as possible and you would not use this method to check for
aspects unless you believed the person had not resolved most if not all
of the problem.
Despite the usually gentle nature of EFT, some people bring with them
some very intense issues and, as they tune into them, they may exhibit
extreme intensity. Handling this requires skill and experience. In the
past, it has been found quite effective to simply tap the EFT sequence
repeatedly until they calm down. This may take several minutes and 20
or more rounds. NO guarantees of success, of course, but this method
has been effective in a high percentage of cases. Also take a look at
out section on abreactions.
It should be noted that if you are not trained in certain areas of work,
and the work you are considering is usually undertaken by medical
professionals, say in mental health, then you should not attempt to do
the work. Don't go where you do not belong.
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People's issues can be intense
Tuning in may bring up intense emotions
Tap over and over until they calm down
Don't go where you don't belong!
A SESSION
Start by identifying the problem. Take your intensity level and then
create a set-up and reminder phrase. Do the sequence followed by the 9
point gamut finished off with another sequence. Once you have done a
round or two stop, close your eyes and re-evaluate the problem. If there
is still some feeling, do another round. This time though change the set-
up phrase to start with "even though I have this remaining ………. '. So
for the example of the headache it would become:
If after several rounds you are getting stuck, repeat the set-up phrase
while tapping KC, finish by forgiving/letting go
Make sure all feeling has gone and intensity is rated at zero
SHORT CUT
Doing a complete round may seem simple enough, but you can make it
shorter still. Many therapists are now leaving out the 9 gamut procedure,
using it only when a client is getting stuck. This usually makes no
difference to the treatment other than to make it quicker.
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Leaving out the points on the fingers also seems to work. In most cases
going straight to the karate chop point after doing the face and body
works just as well as the full sequence; another 20 seconds saved.
Some practitioners prefer to keep these points in as they believe it
makes the treatment more effective, and it takes so little time. My advice
is experiment and see what works for you. Trust your intuition with each
case.
Using the karate chop point instead of the sore point for the set-up
phrase at the beginning of each round works most of the time. This is
easier for group and telephone work.
STORY APPROACH
(Taken from Gary Craig's website emofree.com)
Along these lines, EFT already provides many tools for mastery and
among them are:
All of the above are covered in detail on our level one and two
workshops and these are all pre-designed processes by which even the
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beginner can deliver impressively thorough healing. If they are not
already familiar to you, please study them with dedication and apply
them to yourself and others. With a little experience, they will soon move
you toward mastery.
There is another tool for mastery that I call the "tell the story"
technique. I've been using it for years and you can see live examples of
it on the "six days at the VA" video available from our website:
www.garywilliamsassociates.com
The idea is very simple. Just have the client narrate a specific event
(about a trauma, grief, anger, etc.) and stop to tap whenever they get to
emotionally intense parts of it.
Each of the stopping points represents another aspect of the issue that,
on occasion, will take you to even deeper issues. Conceptually, this is
about as easy as it gets and it has a tendency to bring up important
aspects that would otherwise take sophisticated detective work to
locate. There are a few guidelines to enhance the process and I list
them below.
1. After describing the "tell the story technique" to the client, ask
them how they feel now about the mere thought of telling the
story. Often you will get some substantial intensity at this stage
and, if so, it is worthwhile to do a few global type rounds of EFT
to take the edge off.
2. When the client feels comfortable about starting the story (perhaps an
intensity level of zero - 2), ask them to begin at a time when there is
nothing to be concerned about. An example might be having lunch with
a friend just before having a car accident. This tends to ease the client
into the experience.
3. Instruct the client to stop the moment they feel any intensity
whatsoever. This is critical to the success of this procedure. Most
clients are conditioned by conventional techniques to "be courageous"
and to "feel the feelings" and to "be brave and get through it." Thus, they
are likely to go right by an important tapping point without telling you.
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The client needs to understand that if they don't stop, they have
missed a healing opportunity. Hit this one hard. Emphasize it. Raise
your voice a bit to punctuate it. Insist on it. Remind them that we are
looking for minimal pain here and that they get no points for bravery.
4. Have the client repeat the story while doing EFT until they can tell it
nonchalantly--like it was a shopping trip.
5. Then ask the client to close their eyes and vividly imagine the whole
event and ask them to try to get themselves upset by exaggerating
the sights, sounds and feelings. Chances are they will get through it fine
but, if they don't, then you will have uncovered an important aspect or
underlying cause.
Use EFT for whatever comes up until they cannot get upset about the
issue by either imagining it or talking about it.
1. It is easy to perform and, because the client talks a lot during the
process, it often parallels what clients consider "real therapy." Thus the
perception of EFT's "weirdness" is minimized.
5. The client gives you solid information along the way that allows you to
know how you are progressing.
The personal peace procedure that I am about to unfold for you is not
just a way to "feel a little more peaceful."
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Properly understood, this technique should be the healing centre piece
for every person on earth. Every physician, therapist, spiritual
counsellor and personal performance coach in the world should be
using it as a leading edge tool for helping others and themselves.
This simple concept should shift the entire healing field. I can state it in a
sentence:
Not bad for a mere engineer, eh? That sentence, if adopted by every
healing practitioner and patient, would likely
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Please note that this idea completely ignores chemical causes such as
those propounded by the medical model. That is because I have
repeatedly seen improvements in clients where drugs and other
chemical solutions have failed miserably. This is not to say, however,
that drugs, proper nutrition and the like don't have their place. Indeed
they do. They can often be vital. In my experience, however, our
unresolved specific events are nearer the foundational cause for illness
than anything else. Thus they deserve our primary attention.
self image
anxiety
depression
persistent insomnia
addictions
compulsions
feelings of abandonment
As you eliminate the emotional baggage from your specific events you
will, of course, have less and less internal conflict for your system to
deal with. Less internal conflict translates into a higher level of personal
peace and less emotional and physical suffering. For many, this
procedure will likely result in the complete cessation of lifelong issues
that other methods have not touched. How is that for peace in a
paragraph?
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been hard to find. Fortunately, EFT and its many cousins now provide
easy and elegant tools that will aid the serious health practitioner in
killing the root causes of disease, instead of the patient! What I share
here is not a substitute for quality EFT training nor is it a substitute for
quality help from a masterful EFT practitioner. Rather, it is a tool that
properly applied, is capable of wide ranging relief; quality training or
quality assistance will add to its effectiveness.
2) While making your list you may find that some events don't seem
to cause you any current discomfort. That is OK. List them
anyway. The mere fact that you remember them suggests a
need for resolution.
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4) When the list is complete, pick out the biggest redwoods in your
negative forest and apply EFT to each of them until you either laugh
about it or can't think about it any more. Be sure to notice any aspects
that may come up and consider them separate trees in your negative
forest. Apply EFT to them accordingly. Be sure to keep after each
event until it is resolved.
1) __________________________________________
2) __________________________________________
3) __________________________________________
4) __________________________________________
5) __________________________________________
6) __________________________________________
7) __________________________________________
8) __________________________________________
9) __________________________________________
10)__________________________________________
5) Do at least one movie (specific event) per day, preferably three, for
three months. It only takes minutes per day. At this rate you will have
resolved 90 to 270 specific events I three months. Then notice how our
body feels better. Note too how your threshold for getting upset is much
lower. Note how your relationships are better and how many of your
therapy type issues just don't seem to be there any more. Revisit some
of those specific events and notice how those previously intense
incidences have faded into nothingness. Note any improvements in your
blood pressure, pulse and breathing ability.
I ask you to consciously notice these things because, unless you do, the
quality healing you will have undergone will seem so subtle that you
may not notice it. You may even dismiss it saying, "Oh well, it was never
much of a problem anyway". This happens repeatedly with EFT and
thus I bring it to your awareness.
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6) If you are taking medications, you may feel the need to discontinue
them. Please do so only under the advice of a qualified physician.
DAILY TAPPING
Say three times "Even though I have this fear or anxiety about
______________________I deeply and completely love and accept
myself"
Say three times "Even though until now I have had this
anxiety/fear/insecurity about _____________________________
(whatever issue causes the fear etc), I now let go and feel totally secure
and capable of dealing with this".
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Alternative Quick Method
This works well for depression, feelings of hopelessness and guilt. Tap
above your upper lip and say, "I completely accept myself with all my
problems and limitations" three times. Using your intuition, tap any other
points. See what comes up for you after tapping in this way and then get
creative and make some of your own phrases. The more tapping that
you do the more you will become a master in the art of the Emotional
Freedom Techniques.
IF YOU GET STUCK
(Taken from Gary Craig's website emofree.com)
Remember that most issues are like an onion: as you peel off one layer,
there is another and another until finally all layers are gone. Each time a
new layer appears, you are a little closer to your goal.
If you have difficulty focusing on the problem, try one of the following:
1) Create an image of the problem in your mind and notice how you
feel about the problem. As you think about the problem, locate
any place in your body where you feel discomfort or tension and
focus your attention on that physical sensation. Continue using
the technique, following that physical sensation and any sense of
physical discomfort that arises until you feel physically neutral.
Focus your attention on the problem and pay attention to any
negative thoughts that come up. Say them aloud, with feeling.
Continue using the techniques following any new thoughts until
you feel complete.
2) BREATHE
3) Drink lots of water! Energy flows easier when you are well
hydrated. Avoid all dehydrating foods and beverages such as
chocolate, coffee and alcohol if you can.
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7) If all else fails call me! We can work together on the phone.
But these are meaningless words unless you put the idea into practice.
"If you are ultimately going to do something important that will make a
real difference…do it now"
You can learn The Basic Recipe from reading the manual and watching
the first EFT videotape. From there, many people go out into the world
and apply it to clients, friends and family, often with superb results
(including some "one minute wonders").
However, if they don't study the rest of the EFT Course (in proper
order), these practitioners are certain to scratch their heads in some
instances and say "it doesn't work."
I'm not saying here that EFT is a panacea for everything. It won't paint
your toenails, for example, nor will it allow you to drink gasoline. But just
about anything that has an emotional cause, including many physical
ailments, is a clear candidate for EFT.
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It often works beautifully, even in the hands of a beginner. But that
doesn't mean we have perfection here. We are still learning and should
give thanks for those "tough cases" that challenge us to perfect our
skills.
I know it is tempting to skip through all those video tapes and audio
tapes to get to "your topics." Many people do this despite the
instructions given on the first page of the EFT Manual. This often results
in taking the EFT Course out of order or, even worse, ignoring parts of
the course altogether. When this happens, the importance of certain
topics (e.g. aspects, psychological reversal, being specific, persistence,
etc.) go unappreciated and are ineffectively used.
You can learn the basic recipe from reading the manual and watching
the first EFT videotapes. From there, many people go out into the world
and apply it to clients, friends and family, often with superb results
(including some "one minute wonders"). However, if they don't study the
rest of the EFT course (in proper order), these practitioners are certain
to scratch their heads in some instances and say "it doesn't work."
Maybe psychological reversal needs to be done more emphatically.
Maybe the client is actually making progress but is shifting aspects
behind the scenes. Maybe the core issue hasn't been discovered yet.
Maybe the problem is being approached too globally. Maybe, maybe,
maybe.
These topics, as well as many of the other topics in this Question and
Answer section, are covered in the EFT course. The EFT course not
only teaches the basic recipe in great detail but it also goes on to
display the art of delivery with over 80 people in live sessions. You see
and hear how people respond.
You are taught ways to get at core issues and how to deal with aspects,
psychological reversal etc. And because it's all on videotape you can
watch it repeatedly to pick up more fine points. The more fine points you
pick up the more masterful you will be and the less you will say, "it
doesn't work."
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For a practitioner to fall short of that is to miss the real "juice" in this
procedure.
The EFT course stresses the value of being specific where you can.
Some people tap on generalized anxiety (a very global problem) and
wonder why their results are either temporary or non-existent. The
reason is because global items such as generalized anxiety, self image
problems, persistent anger, childhood abuse, etc. are comprised of
numerous specific past events. The sum total of all of one's specific
fears, rejections, traumas, guilt, etc. evolve into such global problems as
generalized anxiety and self image problems. Approaching the problem
too globally is a fairly common error by newcomers. To illustrate, here's
a letter I just received along these lines:
Usually we need to break a global issue down into its specific parts and
neutralize each of them independently. This is clearly illustrated on "six
days at the VA," a videotape in our EFT course wherein EFT is applied
to our Vietnam veterans.
Rich, the first vet on the tape, had "over 100 war memories that were
10's." These contributed to his more general ailment known as post
traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We used EFT with a couple of
specific events on film and Rich worked with three or four other specific
events on his own. As a result, all 100 of the memories faded and
ceased to bother him. You can tap on a global issue, of course, and still
make headway. However, the progress will usually seem gradual as the
process will tend to chip away at the various aspects of the larger
problem.
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The set-up was not performed completely enough
The set-up is that procedure within the basic recipe that corrects for
psychological reversal (PR). When PR is present it blocks the whole
process from working. So, if you aren't getting anywhere, you would be
well advised to "start from the top" and perform the set-up more
thoroughly.
By this I mean to tap the karate chop point harder or rub the sore spot
more vigorously while emphatically saying (even yelling) the affirmation.
On many occasions I have been stuck and, after having the client rub
that sore spot with great vigour and literally yelling the affirmation, we
broke through the PR barrier and proceeded to get our normal results.
Also, let me extend a thank you to Dr. Fred Gallo for introducing what he
calls criteria related reversals. In his experience, people who are stuck
in reversal may find it useful to focus the affirmation more specifically.
Examples might be…
I have used this myself with good success and recommend it as a useful
tool.
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The client is switching aspects
Often, the client makes good progress but doesn't report it because s/he
keeps switching to new aspects of the problem. The original aspects are
actually relieved but the remaining aspects still cause distress. The
client is not at fault here because s/he is often unable to distinguish
between the relief already obtained and the stress still remaining. This
happens frequently and serves to fool both the client and the EFT
practitioner into thinking "it doesn't work."
Unless one investigates further here, it would appear that the client is
making no progress and that EFT "didn't work." If, instead, the client is
asked, "Do the headlights still bother you?", the typical response will be
something like, "No, but I can still hear the screams in the car." Do
you hear another aspect? Sure. Now it is the screams in the car. Once
that is relieved you may run into other aspects such as guilt for going too
fast, anger at the other driver, etc.
Many emotional issues are single-aspected and it only takes one or two
rounds of EFT to give them relief. They are among our "one minute
wonders." Others, of course, have many aspects and require more
diligence.
How do you find these aspects? The process is usually simple. Just ask
the client to describe the problem after each round of EFT and notice
how their language changes. They may start out, for example, talking
about the problem in terms of fear and, after one round of EFT, discuss
the problem in terms of guilt. Also, the events they focus on may change
(e.g. from headlights to screams). Further, the physical sensations in
their body may change from, perhaps, a "tightness in the stomach" to
a "constriction in the throat."
The alert student might notice here that this "aspect switching"
problem, while appearing to give evidence that EFT "doesn't work,"
actually gives resounding evidence of the opposite. The reason the
client switches aspects is because the original aspect was given relief.
The headlights are no longer a problem (EFT success) so now the client
focuses on the screams (the next aspect in line).
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A core issue is interfering
This was covered above under the section on the set-up but bears
elaboration here. When an important core issue is "hiding" behind a
lesser presenting issue, the whole process seems to falter. This is
because the real issue is not being addressed. Finding the core issue is
what therapists are trained to do, of course. It is the centre piece of the
therapeutic art.
One way to find the core issue is to listen to how the client describes the
problem. The keen ear will pick up the clues leading to "the bottom line."
Another way is to develop the intuitional ability to hone right in on the
real issue. This is demonstrated in great detail in our steps toward
becoming the ultimate therapist tapes. Before I began to develop
(trust) my intuitional skills, I would just simply ask the client questions
like, "If there was a larger emotional issue here, what might it be?" I
know that question seems elementary but I found it to be quite
successful. I would ask them the question and often they would say, "I
don't know."
Then I would gently prod them to give me an answer. I might just ask
them to guess or I might use my favourite NLP question and say, "If
you did know, what would it be?" Eventually, they give an answer
and it almost always takes us in a useful direction.
Sometimes all that's missing is the human touch
Sometimes, I find, the process will appear not to work until the
practitioner physically taps on the client. Then, almost magically, the
problem fades away. This is fairly rare but it does happen.
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COLLARBONE BREATHING
You can start with either hand, but this explanation assumes you will
start with your right hand. During the whole exercise keep you elbows
and arms away from your body, so that you only touch your body with
your fingertips and knuckles as described.
Place two fingers of your right hand on your right collarbone point and
with two fingers of your left hand tap your right gamut point continuously
while performing the following breathing exercises.
Now place two fingers of your right and on your left collarbone point and,
while continuously tapping your gamut point, do the breathing exercise
again.
Next bend the fingers of the right hand so that the knuckles are
prominent, and place them on the right collarbone point. Again tap the
gamut point while completing the breathing exercise again.
Now do the same using the right hand on the left collarbone point. You
have now completed half the collarbone breathing procedure. To
complete the other half of the procedure do the same routines again but
use the left hand to touch the collarbone points.
One of the nice things about EFT is that its results are often very rapid
(minutes instead of hours) and insights, or cognition, changes at the
same time. Clients discuss the issue differently after EFT. You may
have missed that.
Watch Robert again on the veterans' video. He is the one who had to
shoot the young boy that was walking towards him with a hand grenade.
At first his insight about it contained major guilt as he said tearfully,
"You don't shoot little kids!" On our follow-up the next day he
discusses it in a completely different light (insight). He calmly says, "I'm
more rational about it now. It was him or me." I hope you see the
shift in insight/cognition there.
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He did it within himself while experiencing EFT. I didn't have to plant or
reframe anything. It's still not his favourite subject, of course, and he
wishes the event never happened.
There is a lot we don't know about EFT, TFT and all the other "power
therapies" and your question brings up one of these unknowns. I have
not kept statistics on the above matter so I don't know for sure whether
or not EFT is unlocking the previous work of one or more therapists. I
rather doubt it; however, as I can think of a number of cases where
cognitive change occurred in EFT clients who had never seen a
therapist before. For example, many public speaking phobics don't seek
formal therapy for their problem. They just don't speak in public. After
EFT, however, the typical client shifts their view of an audience from
"intimidating" to "friendly".
WHAT IS AN ABREACTION?
By contrast to almost any other process, EFT is quite gentle and rarely
has any serious side effects. It is often used instead of other
procedures, because of its gentle nature. In 1997, an informal
questionnaire was put out to 250 therapists asking for descriptions of
significant abreactions with EFT or TFT. Out of an estimated 10 000
applications of these energy tapping procedures, only 20 such cases
were reported. This is
approximates 0.2%.
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Please find a copy of the Level One exam paper below. A 70% pass
rate is required if you wish to obtain certification.
Question One
What fear did Mary Lose?
Question Two
When looking for resonance, what should we be looking for?
Question Three
Explain Psychological Reversal?
Question Four
How many times does the set-up statement need to be repeated?
Question Five
Name the founders of both TFT and EFT?
Question Six
What is the cause of all negative emotions?
Question Seven
How will you know if your client has had a cognitive shift?
Question Eight
What are SUDS?
Question Nine
Why is the liver point not used in EFT?
Question Ten
Explain the Gamut process?
Question Eleven
What are aspects?
Question Twelve
How do we deal with a client who is stuck?
Question Thirteen
Name three questions you could use when EFT appears not to be
working?
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Thank you for taking the online course you are now ready to move on to
our level two course featured below.
PRIVATE TREATMENTS
You can come and have a treatment at our treatment rooms in Milton
Keynes or we can put you in touch with a more local EFT therapist.
For details and to book an appointment.
Please telephone: 01908 218465
EFT WORKSHOPS
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6. Delivering EFT in groups
One of the most interesting things about EFT is the fact that it can be
used with groups as opposed to just working one on one with a client.
This component of the course provides the trainee with experience
working in group situations.
Note: Advanced booking is required.
Disclaimer:
The Emotional Freedom Techniques are gentle and easy to use, and have to date
yielded remarkable results for relieving emotional and physical distress. While there
have been no harmful side effects reported to my knowledge, this does not mean that
you will not discover side effects for yourself. IF YOU INTEND TO USE EFT, YOU
MUST AGREE TO TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOURSELF AND OTHERS
WHILE APPLYING IT. You may wish to consult a trained Emotional Freedom
Techniques practitioner. If you continue to use EFT, you are agreeing to take full
responsibility for yourself and others when applying it, and shall hold neither Gary
Craig, myself nor anyone else associated with EFT responsible for any adverse side
effects or outcomes.
Thank you for attending our online workshop, please get in touch if you
would like to take your learning further. We would be happy to discus
any questions or queries you may have. You could also take a look at
our website: www.eftworldmagazine.com Thank you again and I look forward
to working with you in the future.
Warm regards
Gary Williams
http://www.eftworldmagazine.com
[email protected]
Tel: 01908 218465
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