How to Do EFT

What is EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques™)?
EFT is a highly effective, easily learned technique that provides relief from emotional blocks, fears, and phobias; it has also been used to reduce pain and even hasten the healing process of diseases. Watch this video by EFT founder, Gary Craig:

EFT was developed by Gary Craig in the 1990’s and today several million people worldwide have experienced the benefits of EFT.

• What EFT Can and Cannot Do
• Do-It-Yourself EFT – Classic EFT Procedure
• Simplified EFT Procedure
• Tips on making EFT more effective
• EFT and Wellness Coaching a great match
• Doing EFT alone
• Doing EFT with a friend
• The Advantages of Doing EFT with Your EFT Practitioner

What EFT Can and Cannot Do
EFT is not a perfect cure-all technique. Although there is abundant anecdotal evidence that it can be highly effective in reducing stress, improving performance, resolving emotional issues, overcoming phobias and even helping address physical diseases, the outcome cannot be guaranteed.

EFT is first and foremost a technique to restore the balance to body, mind and spirit, when it has been disrupted by negative emotions or physical injury. EFT restores balance through tapping on meridians that are related to the healthy functioning of the integrated body and mind.

In difficult cases when the specific disruption continues to remain out of balance, the overall balance of mind and body can be substantially restored using EFT. This is why after using EFT on major challenges we often can feel relief and more in balance, even if the specific problem has not been fully resolved.

EFT has been shown to be effective in:

• Releasing fears or phobias
• Reducing or eliminating anxieties
• Reducing stress
• Overcoming addictions
• Taking the hurt away from grief
• Easing physical symptoms such as headaches and other body pains
• Releasing your hindering beliefs
• Improving your personal performance
• Increasing self-esteem

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Classic EFT Procedure
There are two EFT procedures that are mainly used during the EFT treatment, the Classic Procedure and a Simplified Shortcut Version.

1. Identify the problem or issue. Think about a situation when the problem is very intense. Experience how you feel about the problem or issue. For instance, when you are bored you tend to mindlessly stuff food into your mouth. Envision a specific situation where you mindlessly eat, e.g. in front of the TV during the commercials and
2. Rate the intensity. Ask yourself how intense the issue or problem is right now. Rate it 0-10. (10 = high intensity) You can muscle test if you know how, or just use your intuition.
3. Next formulate your “set up sentence,” using the basic format: “Even though (state problem/issue), I deeply and profoundly accept and love my self.” Examples: Even though I quench my boredom with food , I deeply and profoundly accept and love my self. Even though I have this habit to stuff food into my mouse during commercials, I deeply and profoundly accept and love my self. Even though I overeat in front of the TV, I deeply and profoundly accept and love my self.
4. Then tap the “Karate chop” point 7 to 10 times with the four fingers of your dominant hand (see schematic below) while speaking the set up sentence out loud.
5. Repeat the set up sentence out loud 3 times while tapping the Karate chop point.
6. Tap on each of the following points 7 to 10 times with the index and middle finger of your dominant hand while saying a reminder phrase, e.g. “overeat when bored” or “stuffing food mindlessly”:
   a) Eyebrow
   b) Side of eye
   c) Under eye
   d) Under nose
   e) Chin
   f) Collarbone
   g) Under arm
   h) Under breast
   i) Karate chop
   j) Outside of thumb
   k) Outside of index finger
   l) Top of middle finger
   m) Outside of little finger
   n) On top of your hand (gamut point)
   While you continuously tap the gamut point: close your eyes, open your eyes, look down to the right, look down to the left, turn your eyes clockwise then anticlockwise, hum a brief melody, count from 1 to 5, hum a brief melody. (This gamut series is great for stress release and engages both sides of the brain).
   o) Repeat tapping series (a through n) one more time.
7. Rate the problem again. Think about the problem (Overeating in front of TV) and rate your intensity on a scale 0 to 10 (or muscle test.)
8. Decide if the result is good enough or if it needs more work. It is best to bring the result, e.g. mindless overeating, to zero on the scale. You might feel that now you are more conscious of your eating habit. Bringing the issue to zero can be done immediately or at a later time.
9. If you still have a rating above zero, look for other aspects or angles. These could be other feelings (anxiety, stress, felling lonely) or thoughts (I don’t know what else to do than watch TV, I cannot stop overeating) about the problem, or it could be physical reactions, e.g. an emptiness in your stomach, heavy sadness in your chest, etc.
10. Then create a new set up sentence: “Even though I have this empty feeling in my stomach when I am alone, I deeply and profoundly accept and love my self anyway.“
11. Repeat the EFT Sequence starting with the Karate chop and go through the whole sequence described above.
12. Put it to the test. The best way to determine the success of the EFT treatment is to test the issue. In case of emotional overeating, observe if you are more aware about your eating habit when you watch TV. What has changed? Are there other aspects you need to apply EFT to?

Email Dr. Schafer to arrange for a FREE 15 min evaluative EFT consultation prior to making your initial EFT appointment.

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Simplified Version of the Classic EFT Procedure
In most cases this shorter EFT procedure is sufficient to release the negative emotions you are facing. If you get stuck and don’t feel relief, try the Classic EFT Procedure.

1. Identify the problem or issue. Think about a situation when the problem is very intense. Experience how you feel about the problem or issue. For instance, you have this pain in your back.
2. Rate the intensity. Ask yourself how intense the issue or problem is right now. Rate it 0-10. (10 = high intensity) You can muscle test if you know how, or just use your intuition.
3. Next formulate your “set up sentence,” using the basic format: “Even though (state problem/issue), I deeply and profoundly accept and love my self.” Examples:
Even though I have this sharp pain in my lower back, I deeply and profoundly accept and love my self.
Even though I have this pain in my lower back when I bend over and it is like a red hot ball, I deeply and profoundly accept and love my self.
Even though I get this back pain when I think of my money issues, I deeply and profoundly accept and love my self.
4. Then tap the “Karate chop” point 7 to 10 times with the four fingers of your dominant hand (see schematic below) while speaking the set up sentence out loud.
5. Repeat the set up sentence out loud 3 times while tapping the Karate chop point.
6. Tap on each of the following points 7 to 10 times with the index and middle finger of your dominant hand while saying a reminder phrase, e.g. “this hot red pain” or “this money pain in lower back”:
   a) Top of Head
   b) Eyebrow
   c) Side of eye
   d) Under eye
   e) Under nose
   f) Chin
   g) Collarbone
   h) Under arm
   i) Under breast
   j) Inside Wrist
   k) Karate chop
   l) Repeat tapping series (a through k) one more time.
7. Rate the problem again. Think about the problem (Not earning enough money) and rate your intensity on a scale 0 to 10 (or muscle test.)
8. Decide if the result is good enough or if it needs more work. It is best to bring the result, e.g. pain down to a zero. This can be done immediately or at a later time.
9. If you still have a rating above zero, look for other aspects or angles. These could be feelings (fear, anxiety, anger) or thoughts (I will never get over this pain, my money worries make me all tight, I am afraid I will be in pain for the rest of my life) about the problem, or it could be physical reactions, etc.
10. Then create a new set up sentence: “Even though my money worries create pain in my lower pack, I deeply and profoundly accept and love my self anyway.“
11. Repeat the EFT Sequence starting with the Karate chop and go through the whole sequence described above.
12. Put it to the test. The best way to determine the success of the EFT treatment is to test the issue. In case of pain carefully do the movement that causes you pain. Take care of yourself and don’t hurt or overdue it. How do you feel now about it? Did the pain ease or disappear?

Email Freya to arrange for a FREE 15 min evaluative EFT consultation prior to making your initial EFT appointment.

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Tips on making EFT more effective

1. Drink water. Water conducts electricity (energy). Our physical body consists of 70-80% water and is therefore a great system to move energy. For EFT to work well you must be well hydrated. Drink water before, during and after your EFT session. It will help release energy and flush out toxins.
2. Be specific. Be as specific as possible when identifying the problem and preparing the set up phrase. For example if you have low self esteem, using a set up phrase such as “Even though I have low self esteem I deeply and profoundly love myself.” will not unlock and release the emotions that cause your low self-esteem. Look for specific situations when your self-esteem is low. For example talking to strangers, speaking up, asking for higher salary. Then build a specific set up sentence: “Even though I feel very shy talking to strangers, I deeply and profoundly love myself anyway.” “Even though I am afraid to speak up in front of my boss, I love and forgive myself.” “Even though I don’t dare to ask my new client for more money, I deeply and profoundly accept myself.
3. Read this article by Linsay Kenny: 10 Ways to Ensure Success With EFT

EFT and Wellness Coaching are a Great Match
When I started working with EFT I instantly knew that it would revolutionize my coaching practice. As a personal Wellness Coach I help you uncover problems and issues that hold you back, identify your strengths and values, and then create a plan for achieving your goals.

Using proven Life Coaching techniques at different stages, I help you gain new insights or perspectives, release fears and beliefs, and build new useful habits, and implement your action plan. Click to learn how coaching works

I have found that the most time-consuming stage of coaching is often the release of fears and unhelpful beliefs. Meridian Tapping Techniques such as EFT have the potential to speed up this process – and make it easier and more successful. You can move through blocks in minutes instead of hours or weeks.

Once EFT has released the blocks, the Life Coaching techniques can be more effective and help you integrate your newly gained insights and behaviors.

Email Freya to arrange for a FREE 15 min evaluative EFT consultation to see if EFT can help you with your specific challenge or issue.

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Doing EFT alone
It is easy to learn EFT so you can practice it alone. Often this is useful when you want to apply EFT on a daily basis. Even if you are not fully clear about all the aspects of a problem you can simply follow the EFT procedure. With persistence you can achieve impressive results. I have used EFT myself daily on a variety of issues and found I could resolve many smaller blocks and unhelpful habits. Over time, this has had a positive impact on my life, allowing me to finally conquer old habits I had worked on for years.

Many of my clients and workshop participants found that they can get stuck when they do EFT only by themselves. We are so used to look at our challenges from the same perspective that we are unable to find the core issue (peel all the layers of the emotional onion). And sometimes we are afraid to look to deep into an issue worrying that we might get lost in it or get too upset.

If EFT doesn’t seem to work for you or if you feel stuck you might want to sign up for a session with me to get some expert insight into your challenges and help you to keep moving forward.

Doing EFT with a partner/friend
Two people are often more creative in identifying the issues that need to be addressed. A friend can also give you the courage you sometimes need to address emotional issues.

The advantages of doing EFT with a trained Advanced EFT Practitioner
The advantage doing EFT with a trained practitioner is that you have a partner trained in listening deeply and helping you uncover aspects that influence the effectiveness of EFT. I am there to help you gently through difficult stages and apply some of the advanced EFT techniques where appropriate. As Advanced EFT practitioner I also provide the accountability that is crucial if you want to use EFT consistently to overcome bigger challenges.

During my Introductory EFT Session I will teach you the basic EFT technique and discuss with you how EFT could be successfully applied in your life.

Email Freya to arrange for an introductory EFT appointment or call Freya toll free at 866-699-6499 for a 15 min free evaluative EFT consultation.

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Please note: My PhD is in human biology where I specialized in cancer research, but I am not a medical doctor, licensed physical or mental health professional, or therapist. My spiritual path has led me to become a trained Life Coach, Advanced EFT Practitioner, and ordained minister interested in techniques that help my clients to live the life they love. If your condition requires the specialized attention of an MD or licensed psychologist, I recommend that you work with an appropriately trained therapist or doctor of your choice.
While EFT has produced remarkable clinical results, it must still be considered to be in the experimental stage and thus practitioners and the public must take complete responsibility for their use of it. Please consult qualified health practitioners regarding any mental or physical health conditions you may have and your use of EFT.

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