Tapping for Wellness

Tapping for Wellness

Updated: Oct 6, 2019

Several years ago, my brother and I had a disagreement. He hasn't yet forgiven me. I'd had a hard time dealing with his rejection, experiencing depression and anxiety from our broken relationship. A couple of years ago, during my coaching training, I chose to be coached around that topic. My coach introduced me to Emotional Freedom Technique tapping and I found immediate relief from the anxiety and depression related to this troubled relationship. Since then, I've found relief of anxiety in many situations by using tapping.

Christine and I were practicing coaching each other as part of our coaching training. During my coaching session, I asked for help in managing the anxiety caused by my broken relationship with my brother.

The argument started years ago, lots of painful words were thrown back and forth, both of us were out of line. I was especially out of line with some of my words, and I later made desperate attempts to apologize. He would not accept my attempts to contact him, let alone hear my apologies. This guilt and pain was really hurting me and every time I thought about it I became depressed and anxious.

Christine asked if I'd be willing to try something a little strange. She had just completed a course on Emotional Freedom Technique. I agreed to try, so she took me on a new journey of relief. The results of the tapping were immediate. Though the relationship is still broken, my reaction is no longer eating me up. I think of my brother with a loving heart, I forgive myself and remain open to receiving him if he ever decides to speak to me again. My insides aren't on fire with anxiety and pain when I think of him.

I use tapping now fairly regularly when I have anything bothering me. It takes only a few minutes and can be done silently. I found it helpful during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic when working as a nurse. In this article, (5) it describes scientific evidence showing the effectiveness of this technique. It has been shown to help relieve burnout for many in the healthcare professions during the height of the pandemic. This is a free technique that is easy to learn and requires no special equipment. There is nothing to lose by trying it, except that you might be embarrassed if someone sees you tapping like a goofball!

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) was started by Gary Craig, a Stanford Engineering graduate, in 1995. Gary Craig studied under Clinical Psychologist Dr Roger Callahan, who had started the Thought Field Therapy in 1979, the first form of tapping therapy that I could find(1). EFT is an evidence-based self-help technique that has been shown to help with a wide range of issues, and has many supporters (like myself) as well as many critics(2). It's based on the same concept of acupuncture and acupressure, which are ancient treatments in Traditional Chinese Medicine using fine needles to stimulate points (acupoints) along meridians to improve health and well-being. Meridians are energetic pathways, just as our blood, lymph and nervous systems have pathways. When energy is blocked or stagnant, it effects our health in various ways. EFT involves tapping gently on 8-9 of these points on the body while repeating a short phrase regarding the issue at hand, be it stress, anxiety, physical pain, phobias, etc. Recent studies have shown improvements in happiness, decreases in pain, anxiety, depression, and symptoms of PTSD, including improvement in physical indicators as well, like heart rate, blood pressure, and cortisol levels(3). I've personally had good results and often introduce it to others who might be interested.

There are many resources online that can help you learn ways to tap, and several different styles of tapping. Here's a quick youtube that provides a short and easy version of tapping, and another that I like that shows the experience from others finding pain relief using tapping. Emotional Freedom Technique, The Tapping Solution, Trauma Tapping Technique, tapping used in Qigong and Tai Chi: these are examples of methods to reach for the same result. I believe in these energy modalities, as well as energy works involving Chakras, Reiki and spiritual healings. Just as there are many "Western medicine" treatments available, there is also powerful healing through these other methods. There are many resources out there - tons of free ones so you do not need to spend any money. Just do an internet search. This link provides instruction for tapping as well. https://www.emofree.com/nl/eft-tutorial/eft-tapping-tutorial.html?Itemid=0

Here's a quick guide for the tapping process when done for pain which I am quoting directly out of the resource (4):

"1. To start, close your eyes and take three deep breaths. Feel yourself grounded in your body and focus on the present moment. Feel your feet firmly planted on the ground, rooted to the earth. We want to give this process and your body all the attention it deserves, so take a few moments to become present.

2. Focus on your pain (or whatever issue is bothering you most) and devise a setup statement (From page 21 - "Even though I <describe your pain>, I deeply and completely love and accept myself."). Write down in your journal what kind of pain you're feeling (sharp, dull, hot, cold, etc) and where it is located.

3. Rate the intensity of your pain on the 0-to-10 scale, with 10 being the most excruciating pain you can imagine. Note this number in your journal.

4. Craft a setup statement (see #2 ).

5. Tap on the karate chop point while repeating your setup statement three times.

6. Tap through the eight points in the EFT sequence while saying your reminder phrase out loud. Tap five to seven times at each point, but don't worry about counting or doing it perfectly; it's a forgiving process.

7. Once you have finished tapping the points in sequence, take a deep breath and check in. Again rate the intensity of your pain using the 0-to-10 scales to check your progress.

8. Test your progress by doing the movement that caused pain, or focusing on the memory or emotion that increased your pain.

9. Continue tapping as necessary to get the relief you desire.

10. In your journal, write down the shifts you experience in your pain, and note any changes in pain intensity as well. Remember, shifts in your pain mean progress."

Happy tapping! :)

References

1. David Feinstein (2015) 'Energy Psychology' The SAGE Encyclopedia of Theory in Counseling and Psychotherapy (pp. 345-348) DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781483346502.n122

2. Bakker GM (2013) 'The Current Status of Energy Psychology: Extraordinary Claims with Less than Ordinary Evidence' Clinical Psychologist Vol 17, Issue 3 (pp. 91-135) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/cp.12020

3. Bach D, Groesbeck G, Stapleton P, Sims R, Blickheuser K, Church D ( 2019) 'Clinical EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) Improves Multiple Physiological Markers of Health' J Evid Based Integr Med. Feb DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/2515690X18823691

4. Nick Ortner The Tapping Solution for Pain Relief: A Step-By-Step Guide to Reducing and Eliminating Chronic Pain  pp 21-27 Hay House, Inc. 2015

5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9840127/