EFT Facts

Q. Why do I have to say negative statements?

A. This is, indeed, a frequently asked question and a valid one. By stating the problem (usually something negative) it brings to the surface feelings and emotions about an event or issue, alerting the body and our sensitive energy system where the blockage might be (remember, the cause of all negative emotions is a blockage in the body’s energy system). By saying the negative but true statement while stimulating the meridians, you are sending tiny vibrations or shock waves throughout your energy pathways. By doing so, you are gently nudging away the blockage or disruption that causes the negative emotion. 

 

If you stated a positive affirmation instead, such as, “Even though I was just robbed and beaten, that’s OK, I feel safe and secure now” you’re system would surely rebel. There would be a giant “tail ender” saying “What?! Are you kidding me? I don’t feel secure or safe at all!”  Your subconscious (or even conscious) would have the same reaction if you left off the negative occurrence as well and made only a positive statement.

 

Believe me, many have tried this approach to no avail.  It is true that when we tell ourselves “It’s OK, I’ll be alright” we can sometimes calm ourselves down. But calming ourselves is not the purpose of EFT. Using EFT can completely eliminate the negative emotion, pain or issue. 

 

That said, however, once the intensity is at a lower SUDs level (3 or less) you can then switch to a more positive choice statement.

Q. Do I tap on one side or both?

A. You may have already noticed that many practitioners do tapping differently. Since I initially learned EFT from an acupuncturist, who really understands the meridian system, I tap on both sides. My belief is, that you have a better chance of getting to the blockage and dislodging it quicker by bi-lateral tapping. If you use one hose to wash your car, you’ll still get it clean. But if a friend joins you with another hose on the other side, you’ll get the car cleaner faster (and probably have more fun). That said, probably half of the practitioners out there just use one side and get good results. I’ve tried it both ways, and for me, double-sided tapping gets better results. I suggest you do whatever works best for you.

Q. How long do I have to tap to get results?

1. A.The short answer is: Until you get the result you want.  I want to expand on that a bit though. Normally you can resolve an issue in 3-4 rounds, which only takes a few minutes. Simple issues are particularly quick and easy to deal with. Sometimes, however, it may take 5-6 rounds, or even 10-12 to resolve a difficult issue. You may need to go through several “doors”, look at many different aspects, and dig for the core issue, to get the optimal end result of complete resolution.
   

Q.  Why is it important to know my SUDs level and what does SUDs stand for?

A. SUDs stands for Subjective Units of Distress (the ‘s’ at the end is superfluous, but is commonly used anyway). It’s important to know your intensity level so you’ll know where you are and where you need to go. If you simply say, “I’m really upset” that doesn’t give you much information. If you can put a number to it, say a 9, for instance, even if it’s subjective, you at least you have a guesstimate of a starting point. Then as you tap and get in touch with your decreasing SUDs level on subsequent rounds, you’ll know you’re making progress. You’ll also have a handle on how far you still need to go to completely resolve an issue.

 

Conversely, if your number hasn’t changed after a couple of rounds, you’ll know you’re missing something and will need to make some changes (see the “9 Stumbling Blocks of EFT” to give you direction). Likewise, if you get down to a 2, you know you’re close, but not quite finished. You want to keep going until you can say for certain that you’re at a zero.

 

It’s important to remember that the objective of EFT isn’t just to “feel better” (although that’s certainly nice). The ultimate goal is to realize a complete cessation of a negative emotion or issue. So don’t stop just because you start to “feel better”. Keep tapping until you’re feeling great and the issue has been completely put to rest.  If you truly get to a zero on the event, issue, pain or whatever, it’s unlikely it will return.  To make sure that you’ve really neutralized problem, test yourself by trying to get upset. Revisit the issue, even the formally painful aspects and see if the intensity rises at all. If it does, you still have some work left to do.

Q. What if I don't know my intensity level?

A. It’s not always easy to figure out, on a scale of 1 to 10, how much your shoulder hurts, or how angry you are at your brother-in-law, or how afraid of spiders you are. At best it’s a subjective guess. While many people come up with their SUDs level right away, many others struggle with this little, but important aspect of EFT. I ask clients to guess what their number would be. Try saying this sentence out loud rather fast, without pausing at the end. Just say what comes to you. “Even though I don’t know what my intensity level is, if I had to guess I’d say it was at a…..”. 

 

This simple little trick bypasses the conscious mind and allows the subconscious to provide the answer.  It may not be 100%, but it gives you a reference point. Good practitioners generally know where someone stands as they talk about their issues. So if a client’s number is far off from the estimate of the practitioner, he or she would have occasion to question the client’s answer. When working with yourself, however, you can only guess and do your best. Chances are, if you don’t analyze it too much and just go with your gut feeling, you’ll be just fine.  As stated in the above question, it’s important to get the SUDs rating so you’ll know where you are and where you need to go.

Q. What words and phrases do I use?

1. A. This is a simple, yet complex question and one of the most frequently asked. The easy answer is use this simple formula: Add an acceptance affirmation to your problem, such as “Even though I have this __________(fill in your issue), I deeply and completely accept myself.”  However, there is a bit more to it than that.  What’s important to remember is you can’t do it “wrong”, but some phrases are more effective than others.  Try it different ways until you get the result you want.
   Here are some examples of set-up statements. Remember, being specific is important."Even though I have this fear of speaking to groups over 5, I deeply and completely accept myself."
   

“Even though a part of me doesn’t want to forgive my mother for hurting my feelings at Christmas, I accept who I am without judgement.”

"Even though I have this sinus headache above my eyes, I deeply love and accept who I am."

"I deeply and completely accept myself, even though I have anger towards my father for yelling at me last night."

"Even though I have this stiffness on the right side of my neck, I completely accept myself and love my body."

"I deeply accept myself unconditionally, even though I have a killer craving for chocolate right now."

"Even though I have this fear of snakes, I love and accept myself anyway."

"I deeply and profoundly accept myself, even though I’m really sad over my breakup with ________.

Q. How does EFT deal with one's need to understand their problem?

A. This is one of the most astonishing features about EFT. A shift in a person's understanding of their problem happens simultaneously with the relief. After EFT, people talk about their problem differently. They put it in a healthy perspective. The typical rape victim, for example, no longer carries a deep fear and distrust of men. Rather, she considers her assailant(s) to have the problem and in need of help.

People who use EFT for relief from guilt no longer take blame for whatever event gave rise to the guilt. Anger turns to objectivity. Grief turns to a healthy, more peaceful perspective about the death of a loved one. Notice how you and others respond to your former problem and you will see what I mean. Your understanding shifts right along with the relief. Here's a final note on how powerfully EFT shifts understanding. In the hundreds and hundreds of people Adrienne and I have helped with EFT not one of them...ever...has made any request to better understand their problem. Why would they? There was no need.

my gratitude to Lindsay Kenny for her generous wisdom