What Does EFT or “Emotional Freedom” Mean to You?

by Ann Smith
www.InsideOutWithEFT.com
Bloomington, Indiana US

In the 1990s, Gary Craig simplified Dr. Roger Callahan’s Thought Field Therapy (TFT) from a complex tapping system into a single algorithm tapping technique. Why did Gary call it “Emotional Freedom Techniques?”

In the opening pages of his The EFT Manual (2008), Gary claims that EFT could free a person from negative emotions, years of self-doubt, grief over the loss of a loved one, anger, and negative memories involving rape or other abuse. He says “freedom” could also mean freedom to earn a greater income, to improve one’s golf score, to make cold calls with ease, to lose weight, and to become a public speaker, singer, or comedian. He states one can achieve freedom from the anxiety that drives one to addictions and freedom from PTSD, guilt, and depression. Gary writes, “I mean freedom to express love easily and walk upon this planet with grace and confidence” (pp. 25-26).

Most people who have done their share of tapping have experienced new levels of emotional freedom. One client is free from her vomiting phobia which stunted her life. Another client is free from migraines that kept her from planning with confidence anything in the future. Another client experienced freedom from Diet Coke, another from twice-a-day trips to Dairy Queen, another from late night binging. Another client is free from incessant negative self-talk that zapped him of energy. Still others are free from anger at that one person in their lives who used to drive them crazy. Many clients are free from childhood limiting beliefs about themselves, such as “I don’t deserve a good life,” “I don’t matter,” and “I’m invisible.” The increased emotional freedom I have witnessed proves Gary named his technique correctly.

Freedom to Dance

I wanted to feel more emotionally free when I attended my high school reunion last summer. I had not seen the vast majority of my classmates for 40 years having not attended the previous reunions. I knew old feelings of self-consciousness and awkwardness could make for one long, miserable evening if I didn’t do some tapping.

I did more than one round of tapping, but below is a summary of how it evolved. On the Karate Chop (KC) point I tapped:

Even though I won’t know anyone there and won’t know what to say, I deeply and completely accept myself anyway

Even though I don’t like social situations where I have to make small talk with strangers, maybe I can enjoy myself anyway

Even though I’m afraid of feeling self-conscious, what will they think of me? I accept myself and all of my feelings

Tapping through the points:

I’m afraid of going to my reunion

They don’t know me

I don’t know them

What will we say to each other?

It can be so awkward

Maybe it doesn’t have to be

Maybe I can enjoy myself!

That would be strange — but nice

All these fears about uncertainty

Maybe I can let them go

When I got to the reunion I was relaxed and expecting to have a good time. I had the insight from the tapping that these were just people, and it didn’t matter if we didn’t know each other well. I didn’t find the small talk annoying. In fact, I felt so at ease that when the music started I jumped up to dance in front of my high school classmates without feeling self-conscious. Before tapping, I would have preferred to stay in my seat.

EFT increased my choices of how to behave and how to feel in this situation. It didn’t feel difficult after tapping! I felt emotionally free at my reunion.

This entry was posted on Saturday, January 7, 2012 at 12:28 pm and is filed under All Tutorials, Latest, Self-Acceptance, Weight and Fitness. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.