February 2018 - Emotional Freedom Therapy

Emotional Freedom Technique

Written by Lana Ackermann on 4th February 2018. Posted in EFT Tapping.

EFT, the acronym for the electronic funds transfer, is a term usually associated with banking. However, it is also the acronym for a healing modality called the Emotional Freedom Technique – a rather compelling name as surely there is not a person alive who does not want to be freed from their troubling negative emotions!

The technique was developed over three decades ago and, at that stage, regarded by many as being a little wacky. However, its effectiveness is now backed up by a considerable amount of research, and it is rapidly becoming a common accompaniment to traditional psychological treatments.

What is it?

EFT, also called tapping is a body-mind practice which combines the principles of ancient Chinese medicine with modern psychology, and can be viewed as a kind of emotional acupuncture. It involves the light tapping of the fingertips on selected acupressure points situated on the head, upper body and hands. While tapping affirmative phrases associated on a specific emotional problem, which is spoken out loud.

According to Chinese medicine, we have meridians or energy channels running the length of our bodies, ending in acupressure points. These channels can become blocked due to subtle or obvious emotional traumas resulting in negative thoughts, destructive behaviour patterns and a long list of psychological and physical dysfunctions. Tapping on the acupressure points, while focusing on the problem, sends vibratory signals to the meridians, unblocking them and enabling healing.

“EFT has been shown to be particularly beneficial for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), panic attacks and phobias.”

How was it developed?

In the early 80s, American psychologist, Dr Roger Callahan, was working with a client, Mary, who had a water phobia. This phobia was so severe that she was unable to shower and could only bath in a miniscule amount of water. Dr Callahan had been aware of the limitations of “talk therapy” and was investigating the alternative practices of acupuncture and kinesiology.

Mary underwent a year of conventional therapy, but it had no effect on her phobia. One day, she came in for her weekly session complaining of a stomach ache which occurred whenever she thought about the rain of the previous evening. Dr Callahan asked her to tap under her eye, the location of the endpoint of the stomach meridian governing anxiety. What happened next astounded him. Mary said that both the stomach ache and her fear of water had gone! Dr Callahan tested this by taking her to his swimming pool and asking her to put her feet in the water which she did with complete ease.

As a result of this miraculous success, Dr Callahan began experimenting on patients with other phobias, using a variety of acupressure points. He eventually developed algorithms, referring to the specific order of tapping on acupressure points to combat specific psychological conditions. He called the method Thought Field Therapy. One of his students, Gary Craig, discovered that a single algorithm could be equally effective for all conditions and called his one-size-fits-all tapping method, the Emotional Freedom Technique.

In the 90s Craig created a website emofree.com which made information about the technique freely accessible to the public, resulting in it being practiced world-wide within a short space of time. EFT has been shown to be particularly beneficial for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), panic attacks and phobias. Recovery can occur almost instantly or may need repeated practice of the technique. In addition to acting on the meridians, tapping induces an alpha brain wave state.

This is a mild hypnotic state in which old memories can enter conscious awareness with ease, making EFT a powerful tool for use in conjunction with any type of therapy. Indeed, one of the most highly valued characteristics of this technique is its ability to be used alongside standard psychological and medical treatments. Thousands of health care professionals are now using EFT in combination with their own therapeutic approaches and are finding it to be of considerable value in hastening and enhancing the effects of these.

Want to try?

Think of a difficulty that you are currently experiencing which is causing negative feelings.

Step One

As indicated above, tap on the fatty part of the little finger side of the hand, using all the fingers of the other hand, and say three times: “Even though I have this (difficulty or negative emotion), I deeply and completely accept myself.”

Examples:

Even though I have this fear of public speaking, I deeply and completely accept myself.
Even though I have this anger towards my father, I deeply and completely accept myself.
Even though I have this depression, I deeply and completely accept myself.

Step Two

Tap on the points on your face and upper body as indicated in the drawing below, using both your index and middle fingers. Start on the point on the top of the head and work your way down. While tapping on each point, say your chosen statement, as above.

Step Three

Repeat step two, but instead of saying your chosen statement, consecutively use the following affirmations while tapping on each point.

Top of head: I choose to have a better feeling.
Eyebrow: I am open to accepting where I am at.
Side of eye: I am willing to believe there is hope out there for me.
Under eye: Just for today, I am willing to feel differently.
Under nose: I am open to the possibility of …
Chin: I am learning to accept myself in this moment.
Collarbone: I deserve love.
Under arm (10cm below the armpit): I am perfect just the way I am.

MY STORY

FOR YEARS I HAVE EXPERIENCED PANIC ATTACKS WHENEVER I USED AN ESCALATOR.

A while ago, I visited a shopping mall in Johannesburg. When I wanted to leave the mezzanine floor of a clothing store, I discovered that there was no alternative but to use an escalator. I had a severe panic attack and ended up in hysterics. Eventually my brother had to request the shopping mall maintenance office to switch off the escalator. Holding on to the side of the escalator for dear life, I inched my way down under the gaze of stunned shoppers and mall staff. I have also frequently experienced extreme anxiety when I am in enclosed spaces, including that of an aeroplane. It has always taken a considerable amount of willpower not to leave an aeroplane immediately after boarding. A short while ago, I attended an EFT workshop and, the day after, flew to Cape Town. I did several rounds of tapping and was curious to see if this would help me. Amazingly enough I was able to use the escalator at the airport with ease. And I had three heavy bags in tow! On boarding the plane, I had a very mild attack of claustrophobia. However, I did a round of tapping and the panicky feeling dissipated very quickly. Thanks to EFT, it seems I can now function at a level that is considered normal!
– Suzette Drouault

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Buried Emotions & Phobias

Written by Lana Ackermann on 4th February 2018. Posted in Fears & Phobias.

BODY MEMORY – Appeared in Sunday Independent of 26 December 2006

Lana Ackermann handles buried memories in another way. She literally taps into phobias, letting them out the closer she gets to the core of the problem.
Wrapped in our bodies, in our skin, sinew and cells, we carry the marks that make us. Every scratch, bite, break, bruise and pimple is logged somewhere.
To get to the root of a phobia, Lana raps her clients over the knuckles, sometimes taps them on the face and teaches them about karate chops.
“Emotional Freedom Techniques, or EFT, is a form of psychological acupuncture that uses the ancient Chinese meridian system to relieve psychological stress and physiological aches.
“Tapping on different points on the body, energy points that relate to an organ will unblock emotions. According to ancient eastern philosophy, emotions are stored in the various organs.
“Lungs store grief, the liver stores anger and kidneys fear.
“One of my clients had an immense phobia of flying, so I taught her to tap on certain points on her face and to repeat reassuring words to herself when she felt the fear coming on. This helps to release old cellular memories and underlying beliefs associated with the phobia,”
explains Ackermann.
We are addicted to emotion because it keeps us buzzing, so it becomes hard to drop the burden, but once the choice has been made, the body has the amazing ability to heal and create new memories, positive ones.
Ackermann says that cells are replicating all the time.
“Every 24 hours we have a new stomach lining. Cells pass memories onto the new cells, that’s how we evolve, and the EFT technique helps to get to the space between the cells, tapping into the old cellular memory so that the new cells can be healthy.”
Jack (not his real name), a 38-year old IT consultant, has suffered from anxiety his whole life. “I remember myself as a four year old experiencing feelings of tremendous anxiety and a tightness in my chest.
My parents took me to various doctors and specialists, I was even diagnosed with hyperactivity. From the age of sixteen I was seeing a psychologist regularly and from then on I sought out to find a cure for myself.
“In September I decided to try Body Talk. I found Lana Ackermann through a website and went to see her. She refused to do Body Talk on me and asked me to humour her and try EFT. I was sceptical and resistant, but I tried. It worked. At first it was strange not to feel anxious, it was like losing an old friend. I thought, better to feel bad than feel good and then fall into it again. But I didn’t fall.”

Jack explains that he felt different, not in a big bang kind of way, but subtly.
Changing perception of body image is then also possible. It has to do with programming. Tricking the brain to think a certain way about the body with the result that the body will play along. A simple thought indeed. A simple way of breaking the habit, of breaking the memory.

Month: February 2018