The theory

How was EFT devised? 
The therapy is based on the clinical work of psychologist Dr. Roger J Callahan with its roots lying in acupuncture, psychology and kinesiology.  The therapy was devised in the United States in the mid 1990s by Gary Craig.  EFT is now spreading very rapidly in the US and in the UK, where the concept is starting to be used in some specialist areas of the NHS (Times Online article).

How does EFT work? 
Negative life experiences can disrupt the body's energy system. The Oriental meridian system is part of that energy system with meridan lines running throughout our body. Physical complaints can arise as a direct result of such disruptions, for example, pain in the body or feelings of anxiety even though the event is in the distant past. These physical complaints can continue because the memory of the experience continues to disrupt our energy system. Properly applied, EFT can quickly balance the energy meridians with respect to negative memories and disconnect the physical discomfort that our body and mind attached to it. The result is normally a permanent end to the symptoms.

What scientific evidence is available to support the efficacy of EFT? 
You can find a number of articles, some published in clinical medical journals, providing information on the success rate of EFT in group studies by clicking here.

Healing takes time.  How can EFT be the cause of my improvement? 
EFT takes a paradigm shift in the treatment of health issues.  Instead of focussing on the body’s biochemistry, we work with the mind/body connection.  Scientific research is now starting to recognise that our emotional environment affects our body’s well-being more so than our DNA.  (See for example research conducted by cell biologist Bruce Lipton at www.brucelipton.com.)  With EFT we seek to neutralise energy imbalances in the body’s system which may be connected with our mental and emotional state of health, i.e. our environment.  This is supported by the thousands of published case studies on the website of the founder of EFT, Gary Craig.  This paradigm shift allows for startling new ways to support the body’s self-healing capabilities.

How does EFT differ from Thought Field Therapy (TFT)? 
TFT, demonstrated by Paul McKenna on TV, uses similar principles as EFT but asks the student to learn 10 or 15 different tapping routines (called algorithms), each of which is designed to cover a specific issue such as trauma, phobias, depression, etc.  Anything not covered by those individual routines (e.g. insomnia, TMJ, dyslexia, etc.) requires a diagnostic process.  EFT, by contrast, uses only one comprehensive tapping routine to cover all issues and doesn't require diagnosis.