“New Technique” Offers Emotional Freedom

By Martha Firnschild

I have had my share of psychotherapy. It can be slow, painful and ineffective, not to mention expensive. I thought, “I can do a better job of this” so I became a therapist myself only to find out that there are many areas that are resistant to treatment without medication - anxiety, phobias, depression, eating disorders, etc.

However, since beginning to use a new technique called Emotional Freedom Therapy my faith in the capacity to heal ourselves has been restored. My life and my work have become so much more fulfilling since I can see results and make a rapid difference in my life and in the lives of the people that come to me. Aptly named, Emotional Freedom Therapy lifts the heavy shackles left upon us by the past and frees us to live life more fully in the present.

This is a relatively new treatment that is painless, easy to learn, sometimes works instantly, and can be used on any problem. It has been simplified and made accessible by Gary Craig, B.S.E. who writes the following: “In simplest terms, EFT is an emotional form of acupuncture except that we don't use needles. Instead, we tap with the fingertips to stimulate certain meridian points while the client is "tuned in" to the problem. We are still learning why EFT (and its many cousins) works so well. The existing theory is that "the cause of all negative emotions is a disruption in the body's energy system."

Let’s back that up a bit to say that acupuncture, as well as acupressure and a number of other healing modalities, access channels or rivers of energy in the body called meridians. Meridians originate deep within the organs and vital energetic centers. By tapping on the meridians that come close to the surface of the body, we are modifying the energy deep inside, specifically the negative emotions. We can think of them stuck in the meridians like a logjam. By utilizing EFT, we are tapping on energy points breaking up the log jam of negative energy so the river can sweep them away. Sounds easy, doesn't it? Well it is!

My first clear cut success came with a 7-year-old girl who was too afraid to sleep in her own bed at night. She rated her fear level about sleeping in her bed at a “7.” I asked her to play a “Simon Says” sort of game of doing whatever I do. Mother and daughter followed along as I modeled the tapping technique. We just did one round after which she rated her fear level at a “2.” Since that session, Mom reported daughter was sleeping in her own bed at night with no further problems.

Not all results are immediate, and many times we won't attribute relief or success to EFT. For example, I utilized the technique with a woman who suffered from excessive food cravings. To her astonishment, her food cravings diminished almost immediately. Even so, she couldn't quite believe it was “the tapping” that was responsible.

The uses of Emotional Freedom Therapy cover a wide range of problems from shyness, trauma, phobias, fainting, catatonia, pain, and the list grows longer every day. Based on my experience, I truly believe that the advent of EFT means that emotional well-being is within the grasp of everyone. It's so painless and provides results in such a timely fashion! I'm certain you will be hearing more about this rewarding treatment methodology.

Martha Firnschild is an Ordained Minister and Psychotherapist practicing in Livonia, Michigan. Phone 1-734-626-1604.