Harvard Medical School has completed a decade-long research project showing EFT seems to require fewer sessions for equivalent outcomes, than more ‘conventional’ therapies. Fewer sessions = faster results!

Quiets the inner critic, relaxes your ‘monkey mind’ to create inner peace (that’s why it’s called emotional freedom technique), by tapping on stress-reducing acupressure points to still those racing or obsessive thoughts. And generally, results have been found to be lasting, durable or permanent. [Dr. Peta Stapleton, “The Science Behind Tapping“] 

In one study with teenaged girls, after using EFT tapping they reported a felt-sense of increased self-esteem, a prizing of their own experience, intuitive process and self-efficacy. [https://www.proquest.com/openview/235f2d824144374f348177998f1bb0df/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y] 

Re-sets your reactivity to stress – Proven to reduce physical, emotional and mental symptoms of anxiety  – by a whopping 39 – 40%, and faster than talk therapy!

“Emotional Freedom Techniques, EFT) has previously resulted in significant changes in stress biochemistry and psychological distress symptoms in a clinical trial, and this replication study confirmed the original outcomes: that 1 hr of tapping on acupoints results in a significant decrease in the stress hormone cortisol.” [from: https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Ftra0000563]

In several studies, the entire audience in an EFT seminar – who simply tapped along with the presenter and their client demonstrating tapping – reduced their cortisol levels by an average of 39% – in only one hour! Even when the problem they were tapping along with in the client on stage was different than their personal problem!

After many years of robust research spanning over 15 years,  one team selected studies that met the American Psychological Association’s strict criteria when evaluating treatments for depression. They included 20 studies in total: 12 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with 398 participants, and 8 outcome studies with 461 participants.

Results showed substantial reduction – of an average of 41% –  in symptoms of depression post tapping, in less than 90 days and at more than 90 days. So, not only did tapping significantly reduce depressive symptoms, these changes maintained over time.

Furthermore, these researchers discovered that tapping reduced depression symptoms at a much higher rate than either psychiatric medication or accepted talk-therapy. [https://www.thetappingsolution.com/blog/research-proves-eft-effective-treatment-depression/]

“Tapping is an authorized treatment for war veterans with PTSD [in the United States], and it has [also] demonstrated some benefits as a treatment for anxiety, depression, physical pain, and insomnia.” [https://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety/favorite-healthy-finds#Anxiety-Slayers-Favorite-Healthy-Finds]

One study by Dr. Dawson Church, had war veterans with PTSD go through a 10 week 10 hour tapping process. Results showed 6 genes associated with PTSD were down-regulated (reduced) to the point where they no longer met the criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD. And 6 months later, their changes were still stable.

Four studies have discovered that a single session of EFT provides significant gains for trauma survivors. In one study, tapping was used on genocide survivors in Rwanda, 10 years after the genocide. While one session was not considered to be a ‘cure,’ nonetheless, highly significant improvements were noted on all the PTSD scales (for example, on scales measuring anxious arousal, depression, irritability, intrusive experiences, defensive avoidance and dissociation). Astonishingly, these results were still maintained at a 2 year follow-up – after just one tapping session! [Dr. David Finkelstein, interview on The Tapping Solution’s Teleseminar 2024]

Beyond war-time based PTSD, there is a wide variety of events where humans experience feeling shocked and overwhelmed by something that has happened, while also feeling alone, isolated and unable to escape (for whatever reason, fight or flight are not viable options). These may create what therapists think of as ‘small t’ traumas. They can be every bit as impactful and distressing, especially when there is repetition.

Psychologist Dr. Arielle Schwartz describes PTSD as a ‘normal response to an abnormal event.’ EFT and Hacking Reality offer us techniques that are gentle, effective and efficient in clearing away the powerful unprocessed emotional, mental, behavioral and sometimes even physical debris that gets connected to having lived through the trauma.

However, more than just clearing away the negative detritus, tapping also opens doors into post-traumatic growth, into reclaiming our personal power, our resiliency, our trust and discernment, our ability to learn brand new things about ourselves and about life – that come directly out of having brought the traumatic re-enactment loops into completion. Tapping is a psycho-sensory intervention that speaks to both our mind and our body, clearing out barriers and blockages in both. It allows us to step into freedom and joy and a new sense of integration. This is incredibly important in assisting us in releasing and bringing into completion our relationship with a past traumatic event.

**NOTE: If you have been diagnosed with PTSD, it is recommended you seek out professional tapping assistance from a trained practitioner, for support and guidance. Also, tapping is not intended to be a replacement for medical assistance.

In ‘talk therapy,’ even the ‘gold standard’ protocols for reducing or eliminating phobias have struggled to produce consistent improvements. Phobias can be notoriously slippery when it comes to eliminating them. However, in EFT there have been many examples of phobias dramatically dissolving – and quickly, frequently after a single session. Furthermore, the shift away from a phobic response tends to ‘stick’ over time. [Dr. Peta Stapleton, PhD. “The Science Behind Tapping“]

Numerous studies have confirmed that EFT quickly reduces food cravings by up to 80%. One short-term study, of just 2 hours a week for 4 weeks, used MRI brain scans on participants, to examine the areas of the brain that are both stimulated during a food craving, and then deactivated after tapping.

These results were clearly visible on the MRIs. Follow-up studies, done up to 2 years later, showed the food cravings did not return. [Psychologist and EFT researcher Dr. Peta Stapleton, in an interview during The Tapping Solution Tele-summit 2024; also available here, on Dr. Stapleton’s website – https://www.evidencebasedeft.com/Access-The-Science-Of-Tapping]

Anyone who has lived with chronic pain knows how debilitating it can be. Just imagine what having more energy to do the things you enjoy, without so much pain, might be like.

In one study that used fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging), by research psychologist Dr. Peta Stapleton, results showed that “Emotional Freedom Techniques decreased connectivity in pain brain areas.” After people tapped, there was decreased action in areas of the brain that are known to be involved in how we process and respond to pain.  [https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1744388122001219?via%3Dihub; https://www.thetappingsolution.com/blog/new-research-tapping-alters-brain-networks-involved-in-pain/].

And here’s a documentary that was created, that shows the experiences of a small group of 10 people, with a wide variety of emotional and physical challenges – including chronic and debilitating pain – who reduced their symptoms significantly after only a four day weekend of tapping: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UypGSQtzFw

Studies have shown that at the level of our genes, tapping improves immune functioning and decreases inflammatory responses in the body.

“The most revealing studies of the physiological aspects of EFT have examined its epigenetic effects. A population of veterans with PTSD received 10 EFT sessions.⁴⁵ It found regulation of 6 genes associated with inflammation and immunity.

A pilot study comparing an hour-long EFT session with placebo in 4 nonclinical participants found differential expression in 72 genes.⁴⁶ These included genes associated with the suppression of cancer tumours, protection against ultraviolet radiation, regulation of type 2 diabetes insulin resistance, immunity from opportunistic infections, antiviral activity, synaptic connectivity between neurons, synthesis of both red and white blood cells, enhancement of male fertility, building white matter in the brain, metabolic regulation, neural plasticity, reinforcement of cell membranes, and the reduction of oxidative stress. The broad function of this suite of genes is similar to that found in Church et al,¹⁰ confirming the association of EFT with the downregulation of inflammation and stress markers and the upregulation of immune markers.” [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6381429/#bibr10-2515690X18823691]

“Tapping creates a cascading series of events, in the brain and body, that impacts hormone production, blood flow within the brain, and gene expression in ways that enhance emotional health [Dr. Peta Stapleton, “The Science Behind Tapping” pgs 33/34]

Cortisol is the stress hormone that keeps us running like a hamster in a wheel, keeping us in overdrive.  “Emotional Freedom Techniques, EFT) has previously resulted in significant changes in stress biochemistry and psychological distress symptoms in a clinical trial, and this replication study confirmed the original outcomes: that 1 hour of tapping on acupoints results in a significant decrease in the stress hormone cortisol.” [from: https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Ftra0000563]

Tapping has been extensively investigated for anxiety and has been proven to reduce physical, emotional and mental symptoms of anxiety  – by a whopping 39 – 40%, and faster than talk therapy!

In the first large-scale study of 5000 patients seeking treatment for anxiety across 11 clinics over a 5.5 year period, patients received either traditional anxiety treatment in the form of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), with medication if needed, or acupoint tapping with no medication. An improvement was found in 90% of patients who received tapping therapy compared to 63% of the CBT participants.

And, only 3 tapping sessions were needed before an individual’s anxiety reduced, while an average of 15 was needed for CBT to show results.

Complete relief of symptoms was seen in 76% of people in the tapping group, compared with 51% of people in the CBT group.

Furthermore, in the tapping group, 78% maintained those improvements after a full year had passed (compared to only 69% in the CBT group).

So, more effective and long-lasting changes – in fewer sessions – with EFT! [Andrade J, Feinstein D. Energy psychology: theory, indications and evidence In: Feinstein D, Gallo F, Eden D, eds. Energy Psychology Interactive: Rapid Interventions for Lasting Change. Ashland, OR: Innersource; 2004:199–214]

So, in conclusion, EFT works… gets faster results than other ‘gold standard’ treatments… and maintains the gains over time.

Moreover, these changes are noted both subjectively (by participants) and objectively “by biological markers or physiological changes that can be scientifically measured and verified (like hormone production, cardiovascular function, immune response, gene expression, brainwave patterns, and blood flow in the brain).

 Furthermore, when we reconsolidate the new learning from tapping to clear out the old stress response, and no longer have reactivity to the old fear or old pattern/story, our new experience becomes our new ‘normal’.”

By turning off the old, ingrained threat/stress response, our brain actually opens to creating a new and more functional neural connection, which over-writes the old program. This may be part of why tapping shifts are so robust and durable across time.  [from Dr. David Finkelstein interview in The Tapping Solution’s 2024 Tele-summit]