What is EFT?
Emotional Freedom Technique is powerful tool for building emotional health.
It uses tapping on the ‘Meridians’ of the face and upper body long used in Chinese medicine and now confirmed by modern Western research, coupled with ‘scripts’ of things to say/think while following a systematic programme of tapping.
The EFT resistance-to-change script included here is a powerful tapping script that helps tackle resistance to change no matter what form your resistance takes.
You do not need to follow scripts word for word. As a rule-of thumb; it would be more powerful if you used some of the insights you have made from your own layers of resistance, so feel free to adapt or even re-write the script that follows.
Get in touch with your resistance to change
Clearing your resistance to change is core to your work. Holding onto unwanted habits is often about unacknowledged fear of change. You might feel incredulous when you read that sentence given you consciously know how much you want to change something that has been bothering for some time.
However, some resistance can be very deeply buried, perhaps even below your level of conscious awareness.
So, what is behind your resistance to change? Here are some examples of resistance to change, or of fear of change, from past clients.
- ‘My friends won’t like me if I’m successful’
- ‘I might want more from my life if I’m successful.’
- ‘What happens if I become successful and I’m still unhappy?
- ‘It’s too late for me to change my life. I’ve wasted all these years being frustrated.’
- ‘If I get fitter, I might not be able to stop.’
- ‘If I lose weight I may have to take my place in the world and be more successful, attractive, sexy…’
- ‘I can stay safe by playing small.’
- ‘Being fat makes me invisible.’
- ‘I’ve always been the failure in my family.’
- ‘I don't want people to think that I am fixed.’
Resistance to change is similar to the many layers of an onion, and it is a theme you might well return to later. Being willing to take the time to peel back the layers and allowing your resistance to rise to the surface is important work.
Another way of considering this topic is to think about these questions:
- ‘What do I maintain by staying the same?’
- ‘What possible benefits can there be for me from not changing?’
- ‘What am I saying by not fulfilling my potential?’
Initially you might think there cannot possibly be any positive gains from staying as you are, but give yourself time and space to consider this. As always with this work, it is important not to judge phrases, or insights that pop into your mind. This is not about logical thinking. Just tap and breathe. Every time you allow another aspect of your old cruddy stuff to emerge you will be another step further on your way to thinking, and believing, differently about yourself.
Here is your opportunity to explore your resistance to change. Be aware you might be tempted to skip this process all together. That would be just another manifestation of resistance:
Take your time. Breathe. Tap on your collar bone. You can close your eyes if it is appropriate to do so, and allow your mind to drift. You are going to those places in your mind so often drowned out by your busy life so give yourself time to find your quiet core. It is where, so often, the answers are.
A video demonstration of EFT
Here is an EFT script to follow
The points to tap are shown in the aid memoir and the accompanying instructions. This script focusses on overcoming resistance to being fitter, healthier and slimmer.
EFT set-up for first tapping round
EFT involves a number of ‘rounds’ of tapping the Meridian points, each beginning with a ‘set-up’ phase. For each phase and round a different script is used. For the set-up phase of the first round we recommend, while tapping on one hand with the other:
- ‘Even though I want to be healthy and eat nourishing foods, I don’t want to do this, and you can’t make me and I completely and fully love and accept myself as I am, even though it’s hard for me.’
- ‘Even though I don’t want to do this and I do want to do this and I can’t make me do it, I completely and fully love and accept myself as I am now even though it’s hard for me to accept myself.’
- ‘Even though I don’t want to be fit, lithe and healthy, I do and I don’t and I will and I won’t and NO, NO, NO, NO, NO – you can’t make me – and I deeply and completely love and accept myself without any judgment.’
First round of tapping
Each round should only take about 30-40 seconds. The letters before each statement refer to the Meridian points shown on the diagram you can download below:
- EB: ‘No! You can’t make me be healthy and fit.’
- SE: ‘I just don’t want to.’
- UE: ‘Yes, I do want to be healthy and fit.’
- N: ‘No, I don’t.’
- C: ‘You can’t make me.’
- CB: ‘No! No! No! No! No!’
- RIBS: ‘Please! Don’t make me be healthy and fit.’
- UA: ‘I have to... I just have to...’
- W: ‘I can... I can’t... I will... I won’t... I must... I mustn’t...
- TH: ‘I have to... I just have to...’
Take a breath...
EFT set-up for second tapping round
As before, these are the set up statements prior to the second round of tapping on the Meridian points.
- ‘Even though I am not healthy now, I choose to be healthy and I deeply and completely love and accept myself without any judgment.’
- ‘Even though clearly I am not healthy, I choose to be healthy and I deeply and completely love and accept myself without any judgment.’
- ‘Even though I am confused about good health, I choose to be healthy and I deeply and completely love and accept myself without any judgment.’
Second round of tapping
These are the statements for each meridian point you tap in the second round:
- EB: ‘I say YES to health, today, right now...‘
- SE: ‘No! I say yes to staying the way I am’
- UE: ‘You can’t make me be fit, lithe and healthy.’
- N: ‘You can’t make me change.’
- C: ‘You can’t make me fat.’
- CB: ‘No wonder I’m confused.’
- RIBS: ‘You can’t make me be fat and unhealthy... I choose to be in control’
- UA: ‘You can’t make me do anything and I now choose health and wellbeing.’
- W: ‘I say YES to health and wellbeing.’
- TH: ‘I choose health and wellbeing today.’
Take a breath...
EFT set-up for third tapping round
- ‘Even though I’ve been stuck, I do want to live my dreams and I deeply and completely love and accept myself without any judgment.’
- ‘Even though I’m not taking enough action, I intend to live my dreams and I deeply and completely love and accept myself without any judgment.’
- ‘Even though I’m stuck and it’s all my fault, I choose to live my dreams anyway and I deeply and completely love and accept myself without any judgment.’
Third round of tapping
These are the statements for each Meridian point you tap in the third round:
- EB: ‘No, I don’t, and you can’t make me.’
- SE: ‘I want to live a fulfilling life.’
- UE: ‘No, I want to be miserable and lonely
- N: ‘You can’t make me have joy.’
- C: ‘You can’t stop me from living my dreams.’
- CB: ‘I’ve been so stuck.’
- RIBS: ‘I choose to live my dreams.’
- UA: ‘You can’t make me stay stuck... I choose to be in control.’
- TH: ‘I say YES to life, love, and peace...and to being the biggest and best I can be, today, right now!’
Take a breath...
EFT set-up for fourth tapping round
- ‘Even though I’ve been arguing with myself, I deeply and completely love and accept all of me.’
- ‘Even though I’ve been saying NO to myself, I deeply and completely love and accept all of me.’
- ‘Even though I’ve been focused on being in control rather than being creative and flexible, I deeply and completely love and accept all of me.’
Fourth round of tapping
These are the statements for each meridian point you tap in the fourth round:
- EB: ‘It’s okay to say no.’
- SE: ‘It’s okay to say yes.’
- UE: ‘I’m sick and tired of saying yes and no at the same time.’
- N: ‘I’ve decided to be clear.’
- C: ‘It’s okay to be safe, and say yes.’
- CB: ‘It’s my choice.’
- RIBS: ‘It’s OK for me to say yes.’
- UA: ‘I’m in control.’
- TH: ‘I love feeling safe, free, and in control of what I choose for my life, today, right now.’
Take a deep breath... and another... and now, one more big one...
Now, say to yourself in your best imitation of a three-year-old:
- ‘No! You can’t make me!’
EFT script written by Sally Baker & Liz Hogon (Inspired by a Rick Wilkes EFT script) extract from their book 7 Simple Steps to Stop Emotional Eating.
More about EFT here
The history of EFT is fascinating. Its origins lie in traditional Chinese Medicine, including acupuncture, which has been the primary form of medicine in
China for more than 5000 years. Recent research has confirmed the flow of energy (Qi) along these invisible meridians, or pathways in the body.
Acupuncture was originally developed to treat physical problems, although today practitioners frequently use it also to treat anxiety and stress.
Dr George Goodheart, a chiropractor in the US, developed an interest in acupuncture, and went on to introduce a new method into his practice called ‘Applied Kinesiology’, which is a form of muscle testing. He achieved the same results as acupuncture by tapping on the acupuncture points.
Australian psychiatrist, John Diamond MD, then went on to create another variant of this wherein he had the client tapping on the same points, and repeating positive affirmations to treat any emotional symptoms.
Dr Roger Callahan went further to find that by tapping certain algorithms, or particular pattern, or tapping sequence, his patients were able to release specific anxieties, or phobias, and the first meridian tapping structures were created.
If a client concentrated on a problem, or fear, and tapped at the same time, following a specific pattern, then the issue could be resolved, in some cases permanently. Thought Field Therapy (TFT) was born.
Later it occurred to Gary Craig, who had studied TFT extensively with Callahan, that a single algorithm, or pattern of tapping, might work just as well. Craig went on to develop his own individual single algorithm which he called ‘Emotional Freedom Techniques’ (EFT).
It has been used successfully in treatments for an incredibly wide variety of issues, including fears, anxieties, phobias and post-traumatic stress disorder, just to mention a few.
EFT has also proved to be very successful as a technique for managing, or reducing the impact, and/or frequency of physical issues, such as migraines, tinitus, IBS, Fibromyalgia, and TN (Trigeminal Neuropathic facial nerve pain, to name but a few examples.
It is an easy enough technique to be mastered by most people, and you don’t have to believe in meridian energy pathways in the body for it to work.
To get started you need to turn off your phone and ensure that you have around 30 minutes in which you will not be disturbed. It would be helpful to familiarise yourself with all the ‘tapping points’ you may need to use.
As you become more adept, and learn to trust your own instincts more, you will find you’ll be able to naturally, and intuitively compose your own EFT setups, and find your own words to say as you tap around on each point.
Your own words are always more powerful as they are customised to your own requirements, and then you will really feel how powerful and life changing EFT can be for you.
