Emotional Freedom Techniques
(EFT): Research & Practice
Dawson Church, Foundation for Epigenetic Medicine
EFT

Evidence-Based Standards of the American
Psychological Association (APA)

EFT Research and the APA Criteria

Physiological Mechanisms of Action

Demonstrating EFT

Feedback & Questions
APA Division 12 (Clinical
Psychology) Task Force
For a therapy to be considered a “well-established treatment”:
I. Two strong studies by independent investigators demonstrating that the
treatment is:
A. Statistically superior to a pill, a placebo, or another treatment [or]
B. Statistically equivalent to an already established treatment (Chambless &
Hollon, 1996).
For a therapy to be considered a “probably efficacious treatment”:
I. One strong study demonstrating that the treatment is:
A. Statistically superior to a pill, a placebo, or another treatment [or]
B. Statistically equivalent to an already established treatment. Or:
II. Two strong studies showed the treatment to be statistically superior to a
waiting list control group.
APA Journal “Review of
General Psychology”
“A literature search identified 51 peer-reviewed papers that report or investigate
clinical outcomes following the tapping of acupuncture points to address
psychological issues. The 18 randomized controlled trials in this sample were
critically evaluated for design quality, leading to the conclusion that they
consistently demonstrated strong effect sizes and other positive statistical
results that far exceed chance after relatively few treatment sessions.
Criteria for evidence-based treatments proposed by Division 12 of the
American Psychological Association were also applied and found to be met
for a number of conditions, including PTSD.” (Feinstein, 2012)
EFT Randomized
Controlled Trials
EFT Draws from:

Exposure Therapy

Cognitive Therapy

Acupuncture

… to reduce stress

The somatic component of EFT (tapping on
acupoints) is critical; it enhances the exposure and
cognitive components
Stress Affects Every Organ
System
Stress is a component of:

PTSD

Anxiety

Depression

Pain

That is why so many conditions improve after EFT
and other therapies that successfully reduce stress
We tap on acupoints
unconsciously every day

EFT simply organizes common tapping points into a
routine that clients can easily remember.
Psychology is Physiology
Electromagnetic signals sent out by autonomic nervous system when
subject is experiencing anger and appreciation. HRV (Heart Rate
Variability) changes moment by moment depending on emotional
states. Correlates with the stress hormone cortisol.
www.SoulMedicineInstitute.org
10
Stress = Aging
Chronic Cortisol Elevation Contributes To:

High blood pressure

Reduced memory & learning

High blood sugar

Heart disease

Diminished cell repair

Accelerated aging

Slower wound healing

Reduced bone repair

Decreased circulating immune cells

Diminished immune antibodies
11
ACE Study
ACE Study
Kaiser’s massive ACE study (Adverse Childhood Experiences,
17,400 subjects) showed that 50 years later, people not nurtured as
children had a higher incidence of
Hypertension
Heart Disease
Cancer
Bone Fractures
Smoking
Diabetes
Suicide
Drug Use
Yellow is Common @ 3 &
50 YO
13
By 50 Stress Dramatically
Affects Biological Markers
of Cell Aging
www.SoulMedicineInstitute.org
14
Cortisol Drops After EFT
Cortisol Change After Treatment
45
40
Cortisol Levels (0=50%)
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
EFT
Psychotherapy
No Treatment
Intervention
After Treatment
Before Treatment
Church, D., Yount, G., & Brooks, A. J. (2012). The effect of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) on stress biochemistry: A
randomized controlled trial. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 200(10):891-6. doi:
10.1097/NMD.0b013e31826b9fc1e

Triple blind randomized controlled trial

83 normal subjects receiving either talk therapy, rest, or EFT

Anxiety and depression reduced by three times as much in EFT group

Cortisol dropped significantly more in EFT group
15
Integrative Medicine
Journal
Church D., & Brook,s A. J. (2010). The effect of a brief EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) self-intervention on anxiety, depression,
pain and cravings in healthcare workers. Integrative Medicine: A Clinician’s Journal, 9(4):40–44.

Pre-post assessment of 216 psychotherapists, doctors, nurses, chiropractors, alternative medicine practitioners

Day-long EFT intervention at 5 professional conferences

Significant reductions in psychological symptoms such as anxiety and depression

Very large reductions in pain, cravings, and the intensity of traumatic memories
16
Doctors, Nurses,
Chiropractors
Psychological and Physiological Symptoms Drop Together
17
Psychotherapists, Alt Med
Pracs
18
From Just 2 Hours of
Group EFT
"Significant improvements were found on all distress subscales and
ratings of pain, emotional distress, and cravings at posttest (all p<.001).
Gains were maintained at follow-up for most SA-45 scales. The severity
of psychological symptoms was reduced (-45%, p<.001) as well as the
breadth (-40%, p<.001), with significant gains maintained at follow-up.
Greater subsequent EFT use correlated with a greater decrease in
symptom severity at follow-up (p<.034, r=.199)"
19
Not Indicated For

Easiest targets are phobias (1 session) and PTSD (6
sessions). Hardest are addictions (mixed results),
purely physiological conditions like tinnitus, and
genetic diseases.

Best used in the context of a comprehensive
treatment program rather than as a standalone
treatment.
Resources

Free EFT Mini-Manual at EFTuniverse.com.

Free treatment for veterans at StressProject.org.

Research bibliography at EFTuniverse.com.

The Genie in Your Genes: Epigenetic Medicine and the
New Biology of Intention. Dawson Church, 2010.

Certification in Clinical EFT at EFTuniverse.com.
CE and CME credits.
EFTs “Basic Recipe”
1. Determine Subjective Units of
Distress (SUDS): 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
2. Repeat setup statement 3x (while
tapping karate chop point):
“Even though I have ____________
(problem), I deeply and completely
accept myself.”
3. Tap each point ± 7 x
4. Determine SUDS:
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
5. Repeat till SUDS is low
Resources

Free EFT Mini-Manual at EFTuniverse.com.

Free treatment for veterans at StressProject.org.

Research bibliography at EFTuniverse.com.

The Genie in Your Genes: Epigenetic Medicine and the
New Biology of Intention. Dawson Church, 2010.

Certification in Clinical EFT at EFTuniverse.com.
CE and CME credits.