{"id":584,"date":"2021-12-07T20:03:10","date_gmt":"2021-12-07T20:03:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.katshakti.com\/?page_id=584"},"modified":"2026-09-24T13:04:10","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T13:04:10","slug":"how-does-eft-work","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.katshakti.com\/pl\/how-does-eft-work\/","title":{"rendered":"How does EFT work?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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How does EFT work?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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EFT seems very strange at first. Don’t worry, we’ve all been there, scratching our heads rather than tapping on it, wondering:\u00a0<\/p>

How can tapping on your face can possibly change the way you feel?<\/p>

Let me explain.<\/p>

EFT brings together several things at once: focused attention, emotional processing, psychological techniques such as exposure and cognitive reframing, and stimulation of acupuncture points through tapping with your fingers.<\/b><\/p>

It is this combination that makes EFT different from simply talking about a problem or trying to think more positively.<\/p>

Let’s look at what happens when you actually tap.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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First, we focus on the problem<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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We don’t start by trying to get rid of an uncomfortable feeling.<\/p>

We start by looking for it.<\/strong><\/p>

You might focus on a difficult memory, a fear, a craving, something you believe about yourself, self-sabotaging behaviour, or an emotion you’re struggling with.<\/p>

For example:<\/p>

“I’m ashamed because people are judging my body.”<\/p>

“I feel completely out of control around food.”<\/p>

“I hate what I see when I look in the mirror.”<\/p>

“I’m really scared of driving a car.\u201d<\/p>

\u201cI can’t stop reliving the bullying incident.\u201d<\/p>

Rather than pushing these thoughts away, as you may be used to doing, you bring the experience into your awareness.<\/p>

This is one of the ways EFT draws on exposure therapy, which involves deliberately and gently approaching something that creates an emotional reaction rather than continuing to avoid it.<\/p>

But in an EFT session, you are approaching the experience while tapping.<\/p>

You’re staying with the experience first, while gradually creating enough space and a feeling of safety to respond differently.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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We then put the feeling into words<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Another important part of this process is affective labelling: putting an emotional experience into words.<\/p>

Instead of generic:<\/p>

“I feel horrible.”<\/p>

You get more specific, such as:<\/p>

“I’m ashamed because being overweight means I am lazy and worthless.”<\/em><\/p>

“I’m scared they’ll reject me for the way I look, and I will end up alone.”<\/em><\/p>

“I’m still angry that the kids called me a fat pumpkin in kindergarten and nobody tried to help me.”<\/em><\/p>

“I feel embarrassed about the way my thighs look in shorts.”<\/em><\/p>

“I feel this deep sadness in my chest that the only way my parents showed me love was with food and sweets.”<\/em><\/p>

Research on affective labelling has found that putting specific feelings into words can reduce activity in brain regions involved in emotional responses, including the amygdala, which is a key player in our fight\/flight\/freeze response.<\/p>

When we tap on the problem, we get as specific as we can, we name what we experience and stay connected to it.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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And then we add the tapping<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The key part that makes EFT different from other modalities.<\/p>

While you’re focusing on the problem, connecting with the emotions, and speaking out loud, you tap on specific acupuncture points using your fingertips.<\/p>

These are the same points used in acupuncture, but EFT stimulates them with gentle tapping instead of needles.<\/p>

So why these points?<\/h3>

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the body contains pathways called meridians, through which qi<\/i>, or life energy, is believed to flow. Acupuncture points are located along these pathways, and stimulating them is traditionally understood to influence the body’s energy system.<\/p>

This is the traditional framework behind the tapping points.<\/p>

Modern research is also investigating what happens physiologically when these points are stimulated, including changes in brain activity and stress responses.<\/p>

In EFT, this physical stimulation happens at the same time as you are mentally and verbally activating the problem.<\/p>

And that combination is important.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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You might reasonably wonder:<\/p>

“Couldn’t I just talk about my problem without tapping?”<\/p>

Research strongly suggests that tapping plays an important role in EFT’s effects, with studies also finding changes in brain activity and the body’s stress response.<\/p>

We don’t yet have one universally accepted explanation for exactly how every part of tapping produces its effects.<\/p>

But the important point is this: The tapping isn’t just decoration. It is one of the defining components of EFT and an active area of scientific research.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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How you feel and respons begins to change<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Now you have several things happening simultaneously:<\/p>

You’re thinking about the problem.<\/b><\/p>

You’re putting the experience into words.<\/b><\/p>

You’re allowing yourself to feel it rather than avoiding it.<\/b><\/p>

And you’re tapping on specific acupoints.<\/b><\/p>

As you continue, you may notice that the emotional intensity begins to change.<\/p>

Maybe the feeling becomes less overwhelming.<\/p>

Maybe the memory feels further away.<\/p>

Maybe you suddenly notice an emotion you hadn’t been aware of.<\/p>

Maybe a completely different thought pops into your head.<\/p>

Or perhaps you realise:<\/p>

“Actually, I’m not angry about what happened. I’m hurt and disappointed that nobody protected me.”<\/p>

When the emotional intensity changes, our relationship with the problem can change too.<\/b><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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We follow what comes up<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The process isn’t usually a straight line.<\/p>

You might start with:<\/p>

“I hate my body.”<\/p>

And discover:<\/p>

“I’m scared people won’t find me attractive.”<\/p>

Then:<\/p>

“I’m afraid I’ll be rejected, I will be single and have no friends, unless I lose weight.”<\/p>

Then:<\/p>

“I’ve felt like the fat girl since primary school, because I was always last to be chosen for sports teams.”<\/p>

Then you remember something someone said to you years ago, or a very hurtful social media comment, or how your grandmother forced you to eat everything on your plate.<\/p>

We call this:\u00a0peeling of the emotional onion<\/b>.<\/p>

We’re not trying to force ourselves to find a particular memory or uncover some hidden cause.<\/p>

We are paying attention to what emerges as we work with the issue and follow the thread of the subconscious.<\/p>

A problem that initially seems simple can have many layers: thoughts, emotions, beliefs, physical sensations, memories and experiences.<\/b><\/p>

EFT allows us to work with those aspects one at a time.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u201cIn EFT, it\u2019s not just about the problem as a whole, but about the many layers that make it up – thoughts, beliefs, emotions, symptoms, and past events. <\/strong><\/p>

By addressing each aspect individually, we bring more precision and depth to the healing process, allowing for lasting transformation\u201d <\/strong><\/p>

Dr Peta Stapelton<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Once there's space, we can respond differently<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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This is where the cognitive side of EFT comes in.<\/p>

When we’re highly emotionally activated, it can be difficult to see a situation differently.<\/p>

But once some of that intensity has shifted, you may suddenly be able to consider a different perspective.<\/p>

Not:<\/p>

“I must love my body!”<\/p>

if you don’t believe it.<\/p>

But perhaps:<\/p>

“My body isn’t my enemy.”<\/p>

“I learned to speak to myself this way.”<\/p>

“I don’t have to punish myself for eating.”<\/p>

“Other people’s opinions don’t determine my worth.”<\/p>

“I can take care of myself without hating myself.”<\/p>

This is where EFT draws on principles used in cognitive therapies: examining the thoughts, beliefs and interpretations attached to an experience and creating the possibility of a different response.<\/p>

You’re not simply replacing a negative thought with a positive one.<\/p>

You’re creating enough space to question the old response and practise something different.<\/b><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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And this is where neuroplasticity comes in<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Your brain is not fixed.<\/p>

It changes throughout your life in response to experience, learning and repetition. This ability is known as neuroplasticity<\/b>.<\/p>

Think about a response you’ve had hundreds of times.<\/p>

Perhaps criticism immediately makes you defensive.<\/p>

Looking in the mirror triggers shame.<\/p>

Feeling stressed sends you straight towards food.<\/p>

Making a mistake immediately makes you attack yourself.<\/p>

The response can become very familiar.<\/p>

But familiarity doesn’t mean you’re stuck with it forever.<\/p>

When you repeatedly experience the same trigger while responding differently, you’re giving your brain a different experience to learn from.<\/p>

Instead of:<\/p>

Trigger \u2192 automatic reaction<\/b><\/p>

you’re practising:<\/p>

Trigger \u2192 pause \u2192 notice \u2192 respond differently<\/b><\/p>

With repetition, new patterns can become easier to access.<\/p>

EFT isn’t just about feeling better during a tapping session. The aim is to change the way you respond to the issue in your life.<\/b><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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So what is actually happening when you tap?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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EFT brings these elements together in one process:<\/p>

You identify the problem.<\/b><\/p>

\u2193<\/p>

You bring it into focus.<\/b><\/p>

\u2193<\/p>

You name and experience the emotions connected to it.<\/b><\/p>

\u2193<\/p>

You tap while staying present with the experience.<\/b><\/p>

\u2193<\/p>

The emotional intensity may begin to shift.<\/b><\/p>

\u2193<\/p>

New thoughts, memories, sensations or perspectives can emerge.<\/b><\/p>

\u2193<\/p>

You work with what comes up rather than automatically returning to the old response.<\/b><\/p>

\u2193<\/p>

You practise responding differently.<\/b><\/p>

And over time, repeated experiences can help you develop new patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving.<\/p>

That’s one of my favourite parts of EFT:<\/p>

You’re not trying to convince yourself that you feel differently.<\/b><\/p>

You’re working directly with the experience that is keeping you stuck, while allowing your brain and body to experience it differently.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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EFT can help you work with what's underneath the behaviour<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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This is particularly important when the problem isn’t really about the behaviour itself.<\/p>

For example, emotional eating might look like a food problem on the surface.<\/p>

But underneath it might be:<\/p>

stress \u2192 “I need comfort”<\/b><\/p>

shame \u2192 “I’ve already ruined it, so what’s the point?”<\/b><\/p>

restriction \u2192 “I can’t have this”<\/b><\/p>

rejection \u2192 “Food is the only thing that makes me feel better”<\/b><\/p>

body shame \u2192 “I don’t deserve to take care of myself until I lose weight”<\/b><\/p>

When you work with the emotional experiences and beliefs underneath the behaviour, you’re no longer just trying to control the behaviour.<\/p>

You’re changing your relationship with what drives it.<\/b><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tZarezerwuj bezp\u0142atn\u0105 konsulacje<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

How does EFT work? https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ju0tc7_D0vA EFT seems very strange at first. Don’t worry, we’ve all been there, scratching our heads rather than tapping on it, wondering:\u00a0 How can tapping on your face can possibly change the way you feel? Let me explain. EFT brings together several things at once: focused attention, emotional processing, psychological techniques […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template-home.php","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-584","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.katshakti.com\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/584","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.katshakti.com\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.katshakti.com\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.katshakti.com\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.katshakti.com\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=584"}],"version-history":[{"count":180,"href":"https:\/\/www.katshakti.com\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/584\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14687,"href":"https:\/\/www.katshakti.com\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/584\/revisions\/14687"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.katshakti.com\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=584"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}