Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) 'Tapping'
Also known as 'Tapping', EFT is an evidence-based therapeutic technique combining modern psychological techniques with ancient Chinese Healing of activating specific acupressure points.
What Exactly is EFT, or ‘Tapping’?
The Impact of Stress on Our Lives
The World Health Organisation has identified “Stress” as the “Health Epidemic of the 21st Century”. To many of us this is no real surprise. Nevertheless, this is a serious issue due to the widespread impact stress can have on all of our lives.
Stress is so detrimental to our physical health, because during times of stress, our immune systems are significantly suppressed. This means that our immune system's ability to fight off antigens, or bugs, like bacteria and viruses, is markedly reduced, and therefore we become more susceptible to infections and illnesses.
In addition to this, stress has been linked to a range of other physical and mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, weight gain, skin issues, sleep problems, lack of motivation and energy, difficulties with concentration and memory, chronic pain, gastrointestinal issues, autoimmune disorders, cardiovascular disease, fertility issues, headaches and migraines and so so many more.
Image from ReachOut Australia. https://au.reachout.com/articles/what-stress-does-to-the-body
The Good News?
EFT, or Tapping, has been scientifically proven to reduce stress, improve sleep, reduce anxiety, relieve pain, increase productivity, and so much more!
How does EFT Work on Improving Our Stress Response?
Thanks to the incredible work of scientists around the globe, we now have a plethora of peer-reviewed research articles showing one of the ways in which EFT has such a significant and widespread impact on individuals physical and mental health. These studies have reported that EFT, or Tapping, significantly reduces the levels of cortisol, otherwise known as the ‘stress hormone’, circulating in the body.
During times of stress, increased levels of cortisol are released into our bloodstream, hence cortisol is commonly referred to as the ‘stress hormone’. Usually, the body's stress response system is self-limiting. Once the event, or perceived threat, has passed, cortisol levels return to normal, as do our heart rate, blood pressure and respiration. However when stressors are frequently present, and we feel that we are under constant attack, or stress, our fight/flight/freeze response continue to be activated, and we remain in a constant state of ‘survival mode’, ready to react at any moment.
Long-term activation of our stress response system can disrupt almost all of our body's processes and systems. As mentioned earlier, this increases our risk of developing many physical and mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, weight gain, sleep problems, lack of motivation and energy, difficulties with concentration and memory, headaches, chronic pain, gastrointestinal issues, autoimmune disorders, cardiovascular disease and so so many more.
Tapping can be used on a daily basis to reduce the stress and anxiety that is interfering with your happiness and well-being. You can use Tapping to help you fall asleep at night, to help you overcome your paralyzing fear of driving, and everything in between.
How does EFT Work?
The mechanisms behind EFT include deactivation of the amygdala (stress centre in the brain) and hippocampus (memory centre), as well as recent research into vagal nerve improvement. EFT has also been shown to significantly lower cortisol levels, which is the stress hormone. Research on gene expression indicates EFT has the ability to down regulate genes associated with the stress response, and up-regulate or improve immune functioning.
But What Exactly Does That Mean?
Tapping regulates the nervous system and boosts the immune system by putting the body back into the parasympathetic (relaxation) nervous system response. This allows the immune system, digestive system, reproductive system, and endocrine system to function as it should.
Reducing stress also reduces cortisol levels in the body. This reduction aids your body's ability to fight inflammation and boost your immune system.
The most remarkable study regarding Tapping and stress hormones was a landmark study by Dr. Dawson Church published in 2012 in the prestigious Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease. The study found that EFT Tapping lowered cortisol significantly more than traditional talk therapy or resting. You can read more about that here and also check out the 2020 replicated study by Dr. Peta Stapleton.
What EFT Therapy Options Are Available?
I offer short-term and long-term therapy EFT options.
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Appointments can be face-to-face in Jamisontown and the Lower Blue Mountains.
I can also do EFT via Video-link/zoom sessions for anyone in Australia.
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I am able to see all NDIS participants.
How Can I Book a Counselling Session?
For more information, or to book an appointment:
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Contact Jess on 0493 613 883 or empoweredmindbody@gmail.com
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), often referred to as ‘Tapping’, is a powerful stress reduction and emotion regulation technique. Tapping uses a combination of modern psychological therapies, along with physical activation of specific traditional acupressure points.
This combination of modern psychological techniques, along with ancient Chinese medicine has been researched and established to be effective for a wide range of issues including stress, phobias and other anxieties, depression, post traumatic stress disorder, chronic pain, weight gain, sleep problems, and many others.