Phobias

Talk therapy is most often ineffective with phobias because phobias are created as “episodic memory.” That is, when we go through an experience with a heightened emotional charge, we remember it automatically as a single unit. All the various parts of it deemed by our “primitive brain” as essential to protect us are held together in the memory. For example, a car accident might be held as the smell of rubber, the sound of screeching tires, and the sight of splintering glass. Later, whenever any of these sounds or sights happens—to a certain extent—our nervous system reacts as if the car accident were happening now.

If an EFT Practitioner can get at the parts of the trauma experientially (versus through just talking about them), they can be relieved of the emotional charge, and the phobia is gone. EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) is a method that is extremely effective in alleviating many phobias. EFT practitioners help people with phobias by having them focus on the event(s) tied to the phobia and simultaneously use EFT Tapping on acupuncture meridian points.

Addictions

Treating addiction with EFT tapping is a two-part process. The most urgent issue is typically the physical craving.  Tapping can provide surprisingly fast relief for cravings, which allows people to lower their use/intake of the addicting substance or activity surprisingly quickly. For true long-term resolution of any addiction, you also need to address the root causes, which are the unresolved emotional issues behind the addiction. For example, an alcoholic who began drinking excessively after a divorce would ultimately need to do the EFT process around his or her feelings of loss or betrayal from the breakdown of that marriage, rather than just tapping on the alcohol abuse. To do that, of course, that person has to want to stop drinking, and be willing to engage in the addiction recovery process.