Otherwise known as “energy psychology” or “emotional acupressure,” EFT began as an experiment by psychologist Roger Callahan, PhD. His clients started showing enhanced improvement when he tapped on their faces using acupressure points he had read about. Then Gary Craig, a Stanford engineer, developed this discovery into a complete technique that has been passed on to those interested in relief from distress for the past 20 years (www.emofree.com). More and more studies are proving most diseases begin with the way we think—negative thinking, compulsive thinking, or any kind of thinking that does not serve our best interests and thus the best interests of those around us.

            EFT works by neutralizing the static buildup in our central nervous systems. It is done with simple tapping on specific acupuncture points. An individualized dialogue with the tapping addresses a specific physical problem that has an emotional component or relates to an unresolved emotional issue.

            EFT techniques can be mechanically simple or can be more of an art form. For instance, other techniques, such as neurolinguistic programming (NLP), nonviolent communication (NVC), kinesiology (muscle testing), and aromatherapy, can be combined with EFT. Adding these extras can quickly and effectively help surface deep core issues with minimal or no pain.

            An example of how EFT can help would be working with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); the technique would cruise the memory as if in a movie, tapping before the crescendo. The result, which ensues with a lot of intuitive work, is that the clients/patients have the memory but not the emotional charge. They are more able to deal with their lives and drop the heavy weight they have been carrying around. The physiological result is that serotonin is released for a natural state of well-being. In addition, many people have improved their immune systems with this technique.

            One five-minute session stands out for me. My client’s right arm was contracted at the elbow at 90 degrees for two days from punching on the punching bag for too long. After I tapped on anger issues, slowly the arm began to give way and relaxed to its normal range of motion!

            In my EFT workshops, I offer education on the body-mind connection and emphasize being nonjudgmental with ourselves and others. For example, we might start out by tapping the fleshy part of the hand, on the side of the pinkie finger, and say, “Even though I allowed myself to get irritated again with her high voice, I still love and accept myself profoundly.” Then we continue working through the kaleidoscope of emotions and self-talk, or “writings we have on our internal walls.” As Gary Craig says, “It is all an inside job.”

            An additional plus with EFT is that follow-up phone sessions can often do just as well as a personal session. EFT can be fun, informative, and even transformative.

For more information on EFT and how both one-on-one and group sessions work, contact Sharon Cardenas at www.EnergyRemedies.us or 530-556-6753. Sharon has volunteered her EFT work at the Esplanade House, Shalom Free Clinic, and for various patients in nursing homes, and 20 percent of her workshop proceeds go toward starting up a Women’s Health Clinic in Cayambe, Ecuador.

            You can also contact Suzie Greene at 530-966-1999.

            If you are interested in joining an EFT healing circle, contact The Goddess Temple at www.chicogoddesstemple.com.