with San Diego Therapist Susannah Muller
The Scientific Evidence behind EFT
&
Why I use EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique, aka “Tapping”) in my Psychotherapy Practice
EFT = Emotional Relief
EFT = Research-Backed Leading Edge Technique.
This leading edge Energy Psychology (EP) technique has been a trail-blazer in the field of mental health over the last 20+ years. Because it is so different from how we normally think about dealing with emotions and psychological issues, this amazing technique has had trouble gaining acceptance across the board in the mental health field. But the people who used it saw how amazing and effective it was and were motivated to spread the word. They encouraged research because they knew it would prove EFT’s validity, and now, according to the Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology, (see Energy Psychology Research), while there are over 400 identified forms of psychotherapy, most of them have little or no research to validate them. However, EP is both evidence-based and is in the top 10% in terms of amount of research behind a psychological modality.
- Over 100 research studies, review articles and meta-analyses have been published in professional, peer-reviewed journals, including:
- 48 randomized control trails
- 40 outcome studies – 98% of these document EP effectiveness
- 4 meta-analyses – 3 showing strong support for EP and one showing EFT effective for PTSD
- 5 systematic reviews
- Hundreds of case studies (You can visit energypsych.org/research to view and access a comprehensive list of studies.)
- In 2016, Thought Field Therapy or TFT (an EP technique similar to EFT) was validated by NREPP (the National Repertory of Evidence-Based Practices and Procedures, a division of SAMHSA in the US) as evidence-based treatment.
Here are two webpages that are kept updated with all of the latest research relating to EFT and other EP methods: EFT Universe (this is a good place to start) and The State of Energy Psychology Research (very thorough page, listing all studies to date).
An interesting article for skeptics.
In brief, many years ago, as a member of the Department of Psychiatry at John Hopkins, Dr. David Feinstein investigated many varied therapy approaches and found none consistently brought lasting therapeutic change. After being exposed to EFT for many years and dismissing its claims of effectiveness, he finally decided to undertake a study of it as he had the other approaches. He found himself surprised and intrigued. In this article, Dr. Feinstein reports on the scientific evidence behind EFT, including randomized, controlled trials (the “gold standard” for research), and how his study of EFT eventually convinced him, a true skeptic, of the power and effectiveness of EFT. Please read the article for more information about how and why he changed his mind, see: Acupoint Stimulation Research Review.
A great article that explains EFT.
The Tapping Technique - Research at Havard Medical School reveals a revolutionary approach to conquering stress, depression and more