EFT ? Emotional Freedom Techniques - is a new self-improvement technique for resolving emotional and physical troubles. With its roots in the Chinese system of medicine, EFT is like acupuncture without needles. Whilst repeating certain words and phrases, clients tap gently on specific stress relief points on the body to generate emotional and physical relief. But what to do when the procedures don't seem to generate the desired results?

Here are my 4 lines of attack to turn your occasional EFT success into routine.

Persistence

Who knows how many emotional issues we each have, and how many of those block access to other, deeper ones, or resist resolution because part of us believes (usually mistakenly) that they are serving some useful purpose (or perhaps a purpose that was once useful, but is no longer). For these and other reasons, simple persistence is quoted by Gary Craig as one of the main secrets to success with EFT. To increase likelihood of success, try tapping around as many different aspects and angles about the situation or problem as you can think of. Swap sessions with another Practitioner. Offer to exchange services with a Practitioner if you don't practice EFT yourself. Some trainers also offer a swap list whereby participants on EFT Training courses can swap telephone therapy sessions, without charge.

The Reminder Phrase Has A Purpose!

The reminder phrase, repeated at each tapping meridian point, is there to do exactly that! To keep you focussed on the issue and not on the tapping itself. Think of the tapping as just a side issue. If you or your client are new to EFT, remind them that the point of the tapping is to focus on the issue that is bothering you, not the tapping! It can be quite distracting performing the tapping whilst remaining focussed on the problem, so if you're the therapist, try tapping on your client for extended periods to allow them to remain focussed fully 100% on the issue. I often ?challenge? my clients (in a nice way) to remain focussed on whatever the feeling or emotion is, despite my tapping on them. Or, if you're a hypnotherapist, invite your client in to a light trance to enable an ongoing internal focus, then begin tapping on them.

Aspects

Typically, if the problem ?comes back? what is really happening is that unresolved aspects of the issue, which did not surface for treatment during initial clinic time, are now showing up. This does *not* mean that EFT doesn't work, or was unsuccessful. On the contrary, EFT is extremely successful and extremely thorough at collapsing all aspects of an issue (more so than any other therapy I know of.) Even with the best intentions in the world and an extremely competent therapist, some aspects can remain uncovered for various reasons. Or, perhaps the client is simply not ready yet to ?go there? emotionally. To get round this, try role-playing the perpetrator in the situation that brings the client discomfort. Have the client teach you how to be that person as vividly as possible and exaggerate the gestures, sounds, looks, etc to increase intensity and allow EFT the opportunity to resolve the underlying issue.

Accept The Issue

We spend so much of our lives rejecting certain parts of us, ignoring the messages they give us and pushing them away that it becomes normal. Turning to aspirin for a headache is the accepted way of dealing with the issues your unconscious is throwing up for resolution. Whilst tapping, send that part of you, whether physical or emotional, absolute and unconditional acceptance, and the messages it is sending you. Remember that we are tapping on the problem and nothing else. Often I will have clients alternate the reminder phrase with a self-acceptance phrase such as ?I profoundly and completely accept this part of me, without judgement?.