What is Emotional Freedom Technique Or “Tapping” And How Can It Help Your Parenting?
Posted by: Sue Atkins
What is EFT?
Emotional Freedom Technique is the new therapy for the 21st century as it is a very safe way to get rid of anxiety, stress, and feelings of guilt and overwhelm that lots of parents suffer from.
It is based on tapping different Chinese meridian lines with your fingers – and you’ve probably heard lots of people talking about tapping their problems away.
You may have seen Paul McKenna on British television demonstrating how tapping various points on your body can alleviate stress, anger and phobias. He has also shown how it can treat weight loss, smoking and other addictions and I first became impressed with it through regularly assisting Paul on his Easy Weight Loss Seminars.
Or you may have heard Chris Evans using it on his BBC Radio 2 Drive Time Show to enthusiastic responses from his listeners or seen Whoopi Goldberg on Jonathan Ross’ Show as she used it to cure her fear of flying recently to come to London to promote “Sister Act” in the West End. (You can watch her tapping video on Youtube)
Tens of thousands of people worldwide have already used EFT to conquer their anger, increase their energy or let go of negative feelings. It has also been used to great effect in treating trauma victims in Kosovo, Iraq and Uganda and after natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina.
As a EFT Parenting Specialist, trained in the Callahan Techniques, I use it with parents and children as another tool in my coaching toolkit as it is a completely safe way of eliminating stressful or anxious feelings with no side effects.
Here are some facts about EFT or Emotional Freedom Technique:
- it is extraordinarily powerful: most people using the correct tapping algorithms receive nearly immediate relief from their distress
- it has no adverse side effects
- it doesn’t require you to discuss your problems, worries or anxieties with anyone, something that discourages many parents from seeking help in the first place
- it is extremely quick, with most treatments needing no more than 5 minutes!
As Paul McKenna is quoted as saying:
“When I first read about tapping, I had no idea of the positive effect it was going to have on my life and the lives of so many people that I have come into contact with. I have been practicing tapping and evangelistically spreading the word of this wonderful technology now for several years and I never cease to be amazed by the powerful effect that it has upon people to change their lives for the better.”
I created my tapping EFT ebook after training with Roger Callahan and his wife Joanne as I feel EFT can help you on a very practical and simple level – you have another tool to dip in and out of in your parenting toolkit when you, or your child, needs it!
Contact me on [email protected] for a free copy.
Here’s what others have said about working with me using EFT or tapping:
“As I was tapping I could feel my fear of spiders going away from me. I felt much lighter. It was weird but wonderful. The next night when I found a spider in the bath I opened the window, got a tissue, picked it up and popped him out of the window. How cool is that?”
Stacey Paine: aged 14, from London
“Without having the faintest idea how it works, or why, I can only say how truly amazed I was when my frustration with my daughter’s untidy bedroom just seemed to disappear and get into perspective as if by magic.”
Helen Vine: Mum from Newcastle
“I just can’t get worked up about putting my hand up in class anymore. I just feel calm and relaxed even when I think about it.”
Will Rogers: aged 15, from Dorset
“I don’t care how silly it seems at first because I got rid of my exam nerves just by tapping so I’m hooked. Tapping is actually amazing and I do it in the loo at school whenever I need a quiet moment to centre myself.”
Rosie Martin: aged 17, from East Sussex
“Well, I just can’t believe it. My little boy Sean had a toddler tantrum in Sainsbury’s just by the check out as I wouldn’t buy him the sweets he wanted so I took him out of the queue, held his arm and tapped out the toddler sequence on myself and he just calmed down there and then! I just want to tell everyone I know about this now – it’s remarkable.”
Nadine Franklin: mum of 2 year old Sean, from Southampton
“Mum said to think about what was scaring me about starting my new secondary school and I felt all tearful then she showed me how to tap the starting a new school sequence and it just seemed to go away. So now when I feel a bit scared when I’m trying to find my way round I just tap and I feel loads more relaxed.”
Molly Atkins: aged 16, from Surrey
Most people are astonished at the fast results and rapid relief from tapping out their negative feelings – so relax. get curious and explore the limitless uses for EFT
EFT can help with:
OCD
Phobias
Toddler Tantrums
Bedwetting
Fear of spiders
Exam nerves
Sibling Rivalry
Fear of the dark
Difficulty sleeping
Handling divorce positively
Managing your ex partner more resourcefully and confidently
Untidy bedrooms made easy!
Morning sickness
Embarrassment and self conscious teenagers
ADHD
Reversal of concepts, numbers, and letters
Fear of needles and the dentist
Fear of flying
Anxiety about starting a new school
Grief and sadness
General phobias
Peak performance
Helpful Tapping Tips
Here are our tried-and-tested tips to make tapping easy for you and your kids.
- Familiarise yourself with the technique so you are confident in using it to your child. Work on your own issues too – be a role model.
- Introduce tapping in a light-hearted manner, don’t “force or make” older kids work on things unless they are open and interested. Encourage introducing it as a “self-help technique” they can use anytime for any issue, anxiety, worry or challenge (mainly older kids). This means they are less likely to feel they need “fixing” and fosters a sense of empowerment.
- Make it fun – for younger children try using the words “magic buttons” to describe the tapping points or give them each a name i.e.: “the topknot spot” for the top of the head or the “Tarzan spot” for the collarbone point.
- Go slow and steady – concentrate one issue at a time so as not to create an overwhelm for either of you and to allow better understanding of their improvement.
- Encourage children aged 6 and above to tap on themselves (you can always tap along as well) as this creates confidence in their ability to self-regulate. They can then go and teach their friends how to tap too!
- Don’t give up – every bit of tapping you do is helping to re-program their subconscious and build resilience. Be persistent and don’t be afraid to ask for help from a practitioner, especially for more complex issues. I’m on 01883 818329
As you can see, there are many ways in which EFT can help you and your children alleviate stress and other symptoms so prevalent in today’s society and particularly recovering from living through a pandemic.
When negative emotions and beliefs are cleared away , the results are happier, more confident and empowered kids and subsequently, parents
If you would like to work with me using this cutting edge, powerful & empowering tool call 01883 818329 or email me on [email protected] so we can arrange your session.
