How can I know EFT will work?
It is understandable with the number of charlatans out in the world that any therapy that is going to be used and recommended by large trusted organisations needs to be properly tested to prove that it actually is effective – and not just snake oil!
The leading psychological association in America – and therefore probably the world, is the American Psychological Association (APA). They have developed criteria to prove the efficacy of new therapies, which EFT researchers have adhered to
To date there have been many high quality studies done by top notch science orientated people who have seen the benefits of EFT and have pushed to prove its effectiveness (efficacy) to the world and provided some very impressive results.
Dawson Church has been one of the leaders in pushing this and produced a comprehensive report available at this link.
Clinical EFT as an Evidence-Based Practice for the Treatment of Psychological and Physiological Conditions Psychology
2013 Vol.4, No.8, 645-654
Published Online August 2013 in SciRes ( Science Research, an academic publisher) Here is a link to the site, as it keeps changing you will need to copy and paste the report title from above into the search bar.
My best shot at trying to evaluate and shorten the paper is:-
Clinical EFT (the method I use) is defined as an ‘evidence based’ method that has been validated in research studies that met APA standards.
Efficacy (effectiveness of) any drug, therapy, or anything subjected to clinical trials is defined by the symbol p< ….
It is measured with a kind of reverse negativity – so what is the probability that the results are due to chance
A 1 in 20 probability that the results are due to chance = p< .05 = Statistically significant
A 1 in 1000 probability that the results are due to chance = p< .001 = Highly significant
So the smaller the p< value is – the more effective the ‘product’ is.
Randomized Control Trials were performed under the strict guidelines in double blind studies
Clinical EFT was found to be highly significant in many randomized control trials and statically significant in some, it was found that:-
1) It reduces symptoms for a variety of psychological conditions including phobias, PTSD, anxiety, and depression.
2) It improves physical symptoms such as pain, and autoimmune conditions such as psoriasis and fibromyalgia.
3) It aids in reducing cravings and promoting weight loss.
4) It produces physiological regulation of the autonomic nervous system and the HPA axis.
5) It can simultaneously reduce a range of psychological conditions, e.g., diminishing anxiety and depression along with PTSD.
6) It can simultaneously reduce both psychological and physiological problems, e.g., fibromyalgia or TBI concurrent with PTSD, anxiety, and depression.
7) It is safe, both when self-administered and when administered by others.
8) It is efficient and cost effective, showing efficacy when delivered to both groups and individuals.
9) It works quickly. Treatment time frames range from one session for phobias to six sessions for PTSD.
10) Early evidence points to its efficacy when it is delivered online.
11) It can play a useful part in early intervention following human-caused and natural disasters.
Clinical EFT has been accepted as ‘efficious’ or ‘probably efficious’ by the APA
The long and short of it is EFT has been proved to work beyond a shadow of a doubt through proper clinical trials.
For your interest, although I have not referenced it as it is information I have picked up along the way,
Tapping (EFT) is faster and more effective than CBT, 3 studies have equated EFT to CBT and EMDR when used with anxiety and PTSD – although these studies did not state that the participants preferred using EFT to the other therapies.
A very quick round up of a study done with PTSD trauma victims of genocide in Rwanda
Of 400 Children, 188 of them remembered being orphaned in the genocide 12 years earlier
With permission they tested 50 children with a test for PTSD developed in the USA.
Before the study 100% of the 50 children had PTSD,
After the 1ST session only 6% still displayed symptoms of PTSD
When they came back after a year only 8% were displaying symptoms of PTSD
On sessions run on PTSD with CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) 100% suffered before therapy, after 12 sessions the amount of subjects suffering was reduced to 60%
EFT is currently looking like it might be more effective than any other therapy being used at the moment.
These preliminary figures are fantastic, impressive and exciting, however, those in the EFT community would be the first to admit that these are only small studies, and that some much larger scale studies are needed to be able to get really excited about it all.
There are plenty more studies pointing to the very high efficacy of EFT
In case you are not sure what a scientific psychological trial involves they are explained in this YouTube video in a rather jovial manner.
TFT (Father of EFT) is now listed in this link as evidence based (EFT is currently under review)
The effect of EFT on stress biochemistry: a randomized controlled trial. The EFT group experienced a significant decrease in cortisol level as can be seen in this report
Emotional Freedom Techniques for Anxiety: A Systematic Review With Meta-analysis. EFT treatment demonstrated a significant decrease in anxiety scores. Here is a link to the report.
The Emotional Freedom Technique: Finally, a Unifying Theory for the Practice of Holistic Nursing, or Too Good to Be True?
This is an abstract from the abstract on the PubMed site available here.
More than 60 research articles in peer-reviewed journals report a staggering 98% efficacy rate with the use of this procedure from psychological distress (posttraumatic stress disorder, phobias, anxiety, depression, etc.) to physical conditions (asthma, fibromyalgia, pain, seizure disorders, etc.) to performance issues (athletic, academic).
Tony Stewart and the effectiveness of EFT :
Can Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) be effective in the treatment of emotional conditions? Results of a Service Evaluation in the NHS in Sandwell the report is available at this link.
The main challenge when running trials with EFT has been sample size (amount of people involved in the trial) – The thing with EFT is that it is very personal, for example the thing that makes one person afraid of spiders might be very different to the next person who is afraid of spiders, and in order for EFT to work it needs to be tailored to the individual, so doing a controlled study on a large group is very challenging.
Also the relative newness of the therapy means that it really is still in baby stages and more and more studies are coming through month on month.
These reasons do nothing to disparage the overwhelming notion that EFT is an extremely effective, non-harmful treatment with no side effects that is just brilliant!