Emotional Freedom Techniques
Encyclopedia
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) is an alternative
intervention
technique, described by some proponents as "energy psychology
". EFT has the goal of desensitization
, and utilizes the tapping of acupuncture point
s while a client focuses on a specific issue. It was derived from Thought Field Therapy
by Gary Craig, a neuro-linguistic programming
practitioner who gave the technique away freely in an online manual.
As with other alternative medicines lacking a plausible mechanism, critics have described EFT as "probably nonsense" and "unfalsifiable
and therefore outside the realm of science
." One controlled study stated that any benefit is due to traditional cognitive components, such as the placebo effect, the distraction from negative thoughts, and the therapeutic benefit of having someone actually listen, rather than from manipulation of meridians
.
then repeating an orienting affirmation
such as "Even though I feel this anxiety, I deeply and completely accept myself" while rubbing a specific spot on the chest. Next, a series of acupressure points are tapped or rubbed while stating a similar phrase. The third part of the sequence involves rubbing a point on the back of the hand whilst performing eye movements and diverse neural task. The emotional intensity is then rescored. Parts 2 and 3 are repeated until the emotional intensity shows no improvement. EFT is very simple; almost exactly the same points are tapped, regardless of which illness, pain, or emotion the user wants to address.
and Okanagan University College
published a controlled clinical study that concludes that "components shared with more traditional therapies" are responsible for the effects of EFT in reducing fear and anxiety. Tapping plays the role of distraction, and similar effects are found when tapping on a meridian point, an arbitrary point, or on a doll.
A 2011 randomized trial compared EFT with eye movement desensitization and reprocessing
(EMDR). The study found similar improvements in both groups, although EMDR produced a slightly higher proportion of patients with substantial clinical changes compared with EFT. Due to the "speculative nature" of EFT, the authors recommend further study on what constitute the active elements of the therapy. The trial did not include a control or placebo group, and the effectiveness and scientific basis of EMDR is also an issue of ongoing debate.
Several studies reporting positive findings have been published in journals that have since disappeared, journals with an explicitly pro-alternative medicine brief, or have been funded by or carried out by proponents of EFT or "energy psychology" generally.
, based on what the journal identifies as its lack of falsifiability
, reliance on anecdotal evidence
, aggressive promotion via the Internet and word of mouth. Gary Craig, the originator of EFT, has argued that tapping on meridian points on the body will manipulate the energy flow in the meridians, thus releasing the disturbance. There are many pressure points used by acupuncturists not included in EFT methodology; it is suggested that tapping one such point may have incidental effects. Scientists have pointed out that such an argument renders EFT untestable by the scientific method
and that it therefore needs to be categorized as a pseudoscience, however beneficial some may consider it. EFT's successes are also thought to stem from "characteristics it shares with more traditional therapies", rather than manipulation of supposed "energy meridians" via tapping acupuncture points. There is no known anatomical or histological basis for the existence of acupuncture points or meridians. Testing of the EFT hypothesis through the use of a placebo group produced the same positive changes in recipients as following the EFT's standard methodology. A 2007 article by Oliver Burkeman
suggested that the act of tapping parts of the body in a complicated sequence acts as a distraction, and therefore can appear to alleviate the root distress.
Criticism has also been made of the creator Gary Craig, a NLP
practitioner, who has no medical background and who "offers EFT as an ordained minister".
Alternative medicine
Alternative medicine is any healing practice, "that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine." It is based on historical or cultural traditions, rather than on scientific evidence....
intervention
Intervention (counseling)
An intervention is an orchestrated attempt by one, or often many, people to get someone to seek professional help with an addiction or some kind of traumatic event or crisis, or other serious problem. The term intervention is most often used when the traumatic event involves addiction to drugs...
technique, described by some proponents as "energy psychology
Energy medicine
Energy medicine is one of five domains of "complementary and alternative medicine" identified by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the United States...
". EFT has the goal of desensitization
Desensitization (psychology)
In psychology, desensitization is a process for mitigating the harmful effects of phobias or other disorders. It also occurs when an emotional response is repeatedly evoked in situations in which the action tendency that is associated with the emotion proves irrelevant or unnecessary...
, and utilizes the tapping of acupuncture point
Acupuncture point
Acupuncture points are locations on the body that are the focus of acupuncture, acupressure, sonopuncture and laser acupuncture treatment. Several hundred acupuncture points are considered to be located along meridians...
s while a client focuses on a specific issue. It was derived from Thought Field Therapy
Thought Field Therapy
Thought Field Therapy, or TFT, is a fringe psychological treatment developed by an American psychologist, Roger Callahan. Its proponents say that it can heal a variety of mental and physical ailments through specialized "tapping" with the fingers at meridian points on the upper body and hands...
by Gary Craig, a neuro-linguistic programming
Neuro-linguistic programming
Neuro-linguistic programming is an approach to psychotherapy, self-help and organizational change. Founders Richard Bandler and John Grinder say that NLP is a model of interpersonal communication and a system of alternative therapy which seeks to educate people in self-awareness and effective...
practitioner who gave the technique away freely in an online manual.
As with other alternative medicines lacking a plausible mechanism, critics have described EFT as "probably nonsense" and "unfalsifiable
Falsifiability
Falsifiability or refutability of an assertion, hypothesis or theory is the logical possibility that it can be contradicted by an observation or the outcome of a physical experiment...
and therefore outside the realm of science
Pseudoscience
Pseudoscience is a claim, belief, or practice which is presented as scientific, but which does not adhere to a valid scientific method, lacks supporting evidence or plausibility, cannot be reliably tested, or otherwise lacks scientific status...
." One controlled study stated that any benefit is due to traditional cognitive components, such as the placebo effect, the distraction from negative thoughts, and the therapeutic benefit of having someone actually listen, rather than from manipulation of meridians
Meridian (Chinese medicine)
The meridian is a path through which the life-energy known as "qi" is believed to flow, in traditional Chinese medicine. There is no physically verifiable anatomical or histological basis for the existence of acupuncture points or meridians.- Main concepts :...
.
Process
Its founder says the techniques can be used to treat a range of emotional issues. The procedure consists of the participant rating the emotional intensity of their reaction on a Likert scaleLikert scale
A Likert scale is a psychometric scale commonly involved in research that employs questionnaires. It is the most widely used approach to scaling responses in survey research, such that the term is often used interchangeably with rating scale, or more accurately the Likert-type scale, even though...
then repeating an orienting affirmation
Affirmations (New Age)
Affirmations in New Age and New Thought terminology refers primarily to the practice of positive thinking—fostering a belief that "a positive mental attitude supported by affirmations will achieve success in anything." More specifically an affirmation is a carefully formatted statement that should...
such as "Even though I feel this anxiety, I deeply and completely accept myself" while rubbing a specific spot on the chest. Next, a series of acupressure points are tapped or rubbed while stating a similar phrase. The third part of the sequence involves rubbing a point on the back of the hand whilst performing eye movements and diverse neural task. The emotional intensity is then rescored. Parts 2 and 3 are repeated until the emotional intensity shows no improvement. EFT is very simple; almost exactly the same points are tapped, regardless of which illness, pain, or emotion the user wants to address.
Research
In 2003, researchers at the University of LethbridgeUniversity of Lethbridge
The University of Lethbridge is a publicly-funded comprehensive academic and research university, founded in the liberal education tradition, located in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, with two other urban campuses in Calgary and Edmonton. The main building sits among the coulees on the west side of...
and Okanagan University College
Okanagan University College
Okanagan University College was a public, post-secondary educational institution based in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. It evolved from Okanagan College , and the college's predecessor, the B.C. Vocational School 1963-1965...
published a controlled clinical study that concludes that "components shared with more traditional therapies" are responsible for the effects of EFT in reducing fear and anxiety. Tapping plays the role of distraction, and similar effects are found when tapping on a meridian point, an arbitrary point, or on a doll.
A 2011 randomized trial compared EFT with eye movement desensitization and reprocessing
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is a form of psychotherapy that was developed by Francine Shapiro to resolve the development of trauma-related disorders caused by exposure to distressing events such as rape or military combat...
(EMDR). The study found similar improvements in both groups, although EMDR produced a slightly higher proportion of patients with substantial clinical changes compared with EFT. Due to the "speculative nature" of EFT, the authors recommend further study on what constitute the active elements of the therapy. The trial did not include a control or placebo group, and the effectiveness and scientific basis of EMDR is also an issue of ongoing debate.
Several studies reporting positive findings have been published in journals that have since disappeared, journals with an explicitly pro-alternative medicine brief, or have been funded by or carried out by proponents of EFT or "energy psychology" generally.
Critical reception
EFT has been identified as a pseudoscience in the Skeptical InquirerSkeptical Inquirer
The Skeptical Inquirer is a bimonthly American magazine published by the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry with the subtitle: The magazine for science and reason....
, based on what the journal identifies as its lack of falsifiability
Falsifiability
Falsifiability or refutability of an assertion, hypothesis or theory is the logical possibility that it can be contradicted by an observation or the outcome of a physical experiment...
, reliance on anecdotal evidence
Anecdotal evidence
The expression anecdotal evidence refers to evidence from anecdotes. Because of the small sample, there is a larger chance that it may be true but unreliable due to cherry-picked or otherwise unrepresentative of typical cases....
, aggressive promotion via the Internet and word of mouth. Gary Craig, the originator of EFT, has argued that tapping on meridian points on the body will manipulate the energy flow in the meridians, thus releasing the disturbance. There are many pressure points used by acupuncturists not included in EFT methodology; it is suggested that tapping one such point may have incidental effects. Scientists have pointed out that such an argument renders EFT untestable by the scientific method
Scientific method
Scientific method refers to a body of techniques for investigating phenomena, acquiring new knowledge, or correcting and integrating previous knowledge. To be termed scientific, a method of inquiry must be based on gathering empirical and measurable evidence subject to specific principles of...
and that it therefore needs to be categorized as a pseudoscience, however beneficial some may consider it. EFT's successes are also thought to stem from "characteristics it shares with more traditional therapies", rather than manipulation of supposed "energy meridians" via tapping acupuncture points. There is no known anatomical or histological basis for the existence of acupuncture points or meridians. Testing of the EFT hypothesis through the use of a placebo group produced the same positive changes in recipients as following the EFT's standard methodology. A 2007 article by Oliver Burkeman
Oliver Burkeman
Oliver Burkeman is a journalist for the British newspaper The Guardian, currently writing features for G2. He is a winner of the Foreign Press Association's Young Journalist of the Year award, and has been shortlisted for the Orwell Prize. He writes a popular weekly column on psychology, This...
suggested that the act of tapping parts of the body in a complicated sequence acts as a distraction, and therefore can appear to alleviate the root distress.
Criticism has also been made of the creator Gary Craig, a NLP
Neuro-linguistic programming
Neuro-linguistic programming is an approach to psychotherapy, self-help and organizational change. Founders Richard Bandler and John Grinder say that NLP is a model of interpersonal communication and a system of alternative therapy which seeks to educate people in self-awareness and effective...
practitioner, who has no medical background and who "offers EFT as an ordained minister".