Even though Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) has been around since 1997 when it was created by Gary Craig, it's only been in the last few years that it has started really getting a lot of popular exposure. Superstar singer Madonna is rumored to be a big fan of EFT. Sir Laurence Olivier, an award winning actor, used it. And, singer Michael Ball does a tapping session to calm his nerves before going on stage each night and has been seen doing it on a daytime TV chat show. Pop star Lily Allen, famous for songs such as LdN and The Fear, is understood to use the technique for weight loss. American PGA players have been spotted using it when golfing. And, Norwegian pole-vaulter Rens Blom credited his unexpected 2005 World Championship Gold to its powers.

[More]

Full Title: Evaluation of a meridian-based intervention, Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), for reducing specific phobias of small animals.

This study explored whether a meridian-based procedure, Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), can reduce specific phobias of small animals under laboratory-controlled conditions. Randomly assigned participants were treated individually for 30 min with EFT (n = 18) or a comparison condition, diaphragmatic breathing (DB) (n = 17). ANOVAS revealed that EFT produced significantly greater improvement than did DB behaviorally and on three self-report measures, but not on pulse rate. The greater improvement for EFT was maintained, and possibly enhanced, at six- to nine-months follow-up on the behavioral measure. These findings suggest that a single treatment session using EFT to reduce specific phobias can produce valid behavioral and subjective effects. Some limitations of the study also are noted and clarifying research suggested. Copyright 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol.

J Clin Psychol. 2003 Sep;59(9):943-66. Wells S, Polglase K, Andrews HB, Carrington P, Baker AH. Curtin University of Technology of Western Australia.

Full Title: Pilot study of emotional freedom techniques, wholistic hybrid derived from eye movement desensitization and reprocessing and emotional freedom technique, and cognitive behavioral therapy for treatment of test anxiety in university students.

OBJECTIVE: This study explored test anxiety benefits of wholistic hybrid derived from eye movement desensitization and reprocessing and Emotional Freedom Techniques (WHEE), Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFTs), and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). PARTICIPANTS: Canadian university students with severe or moderate test anxiety participated. METHODS: A controlled trial of WHEE (n = 5), EFT (n = 5), and CBT (n = 5) was conducted. Standardized anxiety measures included the Test Anxiety Inventory and Hopkins Symptom Checklist-21. RESULTS: Despite small sample size, significant reductions in test anxiety were found for all three treatments. In only two sessions, WHEE and EFT achieved the same benefits as CBT did in five sessions. Participants reported high satisfaction with all treatments. Emotional freedom techniques and WHEE participants successfully transferred their self-treatment skills to other stressful areas of their lives. CONCLUSIONS: Both WHEE and EFT show promise as feasible treatments for test anxiety.

Explore (NY). 2009 Nov-Dec;5(6):338-40. Benor DJ, Ledger K, Toussaint L, Hett G, Zaccaro D. Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology, Haverford, PA, USA.