EFT – What Is It?
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Something you’ll hear a bit about in hypnotherapy circles is EFT.
Sometimes, EFT is offered in conjunction with hypnosis and sometimes it is used alone (as is hypnosis). But what is EFT anyway and what does it stand for?
You’ll turn in vain to the dictionary to find a definition for EFT, unless you find a rather old dictionary, which will confidently inform you that an eft is a young newt.
You might start wondering if someone who offers EFT is going to give you eye of newt and toe of frog or whatever it is.
But rest assured: EFT is simply short for Emotional Freedom Techniques and is nothing to do with amphibians.
There is another counselling technique that is sometimes referred to as EFT. This is Emotionally Focussed Therapy.
This is usually used in marriage and relationship counselling, and is rather specialised. This isn’t what we’re talking about here.
We’re talking about the Emotional Freedom Techniques, which can be used in a range of counselling and therapy situations and is less specialised.
So what is EFT and what is the whole idea of it? EFT has quite a lot in common with acupuncture, reflexology and massage, and uses the concept of meridians and energy flows (known as Chi or Qi in traditional Chinese medicine).
It’s part of the field of alternative/complementary medicine known as energy medicine, which aims to balance, unblock and redirect the energy flows within the body.
It also ties in with what a lot of us do instinctively. It’s to do with touch and using touch to soothe and calm emotions.
The idea is that this will stimulate and redirect the energy in the body along favourable channels rather than pouring along negative ones.
A lot of us already know about the soothing power of touch to calm and steady negative emotions. Just pause and think what you instinctively do if you’ve had a sudden shock, especially if you’re female (guys are less likely to make this gesture, but that might be a matter of early conditioning and culture).
Probably, you raise your hand to your mouth, neck or throat. Just try this for a moment: put your hand on the base of your neck. It doesn’t matter which hand you use, but you probably feel centred, more self-aware and more secure.
Partly, this is a matter of basic instinct, as you have used your hand to protect the vulnerable throat area. But you can also feel your heartbeat.
If your heart is racing, touching this part of your chest probably sends a “calm down� message through your body and you find yourself almost willing your heart rate to slow down to normal.
Let’s take another example of how we instinctively touch ourselves to manipulate our emotions and thoughts.
If you are confronted with a situation that seems overwhelming, the chances are that you will touch your forehead and/or the bridge of your nose (a bit harder to do if you wear glasses!). This often has the effect of calming and clearing your thoughts.
In bygone days, other gestures were quite common. Tapping the chest (usually phrased as “beating one’s breast”) was often used to help release grief and sorrow, especially the grief and sorrow associated with guilt.
Similarly, “wringing the hands” – massaging the hands and wrists – was commonly done during moments of anxiety and worry, and this action often helped stave off a full-blown panic attack, known back then as hysterics.
We also instinctively use touch to soothe and comfort others. Often, a touch on the shoulder is used to reassure a friend or family member who is in distress.
If you’ve been on the receiving end of this sort of touch, you probably know that it certainly does help.
EFT and Hypnotherapy go hand-in-hand in helping people overcome a range of emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual disturbances.
If you want to know more, visit positivetranceformations.com.au