Emotional Freedom Techniques and Tapping

1. Demonstrate the basic EFT tapping protocol, including tapping points and setup statements.
2. Apply EFT to rapidly reduce anxiety, panic, stress, and overwhelming affect.
3. Differentiate between EFT’s self-regulation mode and root-cause (reparative) mode and identify when each is clinically appropriate.
4. Integrate EFT into the 3 Phases of trauma treatment.
5. Perform the tell the story technique.
6. Perform the tearless trauma technique.
7. Identify and utilize specific aspects of experience (visual images, auditory cues, emotions, cognitions, and body sensations) when targeting EFT interventions.
8. Use EFT to manage emotional intensity and prevent retraumatization while working with trauma.
9. Explain the research base supporting EFT for anxiety, depression, PTSD, and trauma-related conditions.
10. Apply the personal peace procedure for treatment planning.
11. Describe the proposed neurobiological and clinical mechanisms underlying EFT.
12. Integrate EFT seamlessly with existing therapeutic orientations without abandoning current clinical frameworks.

Why EFT: Breaking Down Misconceptions and Clarifying Its Clinical Role

• What EFT is—and what it is not
• EFT as a mind-body and somatic intervention
• Supporting and peer-reviewed research
• Research limitations, critiques, and appropriate clinical use
• Addressing skepticism and anti-scientific bias
• EFT and cognitive interventions: how they work together
• Meridian activation as a calming and regulatory input
• Using EFT to break through resistant or stuck client problems
• Benefits for clinician self-regulation, compassion fatigue, and burnout

Setting Up EFT Sessions and Identifying Treatment Targets

• Overview of the Two Modes of EFT:
  • Self-Regulation Mode
  • Root-Cause Mode
• Structure of an EFT session
• Setup statements and tapping sequences
• Placement and clinical application of acupoints
• Developing effective foundational language
• Using inquiry to identify treatment targets
• Questions to zero in on the most relevant target
• Identifying and working with aspects of experience:
  • Visual images
  • Auditory cues
  • Emotions
  • Thoughts
  • Body sensations
• Use of continuous measuring
• Reducing physical discomfort and somatic distress
• Addressing and overcoming treatment resistance
• Sophisticated linguistic variations to enhance effectiveness

Special Considerations for Treating Anxiety, Trauma, and Related Conditions

• EFT for the anxiety spectrum:
  • Generalized anxiety
  • Panic attacks
  • Anticipatory anxiety
• Deconstructing panic reactions safely
• Working with compulsive behaviors and negative habits
• Special considerations for:
  • Social anxiety
  • Phobias
• Desensitizing traumatic reactions while staying within the window of tolerance
• Tailoring EFT to the 3 phases of trauma treatment
• Benefits for pain reduction and relapse prevention

Advanced Applications and Clinical Tools

Expanding EFT skills and refining precision

• Tell the Story Technique
  • Processing specific traumatic events
  • Supporting memory reconsolidation
  • Managing emotional intensity in real time
• Tearless Trauma Technique
  • Reducing intensity before deeper trauma work
  • Preventing emotional flooding and retraumatization
• Somatic interventions
  • Working directly with bodily expressions of distress
• Choices Method and therapeutic language
  • Reducing negative beliefs
  • Supporting adaptive outcomes
• Working with limiting beliefs as trauma-based adaptations
• Personal Peace Procedure as a method of treatment planning
• Integrating forgiveness and gratitude when clinically appropriate
• Advanced language patterns and therapist presence

Considerations for Special Populations and Contexts

• Non-medication approaches to pain reduction
• Couples work
• Working with children/adolescents
• Cravings, addiction, and relapse prevention
• Group trauma and critical incident debriefing

Integrating EFT/Tapping into Other Treatment Approaches

• Using EFT to support CBT and DBT by reducing emotional dysregulation
• Integrating EFT with:
  • Parts work / IFS
  • Inner child approaches
• EFT within brief and strategic therapy models
• Using EFT as a resource during EMDR when clients become overwhelmed
• Projective and experiential applications in play therapy
• EFT as an adjunctive, integrative skill—not a replacement modality

Live Demonstrations and Group Practice

• Live clinical demonstrations of EFT techniques
• Borrowing benefits and group-based applications
• Demonstration of the Tearless Trauma Technique
• Demonstration of Tell the Story Technique
• Working with phobias and “small t” trauma
• Guided experiential EFT and tapping practice
• Clinical discussion and integration of demonstrations

• Counselors
• Social Workers
• Psychologists
• Marriage & Family Therapists
• Addiction Counselors
• Psychiatrists
• Psychotherapists
• Physicians
• Nurses
• Case Managers
• Other Helping Professionals