Tapping therapy is based on the concept that memories, beliefs, and negative emotions are stored in the body as energy. These emotions and beliefs can cause problems such as eating disorders, phobias, low self-esteem, depression, and addiction. Tapping therapy uses the same meridians employed in acupuncture, and practitioners believe that by tapping on the appropriate acupuncture points, these negative emotions can be accessed and released to affect emotional and sometimes physical healing. Some have reported that tapping therapy can help relieve post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, insomnia, headaches, eating disorders, and many other afflictions.
The tapping therapy used most frequently today is called Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT). This tapping technique was developed by a life coach named Gary Craig after he studied various therapeutic methods, including a tapping system developed by psychologist Roger Callahan. During EFT, acupuncture points on the head, body, and hands are tapped repeatedly to dissipate the negative emotions, memories, and beliefs stored at the various locations. This creates room for positive emotions to be felt and stored, available to be accessed again.
In order to begin an EFT tapping therapy session, someone using the therapy first chooses an issue to address, then begins tapping the appropriate acupuncture point while thinking about the problem he wants to relieve. Each tapping point is associated with a different emotion and physiological function. For example, tapping the bone under the eye can release anxiety, while tapping the correct point on the collar bone can improve adrenal gland function and relieve stress.
The index finger or middle finger does the tapping. One of the tapping points is located on the top of the head, and it is recommended that it be tapped gently since it is a sensitive point. A number of EFT tapping points are located around the eyes. One is by the eyebrow, one is located underneath the eye, and another is beside the eye. Other tapping points are located on the side of the hand, under the nose, under the lip, and under the arm.
Diagrams of the points to tap in order to relieve different problems are available for free over the Internet. When Gary Craig retired, he released all of the information about his EFT tapping technique to the public domain. Some people achieve immediate results, and some people use tapping therapy several times before seeing any change. There are also people who don’t see any difference after using tapping therapy.