Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT): Research

& PracticeDawson Church, Foundation for Epigenetic Medicine

EFT Evidence-Based Standards of the American

Psychological Association (APA)

EFT Research and the APA Criteria

Physiological Mechanisms of Action

Demonstrating EFT

Feedback & Questions

APA Division 12 (Clinical Psychology)

Task ForceFor a therapy to be considered a “well-established treatment”:I. Two strong studies by independent investigators demonstrating that the treatment is:A. Statistically superior to a pill, a placebo, or another treatment [or]B. Statistically equivalent to an already established treatment (Chambless & Hollon, 1996).

For a therapy to be considered a “probably efficacious treatment”:I. One strong study demonstrating that the treatment is:A. Statistically superior to a pill, a placebo, or another treatment [or]B. Statistically equivalent to an already established treatment. Or:II. Two strong studies showed the treatment to be statistically superior to a waiting list control group.

APA Journal “Review of General Psychology”

“A literature search identified 51 peer-reviewed papers that report or investigate clinical outcomes following the tapping of acupuncture points to address psychological issues. The 18 randomized controlled trials in this sample were critically evaluated for design quality, leading to the conclusion that they consistently demonstrated strong effect sizes and other positive statistical results that far exceed chance after relatively few treatment sessions.

Criteria for evidence-based treatments proposed by Division 12 of the American Psychological Association were also applied and found to be met for a number of conditions, including PTSD.” (Feinstein, 2012)

EFT Randomized Controlled Trials

EFT Draws from:

Exposure Therapy

Cognitive Therapy

Acupuncture

… to reduce stress

The somatic component of EFT (tapping on acupoints) is critical; it enhances the exposure and cognitive components

Stress Affects Every Organ System

Stress is a component of:

PTSD

Anxiety

Depression

Pain

That is why so many conditions improve after EFT and other therapies that successfully reduce stress

We tap on acupoints unconsciously every

day

EFT simply organizes common tapping points into a routine that clients can easily remember.

Psychology is Physiology

www.SoulMedicineInstitute.org 10

Electromagnetic signals sent out by autonomic nervous system when subject is experiencing anger and appreciation. HRV (Heart Rate Variability) changes moment by moment depending on emotional states. Correlates with the stress hormone cortisol.

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Stress = Aging

Chronic Cortisol Elevation Contributes To:

High blood pressure

Reduced memory & learning

High blood sugar

Heart disease

Diminished cell repair

Accelerated aging

Slower wound healing

Reduced bone repair

Decreased circulating immune cells

Diminished immune antibodies

Death of brain cells

Reduced muscle mass

Decreased skin cell repair

Increased fat deposits around waist/hips

Osteoporosis

Kaiser’s massive ACE study (Adverse Childhood Experiences, 17,400 subjects) showed that 50 years later, people not

nurtured as children had a higher incidence of

ACE Study

ACE Study

HypertensionHeart Disease

CancerBone Fractures

SmokingDiabetesSuicide

Drug Use

Yellow is Common @ 3 & 50 YO

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By 50 Stress Dramatically Affects Biological Markers of

Cell Aging

www.SoulMedicineInstitute.org 14

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Cortisol Drops After EFT

Church, D., Yount, G., & Brooks, A. J. (2012). The effect of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) on stress biochemistry: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 200(10):891-6. doi: 10.1097/NMD.0b013e31826b9fc1e

Triple blind randomized controlled trial

83 normal subjects receiving either talk therapy, rest, or EFT

Anxiety and depression reduced by three times as much in EFT group

Cortisol dropped significantly more in EFT group

Cortisol Change After Treatment

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

EFT Psychotherapy No Treatment

Intervention

Cortisol Levels (0=50%)

After Treatment Before Treatment

Integrative Medicine Journal

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Church D., & Brook,s A. J. (2010). The effect of a brief EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) self-intervention on anxiety, depression, pain and cravings in healthcare workers. Integrative Medicine: A Clinician’s Journal, 9(4):40–44.

Pre-post assessment of 216 psychotherapists, doctors, nurses, chiropractors, alternative medicine practitioners

Day-long EFT intervention at 5 professional conferences

Significant reductions in psychological symptoms such as anxiety and depression

Very large reductions in pain, cravings, and the intensity of traumatic memories

Doctors, Nurses, Chiropractors

Psychological and Physiological Symptoms Drop Together

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Psychotherapists, Alt Med Pracs

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From Just 2 Hours of Group EFT

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"Significant improvements were found on all distress subscales and ratings of pain, emotional distress, and cravings at posttest (all p<.001). Gains were maintained at follow-up for most SA-45 scales. The severity of psychological symptoms was reduced (-45%, p<.001) as well as the breadth (-40%, p<.001), with significant gains maintained at follow-up. Greater subsequent EFT use correlated with a greater decrease in symptom severity at follow-up (p<.034, r=.199)"

Not Indicated For Easiest targets are phobias (1 session) and

PTSD (6 sessions). Hardest are addictions (mixed results), purely physiological conditions like tinnitus, and genetic diseases.

Best used in the context of a comprehensive treatment program rather than as a standalone treatment.

Resources Free EFT Mini-Manual at EFTuniverse.com.

Free treatment for veterans at StressProject.org.

Research bibliography at EFTuniverse.com.

The Genie in Your Genes: Epigenetic Medicine and the New Biology of Intention. Dawson Church, 2010.

Certification in Clinical EFT at EFTuniverse.com. CE and CME credits.

EFTs “Basic Recipe”1. Determine Subjective Units of Distress (SUDS): 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 02. Repeat setup statement 3x (while tapping karate chop point): “Even though I have ____________ (problem), I deeply and completely accept myself.”

3. Tap each point ± 7 x

4. Determine SUDS:10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

05. Repeat till SUDS is low

Resources Free EFT Mini-Manual at EFTuniverse.com.

Free treatment for veterans at StressProject.org.

Research bibliography at EFTuniverse.com.

The Genie in Your Genes: Epigenetic Medicine and the New Biology of Intention. Dawson Church, 2010.

Certification in Clinical EFT at EFTuniverse.com. CE and CME credits.