EFT/Tapping & Childhood Trauma
Healing from Childhood Trauma:
Your EFT-Supported Recovery Journey
Childhood trauma often leaves deep emotional scars affecting a person's well-being throughout their life. If you or someone you know has experienced childhood trauma, you may be searching for effective ways to heal and move forward. One promising approach to support you on your journey as you heal is Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), a powerful and practical method for addressing trauma and its lasting impacts. EFT. also known as Tapping, can be a transformative tool in your recovery journey, with a focus on its efficacy, safety, and the extensive scientific evidence supporting its use.
Understanding Childhood Trauma
Before delving into EFT, it's essential to understand what childhood trauma is and why it can have such a profound impact on one's life. Childhood trauma encompasses a wide range of experiences, including physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, neglect, witnessing domestic violence, or the loss of a loved one. These experiences can disrupt a child's sense of safety, security, and trust, leading to a wide array of psychological and emotional difficulties that can often persist into adulthood and throughout the lifespan.
The Effects of Childhood Trauma
Childhood trauma can manifest in various ways, affecting emotional, mental, spiritual, and physical well-being. Common responses and aftereffects of childhood trauma may include:
Post-Traumatic Stress
Anxiety and Depression
Substance Abuse
Relationship Problems
Low Self-Esteem and Self-Worth
Chronic Health Issues
Difficulty Regulating Emotions
Disrupted Sleep Patterns
Traditional Approaches to Treating Childhood Trauma
Traditionally, psychotherapy, counseling, and medication have been the primary methods used to address childhood trauma. These approaches, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) or talk therapy and anxiety drugs, can be effective for some individuals but may not work for everyone. Trauma survivors often find it challenging to discuss their painful experiences, and the process can be slow and even retraumatizing.
EFT/Tapping: A Promising Trauma Recovery Tool
Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), often referred to as "tapping," are a unique and promising somatic (body-mind) approach that has gained scientific recognition for its effectiveness in addressing trauma and its associated after-effects. EFT combines principles from conventional psychology, energy psychology, and acupressure, to create a comprehensive trauma recovery method. Here's how EFT works:
Identifying and Acknowledging the Trauma: EFT encourages individuals to acknowledge and validate their traumatic experiences. However, unlike talk therapy, the client is not required to name or discuss their experience out loud unless they feel compelled to. Discussing traumatic details is unnecessary with EFT.
Tapping on Acupressure Points: EFT involves tapping on 9-13 acupoints while focusing on the emotional or physical discomfort you are experiencing in the moment. The points include the top of the head, eyebrow, side of the eye, under the eye, under the nose, chin, collarbone, under the arm, and the side of the hand.
Verbalizing Thoughts and Emotions: As you tap on these points, you express your thoughts, emotions, sensations, and feelings if desired, but there is no need to get into details about what happened out loud, unless you want to. This helps you reprocess the pain associated with what you are feeling right now, in the present moment, and its connection to your past traumas.
Self-Acceptance and Positive Affirmations: EFT also incorporates elements of self-acceptance and positive affirmations to replace negative beliefs and emotions with more positive ones, but it typically only does so when you are onboard with the affirmations, as opposed to repeating things you’re not truly “buying into.” It is a progressive process of watching your cognitions shift and evolve as you reprocess stuck emotions safely and gently, without having to incur the risk of retraumatization inherent in exposure therapy or talk therapy, for instance.
The Efficacy of EFT in Treating Childhood Trauma
EFT has shown efficacy in helping individuals overcome the effects of childhood trauma. There are many reasons EFT may be a powerful tool to add to your childhood or complex trauma recovery toolbox:
Rapid Relief: EFT often provides rapid relief from distressing emotions and traumatic memories compared to purely cognitive-based approaches and modalities. Many individuals report feeling more relaxed and less anxious after a single session of tapping.
Non-Invasive: EFT is non-invasive and does not require individuals to delve deeply into their traumatic experiences. This makes it a viable modality for pre-verbal trauma and memory gaps or dissociation which is so common for trauma survivors. It’s also much safer.
Self-Help: EFT is a technique that can be learned and practiced on your own so it empowers you to take control of your own healing process in ways other somatic modalities, such as EMDR, can’t.
Long-Lasting Effects: Studies have shown that the effects of EFT tend to be long-lasting, reducing the likelihood of trauma-related responses resurfacing.
Scientific Evidence Supporting EFT
EFT's efficacy is not merely anecdotal; there is a large growing body of scientific evidence to support its use in the treatment of childhood trauma and other psychological issues. Here are some key studies and findings:
A 2013 meta-analysis published in the Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease found that EFT significantly reduced the symptoms of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and phobias in various populations.
A 2017 study published in the Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine demonstrated that EFT was effective in reducing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and PTSD in veterans.
A 2016 review in the Journal of Traumatic Stress & Dissociation concluded that EFT had the potential to provide rapid and effective treatment for trauma-related disorders.
A 2018 study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that EFT significantly reduced stress, anxiety, and depression in adults with a history of childhood abuse.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has also recognized EFT as an evidence-based practice for reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Your Healing Journey with EFT
EFT offers many benefits, is backed by science, and you can begin to use basic tapping on your own today for the purpose of emotional regulation. Here's a step-by-step guide to get you started:
Educate Yourself: Begin by learning about EFT and its principles. There are many online resources, books, and courses available that can help you understand the technique better. Here’s a great starting point.
Seek Professional Guidance: While EFT can be self-administered, it's often helpful to work with a trained EFT practitioner, especially when dealing with complex trauma.
Choose Your Focus: Identify the specific trauma or issue you'd like to address with EFT. You can start with the most pressing issue or the one that causes you the most distress.
Practice EFT: Follow the tapping sequence and express your emotions and thoughts while tapping. As you progress, incorporate positive affirmations to reframe negative beliefs.
Monitor Your Progress: Keep a journal to track your emotions, symptoms, and any changes you experience during and after EFT sessions.
Be Patient and Persistent: Healing from childhood trauma is a journey that takes time. Consistent practice and patience are key to achieving lasting results. Combining different tools and consulting with your trusted health care provider before undertaking anything new impacting your health is critical, especially as it comes to complex trauma or any existing diagnosis you may have.
Incorporating self-compassion, addressing complex trauma, complementing with other tools that work for you, building resilience, and sharing your experience can further enhance your healing journey with EFT. Your journey is a testament to your strength and resilience, and can inspire others to embark on their own paths to healing. The world needs you as much as you need others to support you as you recover, so reach out to resource yourself with a safe network of like-minded souls who “get you.”
Reclaiming Your Emotional Freedom
Healing childhood trauma using EFT as part of your recovery plan is not just about managing symptoms; it's about reclaiming your emotional freedom and building a brighter future. When you decide to embark on this journey, you are taking a crucial step toward self-empowerment and long-lasting healing. Here are some additional insights and considerations as you embrace EFT as one of your trauma-recovery tools:
The Power of Self-Compassion: Childhood trauma can leave deep emotional wounds and often leads to self-blame and self-criticism. With EFT, you have the opportunity to practice self-compassion. Remember, healing is a process, and it's okay to have setbacks. Be gentle with yourself as you progress on your healing journey.
Addressing Complex Trauma: Some individuals may have experienced complex trauma, which involves prolonged and multiple traumatic experiences. EFT can be effective in addressing complex trauma, but it may require more time and professional guidance. Consider seeking the support of an experienced EFT practitioner when dealing with complex trauma.
EFT as a Complement to Other Therapies: EFT can be used in conjunction with other therapeutic approaches. If you are already receiving traditional therapy, it's essential to communicate with your therapist about incorporating EFT into your treatment plan. EFT can complement and enhance the effectiveness of other therapeutic modalities.
Building Resilience: As you progress in your EFT practice, you'll not only support your recovery from past wounds but also build emotional resilience. This resilience can help you cope with future challenges and stressors more effectively.
Incorporating these elements into your healing process can further enrich your experience with EFT and contribute to your overall well-being.
Childhood trauma can have long-lasting effects on your mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical well-being. However, healing is possible, and Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) offer a promising tool to support you on your recovery journey. With its rapid relief, non-invasiveness, and a growing body of scientific evidence, EFT can be a powerful tool for addressing childhood trauma and its associated aftereffects. As you embark on your healing journey, remember that the process is unique to you. EFT can be an empowering and transformative experience, helping you regain your emotional freedom and ultimately live a more fulfilling and joyful life. By acknowledging your past, tapping into the present, and embracing your future, you can heal from childhood trauma and reclaim your sense of self and well-being. So consider adding EFT to your trauma recovery toolbox. For more info about EFT and how it can help you, feel free to reach out to me by scheduling a chat below!
