EFT - Tapping
A practical way to work with stress, emotional pressure and the things that can be hard to switch off.
Emotional Freedom Techniques, usually called EFT or tapping, combines focused attention with gentle tapping on specific points on the body.
At Blue Oak Counselling, tapping is offered as a practical wellbeing tool that can be used on its own or alongside counselling. It can be particularly useful when stress feels physical as well as mental, when your mind keeps going over the same issue, or when simply talking about what's happening doesn't seem to be enough.
What is EFT Tapping
EFT tapping is a mind-body technique that involves gently tapping with your fingertips on a sequence of points, mostly around the face and upper body, while focusing on a particular thought, feeling or situation.
You don't need any special equipment, and once you've learned the basic technique it can be used almost anywhere.
A session isn't about forcing yourself to think positively or pretending that something isn't bothering you. Instead, we identify what is happening for you, notice how strongly you're experiencing it, and work through a structured tapping sequence while paying attention to what changes.
For many people, one of the attractions of EFT is its simplicity. It's something you can learn, practise and take away with you rather than something that only happens while you're sitting with a practitioner.
The aim isn't to make difficult experiences disappear. It's to give you another practical way of responding when your mind and body are under pressure.
What can you use EFT tapping for?
People come to tapping for many different reasons. At Blue Oak, the focus is generally on everyday stress, emotional pressure and situations that are difficult to put down.
You don't need any special equipment, and once you've learned the basic technique it can be used almost anywhere.
Work stress
When work follows you home and your mind is still running through the day hours later.
Difficult experiences
Tapping can provide another way of approaching experiences or memories that still carry an emotional charge.
Feeling overwhelmed
When there are too many things competing for your attention and everything starts feeling hard
First responder stress
For people who routinely deal with demanding situations and can find it difficult to come down from that heightened state afterwards.
Anxiety and worry
A practical technique for working with the thoughts and physical sensations that can accompany worry and anxiety.
Life changes and relationships
For times when separation, loss, conflict, uncertainty or major change is taking up more emotional space than you'd like.
You don't have to be “into” this sort of thing
If tapping looks a little unusual the first time you see it, you're probably not alone.
You don't need to believe in it, meditate, talk about energy or adopt a particular philosophy. I'll explain what we're doing, we'll try it together, and you can decide whether it's useful for you.
My approach is practical and straightforward. I'm interested in giving you techniques that make sense in real life, particularly when you're dealing with work pressure, difficult experiences, relationships or the cumulative stress that can build over time.
If EFT isn't useful for you, that's useful information too. There are other ways we can approach what's happening.