Our negative experiences and subsequent emotions don’t only affect our mind—they have a profound impact on the brain and body too.

Unresolved negative experiences reside as triggers and disruptions in our mind and body. The physical discomfort we feel from those disruptions (for example, tight chest, clenched stomach, racing heart, etc) become attached to the memory of that experience and affect the way we see the world – until we clear that disruption.

EFT works with the psychology of the body, as pain is as much psychological as it is physical. For example, the experience of anger releases a hormone in the brain which acts as a numbing agent. Unprocessed emotions from the time of the injury can significantly impede healing. Stress can fuel persistent pain.

When pain is chronic, the brain is flooded with pain signals on a regular basis; it changes your level of focus, concentration and ability to make decisions. The brain stays on high alert, often with the imprint of the memory.

The mental and emotional aspects of pain can often be neglected as we stay focused solely on the physical. Addressing these helps to recognise root causes and identify current triggers. This is where the psychology of pain helps.

Properly applied, EFT balances our autonomic nervous system and realigns our neural pathways; this disconnects the physical discomfort that we attach to negative feelings and memories, which often helps to ease physical symptoms.

As Dr. Gabor Maté says, “The physiology of one individual cannot be separated from the psychological and social environment.”

EFT has yielded remarkable results for relieving emotional as well as physical distress and often works when nothing else will. Since it does not involve drugs or other medical interventions, it is different from conventional medical approaches.

EFT has been researched in clinical trials and has over 250 publications indicating its effectiveness for a wide range of concerns. With a growing body of research, EFT continues to gain wider recognition within the mainstream psychotherapy and medical community.