Trying something new when it comes to holistic health can seem a little frightening at times. It’s that feeling of being vulnerable in front of someone else. The beauty of EFT is that you guide the session, so you can go as deep or not as you feel most comfortable.
Nerine is an EFT practitioner who guides her patients through this process. As she has put it, it’s much like peeling away the layers of an onion, addressing a little at a time.
This form of energy release can aid in something as simple as a good night’s sleep to reduce stress and anxiety. The whole idea is to tap into stuck emotions and help release the energy that is holding you down.
You can learn more about Nerine and EFT here:
Tell me about your professional background. What made you want to get into this field?
I am a professional actress and creative. I have always loved performing and started to suffer from anxiety 6 years ago. As a result, I received some CBT and various other therapies, which were all useful. However, for me, nothing quite did the trick until I came across EFT and Matrix reimprinting, which changed my life. Therefore, I wanted to learn the technique myself and help other people. Since I became a practitioner, I’ve watched many clients grow in ways they didn’t think was possible.
What has been your favorite aspect of this work?
Helping others, definitely. I like seeing how each week progresses. I’ve come across clients who are so convinced that nothing could change their problem, and then the shifts start to happen and there is so much joy to be had in seeing their own surprise at their changes.
Can you explain what EFT is and what a typical session is like from start to finish?
EFT stands for Emotional Freedom Technique and is also known as ‘Tapping’. It is best described as acupuncture without the needles! By using a few of the acupuncture points and physically tapping on those, while giving vent to a particular issue or concern, the body is able to release trapped energy around that feeling and allow for the body’s energy system to stabilise and in turn take the intensity down to a manageable level. We have electromagnetic energy in our body and if we have stress or something troubling us, that energy gets stuck, so by acknowledging the stress and talking about it while tapping, we can release it very quickly.
A typical session lasts about an hour and the beauty of the technique is that it’s really very gentle and the body will present where we need to go, so we just follow that. It’s a bit like an onion, peeling a layer at a time. I always let the client lead the sessions really, so that we can go as deep, or as little as they need. The technique can also be quite tiring, as we’re releasing excess energy that isn’t needed. Therefore, it’s even more relaxing and often leads to a lovely night’s sleep!
There’s also another area of the technique called Matrix Reimprinting. It sounds strange, but it’s a wonderful way to access memories that may hold trauma, or have remained in the subconscious since childhood. These memories often show moments when a limiting or negative belief is formed. This belief can then stick with us throughout our life. By using EFT to access these memories, we can look at the belief formed and answer some questions for our younger self and ultimately change the perception of the situation and change the belief to a more positive one. I did this with my fear of flying and I went from never being able to fly anywhere, to flying to Australia and back!
What sort of health challenges can EFT be effective for and why?
All sorts. Every health concern can benefit from EFT, as ultimately stress and worry around health itself will make it harder for the body to heal. Therefore by using EFT to bring down excess stress, we can then hone in on the particular area of concern and potentially use Matrix reimprinting to see which memories connect with that ailment and clear negative beliefs around it. Every organ is connected to a different emotion in the body, which is often really fascinating for people to understand themselves and their own health. EFT works really well with many health concerns, so it’s worth trying it on anything and I’ve seen proof of it with many health issues that have improved and healed.
Is there a technique in your practice that you have found to be the most beneficial to the people you work with?
The beauty of the technique is that you can do it on yourself too, so even if you’ve had a session during the week, you don’t have to wait until the following week to tap again. Once you know it, you can help yourself whenever you like! This has been a blessing for a lot of my clients.
What is EFT like from the patient’s point of view?
It is really gentle and calming and can go in all sorts of directions. My clients often say that they had no idea why such a strange memory popped up that seemed to have no relevance to the subject of concern, however, then after working on it, they see that it has everything to do with it and now seems so obvious. The beauty of the technique is that it allows you to understand yourself so much and in such little time. I now know about myself and what my triggers are, or why I react the way I do over certain situations and when I’m confronted with these moments, I can tap on them and release the worry. My clients always say that it’s given them a perspective that helps not only to understand themselves but also their family and friends, especially after going into memories and looking at what was happening in their life at the time.
What would you say to someone skeptical about EFT and its effectiveness? How do you approach that?
I would say that it’s completely understandable to feel unsure about the technique and it does sound odd when you first hear about it. When I first found out about it through my mum, I thought no way am I doing that! It sounds ridiculous! But, I was in such a bad way at the time, I gave it a go. And as is quite often the way, I couldn’t explain how different I felt after and how much it helped me. And my thoughts were that even if it was just a placebo, that it helped more than any other therapy had. Therefore, if it helps, then go for it!
I come across skeptics quite often and I welcome that. I always say, try it out and if you like it great and if you don’t, that’s great too! I also direct clients to look at the science behind the technique too. There have been a lot of studies, particularly around PTSD and war veterans, of which the results are outstanding and have proven to reduce cortisol levels. There are lots of studies to view, so I’m always happy to direct clients to those areas. However, I think ultimately, like anything, you either like something or don’t. And I offer people a free 25 minute chat about it all first before they commit, so they can also get to know me without any pressure. I also believe that I would never have become a practitioner if my own story hadn’t been so influenced by the technique, and I think sometimes that can be just as important as the science backing behind EFT.
Besides EFT do you have any universal health and well-being tips that you’d like to share?
Just looking after yourself and making time for yourself. It’s so important to give yourself headspace and meet yourself where you’re at. Sometimes just acknowledging that you’re in a really good place, or not in a great place, is really useful to helping level life’s ups and downs. I often find when clients are going through a hard time, everything feels like it’s always been that way, but remembering the day when it was all good, gives everything some perspective. Also, just being grateful for everything we have in life is so important. This also helps keep perspective through tricky times. Ultimately by trying to think positively whenever we can, we will also keep our body healthy by limiting stress.
If there was one piece of advice you could give to someone who is struggling, what would it be?
To know that they’re not alone. That we all have things and if they feel they can reach out, then that’s amazing. But it’s also okay if they can’t. Just know that they’re not alone and there’s always help and healing whenever they need it, or are ready to receive it. Also, have a little research into various techniques and lookout for the one that suits you best. There’s so much out there now, it can be overwhelming and there’s no right or wrong. EFT might not be for you, but there will be another technique that may really help you. Always do what’s right for you.
What resources would you recommend? (books, podcasts, websites that you’ve found helpful)
I love reading Louise Hay books; Heal Your Body, You Can Heal Your Life, How to Be Successful By Being Yourself David Taylor, The Science Behind Tapping by Peta Stapleton, Transform Your Beliefs, Transform Your Life by Karl Dawson and Letting Go by David R Hawkins.
EFT is similar to acupuncture, just without the needles! So if you’ve been interested in releasing trapped or negative energy, but maybe aren’t comfortable with the idea of needles, EFT is a viable option for you to explore.
You can learn more about Nerine’s work and EFT here:
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