Tapping (EFT) is a well-known stress-relieving technique based on Chinese acupuncture and psychology. Liz Fisher is an EFT practitioner who does detailed work to help people who are struggling with internal issues.
In our recent interview with Liz, she walked us through an example of a typical session from start to finish so you know exactly what to expect if you decide that EFT is right for you! Check out Liz and her work here:
About Liz and why she got into this field:
My name is Liz Fisher and I am an EFT International Accredited, Certified EFT Practitioner and Energy Makeover EFT Coach. Previously, I had been a Graphic Artist, Web Designer and Marketing professional for 20 years and EFT appealed to a creative side of me that I didn’t even know existed!
I found EFT while searching for cures for ongoing anxiety and Trichotillomania (compulsive hair-pulling disorder) about 7 years ago and taught myself how to use it by watching YouTube videos. It helped me so much that I wanted to learn more about it and eventually became certified in 2019. I have personally overcome Emetophobia (fear of throwing up), Panic Attacks, and Trichotillomania, a body-focused repetitive behavior (BFRB) that I had for over 35 years using EFT!
I love working with people all over the world and making an actual difference in their lives. Especially people with Trichotillomania, because often, they have tried everything else. It’s a bonus when they are skeptical and sees how quickly EFT does work. I also love the changes that I am able to see in their demeanor from session to session.
What is EFT?
EFT stands for Emotional Freedom Techniques. It is often referred to as ‘EFT Tapping’ or simply as ‘Tapping’.
EFT Tapping is a practical self-help method that involves using the fingers to gently tap on the body’s acupressure points along the meridian lines used in Chinese medicine. In some ways, Tapping is similar to acupuncture. Acupuncture achieves healing through stimulating the body’s meridians and energy flow just the same as Tapping. However, acupuncture involves needles. No needles are definitely one of the advantages of Tapping.
The therapeutic effects of Tapping are recognized around the world. EFT Tapping can be used for anxiety, weight loss, pain management, stress, financial problems, or just about anything you want to overcome or excel at in your life.
Tapping helps us tune in to the negative patterns that we form around uncomfortable thoughts, feelings, or troubling memories that we have. We ‘tap’ on these acupressure points while bringing the thoughts or emotions into consciousness. The goal is to find relief, relaxation, and promote healing around the emotional or physical issues that hold us back.
The basic Tapping process is easy to learn, can be done anywhere, and can provide impressive results quickly!
A detailed walkthrough of an EFT session:
This is a published case study of mine that explains what a typical session with a Certified EFT Practitioner is like. The published article can be found here.
Emetophobia:
Defined as a phobia that causes overwhelming, intense anxiety pertaining to vomiting. This specific phobia can also include subcategories of what causes the anxiety. Including a fear of vomiting in public, a fear of seeing vomit, a fear of watching the action of vomiting, or fear of being nauseated.
Most people have never even heard of this phobia, but I am here to tell you that it is real because I suffered from it from the age of 10. Sometimes it can be debilitating, and EFT can help cure it as it did with one of my recent clients.
Presenting Issue:
Carrie came to me this past March beside herself because her one-year-old had the stomach flu. She was afraid that her entire family would get it including her 11-week old baby. Carrie had been on medications and seen counselors with no success. She was willing to try anything and had never heard of EFT.
Our sessions were held via Zoom. In my experience, all of my clients with emetophobia have a childhood memory that gave them this phobia, as I did.
Goal:
To find relief and coping strategies and a possible cure for Carrie’s long-term emetophobia.
Session #1:
The History
We started talking about Carrie’s very first memory of what triggered her emetophobia. The episode happened when she was 13. Her entire school was closed because of an outbreak of the stomach flu. Her whole family had it and Carrie was the last one to get it. She could vividly recall the incident and gave it a SUDS of 8. She remembers walking into the bathroom not thinking she was even sick and then throwing up everywhere without warning. Recalling the episode also made her have sweaty palms and feel very scared that this could happen to her again without warning.
Tapping (1)
We did a few rounds of tapping on:
Even though this happened and I still think about it till this day and it upsets me and scares me and my palms get sweaty; I deeply and completely love and accept myself.
After those rounds, Carrie felt a SUDS of a 7 and she still felt very scared that it would happen again without warning. She didn’t like that feeling and her palms were sweaty.
Tapping (2):
We tapped again on:
Even though this feeling of not knowing when I could get sick scares me and I don’t like this feeling; I deeply and completely love and accept myself.
After those rounds, Carrie was less anxious but still felt uncomfortable around the possibility of actually getting sick from someone. She mentioned how she is anxious about going to bed every night because anytime she’s ever been sick she’s woken up in the middle of the night and vomited. It’s really hard for her to go to sleep every night because her anxiety is so high. She gave a SUDS of 10.
Tapping (3):
This time, we tapped on:
Even though I went to bed feeling fine when I was 13, I woke up and I was sick, and that scared me. It scared me so much that I’m afraid to go to bed now because I might be sick, but I deeply and completely love and accept myself.
After those rounds, she felt energy buzzing in her head, and she felt as though the whole thing was silly. She then mentioned that she doesn’t eat dinner most nights because she doesn’t want anything in her stomach, in case she might get sick.
Checking In:
At that point, we were nearing the end of the session. I asked her to rate her original memory of getting sick when she was 13. She said it seemed way less significant and gave it a SUDS of 4.
Closing the Session:
We closed the session with a few rounds of positive tapping on:
Even though, when I was 13, I got sick in the middle of the night and it still scares me, I’m choosing to not let this memory scare me anymore. I’m choosing to get a good night’s sleep, and I deeply and completely love and accept myself.
After those rounds, she felt great and loved the positive reinforcement statements. She had a SUDS of 0.
Immediate Impact:
Carrie texted me the following morning and said she had the best night’s sleep that she’d had in years and was so grateful!
Working through those past memories and moving into her current reality, raising two toddlers that will get sick at some point helped her come to terms with her fear. Also to the realization that she didn’t need to be afraid anymore.
Follow Up:
Carrie and I had five sessions in total. Here is the testimonial she wrote for my website after our third session.
EFT is MAGIC! Four weeks ago, I was really struggling with emetophobia. On the day I found Liz, my one-year-old son had woken up with the stomach flu. I was beside myself with fear; doing the typical rituals that would keep me “safe”. I wouldn’t eat or sleep, and my hands were raw from washing them so many times. At our first session, Liz made me feel so comfortable. She assured me my phobia was real and helped me feel that I wasn’t crazy for being so scared. She has taught me skills and actionable steps to help me fight my phobia and the anxiety that comes with it. Since starting EFT, I have felt at peace with my phobia. The safety I sought in restricting my diet and staying awake all night doesn’t seem necessary anymore. I will forever be grateful for meeting Liz!
Progress:
Although I am no longer coaching Carrie, she continues to keep me updated with her progress. In fact, she texted me just the other day saying her nephew threw up four times while she was with him and she felt totally desensitized as a result of the tapping.
I am so excited to continue to help people with this phobia in my EFT practice.
How EFT can be beneficial:
EFT can be applied to almost all health challenges I have come across. If you are under the care of a physician for any type of health issue, please check with them prior to using EFT. I personally have used EFT for migraines, stomach issues, tinnitus, back pain, sinus issues, asthma, panic attacks, anxiety, emetophobia, trichotillomania, and a plethora of other ailments. When in doubt try tapping on your own or with a Certified Practitioner!
•EFT balances the body’s bioelectrical system by integrating ancient Chinese medicine with cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT/talk therapy).
•The EFT treatment involves light tapping of the fingertips on specific acupuncture points in conjunction with tuning in to the painful issue or event.
•The technique does not eliminate the memory; instead, it desensitizes it, thus neutralizing the unpleasant response. Our bodies are created to be highly sensitive, protective systems.
•Even a minor annoyance can suddenly awaken our Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) and send us from calm to a dysregulated state of being. Whether it’s a fight, flight, freeze, flop, or foggy brain – a mind-body approach like EFT can interrupt and calm this alarm.
I really like to use the “Tell the Story” technique, it is also referred to as “The Movie Technique”. I often use this technique early on in my work with clients after we develop a good rapport because it is extremely effective in clearing past traumas very quickly.
EFT from the patient’s point of view:
Some of my clients who have never used EFT before think it’s the silliest looking thing they’ve ever done, and so we tap about that! I would have to say that I believe that everyone I work with feels a sense of calmness during or after our session together. It’s really amazing to see emotions just melt away within minutes, especially with clients who have been holding onto traumas for many years. I think all of my clients would agree that tapping is a positive thing!
A core principle of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) is the understanding that the root cause of our discomfort is unresolved emotional stress held in the body. This stress can cause physical, mental, and performance issues. The good news is that EFT is a
way to gently, quickly, and naturally release this stress. It works even if you are skeptical.
Liz’s universal health and wellbeing tips:
I really believe in self-care of any kind. Personally, besides tapping, I meditate daily, I try to exercise and cook healthy meals during the week and I have also recently become interested in the benefits of using crystals for healing. My interest in crystals has led to me becoming more interested in the chakra points on the body and the energies they hold. I have just finished a course on chakra clearing which is also helpful for removing blocks with clients during EFT sessions. I know it’s hard for some people to be mindful when they are so busy. It can just be something as simple as listening to an audiobook in the car on your way to work or being outside in nature on your lunch break. It really does make a difference in your daily life!
Liz’s biggest piece of advice:
Don’t give up! There’s always someone out there who is willing to help! Reach out and you will be amazed how many people are on your side and willing to support you in times of need. I haven’t met a person who hasn’t been through some sort of struggle in their life. We all go through it at one time or another. All wounds can be healed and things can change for the better. It takes time and perseverance, but you can change things in your life that you are unhappy with. I am living proof!
Resources she recommends:
I have read so many wonderful books about tapping that it’s hard to know where to begin! Some of my favorites include:
“The Science of Tapping” by Peta Stapleton, P.h.D.
“Tapping Into Wealth” by Margaret Lynch Raniere
“What Happened To You” by Bruce D. Perry, M.D., P.h.D. and Oprah Winfrey
“Discovering Your Soul Signature” by Panache Desai
“Unblocked: A Revolutionary Approach to Tapping into Your Chakra Empowerment Energy to Reclaim Your Passion, Joy and Confidence” by David R. Hamilton and Margaret Lynch Raniere
“Atlas of the Heart” by: Brene Brown
Websites to explore:
EFT is very involved work that practitioners like Liz are passionate about extending to anyone who may be struggling with health issues. You can learn more about Liz and her work here:
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