Could tapping on parts of your body while speaking positively really reduce stress or even help with weight loss? The Emotional Freedom Technique, also known as EFT or “tapping,” has been featured in wellness feeds on social media, with users touting its calming effects. However, while millions claim it works, experts continue to debate whether the science supports it.
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What is tapping?
EFT involves lightly tapping on specific meridian points on the body — areas believed to conduct energy — while saying statements out loud. It’s a combination of ancient Chinese acupressure and modern psychological techniques. Today, it’s often described as “emotional acupuncture without the needles.”
The method evolved from Thought Field Therapy, a practice developed in the 1980s.
Nick Ortner, author of “The Tapping Solution,” has helped popularize the method through his book and app. According to his company, the app has facilitated over 25 million completed tapping sessions.
Oprah Daily and The New York Times recently featured the practice.
The results and the reviews
One study published by the National Library of Medicine found that 90% of 5,000 participants experienced reduced anxiety after using EFT. That’s compared to 63% of those who received traditional cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
Complete symptom relief was reported in 76% of people in the acupoint tapping group, compared to 51% in the CBT group.
Within the same study, a meta-analysis of EFT for depression examined 20 studies. They found EFT demonstrated a large effect size in the treatment of depression.
Ortner’s book currently holds over 2,800 reviews on Amazon with a 4.8-star rating. About 75% of those are 5-star reviews, with readers commenting on how the method improved their lives.
However, about 2% of reviews are 1-star, with users saying it “did nothing for them” and they felt they “wasted their time.”
What experts say
Despite anecdotal success, many psychologists remain skeptical. Dr. Cassandra L. Boness, an assistant professor at the University of New Mexico, told The New York Times that many of the 200+ studies on tapping fail to meet rigorous scientific standards.
They also report some members of the American Psychological Association have gone further, labeling it pseudoscience.
Still, experts note that EFT could serve as a complementary practice. According to Positive Psychology, tapping is a form of exposure therapy that gradually introduces a patient to a feared situation in a safe setting.
When it comes to more severe mental health diagnoses, health professionals are likely to recommend traditional methods of care.
“[EFT] doesn’t replace existing best practices for treating PTSD, depression, addictions or other serious conditions,” David Feinstein told The Times.
