Explore EFT through the lens of the Tap Method™ - how tapping regulates the nervous system and releases stored emotion.
The Science Behind EFT
EFT or Emotional Freedom Techniques blends modern psychology with the ancient principles of acupressure. It involves gently tapping on specific meridian points – known to influence the body’s stress response – while acknowledging an emotion or thought.
Research now supports what practitioners have observed for years: Tapping helps regulate the autonomic nervous system, reduce cortisol levels and calm the amygdala – the brain’s alarm centre. In doing so it helps move the body out of “fight or flight” and back toward a state of safety.
A 2019 systematic review1 found EFT significantly reduces symptoms of anxiety, depression and PTSD with physiological changes, measurable in heart rate, blood pressure and cortisol levels. It’s gentle, but not soft – it’s somatically effective.
How Tapping Actually Works
When we experience a difficult emotion, our nervous system sends signals throughout the body – tightening muscles, quickening breath and heightening vigilance. Tapping engages both the body and the mind simultaneously, creating bilateral stimulation while grounding attention in physical touch.
This process allows the body to:
- Interrupt the stress response loop
- Reconnect the prefrontal cortex (rational brain) with the limbic system (emotional brain)
- Integrate previously overwhelming experiences
The Role of a Practitioner
As a practitioner my work is not to “fix” emotion but to facilitate regulation. Each client brings a unique nervous system map – shaped by experience, environment and the body’s own protective strategies.
My role is to create the conditions where their body can remember safety: through presence, pacing and language that keeps awareness anchored in the here and now.
EFT is evidence based but it’s also deeply human. It acknowledges that emotions are physiological
Why EFT Creates Real Change
Tapping engages both the body’s meridian points and the nervous system’s regulation pathways. By stimulating these points while staying present with emotion, we interrupt the stress response and create a sense of safety.
That’s when the body begins to trust again – when release becomes less about control and more about surrender.
The Takeaway: Emotional Safety = Emotional Freedom
EFT isn’t about erasing emotion it’s about giving it space to complete its cycle – to move through instead of staying within.
And in that process, people often rediscover something they have been missing: a body that feels safe to live in.
That’s emotional freedom.
Ready to Try EFT?
Curious to experience EFT in a safe, supportive space? Whether you’re carrying stress, emotion, or something you can’t quite name — you don’t have to hold it alone.
Book an EFT session here or Learn more about how The Tap Method™ uses tapping here.
1 Kӧnig, N. (2019) How therapeutic tapping can alter neural correlates of emotion regulation. Brain Sciences
