Increasing your effectiveness with EFT, part 67.
As EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) practitioners, we know the worries that can arise when starting out, or even as we continue our practice. Questions like, “Will the session go well?” or “Will the client be happy with my service?” are common. With experience and tapping, these concerns tend to diminish. But have you ever considered the pressure a client might feel to feel better during an EFT session? I’d like to start a conversation about this topic and invite your thoughts and comments.
In the early days of EFT, about 40 years ago, skepticism was the norm. People approached EFT with a cautious, “skeptic closed arms” energy. As they discovered the effectiveness of the technique, many became pleasantly surprised. Fast forward to today, with numerous research studies and endorsements from trustworthy sources, people now approach EFT with more positive expectations.
However, some clients may still wonder, “Will this work for me?” or worry about taking too much time, thinking, “Why won’t the SUDs (subjective units of distress) drop faster?”. These concerns can be seen as the pressure clients feel during an EFT session. They may not want to disappoint the practitioner or make them nervous if they feel the session isn’t working. While we, as practitioners, can tap on our own worries, we can’t necessarily expect our clients to do the same. After all, they are seeking our help for more urgent matters in their lives.
As a practitioner, I empathize with the challenges clients face during an EFT session. Being asked to tune into vulnerable and uncomfortable emotions, sometimes struggling to identify their feelings, and reassessing after each round can be difficult. I’m always striving to make the process as easy, gentle, and comfortable as possible for my clients.
So, it becomes our responsibility to find ways to ease the pressure clients may feel when addressing their issues during an EFT session. I would like to ask all of you, practitioners or not, to share your thoughts on how we can help reduce or relieve this pressure in our clients.
One approach I use is to focus more on what comes up for the client after each round of tapping, rather than just on whether the emotional intensity of the previous issue has lessened. I believe that the emergence of new aspects often indicates that the tapping is having an effect and things are starting to shift already. I also reassure clients that it’s completely alright if nothing new seems to surface after a round of tapping. Whatever they are thinking or feeling is perfectly okay. This encourages an open, non-judgmental atmosphere where clients can feel at ease.
I also let them know that even if they don’t know how to describe what they are feeling, we can always work with whatever information is available to us at any given time.
Let’s collaborate and exchange ideas on how we can create a more supportive environment for our clients. Feel free to comment on this article or send me your thoughts through private messages. Together, we can help clients feel more comfortable and get the most out of their EFT sessions, while reassuring them they are doing nothing wrong.
That’s it for today. I hope you enjoyed this article and found it helpful. My name is Bruno Sade, a compassionate and open-minded clinical psychologist from Argentina. I’m also a certified EFT practitioner and love helping people, whether they speak English or Spanish, break free from their negative emotional reactions. I always maintain a non-judgmental attitude and remain flexible in my approach to ensure it fits your needs and respects what’s already working for you. I genuinely honor and respect each client’s experiences, beliefs, religion, race, sexual orientation, and personal background. By using EFT, we can work together to shift negative emotions and triggers, cultivating a more balanced and resilient mindset.
And, I’d love to know: What has your experience been like (as a client or as a practitioner) dealing with the pressure that might come up during an EFT session? Do you have any questions or comments about what I wrote? Is there any particular topic you’d like me to write about? I’d love to know in the comments below, or feel free to send me a private message.