Increasing your effectiveness with EFT, part 100.
When doing EFT (either by ourselves or with a client), it’s important to test our results. This is for two main reasons: 1) it can help us confirm that we have indeed made some progress; 2) it can help us be more thorough by uncovering emotionally charged aspects that still need to be tapped on for better resolution of the issue. One of the ways we can test our results is by using “roleplay”.
This is particularly useful when working on a specific event that involves an interaction with another person, for example, an argument with a loved one, or a conversation with a coworker.
Let’s say that we are tapping with a client on the memory of a recent interaction with their boss that felt upsetting to them. Perhaps at the beginning of the session they were feeling a high level of frustration when remembering this conversation, and they noticed a tightness in their solar plexus.
As we tap several rounds, also acknowledging the “shifting aspects”, meaning, the different emotions that come up for them when thinking about different details of that interaction, we might reach a point where there seems to be no more emotional charge when thinking about this memory. They seem to feel relatively calm and grounded when thinking about it.
One way to make sure that this is so, and that there are no more emotionally charged aspects or details about this memory, is to ask them to show us what kind of tone of voice or facial expression their boss used when saying what he or she said. With our client’s permission, we can then try to imitate it. In this roleplay scenario, EFT serves as a tool to safely explore and process these emotional responses, providing a safe space for clients to confront and work through their feelings. We can then ask our client if seeing or listening to this brought up any unpleasant emotional charge. If so, it means we just uncovered another emotionally charged aspect we can tap on. If it doesn’t bring up any emotional charge at all, it further confirms we have thoroughly addressed these potential triggers.
Basically, what we are doing with this “roleplay” way of testing is we are really “zooming in”. This method of roleplay not only reveals hidden emotional layers but also empowers clients to face and manage their reactions in a supportive environment. This is why we only do this when the emotional intensity seems to be really low, to avoid causing unnecessary discomfort or overwhelm. If we were to do it at the beginning of the session when they were feeling a high level of frustration (or whatever emotion they might have been feeling), it would only make them unnecessarily uncomfortable and maybe even emotionally overwhelmed to zoom in so much thinking about that event.
The reason we want to do this kind of thorough testing is to prevent any “untapped emotionally charged aspects” from rearing their head at the actual real-life situation, such as the next time they have to interact with their boss, where they might not have the time or space to do some tapping. Roleplaying the boss’s reactions helps the client to revisit the situation in a controlled environment, potentially revealing any remaining emotional responses that need to be addressed.
In summary, testing through roleplay in EFT is a powerful way to ensure we’ve thoroughly addressed all emotionally charged aspects and details associated with a scenario. By helping our clients “roleplay” certain aspects of the upsetting interaction we worked on during the session, we can confirm whether any lingering feelings need more attention. This careful approach helps in preparing them to handle the actual situation more confidently and calmly.
There are other ways to test our work with EFT, that I’ll talk about in future articles.
And that’s it for today! I’m Bruno Sade, a compassionate, open-minded clinical psychologist, and certified EFT practitioner. My approach is tailored to your individual needs and preferences, always respecting your experiences, beliefs, and background.
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