Increasing your effectiveness with EFT, part 183.
Some of the people I work with are currently going through the certification process to become EFT practitioners, or they are already certified practitioners who continue doing their own personal work. I really enjoy working with them on whatever issues they bring to the table, especially when those issues affect their enjoyment and effectiveness as practitioners. After all, we all encounter similar challenges at different points along the way.
One of the most common pitfalls I’ve seen (and experienced myself) is something known as furor curandis. The term means “the passion or zeal to heal,” and it refers to when our desire to get our clients results becomes so strong that it actually gets in the way.
Of course, wanting our clients to feel better is a good thing. But when that desire becomes our main focus, it can start to come at the expense of meeting them where they are. Without realizing it, we might begin to pressure them—or ourselves—to make something happen quickly.
The moment that happens, the session becomes more about us than about the client. Our need to prove ourselves and/or EFT, to get results, or to “fix” the problem takes center stage. And our clients can feel it.
As clients, it usually feels uncomfortable when a practitioner is operating from this place. Even if nothing is said out loud, the body can sense that subtle pressure in the room—the need for progress, the silent hope that a breakthrough happens. It can make clients feel rushed, self-conscious, or as if their natural pace of healing is somehow “not enough.”
In contrast, when we can meet our clients exactly where they are—with no agenda, no pressure, and genuine curiosity—something shifts. The nervous system feels safer. There’s more space for authenticity, for emotions to surface, and for organic progress to unfold.
Letting go of furor curandis does not mean we stop caring about our clients’ results. It means we trust the process enough to know that healing happens best in safety, not under pressure. It means we trade urgency for presence.
When Results Don’t Match Expectations
Another way furor curandis tends to show up is in how we explain a session that did not go as we hoped. We may direct the blame inward: “I’m not good enough,” “I don’t have what it takes,” or “Maybe EFT isn’t working because of me.” Or we might direct it outward: “This is a resistant client,” “They’re not open,” or “They’re not doing it right.”
There’s nothing wrong with asking ourselves how we might improve our approach to better help our clients. But it’s most useful to do so from a place of curiosity and neutrality, rather than from shame or blame. Growth happens much more easily when we can stay kind toward ourselves and our clients at the same time.
Letting Go of the “Furor Curandis”
So how can we work on this tendency when it shows up?
One helpful approach is to tap on how we feel after sessions that we believe didn’t go very well. For example:
“When I think about that session, I feel disappointed that my client didn’t get the results I was hoping for. And this is where I’m at right now.”
We can also tap beforehand if we’re feeling anxious about an upcoming session:
“When I think about my session later today, I feel nervous that I won’t be able to help this person get the results they want. And this is where I’m at right now.”
Talking with more experienced practitioners can also be incredibly helpful. They can remind us that every practitioner feels this way at times, and that not every session needs to be a “home run.” Healing is not linear, and sometimes holding space for where the client is right now is the most valuable thing we can do.
Ultimately, our role as practitioners is to help clients meet themselves where they are, step by step. This is what makes EFT most effective, safe, and gentle. We help them allow and sit with their actual thoughts and feelings about the issue they want to address, and “give the microphone” to any part of them that needs to be expressed.
Our job as practitioners is also to care for the vulnerability of the other person—to listen without judgment, to respond with respect, and to honor the trust someone places in us when they allow themselves to be seen in their fragility.
We can’t guarantee results, but we can guarantee the process of presence—our willingness to stay grounded, compassionate, and attuned. And paradoxically, that’s often what leads to the best results.
I’m Bruno Sade, a clinical psychologist and Certified Advanced EFT Practitioner. Helping you manage emotional reactions and release triggers that keep you stuck in old emotional patterns — in a way that feels safe and tailored to your preferences and needs.
If you’re curious about what it’s like to work with a practitioner and are exploring the possibility of having EFT sessions with someone, I currently offer a free EFT tapping session for those who’ve never worked with me before.
It’s a gentle, no-pressure way to experience how this works and see if it feels like a good fit.
Click here to learn more and book your session, or feel free to reach out if you have questions.
