Tapping (EFT)
tapping, tapping therapy, emotional freedom techniques
Tapping (EFT) is a simple technique that involves focusing on a thought or feeling while tapping on specific points on your body, often used to help reduce stress and emotional intensity.
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What is 'tapping'?
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), widely known as tapping, is a technique where you focus on a specific thought, feeling, or problem while tapping on a set of points on your face and body with your fingertips. It is often used as a way to reduce stress, lower emotional intensity, and feel more settled.
A session usually involves choosing one issue to focus on, noticing how strong it feels, and tapping through the points while repeating a few words that keep your attention on what is bothering you. It can feel a bit unusual at first, especially if you are not used to saying things out loud or focusing directly on uncomfortable feelings.
Many people use tapping on their own for everyday stress, anxiety, or overwhelm. Others learn it with a practitioner, especially if they want more support or are working through something more intense. It is quite simple to do when you know the points, but that does not mean every session feels easy. Some people do not notice much the first time, while others feel calmer or less emotionally wound up after a few rounds.
You do not need special equipment to begin, but it helps to have a quiet space, a bit of privacy, and clear guidance on where to tap and what to say. Most people start by trying it with one specific thought, feeling, or stressful moment.
Curious what your first tapping session might be like? Read on.
Bursts that feature tapping (EFT)
Wellbeing benefits
Why tapping is good for you
Tapping (EFT) may help you feel calmer, less overwhelmed, and more able to handle stress in the moment. With regular use, many people find it can make strong feelings feel more manageable and make it easier to think more clearly.
Six EFT sessions led to a strong increase in resilience scores in a randomised trial with veterans, and a meta-analysis also found large reductions in anxiety and post-traumatic stress, which supports tapping as a practical way to improve how people respond to stress and recover from it (Church et al., 2016; Clond, 2016).
A pilot study in athletes found that a single EFT session increased sports-confidence scores, and reduced anxiety may also make social situations feel easier to handle, though the evidence here is still limited and based on a small sample (Church & Downs, 2012).
EFT trials have reported drops in loneliness and interpersonal sensitivity, which suggests tapping may help people feel more comfortable in relationships and social interactions, though the evidence does not focus specifically on social connection as a standalone outcome (Church et al., 2012).
A study of patients preparing for lumbar-disc surgery found that EFT reduced anxiety and helped stabilise vital signs, suggesting tapping may support a steadier physical state and a greater sense of vitality, though the evidence here is still fairly limited (Cici & Özkan, 2021).
A meta-analysis found that EFT reduced depression and improved positive mood in the short term, suggesting tapping can help people feel lighter and more upbeat, though it is less clear how long those effects last beyond the first few months (Nelms & Castel, 2016).
Self-led, one-on-one, or in a group
Whether you use EFT at home, in a group or with a practitioner, here’s what each option can look like.
Recommendation for first-timer
1st pick
Highly recommended for most beginners, especially if you want to try tapping for everyday stress, anxiety, overwhelm, or a specific frustrating moment. It is easy to access through text guides, videos, and apps, and the process is simple enough to try at home without special equipment.
3rd pick
Best if what you want to work on feels more emotionally intense, more personal, or harder to manage on your own. A qualified practitioner can help guide the process and make it easier to stay settled if stronger feelings come up.
2nd pick
A strong option if you want more guidance, structure, or encouragement while you learn. Group settings can help you work though the experience. It will be less personalised than working one-to-one.
Availability
Widely
There is a large amount of tapping content available through written guides, videos, apps, and online programs.
Moderately
One-to-one support is available through EFT practitioners and some therapists, though availability depends on location, practitioner directories, and booking demand.
Moderately
Group options do exist, especially online, but they may be focused around specific workshops, communities, or practitioners.
Average cost per session
Free or low cost
Many tapping guides, videos, and written resources are free. Some apps and structured programs charge a subscription or one-off fee.
Expensive
One-to-one sessions are the most expensive option. Cost depends on the practitioner, session length, and whether the support is general wellbeing-focused or more therapeutic.
Moderate costs
Group sessions can range from free community offerings to paid workshops or short courses, depending on who is running them and how involved the format is.
Special equipment required
None or minimal
No special equipment is needed. You just need a guide to follow, such as a written script, video, or app.
None or minimal
No special equipment is needed. In a guided session, the practitioner leads the process and you follow along.
None or minimal
No special equipment is usually required. The facilitator provides the structure, and you follow along.
Potential for socialisation & community
Mostly solo
This is usually done on your own, with little to no interaction with others.
Mostly solo
You have direct contact with the practitioner, but it is still a private one-to-one format rather than a social or community-based one.
Highly social
Group tapping can create a sense of shared experience, support, and connection, especially when people are learning together or following a guided session as a group.
Safety & skill building
Mixed results
A good way to learn the basics, especially for everyday stress or overwhelm, but it can be harder to manage if stronger feelings come up.
Safe & fast
This offers the most individual support. A practitioner can guide the process, adjust the session as needed, and help if the issue feels more emotionally intense.
Mixed results
Group sessions can help you learn the structure and feel supported, though the guidance is shared and not tailored to you personally.
Space or privacy required
Minimal
You just need a quiet space where you can focus for a few minutes without being interrupted.
Some required
You have more privacy than in a group. You still need a space where you feel comfortable speaking openly and focusing without interruption if you are on a video format.
Some required
Group sessions are usually done in a shared space or online setting, so there is less privacy and more awareness of other people around you.
Ease of scheduling
Very flexible
Very flexible, since you can do it whenever you have a few minutes and something specific you want to work on.
Need to plan
Sessions need to be booked in advance, so it usually takes a bit more planning.
Need to plan
You need to work around the timing of the group session, which makes it less flexible than doing it on your own.
Setup time
Little to none
Setup is minimal. You just need a guide to follow and a few quiet minutes to focus.
Up to 30 mins
The practitioner handles setup. You may be asked to settle in, but there’s no prep required from you.
Up to 30 mins
Very little setup is needed from you, though you may need time to join the session and settle in.
Active practice time
Up to 30 mins
A short tapping session can take just a few minutes, and many guided sessions are designed to be brief and easy to fit into the day.
Over 30 mins
One-to-one sessions are usually longer so there is time to talk through the issue, do a few rounds of tapping, and sit with any observations.
Over 30 mins
Group sessions are usually longer, giving time for guidance, explanation, and a more gradual pace.
Unexpected advantages
Random
You can use it in the moment, without needing much time, space, or preparation. That can make it easier to turn into something you actually come back to.
Actually useful
Working with a practitioner can help you notice language you use, or emotional reactions you might not have picked up on by yourself.
Wholesome
Following along with other people can help the process feel more normal, less awkward, and realise that everyone experiences difficult emotions.
Academic research we rate
- Clinical EFT as an evidence-based practice for the treatment of psychological and physiological conditions: A systematic review
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- The efficacy of acupoint stimulation in the treatment of psychological distress: A meta-analysis.
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- Emotional Freedom Techniques for Anxiety: A Systematic Review With Meta-analysis
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- Is Tapping on Acupuncture Points an Active Ingredient in Emotional Freedom Techniques? A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Comparative Studies
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- Reexamining the effect of emotional freedom techniques on stress biochemistry: A randomized controlled trial.
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Show all 10 studiesShow fewer studies
- App-Based Delivery of Clinical Emotional Freedom Techniques: Cross-Sectional Study of App User Self-Ratings
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- The Effect of Emotional Freedom Techniques on Stress Biochemistry: A Randomized Controlled Trial
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- Emotional freedom techniques and breathing awareness to reduce childbirth fear: A randomized controlled study.
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- Online Delivery of Emotional Freedom Techniques for Food Cravings and Weight Management: 2-Year Follow-Up.
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- The effects of emotional freedom techniques on coping with premenstrual syndrome: A randomized control trial.
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Safety
You might be wondering what a tapping session actually looks like. Most sessions involve bringing one thought, feeling, or stressful moment to mind while tapping on a set of points on your face and body with your fingertips. It can seem a bit unusual at first, especially if you have never done anything like it before, but the basic process is simple once you get the hang of it. Before you begin, here’s what to keep in mind.
- Start with a mild or everyday issue, rather than something deeply distressing or emotionally intense.
- Start with shorter sessions until you know how you respond.
- If strong feelings come up or you start to feel overwhelmed, pause and come back to it later.
- If you want to use tapping for trauma, panic, or something that feels bigger than everyday stress, it is better to work with a qualified practitioner.
What you might experience
You sit down with a guide open in front of you and start reading the words. Then you begin tapping on the points, one by one. It can feel a little unusual at first, especially if you are not used to saying things out loud or paying close attention to what you are feeling. That is a very normal way to start.
As you move through the tapping sequence, you might find yourself wondering whether you are tapping in exactly the right place. Most beginners do. The good news is that you do not need to do it perfectly to get started. What matters most is that you stay with one issue, follow the points as best you can, and give yourself a chance to settle into the process.
At some point, you may notice that the guide is asking you to stay with the thought, feeling, or stressful moment instead of pushing it away. That can feel a bit uncomfortable. Tapping is often done this way because it helps you stay connected to what is actually bothering you, rather than skimming over it. If it starts to feel too intense, you can always pause and take a break.
After a few rounds, you may notice that your breathing has slowed a little, your body feels less tense, or the issue does not feel quite as charged as it did a few minutes ago. Sometimes the change is obvious. Sometimes it is subtle. You might just feel a bit less wound up, or find that the feeling has softened around the edges.
By the end, you may not feel completely different, but you might notice the issue feels a bit less close or consuming. It does not always lead to a big moment, but you may notice that what was bothering you feels a little less intense than it did at the start.
What tapping looks like
Work things out
Want to try tapping (EFT) alongside some other activities?
You don't have to build a routine from scratch. Every Burst is a ready-made plan you can schedule in a couple of taps.