Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) and Kids

What is EFT?

EFT is often called ‘tapping’ or ‘psychological acupuncture’ (rest assured nothing sharper than two fingers are involved). EFT is self-administered where a child applies a two-finger tapping process to various acupressure points on the body while repeating a cognitive statement.

In more technical jargon, this brief technique combines elements of exposure and cognitive therapy and somatic stimulation.

Today’s science supports what ancient healers knew, that this is a highly effective technique. EFT has been researched in more than ten countries, by more than sixty investigators, whose results have been published in more than twenty different peer-reviewed journals (over 100 publications).

It is because of its very high rate of success, that the use of EFT has spread rapidly and medical practitioners employing EFT can now be found in every corner of the country
and the world.

Click HERE for a free EFT Mini-Manual describing the method.

EFT for Children

Tapping can be taught to children from a young age for things such as:

Teaching young people to use EFT tapping gives them a tool to use their entire lives. I learned this technique 17 years ago and continue to use it on myself for anything and everything.

I have raised my now teenaged sons who use it, and have watched them shift from a negative, emotionally charged perspective to one coming from a calm, rational space.

Why EFT for Children is so Relevant Today

Young people today are dealing with more stress and anxiety than any past generation has ever faced. Every generation acknowledges the challenges associated with life’s unavoidably awkward process of growing up. Today’s youth, however, are struggling with far more serious issues as they transition into adulthood. The pressure they face is at an all-time high.

There are many variables to this troubling paradigm. Most of them are such a pervasive part of modern life that even the most vigilant of parents cannot hold their child safe from exposure for long – cell phones, social media, video games… Sooner or later all these touch our children’s lives.

It’s safe to say that our kids are emotionally and physically overloaded, in multiple ways.

This brings us the questions of:

• How can we help our younger population be mentally and emotionally healthy?
• How can we support them, empower them, and ensure their resiliency during these increasingly difficult and unpredictable times?

Helping our Children by Example

As a Hypnotherapist and EFT Practitioner, I am often contacted by well-intentioned parents who want to help their kids manage stress, anxiety, and other negative obstacles in their lives.

What parents often don’t realize is that regardless of their focus on their child’s success in life, addressing their own struggles before their child’s will result in profound and positive changes in their child (not to mention themselves).

As parents, we often do our best to put our own struggles aside and focus on the business of life. What is important to note is that at some point those struggles trickle down to our kids whether we intend them to or not.

If both parent and child use techniques such as EFT and/or hypnosis, the positive changes in the child will be rapid, effective, and long term.

Teaching Children to Help Themselves

The second way we can help our children is to teach them how to use simple, effective natural tools like meditation, breathing exercises, EFT for Children and HeartMath therapy.

These techniques empower kids to take charge of their emotions and this builds resilience, self-reliance and confidence.

I have taught EFT for Children in groups and have worked in one-on-one settings. It is stunning and powerful to watch a child’s perspective change as they shift from a place of anger or fear to one of calm and safety. And these shifts often happen in mere minutes, or even seconds.

Following the intervention, any important decisions in the child’s life can be made now from an emotionally healthy place.

Anecdotally, I have seen this happen numerous times with kids and adults, alike. My own sons are included in this group. While my success stories, as a practitioner, are strong evidence for the effectiveness of EFT, scientific research further validates this energy technique that is gaining in popularity worldwide.

Using EFT for Children and Teens

As a Hypnotherapist, I’ve come to understand that so many of our adult issues stem from childhood traumas, negative experiences and, often, misperceptions about ourselves and the world around us.

Have you ever said, “Gee, I wish I knew then what I know now.”? So, wouldn’t it be amazing if we could help our children overcome their issues while they are still young?

The benefits would last a lifetime!

Many people are doing exactly that, giving their children immense opportunities that they otherwise would not have. I can say, without a doubt, that I wish I had been taught EFT as a small child. EFT can play a major part in helping kids release fear, anxiety, trauma, and doubt in a matter of minutes

EFT commonly produces results a lot more quickly with children. There are several reasons for this.

• They don’t have the same amount of emotional baggage as adults do.
• They’re not caught up in the “how’s” and “why’s”, they just want to feel better.
• They usually just need to tap on the exact feeling they are experiencing, and the ill-feeling collapses quickly.

In addition, they often only need to tap on a few of the points instead of all of them.

Even our youngest children can benefit from EFT, often responding to tapping with a puppet or bear that has clearly identified tapping points.

Additionally, it works even if they don’t believe in it, which is especially helpful for older children who might have resistance to working on issues or trying new approaches.

This is powerful stuff, my friends!

How Can You Bring EFT into Your Child/Teen’s Life?

There are several ways you can do this.

One way is to learn the technique yourself, through workshops or with a practitioner, and then teach it to your kids at home. I tell parents it can be turned into a regular routine you do together with your child at the end of each day, or with the entire family.

In this way, it can be used as a preventative measure by tapping away the general stress of the day, or on specific things that have come up and have yet to be resolved. Through this practice, parents often discover things that are going on with their child that might not otherwise be brought up by the child. Over a short period of time, it will become a habit you and your child look forward to.

Another way is to bring your child to a certified practitioner of EFT for some one-on-one sessions. Working with a practitioner can help tackle more complex problems by using various techniques with tapping.

For example, if there is a trauma that is just too painful or embarrassing for the child to confront or to share, there are ways to target it without actually having to revisit it.

A practitioner can sometimes be easier for a child or teen to work with because they are not so closely or emotionally connected to the child’s life.

Discover EFT for Children

This technique is a wonderful tool for you and your children. Book with your local EFT practitioner and discover how it can help you and your family.