"What is EFT tapping and how do you do it?"
Yes, it looks silly (borderline cringe, honestly). But here’s the thing: it works.
You’re about to hear me talk about EFT tapping… a lot.
I find that it’s not widely known (or is everyone hiding because it looks so dang silly when you do it?), so this will be a comprehensive guide to all your questions about this transformative somatic practice.
“What is EFT tapping and why are you so obsessed with it?”
EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) is a somatic practice where you tap on acupressure points to release stuck energy, emotions, and limiting beliefs. Think of it as acupuncture without the needles.
Here’s why that’s life changing:
When something triggers us (like your boss scheduling a last-minute meeting without context 🫨) our bodies go into fight-or-flight mode.
❤️ Heart racing.
😧 Shallow breathing.
🌀 Mind spiraling into worst-case scenarios.
If we don’t process that stress, it lingers. Energy gets stuck, and over time, it impacts how we think, feel, and act.
This is where EFT tapping can really help.
By tapping on specific meridian points, you calm your nervous system, complete the stress cycle, and allow stuck energy to move through.
The result? You feel calm, present, and grounded — and suddenly, that scary meeting feels manageable (phew!).
“What do you use EFT tapping for?”
I use EFT tapping to clear stuck energy, emotions, and limiting beliefs so I can show up as the most confident, unstoppable me.
Here’s a real life example:
When I looked at my vision board, there were a couple career opportunities on there that I didn’t really believe were possible for me.
I didn’t want to be rejected. I was rejected once before when it really counted — it was something I wanted with my whole heart — and I didn’t want to go through that again.
I thought I had one shot. The stakes felt very high.
I had a running narrative in my head (from a manifestation coach) saying that you can’t manifest something that is 1 of 1. (i.e. a VERY specific person/thing).
Based on past experiences, I believed I had to make concessions or sacrifices for a great opportunity.
After tapping on these fears and limiting beliefs, I felt a shift. Within days, I sent a cold email I’d been procrastinating on for four years — and it led to a freelance writing opportunity!
“Tell me about these accupressure points. Where are they?”
EFT uses meridian, or accupressure, tapping points from Chinese medicine located on your head/face, chest, and upper body.
They are:
Side of the hand
Eyebrow point
Side of the eye
Underneath the eye
Under the nose
Chin, just below your lip
Below your collarbones
Top of your head
Now, I’m going to be real with you: tapping looks SILLY. Borderline cringe (okay, full on cringe). I avoided doing it for so long because of how silly it looks.
But ya know what? I got over it because the changes I was experiencing were so immediate and SO strong. Call me cringe, idc!
In this video I demonstrate where the tapping points are and how to tap on them. It’s super simple and once you do it a couple times you get the the hang of it quickly!
“So… you just tap and that’s it?”
Physically tapping on the accupressure points is just one part of the EFT tapping experience.
The other half is acknowledging your thoughts, feelings, and beliefs while you tap.
An EFT tapping session typically goes like this:
IDENTIFY a dominant thought, feeling, or emotion. (“I feel __________ because _________.”)
SCORE how strong the feeling is on a scale of 1-10 (10 being VERY strong). Write it down so you can track your progress.
LIST all the thoughts that come up around this feeling.
What do you believe to be true about yourself in this moment?
What negative feelings coming up?
What is holding you back?
Are there any physical sensations (tight chest, knots in your stomach, etc.)?
START TO TAP. Begin tapping on the side of your hand repeating (aloud or silently to yourself) the following set up statements three times: “Even though I feel ___________ because __________, I accept this is how I’m feeling.”
MOVE THROUGH THE POINTS Tap on each point (eyebrow, side of the eye, under the eye, etc.), saying the thoughts or feelings you wrote down. Let whatever comes up flow naturally, even new thoughts or emotions.
As the blocks clear, you’ll usually experience positive feelings and thoughts emerge — it’s working!
TAKE A DEEP BREATH
TAP AGAIN. Begin by tapping on the side of your hand, reciting a new set up statement:
Even though part of me is feeling ________, I accept this is how I’m feeling.
Even though part of me is feeling ________, I’m open to seeing this in a different way.
Even though a part of me is feeling ________, I’m open to experiencing a shift.
When you open yourself up to seeing things in a different way or experiencing a shift, your thoughts will change. As you move to your eyebrow point, side of the eye, etc. say each thought that’s coming up. You’ll notice they’re more positive and empowered. Keep going for a few more rounds. You’re doing amazing!
Once you’ve finished tapping, check back in with yourself. How strong is the feeling that you noted in step 1 now? Maybe you went from a ten to a six. Or a ten to a nine. Even a one point change is significant.
Congratulations, you just shifted your energy, started to unblock deep rooted limiting beliefs, and anchor new empowered ones.
If you’re new to EFT tapping, this might feel overwhelming to do on your own. That’s why I host live workshops — we can do it together!
“Isn’t this just bypassing our emotions? Sounds like it’s just a bunch of ‘think positive’ BS.”
A lot of the EFT tapping posts you see on Instagram or YouTube just focus on tapping on positive affirmations.
You can tap on positive affirmations all day long and still not believe them.
The magic is in moving from a negative emotion or limiting belief to a positive one.
This process requires us to:
Acknowledge and express what we’re feeling
Create space for the emotion to move through
Anchor a new belief once the energy has shifted
“This sounds amazing, I want to try it!”
YAY! I’m glad you see the power of how EFT can help you change your mindset.
Every month I host a live EFT tapping workshop. You can sign up for the next one HERE.
I had a tremendous healing session with Alison where she compassionately held space for me, allowed me to move through very hard emotions, and helped me recover from such a deep release (which surprisingly was physically exhausting in a great way!). A week later, I still feel the effects - I feel so much lighter about this situation; I was able to take action on what I was avoiding; and feel empowered.
Thank you so much for sharing! I tried EFT before and somehow got away from it. This is my reminder to revisit the practice!