EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques)

What this is

EFT is one of the approaches I use most, and one of the easiest to describe badly, so let me describe it properly.

EFT, often called tapping, pairs light tapping on a sequence of acupressure points with focused attention on whatever you are actually feeling. You say the difficult thing out loud rather than around it, and you keep tapping while you do.

Most of us have learned to manage distress by pushing it down. That works until it doesn’t. EFT takes the opposite approach: instead of arguing with the feeling or trying to think your way out of it, you turn toward it while your body is being given a steady, calming physical signal.

It looks strange the first time. I know that, and I would rather say it than have you discover it in the room. You tap on the side of your hand, then on a few points on the face and upper body, using two fingers, lightly. Nothing about it hurts and nothing about it requires you to believe in it beforehand.

Let me be straight about what it is, too: it is a complementary approach, not a medical treatment and not a cure for anything. Some people find it useful, some find it does little for them. I use it on its own or alongside other work, and I will tell you honestly if I think something else would serve you better.

What it can help with

People usually come to it for:

• Anxiety that sits in the body — the tight chest, the shallow breath, the stomach that knows before you do
• A fear you can argue against perfectly well and still feel
• Anger that is out of proportion to what set it off
• Trauma, and living with PTSD — particularly the physical side of it: the body that stays on alert long after the mind has agreed the danger has passed
• Nerves before a specific event: a flight, an exam, a difficult conversation, a medical appointment
• Cravings and habits you keep restarting
• Grief that you have been careful around for a long time
• Trouble getting to sleep because your body will not come down
• The particular frustration of already understanding your pattern intellectually while nothing has shifted

I work with trauma and with people living with PTSD. I do not diagnose PTSD, and I am not going to tell you tapping resolves it. What EFT can offer is a way of settling the body while you approach something at whatever distance you choose — including from a long way off. Nothing is opened without your say-so, and stopping is always available.

What a session is like

I see people at Center St. Elie in Antelias, behind a closed door, with no one else in the room.

We start by talking, not tapping. I want to know what is bothering you and, specifically, where you feel it — the throat, the chest, behind the eyes. Then I usually ask how strong it is right now, out of ten. That number is not a test. It is just a way for both of us to notice whether anything moves.

Then I show you the points. I tap on myself and you copy me on yourself — I do not need to touch you at any stage, and I will not. You repeat short phrases after me, out loud or under your breath, whichever you prefer.

The phrases are in your own words, not mine. If a word I offer feels wrong, tell me and we change it. Getting the wording right is most of the work, and you are the only one who knows when it lands.

You are never asked to relive anything in detail. If a memory is too much to go near directly, we can work around the edge of it, or work on the fear of approaching it, and get a long way without you ever describing what happened. You can keep the content completely private and still do the work — some people tap on that thing and never name it, and it still moves.

We stop whenever you want to stop. Say the word and we stop, no explanation needed. If something surfaces that is bigger than you expected, we do not leave you sitting in it — we slow down and settle before you go anywhere.

Toward the end I check the number again. Sometimes it has dropped, sometimes something different has come up in its place, and sometimes nothing has changed on the day. All three happen, and none of them mean the session was wasted.

Once you know the points, they are yours. Many people use them on their own afterward, at home, in a car, before walking into a room they are dreading.

Practical details

• Session length: Ask when you message — I’ll tell you before you book
• Fee: Ask when you message — I’ll tell you before you book
• How many sessions: It depends on what you come with. We review as we go, and you decide whether to continue
• Languages: Ask when you message — I’ll tell you before you book
• Where: In person at Center St. Elie in Antelias, or online
• Cancellations: Ask when you message — I’ll tell you before you book
• To book: Message me on WhatsApp or call 03-267-243

EFT works well online, because you tap on yourself either way.

Common questions

Does this actually do anything, or am I just calming down?

A fair question, and I would rather you ask it than sit on it. EFT is a complementary approach; it is not a medical treatment, and I am not going to quote you numbers or promise you an outcome. What I can tell you is what happens in the room and why people come back to it. Try it and judge for yourself — you are allowed to conclude it is not for you.

Do I have to say things out loud in front of you?

Not necessarily. Many people prefer to speak the phrases quietly or silently, and that is fine. You also do not have to tell me what the memory is. You can work on it as the thing that happened and keep the details to yourself.

Will you touch me?

No. You tap on your own face and hands. I demonstrate on myself and you follow. There is no physical contact at any point.

What if I get upset?

Then we slow down. Getting upset is not a problem to be avoided and it does not mean we have to stop for good — but we will not leave you unsettled at the end of the hour. Settling you before you walk out is part of the session, not an extra.

Can I use it on my own afterward?

Yes, and most people do. It is a simple sequence and it belongs to you once you have learned it. For the heavier material it helps to have someone with you, which is what the sessions are for.

If you are curious whether it would help with what you are carrying, message me on WhatsApp or call 03-267-243 and ask.

If you are in immediate danger or thinking of harming yourself, please do not wait for an appointment. Call the Embrace Lifeline on 1564 (free and confidential) or the Lebanese Red Cross on 140. This page is not an emergency service.