I recently shared the complete list (found in the back of Two Mothers One Prayer) of resources that I used to cope while Celeste was diagnosed with cancer and what I refer to as my Emotional Toolbox. I thought I’d go into more detail about each of the resources or tools: what exactly they are and how they helped me.
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)
The first one I mentioned was EFT or the Emotional Freedom Technique. The first time I had ever heard of EFT was through my Therapeutic Touch Instructor back in 2005.(I have been a Therapeutic Touch practitioner for over 18 years now. I promise to explain Therapeutic Touch or TT at a later date) Margaret mentioned in passing about using EFT to overcome her extreme fear of spiders.
She described it as also being effective with physical symptoms as well as phobias. Fast forward a year or two and I was experiencing an intense reaction to my many environmental allergies. None of the Allergy medications I tried could give me relief from the chronic sneezing and sinus troubles. I just couldn’t breathe. I was so desperate I wondered if this EFT that Margaret had mentioned could help me in anyway. So that’s when I started searching online to find out more. Gary Craig who founded the technique had a website www.emofree.com with a free manual, I began tapping right then and there, walking myself through the sequence until I could finally breathe again.
I was so relived, first to be able to breathe normally again and secondly to have something that worked and gave me hope after 20+ years of environmental allergies. I knew on my own that I had only garnered myself temporary relief from the sinus problem that day but would need extra help to deal with it further so I looked up a local EFT practitioner to help me. That was my introduction to EFT.
Over the years I learned that EFT was especially useful in helping to reverse the negative emotions that can be the root of many emotional and physical ailments. It wasn’t until Celeste became sick that I was willing to do whatever it took to clear up my own emotional baggage so I could have the strength to help Celeste through everything she was about to face.
I knew to that to be the best mom possible for her I was going to have to finally deal with my emotional crap that I hadn’t been willing to do for myself. I also knew that if I had to do this, I was going to need help and I was willing to ask the best of the best – whoever that may be, to help me. Over the years, within the personal growth and development world I had heard that Carol Look was an expert on EFT or Tapping. So I looked her up, called up her office, explained my situation and asked her who I should work with, if there was someone in the Toronto area that she could recommend for me.
That recommendation was one of the best I have ever received. Vivian became one of my life lines during everything for the next 6 years. Not only is she an exceptional EFT practitioner but also a trauma counselor. And the one thing I have heard over and over from parents of children with cancer – it is traumatic in so many ways. EFT can be used to help parents, but parents can also learn the technique to help their child cope with the stress of treatments as well.
In researching what to share about EFT I discovered a great post written by Dr. Veronique Desaulnier. She shares the research and explanations about EFT:
“Emotional Freedom Technique (also known as EFT or Tapping) is a fast, easy, and effective way to reduce anxiety, clear emotional blocks, and become more peaceful and focused in all areas of your life.”
“EFT is done by lightly tapping on specific points on your body (usually eight or nine) between your chest and the top of your head. While tapping, you vocalize first the negative issue at hand (and your feelings about it) and then vocalize a more positive perception of the issue (even if it is just to accept it).
This combination works on an energetic, emotional, and physiological level to clear emotional blocks and bring the mind and body back into balance. On an anatomic level, regularly practicing Tapping and utilizing it in times of stress helps stabilize hormones levels. It will also calm the amygdalae, the part of our limbic system that responds to emotional stimuli and is responsible for the “fight or flight” response.
EFT Tapping has been shown to significantly decrease (and in some cases eliminate) conditions such as:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- PTSD /Trauma
- Food Cravings
- Addictions
- Phobias
- Test and Public Speaking Anxiety
- Physical Pain
According to physicist Bruce Lipton, author of The Biology of Belief, EFT is also a way to “supercharge” deep emotional healing. This is because it reprograms negative belief patterns to more life-affirming ones. Most of the time we are not aware of the negative beliefs we hold as adults, many of which were formed in childhood. Yet these beliefs can and do contribute to the development of diseases like cancer as we age.
Lipton metaphorically equates the subconscious mind to a tape player: “Tape players are not good nor bad. The programs (that they play) can be good and can be bad … You have to learn how to push the record button to change the program in the subconscious mind.”
According to Lipton, practicing EFT Tapping allows us to “push the record button” on our subconscious mind and replace negative belief systems and patterns with healthy ones.”
To read the whole article and her list of sources visit https://thetruthaboutcancer.com/emotional-freedom-technique-cancer/