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History of EFT

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At this point he actually became somewhat alarmed because he knew Mary couldn't swim, so he ran after her to make sure she didn't fall into the pool.  It turned out, however, that strange as it seemed, the process of tapping under her eyes while she was talking about her fear of water, had eliminated her fear on a permanent basis. Gary Craig, who later developed Callahan’s surprising discovery into the tapping method known as EFT, has called this type of dramatic instance, a “one minute wonder”.

Consistent with, and probably influenced by the earlier discovery of psychiatrist John Diamond, M.D., that stimulation of certain acupuncture points can bring about changes in emotional states as well as physical conditions, Callahan decided to explore the possibility of using strategic tapping on certain meridian points to treat other phobias as well. While not all the phobias he tried this out on yielded to the tapping procedure as rapidly as Mary’s had (although surprisingly, some did!) her experience marked an important turning point for this new era of psychology. 

A new technology had been born, that of systematically tapping on strategic spots on the body while repeating key phrases out loud. This system seemed to bring about beneficial changes in a person’s emotional state, and it could therefore be used to treat psychological problem not amenable to conventional therapies.

Roger Callahan pursued his new approach devotedly, and because his method built upon some of the clinical observations in Applied Kinesiology, he too employed muscle testing in his new treatment procedure. 

Based on his subsequent experimentation, he hit upon the plan of using specific sequences of acupoints for different emotional problems.  He decided that there was a correct tapping sequence for every emotional issue, and that this could be determined for a particular individual through the use of muscle testing.  Later he was to outline a series of specific tapping sequences which he called “algorithms”.  These were considered targeted treatments for various emotional problems. Using this method of treatment, which he originally called “The Callahan Techniques” (later it was renamed “Thought Field Therapy” or “TFT”) Callahan achieved some remarkable results in his clinical work over a period of years.

However, despite its startling effectiveness in many cases, his technique had certain drawbacks.  Muscle testing for the appropriate points to tap on is not only cumbersome, it needs to be done by someone expert in muscle testing to be reliable, so his was by no means a self-help technique. 

Besides, it was not clear that such precision, as he used, was really necessary.  What would happen if a person were to tap on all twelve of the meridian end-points (or some other responsive points on the body) every single time they did a round of the treatment?  Wouldn’t they bypass the necessity for muscle testing altogether?  The question was whether one could “cover the waterfront” each time they tapped on a problem, by tapping on ALL the acupuncture end-points, and therefore not need to muscle test at all.

It occurred to some people who had learned TFT that a single algorithm method might work just as well and be so easy that people could readily practice it on their own at home, a great advantage.  Psychologist Dr. Patricia Carrington and Gary Craig, a Stanford trained engineer and personal performance coach, neither of whom knew each other at the time or had heard of the other’s ideas on this subject until many years later, both arrived at the identical conclusion; that a single-algorithm method could be just as effective as the more elaborate procedures of TFT.

By 1987, Dr. Carrington had already developed and was using for her patients and in workshops, a “single algorithm” tapping method based on Roger Callahan's TFT, which she called “Acutap”.  This method intentionally did not use any diagnostic procedure such as muscle testing.  She simply asked people to tap on all of the acupuncture end-points each time they did a round of tapping.  Using this method, Dr. Carrington was able to help her clients in ways that had never been possible before.

In the same manner, Gary Craig, who had studied TFT on all its levels with Roger Callahan and was originally one of Callahan’s star pupils, decided to separate his work from that of Callahan in order to be able to use his own single-algorithm approach. Callahan did not approve of his variation of the tapping.

Accordingly, Craig developed his individual single algorithm method which he called “Emotional Freedom Techniques” (EFT) to distinguish it from “The Callahan Techniques”, and he has been teaching this shorter method since the early 1990’s.

EFT is now the most influential and widely known Energy Psychology method in the world. Because it possesses some excellent features that Acutap did not, as soon as she tried it, Dr. Carrington preferred EFT to Acutap and began using Craig’s EFT method exclusively. 

As Craig continued his work with EFT, he found it to be every bit as effective as the more elaborate and time consuming tapping method of Callahan, and he proceeded to create what is presently the leading website in the Energy Psychology field and one of the major sites in the area of natural health;  The World Center for EFT. He is the acknowledged master of the technique he developed, and through his classic DVDs and manual he has brought EFT to the attention of hundreds of thousands of people in an impressive fashion.

Eventually, it is likely that EFT will radically change the psychological treatment protocols for traumas as well as for many other emotional problems previously considered treatable only by lengthy and usually only partially effective procedures.

In 2000, Carrington developed her EFT Choices Method, a variation endorsed by Gary Craig, which further expanded the scope of Craig’s method. Today, most EFT practitioners use “Choices” in their clinical practice.  It is the stand-by of thousands of non-professionals as well who use it to enhance their uses of EFT. (see The EFT Choices Method)

At present, EFT plays a leading role in a revolution in psychology that is only just beginning.  The current journey of over 50 years from acupuncture to EFT has resulted in meridian-based approaches now being known around the world.  Originally they traveled from East to West, and now, in a modified form, they are moving back from West to East as a new therapy. The prospects for the future of health care are exciting.

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REFERENCES

For a more technical and complete discussion of the precursors of EFT developed in the Western world, we recommend the book “Energy Psychology” by Dr. Fred Gallo (CRC Press, 1999).

For an authoritative discussion of the differences between EFT and Callahan’s (TFT) method, see Gary Craig’s TFT Articles.

EFT Master, Dr. Patricia Carrington

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