Trauma and PTSD have a way of disrupting your entire life. Those haunting flashbacks, that intense fear, a constant state of hyper-vigilance… It’s like being trapped in a war zone inside your own mind – bringing intense fear, stress, and anxiety back into your life often when you least expect it. If you or someone you love is navigating the effects of trauma or PTSD, this is for you. We’re here to explore how Tapping for trauma can provide a path to healing and relief.
What is Tapping for trauma?
Tapping, or Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), is a mind-body approach that combines elements of ancient Chinese acupressure and modern psychology. When applied to trauma healing, EFT involves gently tapping on specific acupoints on the body while focusing on strong emotions, triggers, traumatic memories, or something else.
How does Tapping for trauma work?
The basic premise of the Tapping for trauma technique is that unresolved emotional issues or past events may lead the brain to become “stuck” in a state of hyperarousal and contribute to physical and psychological symptoms.
The process of Tapping may actually help with rewiring the brain after trauma. The Tapping technique sends calming signals to the amygdala, the part of the brain responsible for processing emotions and that controls the fight-or-flight stress response.
Tapping tells your brain that you are safe, that it’s okay to let go of the stress, put the guards down, and actually relax.
By tapping on meridian endpoints while concentrating on the problem, you can release stuck emotions, reset your nervous system, create healthier neural pathways, and find healing and relief from even long-standing and deep rooted issues.
Tapping techniques for trauma and PTSD
If you are dealing with trauma or PTSD, always consult with your medical provider or psychotherapist. When using Tapping to work through complex concerns, we recommend getting the support of a therapist or trained EFT practitioner so you can safely navigate the process of healing.
As you begin your journey of using Tapping for trauma, you may be curious as to what the process may look like. Let’s break down the basic EFT Tapping sequence and some of the techniques you might use when using EFT for PTSD or trauma.
How to do the basic EFT Tapping sequence
The basic EFT tapping sequence involves tapping on nine specific points, in this order:
- Side of the Hand
- Eyebrow
- Side of the Eye
- Under the Eye
- Under the Nose
- Under the Mouth
- Collarbone
- Under the Arm
- Top of the Head
While using your fingertips to tap gently on these points, you focus on your emotion, memory, trigger, or whatever it may be. This may involve noticing how your body feels, playing a memory back like a movie in your mind, or repeating certain phrases out loud or in your mind.
Here’s the process, step by step:
- Identify the issue: Focus on a specific trauma-related problem you want to address. This might be a memory, a physical sensation, a strong emotion, or something else.
- Rate the intensity: On a scale of 0-10, how intense is the emotional charge, the physical sensation, the memory?
- Create a setup statement: This should acknowledge how you are feeling, while also accepting yourself, such as “Even though I feel anxious in my body when I think about ___, I deeply and completely accept myself.”
- Repeat the setup statement three times: Say it out loud or in your mind while continuously tapping on the side of the hand point.
- Tap through the points: Gently tap each of the remaining points 5-7 times while focusing on the problem. You might reflect on the memory, play it out like a movie, or speak aloud your thoughts or feelings.
- Complete the sequence: After tapping the Top of the Head, take a deep breath.
- Re-rate the intensity: Has the intensity on the 0-10 scale gone down? If you don’t feel relief, repeat the process until you do.
Specific techniques for trauma release with EFT Tapping
When using EFT Tapping for trauma release, you may use a variety of techniques. These may include:
- Breaking down a traumatic memory into smaller details, such as visual memories, sounds, or emotions felt during or after the event.
- Focusing on physical sensations in your body when you feel triggered or emotionally aroused.
- Visualizing triggers in your mind, slowly exposing yourself to the trigger while reminding your mind and body you are safe in this moment.
- Using the “Movie Technique,” which involves running through the traumatic event in your mind like a movie, tapping through any intense emotions that arise.
Tapping for trauma guided demonstration
You can watch the Tapping for trauma process in real time in this demonstration of Tapping to Clear Traumatic Events:
As you watch, tap along with us. Even if this isn’t your exact issue, you’ll be surprised as to what happens when you tap along! 🙂
The science behind Tapping for trauma
Research shows that Tapping can significantly reduce cortisol levels – the stress hormone – by up to 43% in a single session. This reduction is vital for individuals dealing with trauma and PTSD, for whom daily stress can be so magnified.
Research on EFT Tapping for PTSD has shown promising results.
Studies have found that Tapping is very effective and provides significant benefit when treating PTSD – even holding its own against standard treatment options like CBT and EMDR.[1]
A study published in the Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease(CHECK) found that EFT Tapping was significantly effective in treating PTSD symptoms in veterans, with 90% of participants no longer meeting PTSD diagnostic criteria after just six sessions.[2]
According to survey findings, most practitioners find that even complex PTSD can be remediated in fewer than 10 Tapping sessions.[3] Tapping has even been ranked as one of the top two most effective techniques for treating PTSD in young people.[1]
We’ve also seen the benefits of using Tapping for healing in communities affected by traumas (including school shootings, natural disasters, and more) – and these benefits have been documented worldwide.[4] Go here to read a heartwarming story of how Tapping helped parents affected by a school shooting heal.
Success stories of using Tapping for trauma and PTSD
Here are a few real-life stories from people who’ve used Tapping to heal from trauma or PTSD:
“It’s a daily struggle every day with CPTSD. In all my 81 yrs I’ve never believed I could feel peace. In the last 4 yrs of daily tapping I’m having moments of healing and peace, and finally sharing my deep sense of aloneness and fear with others I feel safe with.” -Pamela
“I suffer from agoraphobia, anxiety, and C-PTSD and these meditations are really helping me a great deal! I am becoming less hypervigiliant and able to focus on what I am doing instead of get distracted and need to investigate every sound I hear. My stress level is decreasing, and I feel much more relaxed. I am happier! Life is more enjoyable! These are miracles for me and give me hope that I can recover from C-PTSD and past trauma” – Andrea
“Tapping has been invaluable in helping heal C-PTSD and chronic anxiety. My true and healthy self is emerging, and I am beyond grateful.” -Carol
“Tapping has helped me deal with the fallout from years of PTSD… It is amazing that just a few moments can have such a dramatic positive effect. If you are on the fence about it PLEASE just try it. I was worried in the beginning-it sounded like nonsense to me and I wanted to make sure I practiced where no one could see me! I scoffed and would have missed out on a life changing technique.” -David
“Life-changing. I‘ve been struggling with low self-esteem for years due to trauma. I have done this tapping meditation and other energy medicine protocols for several years, and this time, I was ready. In one week I went from complete overwhelm to inner peace. Thank you.” -Andrea
“As a person that has had a lot of trauma in my life, some as an unknown source, tapping has helped me feel PEACEFUL and secure. I have been able to sleep better & change my thinking.” -Tesser
Start your own healing journey with Tapping for trauma
For many of us, traumatic events don’t just happen once. They may only literally happen once in “real” time, but we replay them, hold onto them, and run through them again and again and again. When we let go of patterns keeping us stuck in fight-or-flight with the help of Tapping, we can truly heal the past and transform our futures.
If you’ve been affected by trauma in your life, Tapping can be an extremely effective tool to support your healing.
When using Tapping for ptsd or trauma, intense emotions may arise. Here are some tips to help you on your journey:
- Start slow and gentle. Tap on one aspect at a time rather than the whole traumatic event. Keep it general at first (like “this feeling”) rather than more specific details. Take it step by step.
- Take breaks and practice self-care throughout the process.
- Work with a qualified professional to safely process your trauma. Many therapists use EFT in their practice, and they may be able to combine different techniques along with Tapping to help you heal.
You can find experienced EFT Practitioners to support you online through our directory here.
I encourage you to try The Tapping Solution App, which features guided Tapping sessions specifically designed for helping to calm the amygdala, quiet the fight-or-flight response, and allow your brain and body to finally settle into a state of greater peace and ease.
Download the app for free today from your preferred app store, and you’ll find hundreds of options ready for you. Everything from “Stop a Panic Attack” to “Feeling Safe and Secure,” to “Releasing Fear” – we’ve got a meditation for every need.
Our Trauma Support Category includes a 5-Day Transforming Trauma Series led by psychotherapist Dr. Arielle Schwartz, which is a great place to start your healing journey!
Click here on your mobile device to access this series, or open The Tapping Solution App and search for “Transforming Trauma.”
Remember, healing is possible. With tools like Tapping, support from professionals, and your own courage and resilience, you can move beyond trauma and reclaim your life.
Until next time… Keep Tapping!
Nick Ortner
References
- Mavranezouli I, Megnin-Viggars O, Daly C, et al. Research Review: Psychological and psychosocial treatments for children and young people with post-traumatic stress disorder: a network meta-analysis. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. 2020;61(1):18-29.
- Church D, Hawk C, Brooks AJ, Toukolehto O, Wren M, Dinter I, Stein P. Psychological trauma symptom improvement in veterans using emotional freedom techniques: a randomized controlled trial. J Nerv Ment Dis. 2013 Feb;201(2):153-60.
- Church D, Stern S, Boath E, Stewart A, Feinstein D, Clond M. Emotional Freedom Techniques to Treat Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Veterans: Review of the Evidence, Survey of Practitioners, and Proposed Clinical Guidelines. Perm J. 2017;21:16-100.
- Feinstein, D. Uses of Energy Psychology Following Catastrophic Events. Frontiers in Psychology. 2022;12.
Connect With Us on Social Media