Alternative medicine has always drawn an interest from consumers looking for cost-effective, natural and overall healthier ways to maintain their well-being.  When Carol Ebert, RN and Certified Wellness Practitioner, visited Valhalla in Cartwright, she brought with her the knowledge of EFT tapping to UW-L employees as part of the LIVEMAROON series.
EFT, or Emotional Freedom Techniques, first sprang on to the scene as part of a published work by Gary Craig in 1993, but the roots of EFT go much deeper.  EFT can draw comparisons from acupuncture by targeting similar pressure points, but without the invasiveness of needles. The central thought of EFT also takes from the ancient Chinese philosophy of Chi, the living life force that flows throughout our body.
Ebert first learned about EFT roughly five years ago when a doctor gave her a set of instructions, which was a basic form of EFT.  It didn’t immediately sink into later.
“I was researching it further, as it was in my field, and I administered it myself and felt amazed at the immediate results. The calming process was such a great effect,” Ebert said.
This then prompted her to do an online coursework of this assignment.  After expanding her knowledge on it, Ebert decided to tell the world about it. Already dealing with certain groups in seminars on personal wellness, she decided to incorporate EFT into her program and after receiving such positive and immediate feedback from the people she’s helped, she decided to craft a special seminar on EFT alone, much like the one she gave at UW-L.
EFT itself focuses on the nine endpoints of the body’s meridian: top of the head, eyebrows, side of the eye, under the eye, under the nose, the chin, the collarbone, under the arm and the wrists.  Once the endpoints have been identified, the administer of the tapping will issue a statement about their well-being that they wish to target.  One example would be, “I am stressed right now because of homework and I understand this.”  It is important to understand and accept the current nature of one’s well-being before progressing through the technique.  Once this is complete, one would administer a series a tap to the end point while thinking positive thoughts and affirmations.
EFT has been known to target and provide relief from chronic pain, emotional problems, disorders, addictions, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder and physical diseases. Proponents of the technique swear by its usefulness and relay testimonials from patients who have conquered lifelong addictions and crippling phobias.
On the other side, the technique has come under much criticism from the medical and science field.   The concept of the life force is simply not empirically supported.   Energy techniques have always been criticized of being no more than having a placebo effect, and EFT is no different.
However, with stress levels of college students at the highest they’ve ever been with no indication they’re going to drop, EFT is worth the shot and the effort.  Even if it’s just a placebo effect making someone feel better, the point is the person is feeling better and that’s what’s important at the end of the day.