I know Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT/EvEFT) and tapping works, but for some reason there are a few issues that I can’t seem to make any progress with at all. Do you have any advice for jump-starting progress on a stubborn issue?

photo by ittichai

This is a very common experience. When we bump into an issue we aren’t making any progress with it is very easy to get frustrated and to lose faith in tapping.

There are a number of reasons why you might be struggling with success with tapping. Here are few of the most common:

1) Not being specific enough.
This is the most fundamental reason that we stop seeing progress with our tapping. We can only be successful with the issues we are able to bring into our thought field while tapping. There are two basic ways we can approach this:

First, we can use different ways to tune into the problem. Most people run into this problem when they are struggling to find the “right words” to tap to. We can also tune into issues by using imagery, tuning into how the body kinesthetically feels, or seeing what the issue reminds us of. Here is a list of a number of different ways you can tune in if you are having trouble being specific enough.

• I don’t know where to start
• When we don’t know the root cause of an emotion
• The body has information about our issue
• Tapping w/ poetry
• Not sure how to be specific
• Using journaling to tap

Second, sometimes the reason we can’t get specific is that we are too close to the situation, issue, or emotion. Because we are so close to what is going on it’s hard to separate the facts from the way we are interpreting them. A good idea to get some outside feedback. This doesn’t mean you need to look to someone to solve your problems, but the outside point view can be very helpful.

Most of the clients I work with are very good at tapping and do it regularly on their own. They come to me because I am trained to help them see things differently and/or I can cut more quickly to the root of the issue precisely because I’m not involved in it.

2) Psychological Reversal
It is possible the body isn’t in a state that will allow healing. When most of us received our basic tapping training we were introduced to this idea. (Unfamiliar with the term? Psychological Reversal read more…) There are many types of reversal, not jut PR. This is not my area of expertise, but if you are looking for some great introductory information on the different types of reversal and how to deal with them, check out the many on-line videos.

3) Resistance To Change
Even though we consciously want to make a change there is a part of our system that doesn’t think it is safe, reasonable, or helpful to do this. There must be some resistance, because if there weren’t, you would have already made the change. You can find a list of articles on the different types of resistance and how to get past them below; many include tapping phrases or tap-along audios.

• Getting started
• Don’t know where to start
• Need to know how I got here
• When out change affects others
• Understanding what is motivating the change
• Reasons that stop us from trying

4) The system is not ready to heal or it has healed as much as it can for this session.
As much as we would like our system and issues to heal in an instant, there are times when too much change too fast can be an unhealthy experience.

Take weight release as an example. It would be great to shed forty-five pounds overnight, but that would be much too hard on the body. Rapid weight release might seem like a good idea, but there is a speed of releasing the weight that is healthiest for the body.

The release of emotional issues is no different. Often it is very possible to completely release an issue in one tapping session. Other times, because of the magnitude of the change, it is better for the system to heal the emotional wound in stages.

When you are working on an issue and you feel like you have plateaued in your progress, I have found it very helpful to tap on:

I thank my body for its ability to heal…I am thankful for this time to work on myself…it is possible for me to get frustrated because I am not making progess as fast as I would like…sometimes I even feel like I am not getting anywhere at all…I give my body permission to know that I want it to heal at a rate that is safe and healthy…so that the changes that I am making are long lasting…and for my highest good…I would love to make more progress now…I would love to have more information now…I would love to know what else I could do now…but I know my body has wisdom that will help me to move forward…and it will make me aware of what I need to do in due time…I give the body permission to know it can be at ease as we work through this…I give my body permission to know that this not the last time I am going to ask it for information…this is not the last time I am going to spend time working with it…if this is all the healing that can be done in this tapping session…then so be it…I will continue this work when the body is ready. [How to use these phrases]

When we tap like this there are two possible outcomes. First, the system will open up and give us new information to work with. Second, we will be at peace with the progress we have made, making it possible for us to come back to tapping in the future with hope and enthusiasm.

Remember, every round of tapping is useful and successful regardless of the outcome. What we can learn from each round of tapping