Frequently Asked Questions:

If you haven't been able to get your Emotional Freedom Technique questions answered on previous pages, maybe you can find your answer here. Sherri answers some common questions below but if you don't see yours, feel free to go to our Contact page and email Sherri your question. Additional answers can be found on Gary Craig's website, www.emofree.com.

• How was EFT discovered?
• How did you get into it?
• If I can do EFT on myself, why would I need a practitioner?
• Do I have to expect years of sessions?
• How quickly does it work?
• What are the limitations of EFT?
• How long do the results last?
• Has research been done on EFT?

How was EFT discovered?

Gary Craig, a Stanford graduate, created EFT in the 90's. According to Gary, he has been studying ways to improve personal performance since he was 13 years old and EFT is by far the most elegant. It is adapted from the very effective Thought Field Therapy, which Roger Callahan developed. EFT is quickly being accepted around the world because of its effective, rapid and long-lasting results.

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How did you get into it?

I personally began looking for ways to help clients in my natural health practice with their emotional issues. Most of my clients stated they used a way to deal with stress (prayer, meditation, deep breathing, counseling, etc), yet through their own admission, muscle testing and other modalities I use in my practice, I could tell that these things weren't providing the total release they needed.

About that time, I was noticing some limiting beliefs within myself as I began to expand my practice. Silly, negative thoughts seemed to come from no where but unconsciously I believed what they were saying and I saw how they affected my decisions and daily life. As I noticed them, my frustration began to build because I knew I wanted to create a more positive and fulfilling career, but felt boxed in with my self-sabotaging thoughts and limiting beliefs.

I was reading Dr. Joseph Mercola's website one day (his is the most read website on health issues, www.mercola.com), and I noticed that Dr. Mercola uses EFT for emotional health. I had some clients that I thought it would help, researched it, and after downloading the manual, went through hours and hours of training, attending seminars across the country to build my skills.

I'm not trained as a mental health practitioner, but many of the practitioners that I train with are. Some are incorporating EFT into their practices, others are switching their practices over to EFT entirely to help their patients. I'm thrilled at the results I've seen in myself, my family members, and my gracious clients that have been willing to try this new thing.

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If I can do EFT on myself, why would I need a practitioner?

You can certainly do EFT on yourself and I highly recommend it! I am a practitioner and I find that I do both. I use EFT daily on myself, but there are some issues that I need a practitioner to help with me with. There are some situations where working with a trained practitioner is recommended:

• Sometimes we are blind to our own issue. We don't like to enter those scary places alone. If these kinds of issues were easy to fix by ourselves, none of us would have any problems! We are meant to help one another, not to be an island. Sharing your concerns and fears with another person that you trust, in and of itself, can help lighten the load. And adding EFT goes way beyond just easing the burden.

• Some issues, by their very nature, involve intense feelings and may bring back painful memories. In cases like this, the possibility is there that the client may feel some distress in the session. However, an experienced practitioner will attempt to pace the session that ensures your emotional safety and well-being without resulting in extreme emotional stress. A trained practitioner will also see that you end each session in a calm and positive way, even if there is more work to do in a later session.

• Some people prefer working with someone else. Reading a manual may work for some people, but others may not learn that way. By seeing the process done by a trained practitioner, you can know you are learning the process quickly and correctly.

• Sometimes, EFT may not seem to work, or only work on part of the issue. A practitioner familiar with these situations will know what to do to help the client reach the breakthrough they desire.

• Some underlying issues can be hard to locate and a practitioner can ask questions and use their training to help uncover the root cause.

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Do I have to expect years of sessions?

No! One hard-to-believe thing about EFT is that it isn't like traditional "talk therapy" where people can spend hours and hours and thousands of dollars to get minimal results. Clients can come for one visit, learn the basic steps of EFT, and apply it at home if they want. For deep-seated or complicated issues, more sessions are usually needed.

Some people choose to have multiple sessions for the accountability and encouragement, and also because they like having someone to validate the process. Some people have decided to really get to another level in their lives and they commit time and resources to help this happen. Other people come in as they have a stressful event and still others like to come to classes and workshops as a kind of tune-up. There isn't a right way for everyone -- it all depends on each person's circumstances and desires.

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How quickly does it work?

With EFT, some issues are quickly dissolved in one session, and the results are typically gone for good. There are some more complicated situations that might need more than one session. A rule of thumb is, the longer the issue has interrupted your life, the longer it may take to dissolve. However, there are those times when major issues and conditions have collapsed in one session. We call these the "One Minute Wonders."

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What are the limitations to EFT?

EFT isn't perfect and the results aren't 100% all the time. But it usually works and the results are often amazing. It often works where nothing else will and because of the wide variety of things that are affected by our emotions, Gary Craig's motto is, Try it on Everything!

Sherri's goal is to use EFT gently and relief is usually found with little or no pain. This isn't always true for everyone, though. Some people have such intense memories that just mentioning them causes some emotional or physical discomfort and sometimes people shed tears. But these times don't usually last for long, and the exciting thing is, even these areas are often resolved effectively with EFT, leaving the client feeling, as some have said, "at rest, peaceful, light, and relaxed."

Imagine how much negative energy it takes to keep these kinds of emotions buried and what this can create within the human body. Though parts of a session may include tears, the goal of Experience Breakthrough is to help you get through it, not stay stuck in it.

Not only do we want to relieve people from emotional pain, we like helping them! We do our best to keep our sessions positive and as tear-free as possible.

Note: Some people with serious emotional issues need to see a qualified mental health practitioner. We recommend the practitioners that specialize in EFT and you can find them at www.emofree.com.

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How Long do the results last?

People almost always report long lasting results. They periodically make updates by phone or email to keep us informed of not only the relief that has come, but also how their life has changed because of EFT. One man comes to mind that had a severe phobia of heights who is now enjoying skydiving -- something he's always wanted to do. Another man in his 50's was embarrassed that he couldn't swim and enjoy water with his children because of his water phobia. Now he doesn't want to get out of the water!

If a problem does seem to "come back," it could be due to one of these three reasons:

• There is an secondary issue related to the original one that wasn't addressed and needs to be.

• The original issue wasn't addressed specifically enough and so it wasn't completely dissolved.

• The client may have some sensitivity to something (we call them energy toxins) that limited the results in some way. These could be toxins found in food, clothing, electromagnetic exposure, etc. Once we determine the source, we usually see progress with EFT continue.

Physical healings such as backaches, headaches, etc are often remarkable and also have long lasting results, but they tend to return more often than emotional issues do. Some EFT practitioners are seeing the manifestation of a physical symptom returning but with a different emotional issue. This may be related to how this particular client copes with stressful situations. Again, with patience and persistence, complete freedom could be possible.

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Has research been done on EFT?

Research is being done and we look for more all the time. EFT is in its early stages and is still considered experimental. However, on the Articles page in this website, I have listed several studies that have been reported including live blood cell analysis. We welcome any testimonies and research you care to submit!

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