EFT for PTSD: How It Works

EMDR vs. EFT

Interest in EFT is growing in the Netherlands too. Although EMDR is often mentioned as a treatment option, some people experience EFT as gentler. Psychologists and psychiatrists I know who use both methods tell me that they often prefer EFT. Many of my clients who have tried both approaches also say they feel more in control of the process with EFT. They can also use parts of EFT themselves at home.

As a practitioner, I find that Official EFT allows me to work precisely with the specific experiences underlying a recurring stress pattern.

How does EFT work?

Official EFT includes Gold Standard EFT (Tapping) and Optimal EFT (Meditation). With both approaches, you focus on a specific situation or memory that still triggers a stress response. The aim is to break the link between that trigger and the emotional or physical response.

With Gold Standard EFT, you combine attention to the distressing experience with gentle tapping on acupressure points. No needles are used. With Optimal EFT, you use a guided meditation and the principle of working with the unseen therapist. As you work, you keep checking whether the situation or memory still triggers the same response. The aim is to remember what happened without re-experiencing the old stress response.

Why Can EFT Help with PTSD?

First, a brief explanation of the stress response. When you experience a situation as threatening or dangerous, your body may respond by fighting, fleeing, or freezing. You might experience a pounding heart, rapid breathing, a dry mouth, trembling, tunnel vision, nausea, or an unpleasant feeling in your stomach. Sometimes you feel “rooted to the spot” or “paralyzed with fear.”

These responses are normal in the face of danger. They usually subside when the danger has passed. After a distressing experience, however, your stress system may continue to react strongly to situations that consciously or unconsciously remind you of it. Even when you are safe in the present, the associated feelings and physical sensations can return.

The symptoms of PTSD can be deeply distressing, both for you and for the people around you. Talking about what happened and understanding it can be valuable, but may not always stop an automatic stress response. With Official EFT, you work with the specific moments that still trigger a response. You then check whether the response decreases and eventually stops being triggered. Often, several moments are involved, and resolving a pattern may take more than one session.

You may worry that working with old memories will be too distressing. That is why I begin carefully and adapt the pace to what you feel able to manage. You do not have to go straight into a traumatic experience or describe everything in detail. We can start by working with the memory from a distance, and move closer only when it feels appropriate.

You can also learn to use EFT as a self-help tool. This gives you something practical to work with everyday stress responses between sessions. If you have PTSD, I recommend that you begin working with traumatic experiences with the guidance of an experienced EFT professional.

Is EFT right for me?

That depends on your symptoms and circumstances. EFT can be used alongside other forms of support, but with PTSD it is important to consider together which approach and pace are right for you. Do not change prescribed medication or an ongoing treatment without discussing it with your own healthcare provider.

EFT is usually done sitting down and fully clothed. We can also discuss whether your partner or another family member might need support. This would, of course, be discussed with you first.

I’m interested. What Can I do Next?

You can explore Official EFT through the information and self-help materials available, a course, or a webinar. You can start with something small; you do not have to talk about your PTSD or traumatic experiences. If you would like personal support with PTSD, you can look for an experienced Official EFT professional.