What Is Optimal EFT?

Optimal EFT: A Unique Treatment Combining Exposure and Meditation
For EFT practitioners already experienced in tapping, Optimal EFT offers a complementary, meditation-based approach that can broaden their existing skills and provide additional possibilities when working with clients.

Developed by Gary Craig in 2014 as an enhancement to Gold Standard EFT, Optimal EFT combines focused exposure to emotionally charged experiences with meditation. Instead of tapping on meridian points, you connect with an inner source of healing, which Gary called the Unseen Therapist. Both forms of EFT aim to neutralize emotional responses, but use different approaches to achieve this.

A Different Dimension of Healing
Optimal EFT grew out of Gary Craig's spiritual journey and was inspired by his experiences with A Course in Miracles. While this spiritual background is part of the method's origins, no particular religious belief is required to learn or practise Optimal EFT.

The approach invites you to connect with a deeper sense of peace, love, and inner wisdom during meditation while focusing on a specific emotionally charged memory or issue. This combination can facilitate profound shifts in emotional responses and offers opportunities for both personal and spiritual growth.

The Power of the Unseen Therapist
Central to Optimal EFT is the Unseen Therapist, Gary Craig's term for an inner source of healing wisdom and unconditional love, free from ego. You may relate to this presence in whatever way resonates with you, whether as Love, the Holy Spirit, Inner Wisdom, or another meaningful name.

During meditation, you invite the assistance of the Unseen Therapist while gently bringing attention to the specific experience you wish to address. The aim is to neutralize the associated emotional charge, allowing you to revisit the experience without the original stress response.

Optimal EFT offers different forms of meditation that can be adapted to individual needs and circumstances. Rather than replacing Gold Standard EFT, it expands the possibilities available to EFT practitioners by adding another way to address emotional issues and support lasting change.