Healing with EFT
What is EFT?
EFT stands for Emotional Freedom Techniques and it is often referred to as ‘EFT Tapping’ or simply as ‘Tapping’. EFT is a stress reduction technique which is comparable to a fusion of contemporary psychotherapy and acupuncture. It uses elements of cognitive therapy and the physical stimulation of acupuncture points. Rather than using needles it involves using the fingers to gently tap on specific acupuncture points whilst focusing on uncomfortable thoughts, feelings, or troubling memories. Generally the intensity of these thoughts and feelings diminishes and a greater sense of relief, wellbeing and relaxation is experienced. The therapeutic effects of EFT are recognised around the world and there is an ever-growing body of evidence which validates the benefits of the technique. There are currently more than 200+ peer reviewed clinical studies that have proven its effectiveness for anxiety, PTSD and a wide range of other issues.
What Is Cortisol?
Cortisol is often called the body's stress hormone, it plays a vital role in managing our stress response while supporting essential functions like energy regulation, immune health, and even mood stability. At balanced levels, cortisol helps us wake up, handle daily challenges, and regulate processes like digestion and sleep. However, chronic stress can disrupt this delicate balance, leading to persistently high cortisol levels—a state that has significant implications for mental health, including anxiety.
How Are Stress And Cortisol Related?
Our body’s stress response system, known as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, acts as a command centre that connects our brain and body. When faced with a stressful situation, this system releases cortisol to prepare our body for action - the classic “fight or flight” response. Ideally, once the stressor passes, our cortisol levels return to normal, allowing our body to recover.However, when stress is constant, the feedback loop that regulates cortisol can break down. Glucocorticoid receptors in the brain, which sense cortisol levels, can become less responsive, causing our body to keep producing cortisol. This leaves us in a prolonged state of heightened alertness, characterised by a racing heart, tense muscles, and feelings of unease - symptoms often associated with anxiety.
What Are The Long Term Effects Of Chronic Stress?
Chronically elevated cortisol levels don’t just affect our body; they can harm critical brain regions like the hippocampus, which is responsible for memory, and the prefrontal cortex, which governs decision-making and mood regulation. These changes can make it harder to think clearly, manage emotions, and cope with life’s challenges, further contributing to anxiety. By addressing cortisol dysregulation through natural anxiety relief methods, we can protect our brain, improve our mood, and enhance our overall quality of life. Understanding the relationship between stress, cortisol, and anxiety is the first step toward better mental health. By adopting strategies that reduce cortisol levels and support resilience, we can regain balance and move toward a calmer, more focused life.
"I no longer have anxiety! I honestly couldn't be more grateful"
Ameya Ahmad Williams
One of the most researched natural and effective methods to reduce cortisol levels and alleviate anxiety is Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), or tapping. A study by Stapleton, P., Crighton, G., Sabot, D., & O'Neill, H. M. in 2020 found that EFT reduced cortisol levels by 43%, confirming earlier findings from 2012. The researchers concluded that EFT is “an efficient and effective brief treatment for reducing biological markers of stress.”
Natural Anxiety Relief
How Does EFT Work?
EFT has been shown to significantly lower cortisol levels. It does this by deactivating the amygdala (the stress centre in the brain) and the hippocampus (the memory centre). There is also recent research into vagal nerve improvement. Research on gene expression indicates EFT has the ability to down regulate genes associated with the stress response, and up-regulate or improve the genes associated with immune functioning.
Are you wondering 'what is EFT aka Tapping' ?
EFT stands for Emotional Freedom Techniques and it is often referred to as ‘EFT Tapping’ or simply as ‘Tapping’. EFT is a stress reduction technique which is comparable to a fusion of contemporary psychotherapy and acupuncture. It uses elements of cognitive therapy and the physical stimulation of acupuncture points. Rather than using needles, it involves using the fingers to gently tap on specific acupuncture points whilst focusing on uncomfortable thoughts, feelings, or troubling memories. As this process unfolds, the intensity of these thoughts and feelings generally diminishes and people experience a greater sense of relief, wellbeing, and the ability to feel naturally calm. The therapeutic effects of EFT are recognised around the world and there is an ever-growing body of evidence which validates the benefits of the technique. There are currently more than 200+ peer-reviewed clinical studies that have proven its effectiveness for anxiety, PTSD, and a wide range of other issues - all while helping people feel naturally calm and resilient.
If you’d like a deeper look at this method, here’s more on healing with EFT
EFT is supported by over 200+ peer-reviewed clinical studies, including systematic reviews on anxiety disorders (see research)
And what are these visualisation techniques that help to lower cortisol naturally?
The two gentle but powerful visualisation techniques I use are Optimal EFT (also known as The Unseen Therapist) and Matrix Reimprinting. While some of the names may be a bit off-putting, both are simple, deeply effective tools that help you feel naturally calm and enable emotional release.
Optimal EFT (OEFT)
Optimal EFT, OEFT or The Unseen Therapist, is an advanced but simpler, more gentle version of traditional EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques). Instead of tapping on acupuncture points, OEFT uses stillness and focused attention to help resolve emotional discomfort and create a naturally calm state of mind. This method was created by Gary Craig, the same person who developed EFT originally, and it’s designed to be accessible, flexible, and easy to use in everyday life. For those who are comfortable using this approach it generally achieves even faster results without any of the repetition of tapping. At the centre of OEFT is something called The Unseen Therapist. I personally find this name a bit cringey but it’s a way of trying to describe something that’s hard to put into words. Some people might see this as a way of connecting with (depending on your religious or spiritual beliefs) God, Jesus, the universe, or a sense of universal love. Others might think of it more as their own inner intelligence or naturally calm inner state. The point is, it’s deliberately vague and neutral, so that it can mean whatever makes the most sense to you. What matters is that in OEFT, we access a quiet, focused state and invite this inner resource (whatever you want to call it) in to help us resolve an emotional issue. You don't need to believe in anything spiritual or religious for it to work. You just need to be open to the idea that we all have something within us that can help us feel more balanced, safe, or emotionally regulated. Optimal EFT, OEFT or The Unseen Therapist, is an advanced but simpler, more gentle version of traditional EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques). Instead of tapping on acupuncture points, OEFT uses stillness and focused attention to help resolve emotional discomfort and create a naturally calm state of mind. This method was created by Gary Craig, the same person who developed EFT originally, and it’s designed to be accessible, flexible, and easy to use in everyday life. For those who are comfortable using this approach it generally achieves even faster results without any of the repetition of tapping. At the centre of OEFT is something called The Unseen Therapist. I personally find this name a bit cringey but it’s a way of trying to describe something that’s hard to put into words. Some people might see this as a way of connecting with (depending on your religious or spiritual beliefs) God, Jesus, the universe, or a sense of universal love. Others might think of it more as their own inner intelligence or naturally calm inner state. The point is, it’s deliberately vague and neutral, so that it can mean whatever makes the most sense to you. What matters is that in OEFT, we access a quiet, focused state and invite this inner resource (whatever you want to call it) in to help us resolve an emotional issue. You don't need to believe in anything spiritual or religious for it to work. You just need to be open to the idea that we all have something within us that can help us feel more balanced, safe, or emotionally regulated. In practice, OEFT usually involves thinking of a specific issue or memory, becoming quiet and focused, and then bringing in this inner support to help soften the emotional charge. It's gentle, non-invasive, and doesn't involve revisiting traumatic memories in a harsh or overwhelming way. It can be used on its own or alongside other approaches like tapping or talking therapy. One of the benefits of OEFT is that it's done silently in your imagination, you don’t need any external displays of activity or even privacy to use it. It’s something you can quietly do on a walk, in bed, or during a stressful moment, without anyone knowing. And because there’s no tapping involved, it’s also a good option for people who don’t feel comfortable with physical techniques or who want something more internal and reflective. At its core, OEFT is about making space for emotional resolution through stillness and intention, with the help of something that feels supportive and safe, whatever that means to you - so you can carry a naturally calm presence with you into everyday life. This is why I also include OEFT as part of my Natural Anxiety Relief Programs, where clients learn how to access this calm state whenever they need it.
Optimal EFT was developed by Gary Craig, the founder of EFT. His free e-book, The Unseen Therapist, explains the approach in detail (read here).
Matrix Reimprinting
Matrix Reimprinting is a technique based on traditional EFT (tapping), but with an extra layer that helps people work more directly with past experiences that may still be affecting them. It was developed by Karl Dawson, one of the original EFT Masters, and is often used to get to the root of emotional challenges in a way that feels safe, structured, and naturally calm. I personally find this name even more cringey than The Unseen Therapist but despite the off-putting name, it really is a truly powerful technique. I’ve been using it successfully for the last 16 years and have achieved incredible results with it. The key difference with Matrix Reimprinting is that it works with what are called ECHOES - these are like snapshots of yourself frozen in past memories, especially the ones that were stressful, upsetting or unresolved. Rather than simply tapping on your current emotional reactions, Matrix Reimprinting helps you revisit those earlier experiences and interact with them in a more supportive way. You don’t relive the trauma. Instead, you step into a memory as your present-day self, bringing the tools and understanding you now have to help. You gently connect with your younger self in that moment (the ECHO), offer support, and guide the scene toward a positive resolution. Tapping is used throughout to reduce the emotional intensity as it arises, creating space to feel naturally calm while working through difficult memories. The goal is to update how that experience is stored in your mind and body. Instead of just pushing it down or trying to “get over it,” you’re giving that part of you a chance to feel heard, loved and cared for. This can lead to significant shifts, especially when it comes to long-standing patterns like anxiety, low self-worth, or chronic emotional triggers. Matrix Reimprinting can also help identify and change limiting beliefs that were formed during these difficult moments, beliefs like “I’m not good enough” or “The world isn’t safe.” These beliefs often operate in the background, influencing behaviour and how we feel, even years later. This approach is often described as gentle and empowering, because the client leads the process at their own pace. It can be particularly useful for people who feel stuck, who have done other forms of therapy but still feel something unresolved, or who are looking for a method that goes deeper without being overwhelming. The key difference or benefit over EFT is that rather than just diffusing the uncomfortable feelings from a memory, you can go several steps beyond that and embed new, positive, supported and loved feelings. Some people find this concept unusual or even dismissive of the original trauma - but the truth is, you can’t change what happened, and you’ll always know what truly happened. That will never change. What does change is how that memory lives inside you. Instead of carrying a negative charge that weighs you down and fuels more anxiety, you now carry an uplifting, positive charge that supports your health, wellbeing, and sense of being naturally calm in daily life. This is why I also include Matrix Reimprinting as part of my Natural Anxiety Relief Programs, giving clients another powerful way to release the past and restore peace.
A UK NHS pilot study found Matrix Reimprinting significantly improved anxiety, depression, self-esteem, and wellbeing for clients in a community setting (read study).