Emotional Freedom Techniques

Emotional freedom techniques (EFT) is a meridian-based therapy that helps people by altering “blocked energy.” Blocked energy is conceptualized as the intersection of physiological symptoms and cognition. Physical manifestations of blocked energy can include anxiety, panic attacks, post-traumatic stress disorder, childhood trauma, and phobias.

Historical Context

EFT is one type of body-centered therapy (BCT). Such approaches challenge the belief in dualism that the body and the mind are separate entities, functioning independently. Body-centered therapies date to Sigmund Freud (1856–1939), who was the first psychotherapist to suggest that ego states functioning is directly related to one’s bodily sensations and bodily impulses. Freud initially believed that touch, including massage, was an effective strategy for healing a client but later retracted that belief due to concerns about sexual transference. ...

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