Emotional Freedom Technique EFT Change is a funny thing. We are all destined to “do it” yet there is a strong resistance to it in many instances. This, I am convinced, is the reluctance to leave the familiar, even if the familiar is unpleasant. It’s a question of “better the devil you know”. As a therapist, I have always been interested in personal growth and development on all levels, be it career, relationships, sport performance etc. I firmly believe that if a person can embrace change and grow, most anxiety neurosis can melt away into insignificance. A few years ago, I came across a handy little process called Emotional Freedom Technique - also known as EFT - and after studying and experimenting with it on personal level, I have found it to be a great tool for getting past the barriers in life that so often deny us our goals. EFT is not a suppressing process but helps to bring issues up into consciousness for resolution, which in my opinion, is the only way to deal with them as they will get to hang around in the background playing havoc with one’s efforts to grow. And the beauty of EFT is that it is such a simple process that anybody can learn very quickly, alone or with a therapist. Many years ago I practiced a marshal art called Ki Aikido where I was introduced to the energy (ki – also known as chi, Qi, prana) that flows through our body and to the truth that mind and body are really one and not separate entities. This is the energy that is used in acupuncture, shiatsu and many other therapies. In Ki Aikido I learned how to direct this energy using my mental focus and have never ceased to be amazed by this power that is available to everyone willing to accept it. What I discovered whilst I was practising Ki Aikido is that my stress levels almost disappeared and I was feeling healthier than I had in years. But the art was time consuming and it meant me deserting my clients on two evenings every week. That may not seem a lot, but considering that most of my work was done in the evenings, it was rather impractical. As an energy improving process, I have found EFT to be just as effective and there are two very good books that I would recommend. Written by Silvia Harment, there is, Adventures in EFT [USA] for beginners, and The Advanced Patterns of EFT [USA] that is suitable for those more familiar with “energy medicine”. One of the reasons I believe that the system of EFT is so effective, is that it uses a "tapping techniques" on what is known as acupuncture points combined with a process of affirmation designed to release us from early negative conditioning that we are all subjected to.