It might look a little strange at first — lightly tapping your fingertips along your face, head and upper body while talking about a stressful memory or feeling — but tapping therapy, also called Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), has been shown to be effective for those seeking relief from anxiety, trauma, stress and even physical pain.
The emerging technique combines elements of exposure therapy and cognitive behavioral approaches with acupressure, stimulating a series of points on the body known as meridians. Although some remain skeptical, some experts say it can calm the nervous system in minutes, and dozens of studies in recent years have put EFT to the test.
One 2023 meta-analysis in Frontiers in Psychology found that EFT was associated with significant reductions in post-traumatic stress symptoms compared with control groups. Other randomized controlled trials — the research gold standard — have recorded decreases in stress hormones, improved heart rate variability, and, in some cases, remission of PTSD symptoms.
But not all mental health experts are convinced about the experimental technique. The New York Times recently reported that some researchers see limitations in the current evidence, pointing to small sample sizes, potential conflicts of interest and lingering questions about whether tapping itself is the key — or if the benefits come from other parts of the process, like the focus on a specific memory.
Yet, clinical psychologist Peta Stapleton, Ph.D., who has published more than a decade of research on EFT, says the emerging science is helping demystify how tapping affects the body.
“You’re actually doing something biological to yourself,” she tells TODAY.com. Imaging studies suggest that stimulating certain acupressure points can send electrical signals along the body’s primo vascular, or meridian system, reaching brain regions like the amygdala to help regulate stress responses, according to Stapleton.
And for Dawson Church, Ph.D., a longtime EFT researcher, author and trainer, the evidence isn’t just in the lab. He’s seen veterans with decades-old trauma recall distressing memories “at a ten out of ten” and, after tapping, report their distress as zero — results that held up in follow-ups months or even years later.
Here’s what experts say about how tapping therapy works, the nine points practitioners use, and what to expect if you try it yourself.
How Does Tapping Therapy Work?
EFT blends physical and psychological elements: gently tapping on specific acupressure points while focusing on a distressing thought, memory or feeling. Church describes it as “drawing from acupuncture and borrowing a lot from cognitive therapy and exposure therapy.” Patients are encouraged to vividly recall the problem rather than distract themselves from it, while the tapping sends a competing “calm” signal to the brain.
“When traumatized people remember a memory, the limbic system becomes highly active,” Church tells TODAY.com. “When you tap, those parts of the brain become totally calm while they’re describing their traumatic events.”
Stapleton points to emerging research she says helps to explain how tapping might work. In traditional Chinese medicine, acupressure points are part of an energy system called meridians. For years, scientists debated whether these pathways actually existed in a physical sense. But recent studies using tracer dye — a substance visible on imaging scans — have identified threadlike physical channels in the body that align with traditional acupuncture maps by 80–90%, she says.
“We actually have a much better understanding as to why tapping on a pressure point can end up in the brain, calm your brain waves, drop your cortisol or settle your heart rate,” Stapleton told TODAY.com.
While placebo effects may play a role, Stapleton notes more than 150 randomized clinical trials — showing comparable results to gold-standard therapies like CBT — and growing institutional acceptance, including in some health departments, schools and veteran programs. She is also currently leading the effort from Bond University to have EFT formally recognized by the American Psychological Association as an evidence-based psychological therapy.
What Are the Tapping Points?
In clinical EFT, practitioners typically use nine points, starting with the side of the hand (“karate chop” point) while stating a “setup statement” that names the problem and affirms self-acceptance. The sequence then moves through:
- Start of the eyebrow
- Side of the eye
- Under the eye
- Under the nose
- Chin crease
- Collarbone (about an inch below)
- Under the arm (about four inches below the armpit)
- Top of the head
Church sometimes adds a point at the back of the head or incorporates eye-movement exercises to deepen the effect.
What Are the Steps to Tapping?
Here’s how experts say to try a basic EFT sequence:
1. Identify the Issue
Pick one problem to focus on. For example: “Even though I feel really angry because of what happened at work…”
2. Rate the Intensity
On a scale from 0 (no distress) to 10 (the most you can imagine), how strongly do you feel it?
3. Say Tour Setup Statement
This is where you acknowledge the feeling and pair it with a statement of acceptance or safety, such as: “I accept I feel this way” or “…and I’m safe now.”
4. Tap Through the Points
Using your fingertips, begin tapping each of the nine points in order (side of hand, eyebrow, side of eye, under eye, under nose, chin crease, collarbone, under arm, top of head) while repeating your statement.
5. Check In Again
Re-rate the intensity of your distress. If it has dropped, keep going. If a new feeling comes up, adjust your statement to match.
6. Repeat As Needed
Some people feel relief in minutes. For deeper or more complex issues, experts recommend working with a trained practitioner who can guide you through the process.
Stapleton stresses that while videos and social media tutorials can introduce tapping, “if something’s outside your scope, you should really refer to someone (who) is an expert.” She recommends working with a trained, trauma-informed clinician, such as a psychologist, counselor or certified EFT practitioner, especially for complex issues. Without that guidance, she says, people may stir up distressing emotions without knowing how to process them safely.
How Long Does It Take for Tapping To Work?
Both experts say the effects can be rapid — sometimes within minutes. In his demonstrations, Church says he’s seen people’s distress ratings drop several points in less than ten minutes.
Still, the timeline varies. “It can be very quick, it just depends on the complexity of what’s going on,” Stapleton says. Many clinical trials run six to eight sessions over as many weeks. For single issues, change may happen in one session; for chronic conditions or deep trauma, multiple sessions are usually needed.
And while EFT is not a cure-all, some research suggests its benefits last. In follow-ups months or years later, many patients still reported low or no distress related to the memories they worked on, according to Church.