Summary of EFT Research

We receive a lot of enquiries about what research has been conducted on EFT so this month I've decided to summarize the research that has been conducted, let you know about some of the exciting research currently in progress, and also inform you of where you can go for more information on research on EFT and related techniques, such as TFT. Below each summary, I have provided citations for those who wish to quote this research in their literature or submissions.

Steve Wells, Kathryn Polglase, Dr Henry B Andrews, Dr Patricia Carrington and Dr Harvey A Baker conducted a scientifically controlled study on EFT at Curtin University in Western Australia in 1999 and 2000. The study found that a single 30-minute treatment session of EFT could produce valid behavioral and subjective effects on specific phobias of small animals. The significant behavioral improvements that were obtained following EFT treatment were maintained and possibly enhanced at 6-9 month follow up. That study was the subject of extensive peer review, and was published in a peer review journal.

Reference:

Wells, S., Polglase, K., Andrews, H.B., Carrington, P., and Baker, H.A.

"Evaluation of a meridian-based intervention, Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), for reducing specific phobias of small animals" Journal of Clinical Psychology, Volume 59, Number 9 (September 2003) pp. 943 - 966.

A full pre-print of this paper, is available on our website at:

http://www.eftdownunder.com/research.html

The Wells, et al. study has been scientifically corroborated in a follow-up study conducted at Queens College in New York by Drs Harvey Baker and Linda Siegel. Their study, which compared EFT treatment to a no-treatment control as well as a non-directive counselling condition for treatment of small animal phobias, produced results that almost directly paralleled the results achieved in our study.

Harvey A. Baker and Linda Siegel, "One session of Emotional Freedom Techniques is effective for reducing fear of specific animals: A controlled laboratory study," Paper presented at the second annual meeting of the Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology, San Diego, May 2001.

Psychologists Wendy Waite and Mark D. Holder (2003) from the Department of Psychology, Okanagan University College in Canada, found that a single application of EFT produced significant reductions in self-reported fear in a university cohort. They argued that EFT works because it shares some of the same components as systematic desensitization.

Wendy L. Waite and Mark D. Hodder, (2003) "Assessment of the Emotional Freedom Technique: An Alternative Treatment for Fear", The Scientific Review of Mental Health Practice, Vol 2, No. 1, pp. 20-25.

Psychologists Sharon Jones and Dr Henry B Andrews from Curtin University (Jones and Andrews, 2001) studied EFT treatment (vs. waiting list control) of public speaking anxiety in treatment sessions of 45-minutes conducted by psychologists in the University counselling center. The authors found significant improvements in self-report (Spielberger STAI) and subjective levels of anxiety for EFT treatment. In tracking the results of EFT treatment throughout the session, they found that subjective anxiety was significantly reduced after just 15 minutes of EFT treatment and continued to reduce throughout the treatment session.

Sharon Jones and Henry B. Andrews, "The efficacy of emotional freedom technique in reducing public speaking anxiety: An exploratory study." Paper presented at a meeting of the Western Australian branch of the College of Counselling Psychologists, March 2001.

Dr. Paul Swingle and his colleagues (Swingle, Pulos & Swingle, 2000), studied the effects of EFT on auto accident victims suffering from post traumatic stress disorder.  These researchers found that three months after they had learned EFT (in two sessions) these auto accident victims showed significant positive changes in their brain waves and in self-reported symptoms of stress.

Swingle, P., Pulos, L., & Swingle, M. (May, 2000).  Effects of a meridian-based therapy, EFT, on symptoms of PTSD in auto accident victims.  Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology, Las Vegas, NV

In another study, Dr. Swingle used EFT as a treatment for children diagnosed with epilepsy.  The children were administered EFT by their parents every time each day that the parents suspected a seizure might occur.  Swingle found significant reductions in seizure frequency among these very young children, as well as extensive clinical improvement in the children's E. E. G. readings after exposure to two weeks of daily in-home EFT treatment. 

Swingle, P. (May, 2000).  Effects of the Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) method on seizure frequency in children diagnosed with epilepsy. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology, Las   Vegas, NV.

Joaquin Andrade, MD and David Feinstein PhD report on a large scale study on Energy Psychology (Including EFT and TFT)

In preliminary clinical trials involving more than 29,000 patients from 11 allied treatment centers in South America during a 14-year period, a variety of randomized, double-blind pilot studies were conducted. The largest of the sub-studies, conducted over a five-and-one-half year period, followed the course of treatment of approximately 5,000 patients diagnosed with anxiety disorders. These patients were randomly assigned to an experimental group (imagery and statements paired with the manual stimulation of selected acupuncture points - as in EFT and TFT) or a control group (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy supplemented by medication as needed). Half of them received the energy therapy treatments and no medication. Interviews at the end of treatment, along with follow-up interviews at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months, showed that the energy therapy was significantly more effective than the CBT/medication protocol in both the proportion of patients showing some improvement and the proportion of patients showing complete remission of symptoms:

Excerpted with permission from Energy Psychology Interactive. Emphasis mine.

Joaquin Andrade, MD and David Feinstein PhD, "Energy Psychology: Theory, Indications, Evidence." In David Feinstein, Energy Psychology Interactive, (Ashland, OR: Innersource 2004, distributed by Norton Professional Books)

Brain mapping studies conducted by Dr. Andrade and his team revealed that subjects with generalized anxiety whose acupuncture points were stimulated tended to be distinguished by a general pattern of wave normalization throughout the brain, which not only persisted at 12-month follow-up, but also became more pronounced. Details of this research and a sampling of brain scan images from this research can be found in Energy Psychology Interactive and online at:

Details of study findings: http://www.innersource.net/energy_psych/epi_research.htm

Imagery: http://www.innersource.net/energy_psych/epi_neuro_foundations.htm

Further studies on EFT currently underway:

A controlled study of EFT in a clinical setting is in progress at Stairways Behavioral Health, an outpatient clinic in Erie, Pennsylvania. The study consists of a treatment group using EFT, a group using a psycho-education approach for the same number of weeks as the treatment group (6 weeks), and a no treatment control group.

A study on the effects of EFT on Math Anxiety is being conducted by Doctors Lois and Ronald Worthington and Dr Harvey Baker of Princeton, NJ. 

A number of studies on EFT are being undertaken and planned under the guidance of Dr Harvey Baker in conjunction with other researchers including:

A study in the Psychology Department of Queens College in New York, to determine the effect of EFT vs. gentle calisthenics, and the effect of a no-treatment control group, on free throws' in basketball. 

Clinical research planned by Father Kurien George and Harvey Baker, to take place in India. These researchers plan to study the effects of EFT on alcohol addiction in a small village in India. 

A different type of replication of the Wells et al. and Baker-Siegel studies will also be undertaken by Harvey Baker who has just received a small grant to partially support it.  Dr Baker will compare EFT using the standard tapping points, to a form of "EFT" which uses other body locations. 

Harvey Baker has also designed a study which will use a virtual reality program for fear of public speaking to assess the effects of EFT on this fear.

The above was summarized from Pat Carrington's excellent EFT research site at:

http://www.eftupdate.com/ResearchonEFT.html

Related research on TFT, Acupuncture, Healing Touch:

Many related research studies have been conducted on associated meridian-based approaches including TFT (Thought Field Therapy from which EFT evolved), acupuncture (from which the acupoints used in EFT were identified), and therapeutic touch.

Details of some of this related research can be found on the following websites, and some is also summarised in our (Wells, et al.) research paper:

Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology (ACEP) Research Page:
http://energypsych.org/research.php  

Fred Gallo's Summary of Research on Energy Psychology:
http://www.energypsych.com/Content/readings-num7.htm