EFT Then and Now (Part 2 of 3): Training Others in EFT

Having set up an EFT practice, it was time to explore the infinite possibilities this art signposted.

Being Creative with EFT

One of my favourite things about EFT is how creative you can be with it. I have used it in combination with the following and more:

• Nature
• Astrology (especially in relation to the nodal path)
• Tarot cards
• Archetypes
• Dance
• Drawing
• Sand trays
• Music
• Fragrance
• Sound
• Inner child
• Spirituality
• Giving birth
• Dream analysis
• Investing in the share market
• I even used it with someone while they were passing a kidney stone.

EFT is an invitation to explore the potential of building bridges. Let your intuition guide you toward the one thing that may be a key in unlocking the mystery of healing or reframing with EFT at any given moment.

Training Others in EFT

EFT is such an interesting modality. It can be taught as a technique, used as a technique, but in the hands of someone who is skilled, it is an art. And like most art forms it is ever-changing, fluid and reflective of the times we live in. I taught EFT like I taught Art and Art History in my former career as a fine arts lecturer.

The most important lesson I learnt along the way as an EFT self-helper, practitioner, trainer, and trainer of trainers, is that I am always learning, growing and improving my skills. If there is a “I really get it, I have figured EFT out” moment, I am not there, and I may never get there!

I used to remind my EFT students, “You can use a map, clock the aspects, pay attention to the table tops, uncover the writing on the walls, follow the signs, follow the clues, head for a destination, perhaps even get there, but just know that emotions are rarely logical and they will lead you on pathways you did not know existed.”

Learning is remembering what you know in your heart as true. Doing is demonstrating that you know it. Teaching is reminding others that they know this just as well as you.

The Need for Clear Guidelines and Standardisation

The EFT I learnt in 1995 and the EFT I taught from 2002 onwards were different. Refinements arose along the way that supported EFT practitioners in being more respectful of boundaries while empowering their clients. For example, the shift in naming the 'Karate Chop point' to the 'Side of the Hand point' seemed small, but the effect was huge.

One could say that EFT was a combination of NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), A Course in Miracles, and coaching, with the added benefit of the somatic element. The fact is it worked, and even if you didn’t follow any of the protocols, simply listened (borrowed benefits) and tapped, it worked. But as more and more people were drawn to EFT, a mishmash of messy techniques started to arise. It became clear that there was a need for clear guidelines.

In the 1990s nobody spoke about appropriate touch (to touch or not to touch), appropriate disclosure, appropriate humour, or clean questions. There was a lot of leading and misleading. Sometimes it felt like there was a fair amount of fumbling in the dark, finding a way through it all. This led to anxiety and confusion around what leading means in EFT. It is not the leading that is the issue in EFT; it is the misleading.

Teaching the difference between leading questions and clean language questions, or logical questions and intuitive questions made EFT more robust.

In the early days you were simply told you needed to be a detective, but not what that really meant. How do you follow the clues? See if the pieces fit? How do you recognise the breadcrumbs that signpost healing from the debris of distraction? What is the difference between a hypothesis and a supposition?

I remember a brilliant post written by Jade Barbee and Betty-Moore Hafter in 2009 that outlined the core principles of EFT which brought a lot of clarity to the discussion.

Now, EFT has blossomed into a standalone therapy, and this is in part, due to AAMET, now known as EFT International. In 2010, volunteer members came together and the first training panel was formed. I am pleased to say I had the opportunity to be part of this. The process of having clear guidelines for practitioners and trainers continues on, evolving with the needs of the now. The goal of making EFT not just mainstream, but respected and held in high esteem is beginning to reap huge dividends.

By demonstrating the value of having clear guidelines for practitioners and professional practices for training others in EFT, EFTi is opening doors. It is only a matter of time before it is integrated into all streams of well-being, healthcare and education.

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Ranjana Appoo is a retired EFTi practitioner and trainer, as well as an artist, author, mentor and co-creator of LiberatingTouch®. For over three decades, she has supported individuals and groups worldwide through an integrated approach that weaves together fine arts, energy psychology, meditation, conscious living and spiritual inquiry. Drawing on extensive experience as an educator, facilitator and guide, Ranjana distills therapeutic and spiritual insights into practical tools that help people reconnect with their innate wisdom, power, healing capacity and joy. Find her other articles in the EFTi Articles Library.

Diagrams © Ranjana Appoo 2016