I want to begin by saying that I am a newcomer to EFT, both as a recipient and a practitioner. I am currently acquiring hours in order to receive my EFT certificate.
I had the privilege of working with Jason because the parent of another child I worked with recommended me to Jason’s mother. Her eight-year old daughter had an entirely different problem that together, we were able to resolve in one session.
Jason’s parents had tried everything to help him with his chronic fear of flying; so far nothing had worked. So with a sincere desire to help him, and some skepticism they invited me to their home to work with their son. My two sessions with Jason have combined into one.
I sat with Jason and his mother, as he nervously told me that he’s been afraid to fly since he was three years old. He explained, “Me and my mom and dad were flying back from Brazil and I was sleeping when felt a ‘big bump’ that woke me up. And I was really scared. Now just thinking about flying scares me.” Adding to his conflict was the fact that his parents often traveled and he often had to travel with them – which meant he experienced his fear over and over and over again. And it was getting worse.
This trip, however, had nothing to do with his parents. Jason was traveling to Florida to film a television commercial, something that he really liked doing. But he and his parents realized that his fear of flying was getting worse and eventually might make it impossible for him to fly at all. And this is why Jason agreed to see me.
I told him that this technique was a little strange. And that I didn’t know how it worked, but from my own personal experience and from working with others I knew that it could and did.
I explained that fear, negative feelings and beliefs are locked in our body, creating energetic blocks; and that we can’t ‘think’ away those blocks. I told him that the magic of EFT or Tapping is that it releases the energy that fuels and supports fear, negative feelings and beliefs, allowing us to move forward. As Jason listened he squirmed a lot, nodded his head a lot and kept looking at his mother whom he wanted to be with us for the entire session. And that was okay with me.
As Jason and I talked he was surprised to realize that his fear began to build when they began to pack for a trip. So I asked him to tell me a traveling story, beginning with packing, waking up the morning, having breakfast, the cab ride to the airport, waiting to board the plane, hearing his flight number called, boarding the plane, sitting in his seat, buckling up, take-off and eventually to being airborne.
We tapped step by step, beginning with packing, measuring the intensity of the fear, then tapping until the fear subsided to a manageable one or two. He was surprised to learn that his fear had parts –he said that when he heard the announcement for his flight, his fear peaked again; so we tapped on that aspect. Boarding the plane passed smoothly, but as he buckled his safety belt, again Jason’s fear escalated. After lowering the intensity of that aspect, we moved to take-off and settled into the in airborne flight.
Then I asked Jason to close his eyes and continue to tap. I asked him to pretend he was three years old again, asleep on the plane, and to feel the ‘bump’ – I suggested that maybe the ‘bump/ was someone accidentally kicking the back of his chair and had nothing to do with the plane being in danger of crashing. Or – that maybe he was dreaming, and the ‘bump’ occurred in his dream, again having nothing to do with the plane. We tapped on both possibilities until the intensity of his fear subsided and our second session came to an end. That was two days before the trip.
Jason’s mother called me a week after their flight to Florida. She told me that while airborne, Jason, looked at her and said, “I don’t know why I was so afraid to fly.” I loved hearing that, especially because I want to focus my practice working with children. Wow, the power of EFT.
Marsha Lee Sheiness
New York City, New York, US
marshasheiness.com
From the EFTfree Archives, which are now a part of EFT International .
Originally published on November 17, 2012
Share Your Comments & Feedback