When Talking To Yourself Out Loud Helps

Narrative Tapping with EFT

By Gloria Arenson, MFT, DCEP

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Did you ever have a problem or emotion that was so upsetting you wanted to call your best friend because you needed a friendly ear? But what happens if no one answers? You are stuck with your feelings and misery. I have invented a simple activity to help you help yourself when you feel this way. I call it Narrative Tapping. It is based on EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques), which is acupressure for the emotions. 

Start by tapping on the outside edge of either hand, below the little finger and say to yourself, "I am upset about _____ and want to talk about it so I can resolve it." Do this 3 times with feeling. 

Then simply tap about 5-10 times on each of these points and keep talking as if you were telling your best friend about your problem. Put 2 fingers on the place where the hair of your eyebrow starts to grow near your nose and tap. Next tap on the outside bone of your eye socket, then right under the lower eyelid. From there, tap right under your nose and then under your lower lip. Tap directly under your collarbone, and finally tap on the side of your body about 4 inches under the armpit. You can use both hands and tap on both sides of the face and body or just tap on one side.

With each new sentence, move to another energy point. It is best to talk out loud, so do it when you are alone. Talk as if you were telling your problem to a friend who wants to listen and help you. 

I once had a client who was waking up in the middle of the night with a fear of dying. I taught her how to do narrative tapping, and as she talked to herself about waking up in terror she tapped her eyebrow point. Then, as she moved to tap the outside of her eye, she realized that she was about to turn 60. That was scary. She tapped another point under the eye as she told herself that 60 was old. "I don't want to get old," she said as she tapped the next point. "No one will take me seriously."

As she continued to talk out loud and tap she discovered that she was afraid that she wouldn't be able to accomplish new things in her career. "It's too late. Life has passed me by." A moment later, as she moved to a new tapping point she shouted, "It's never too late! Who knows what else I will do in my life."

In a few more minutes she had recognized and released regret and sadness about the past and was looking forward to the future. She accomplished this in less than 5 minutes. Her sleep improved and she went on to do some amazing things in her life and her career.

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Author's Bio:

Gloria Arenson, MFT, DCEP, specializes in using EFT to help people overcome compulsive behaviors, especially overeating, bulimia, spending, and procrastination. She has successfully treated hundreds of people for stress, anxiety, trauma, and fears. Gloria is the author of Desserts Is Stressed Spelled Backwards, How to Stop Playing the Weighting Game, Born To Spend, Freedom At Your Fingertips, EFT For Procrastination, and the award winning Five Simple Steps to Emotional Healing. Visit her website at www.GloriaArenson.com or contact her at glotao@cox.net.

4 Comments

Jose Goyo
Posted July 27, 2010 04:24 PM

hi...
this articule so wonderfull and is suitable to a group of EFT-er who are looking for a way to do a selftap. I translated it into spanish and if you do not mind will load on their blog http://blog.veraeft.com/#home and also on www.eftmx.com for spanish people. thanks and i following on your weg to keep learning. JGoyo

Gloria Arenson
Posted July 27, 2010 05:34 PM

Jose
I wonder if you would send me the Spanish version of your article so I can put it on my website and give you credit for the translation.

Thanks
Gloria Arenson

Jose Goyo
Posted July 27, 2010 09:07 PM

Hi Sra Gloria Arenson

I will love to but i do not find your e-mail in order to send it

May I translate some other articles on your blog and send them to you in case you wish to publish them. thanks .

Gloria Arenson
Posted July 27, 2010 09:29 PM

Jose
That would be wonderful. You can contact me at glotao@cox.net and we can discuss other appropriate articles.

Gratefully
Gloria

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While EFT has produced remarkable clinical results, it must still be considered to be in the experimental stage and thus practitioners and the public must take complete responsibility for their use of it.

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