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What Is EFT Tapping?
EFT stands for Emotional Freedom Techniques. You might also hear it called “tapping.” In plain terms: it’s a research-backed practice of gently tapping on nine specific points on your body — your face, hands, and chest — while voicing what you’re carrying emotionally. The result is a measurable calming of the nervous system. In clinical trials, it’s reduced cortisol by 43% in a single hour, cleared PTSD symptoms in veterans at rates far beyond conventional treatment, and produced large, consistent effects on anxiety and depression.
We didn’t invent it. Thousands of licensed therapists and counselors use it. And we’ve grounded it entirely in Scripture, prayer, and the lordship of Jesus Christ.
A brief, honest history
EFT was developed in the 1990s by Gary Craig, building on earlier work by psychologist Roger Callahan. It combines two things with independent clinical support: cognitive exposure (naming and voicing a distressing thought or emotion) and acupressure (physical stimulation of specific points on the body shown in fMRI studies to calm the amygdala and reduce the threat response).
Gary Craig himself was an ordained minister. He always believed there was a spiritual layer to the work. We agree — we’ve just built that layer explicitly in Christ.
The technique was later studied and refined by researchers including Dawson Church, PhD, whose work produced many of the peer-reviewed studies you’ll read about on our Science page. Clinical EFT is now practiced by licensed therapists, used in VA programs for veterans, and referenced in UK government clinical guidance for PTSD.
We don’t use the original “energy meridian” framing. We don’t need to. The neurological mechanism is sufficient — and more theologically defensible.
The nine points — and what we know about them
Each point sits over an area rich in nerve endings and acupressure points that, when stimulated, produce measurable calming effects in the nervous system. You tap gently with two or three fingers, five to seven times per point, while your guide leads you.
Used during the setup statement. We begin here.
Inner edge, where the brow begins
On the bone at the outer corner
On the bone directly below the pupil
The small space between nose and upper lip
In the crease between lower lip and chin
Just below the collarbone, beside the sternum
About four inches below the armpit
Crown, tapping gently with all fingers
In our sessions, your guide walks you through each point. You never have to remember the sequence — just follow along.
How a session actually works
Name it and rate it (the setup)
Before tapping, you name what you’re feeling and rate its intensity from 0 to 10. This gives you something to measure. Then, on the side of your hand, you begin the setup statement.
In secular EFT, the standard setup is: “Even though I have this anxiety, I deeply and completely accept myself.”
At Tapping in Faith, we don’t use that statement. We use this:
- “Even though I carry this anxiety… I trust that God is with me.”
- “Even though I feel this fear… I am deeply and completely loved by God in Christ.”
- “Even though I can’t let go… I cast this on Jesus, who cares for me.”
The locus of acceptance shifts from self to Savior. That’s not a minor edit. That’s the whole difference.
Tap through the points
Your guide leads you through each point while you voice honest, specific statements about what you’re feeling. Not denial. Not “positive thinking.” Honest acknowledgment before God — which is half of what the Psalms are.
Receive and re-rate
At the end, you rate your intensity again. Most people find it drops — sometimes dramatically, sometimes gently. We close with Scripture, a breath prayer, or a moment of stillness. The session ends where it was always heading: in His presence.
Do you have to believe in it for it to work?
No. The nervous system responds to what happens in the body — it doesn’t require your theological endorsement. The cortisol studies were conducted on skeptics. The veteran PTSD trials included people who thought this was completely ridiculous. The numbers held.
That said — doing this in Christ’s name, with Scripture as your anchor, with surrender as your posture, is a different experience than doing it as stress management. One is a technique. The other is prayer.
We build our sessions as prayer. But the body will calm either way.
Preview a session.
Tap along — no account needed.
Cast Your Anxiety on Him
Guided by Matthew
Common questions
Is EFT the same as acupuncture?
No. Acupuncture uses needles at specific points; EFT uses fingertip tapping. They share some of the same acupressure points and similar neurological effects, but EFT requires no practitioner, no needles, and no equipment beyond your own hands.
Does it really work?
Over 100 randomized controlled trials say yes — for anxiety, PTSD, depression, chronic pain, and more. Large, consistent effect sizes in independent meta-analyses.
Is it safe?
Yes, for the vast majority of people. EFT is gentle and self-administered. For severe trauma or active mental-health crises, work with a licensed therapist alongside using this app.
How long until I feel something?
Many people feel a shift within the first session — a loosening, a calming, a moment where the breath comes easier. Deeper patterns often take more time. We recommend trying five sessions before drawing any conclusions.
Can I tap on myself, or do I need a practitioner?
You can absolutely tap on yourself — that's exactly what Tapping in Faith guides you to do. Our guided sessions are designed for self-use.
For the deeper theological questions, see our Faith & Tapping page →