EFT Tapping & Scientific Research


Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), or simply "tapping," is more than a calming practice — it's a growing field supported by scientific research. Over the past two decades, studies have explored how tapping affects the brain, nervous system, and emotional well-being. This page offers an overview of key findings and peer-reviewed research that support EFT’s effectiveness in reducing anxiety, stress, trauma symptoms, and more. If you're curious about the evidence behind the practice, you're in the right place.

Here's What Research Has Shown

  • Anxiety
    Numerous trials confirm EFT's ability to significantly reduce anxiety - even after just a few sessions.


    Stress
    Another showed a 43% reduction in cortisol, the primary stress hormone — after just one hour of tapping.

    Fears & Phobias
    Research has shown that EFT helps reduce anxiety associated with specific fears, like public speaking or flying. One university-based study in the U.S. confirmed tapping’s effectiveness for phobias in student populations.

    Happiness
    One study found that after a short EFT intervention, participants experienced a 31% increase in happiness levels.

    Chronic Pain
    EFT has been used successfully to ease physical discomfort, including back pain, tension headaches, fibromyalgia, frozen shoulder, and more — especially when emotional patterns are also part of the picture.

    Addiction & Recovery
    Studies show EFT can reduce emotional distress related to addiction and trauma. In many cases, results are maintained even 90 days after treatment — particularly when addressing core emotional patterns or early-life wounds.

    Depression

    Over 20 studies have shown that EFT can lead to significant reductions in symptoms of depression, often more effectively than traditional talk therapy alone.

    Self-Esteem, Procrastination, Cravings & More
    Ongoing research is exploring EFT’s use for a wide variety of challenges — including food cravings, self-worth issues, emotional blocks, and decision-making.
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  • Large-Scale Study on Emotional & Physiological Shifts (2019)

    A 2019 study by Dawson Church and colleagues, published in the Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine, explored the effects of a 4-day EFT workshop on 203 participants. The results showed significant improvements in both psychological and physiological markers — including reductions in anxiety, depression, PTSD symptoms, pain, and cortisol levels, alongside increases in happiness and immune function (SigA).


    Participants experienced remarkable shifts:

    • Anxiety dropped by 40%

    • Depression by 35%

    • PTSD symptoms by 32%

    • Pain reduced by 57%

    • Cravings fell by 74%

    They also felt 31% happier, and their immune function improved — with a 113% increase in a key immune marker (SigA).

    Physical signs of stress, like cortisol, blood pressure, and resting heart rate, also decreased.

    And the best part? These improvements lasted beyond the workshop — showing how EFT can create lasting change in both body and mind.

    👉 Read it on PubMed

  • Want to Dive Deeper? Explore the Research

    Here are a few published studies if you’d like to look into the science behind EFT more closely:


    The Effect of Emotional Freedom Techniques on Stress Biochemistry: A Randomized Controlled Trial — Church, Yount & Brooks (2012) found that the EFT group experienced a 24.39% reduction in cortisol levels, compared to only 14.25% in the supportive interview (SI) group and similar reductions in the no-treatment group.
    👉 Read it on PubMed


    Reexamining the Effect of Emotional Freedom Techniques on Stress Biochemistry: A Randomized Controlled Trial — Stapleton et al. (2020) replicated the original and found a significant 43.24% decrease in cortisol levels post-EFT (p < .05), notably more than reductions in the psychoeducation (19.67%) or no-treatment groups.

    👉Read it on PubMed

    Meta-Analysis on Anxiety
    A review of 14 RCTs (Randomized Controlled Trials) concluded EFT has a strong impact on reducing anxiety symptoms
    👉 Read it on PubMed

    EFT & PTSD in Veterans
    One of the most powerful studies on EFT looked at its impact on veterans struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In this randomized controlled trial, veterans who received 6 EFT sessions showed remarkable results:

    - 90% no longer met the clinical criteria for PTSD after treatment
    - In comparison, only 4% of veterans in the waitlist group experienced this level of improvement

    These findings highlight EFT’s potential as an effective, evidence-based approach for trauma recovery.
    👉 Read it on PubMed


    What is PubMed?

    Most of the links above lead to PubMed — a trusted online library of scientific and medical research. It’s managed by the U.S. National Library of Medicine and used by researchers, doctors, and healthcare professionals around the world.


    The key takeaway is this:
    EFT is being studied seriously — and the results are encouraging.

Tap. Let Go. Shine... because Freedom Starts Within.

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