EFT, or Emotional Freedom Technique, is a system of tapping certain points on the body while making statements, feeling emotions, or visualizing scenes, related to a problem.  It combines acupressure techniques--tapping, touching or rubbing specified acupuncture points--with a cignitive approach to changing behavior.

The points to be tapped are on the face, head, upper body and hands.  (For a chart illustrating the points we use in tapping, click here.) A round of tapping takes less than a minute.  This is a self-help technique that you can learn in under five minutes, and apply any time, anywhere.  You don't need DVDs, CDs, music, silence, privacy, or any other special equipment or conditions to apply EFT.  This makes EFT perfectly suited for riders.  Benefits of EFT:

• It's simple to learn and use
• Get back to riding sooner, instead of taking weeks or months of progressive desensitization to your fear
• Use it "on the go"--you can address fears in about a minute
• Can be used on horseback (of course, please make sure your horse standing calmly and under control, or have a ground aide to help do so)
• It's self-reinforcing--the more you do the technique and enjoy benefits, the better and faster it tends to work
• Often leads to permanent change or improvement, especially if used regularly
• Can be used for "peak performance" as well as to eliminate fears or other blocks
• Can help you manage stress and tension, allowing you to learn or perform better
• Is compatible with other relaxation or mindfulness techniques, and physical and mental health practices
• Works with any riding discipline or training philosophy, from classical to Natural Horsemanship
• Can even be used completely confidentially--you never have to verbalize a problem out loud if you choose

What you can expect from using EFT on your issue:

• Many people find immediate relief, if not a full resolution, from the first session
• Some completely collapse the fear or block to success in one session
• You will often feel a sense of lightness, or a release of muscular tension, as you work on your issue
• You may find yourself with new ideas of how to approach your issue, where before you were "stuck"
• Additional energy and optimism are frequent reactions
• Continued use of the technique (alone or in sessions with me) help you make even further progress

The basis of the technique that I teach is to tap specified points on the hands, head, face and upper body.  Along with the tapping, you'll use a two-part statement.  The first part of the statement states a problem, issue, specific incident, or emotional or physical block.  The second part of the statement is a self-accepting affirmation.  I work with you to customize your statements, and you'll learn to craft them to get to the root of a problem more quickly.

Working with me, you will have extra assistance in identifying your core problems, finding the most effective way to phrase your statements, and also receiving feedback about your progress and use of the technique.  Much like having an instructor on the ground while you ride, I provide not only experience but also a supportive presence and perspective to help you get the most out of EFT.

I can also work with your trainer or instructor to design tapping for specific riding issues.  Working as part of your coaching team can help me to better understand a problem, biomechanical issue or performance block you may be having, and to help create effective statements and tapping instructions for you to use and for your trainer to use with you.  Once you've learned and used EFT, you'll also learn how you can tap just one or two points to help activate the benefits of EFT in almost any setting.

EFT can be taught and used in person or by telephone.  It can be very effective when used while with your horse, as our horses pick up on our positive energy shifts ("coherence" in neuroscientific terms.)

What EFT is not:

It's not therapy, and I'm not a therapist.  It's a self-help technique that I can teach you and help you practice, where you take full responsibility for your own growth and health. 

It's not a subsititute for qualified mental and/or physical health care.  It can help you regain or maintain physical, mental, and emotional well-being as an adjunct to standard healthcare. 

It's not a magic bullet.  Although there are many reported cases of fast results with complex blocks, the real benefit of EFT is in continuing to use it to shape your own growth and well-being in a positive fashion.  You can do it with or without my help--but keep doing it!  Like exercise or learning a new skill, it only works if you do it.

It's not a substitute for proper instruction and practice on your horse.  It can help you gain and maintain new skills or a competitive edge when used with skill-building riding instruction.

*Health information: If you have certain serious conditions, including epilepsy, schizophrenia, hallucinations, PTSD, or seizures, tapping techniques should be monitored by a practitioner experienced with these conditions, or the techniques may need to be modified. There are many licensed health practitioners, includings MDs, psychiatrists, psychologists, and counselors, who use tapping techniques as part of their treatment for these conditions.  If you have these conditions and want to use a tapping technique, it is advised you seek out appropriate help to do so.