Eft/tapping Q & A Podcast W/ Gene Monterastelli - Emotional Freedom Techniques

It is hard to sit down to tap when you have been battling a stubborn issue for a long time. Without seeing progress, maintaining momentum and motivation is challenging. You may struggle to know what to tap on because it seems as if you are working on the same aspects over and over again. At a certain point, it feels like you are tapping on autopilot and your motivation flags. In my experience, there are three lenses through which to view persistent, deeply-rooted issues that will help to get you unstuck. The great thing is that these three lenses work together in harmony. As you work on one, you will gain insight into the second, allowing you to shift your perspective.  Understanding these three ways of looking at a seemingly intractable problem means always having access to a fresh starting point and new levels of healing. This week in the podcast I share how these work together and how you can add them to your tapping right away. Support the podcast! Http://tappingqanda.com/support Subscribe in: Apple Podc

If you have ever sat down to tap and thought, "this isn't going to work for me," you are not alone. That single thought stops more people from healing than any technique ever could. Knowing what to do when you don't think tapping will work is the first step toward getting unstuck. TL;DR: Key Takeaways The thought "tapping won't work for me" is almost never about tapping. It is a protective story your subconscious is telling to keep you from a deeper fear. Five specific fears tend to hide behind this doubt: losing your last hope, worrying things will get worse, having to admit you could have healed sooner, feeling weird, and believing you are too broken. The fastest way through this resistance is to tap on the doubt itself, not on the original issue. Treating each fear as a part of you that is trying to keep you safe, rather than something to argue with, dissolves resistance faster than logic ever will. The Real Question Hiding Behind "Will Tapping Work for Me?" When you ask whether tapping will work, you ar

One of the topics that I have been coming back to again again this year is trying to find ways to make it easier for you to start a round of tapping because once you start it is much easier to stick with it. This week in the podcast I share with you one of my favorite and simplest tapping techniques which is a "one step tapping process". When I am teaching people how to tap this is what I teach them right after I teach wordless tapping. But don't let the simplicity of the approach fool you. Even though it is straight forward it is powerful. So much so when I am giving my clients recommendations on how to tap between sessions this is  my number one go to recommendation. You are going to love this! Support the podcast! Http://tappingqanda.com/support Subscribe in: Apple Podcast | iPhone | Spotify | Pandora | Amazon Music | iHeartRadio  | YouTube  

If you have ever finished a round of tapping and felt more upset than when you started, you are not doing it wrong. In fact, when you feel worse after tapping, it usually means something productive is happening underneath the surface. This is one of the most common questions I get from listeners, and the answer changes how you interpret every round of tapping you will ever do. Key Takeaways Feeling worse after a round of tapping is common, and in most cases it signals that you are closer to real change, not further from it. Any tapping round has only three possible outcomes: you feel better, nothing changes, or you feel worse. Each outcome tells you exactly what to do next. When intensity rises during tapping, it usually means one of two things: you have tuned in more fully to an emotion you were already carrying, or a deeper related issue has surfaced. A rising SUDS number (Subjective Units of Distress, the 0 to 10 scale used in EFT) is diagnostic information, not a failure signal. Rising intensity is good

We emotionally respond to the world based on the way we describe it. What this means is that your subconscious mind is taking cues about what is going on, not based on what you are thinking, but based on what you are saying. The most common version of this is a generalization. You might say something like "Everyone at work hates me." This probably isn't true, but you are going to walk into your workplace in a less healthy and useful way when you are acting as if everyone hates you. Because this is the case, I pay particular attention to the way I talk and what my clients are saying when we are tapping. It is not about what is going on, but instead how we are describing what is going on. One of the biggest culprits that keep us stuck is the phrase "I am..." When you use a phrase like "I am angry" or "I am overwhelmed" it creates a very specific emotional response which not only impacts how we act, but also how we heal. This week in the podcast I share with you how I talk about my emotions instead. This one sma

Why I Don't Use the EFT Setup Phrase (And What I Do Instead) If you've watched any of my tap-along videos, you've probably noticed something: I never start with the classic EFT setup phrase. That's a deliberate choice, and I get asked about it all the time. In this post, I want to explain exactly why I skip it and what I use instead. TL;DR / Key Takeaways The traditional EFT setup phrase ("Even though I have this issue, I deeply and completely accept myself") can backfire by activating unresolved self-acceptance issues when you only need quick emotional or physical relief. For many people, the self-love claim in the setup phrase triggers inner resistance so strong that they avoid tapping altogether. My alternative opening, "I recognize the fact," names present reality without demanding a self-acceptance leap, making it easier to start tapping immediately. Accepting that something is happening is completely different from declaring it acceptable. You can acknowledge the problem without endorsing it. Self-acce

It can feel so discouraging when you have great tools at your disposal, like tapping, that you know will have a positive impact on your life…but you are not using them. This leads to self-recrimination AND hesitancy to use the tools in future for fear of failure, which means double the regret. Every six or eight weeks, I set time aside to tap on all the emotions I feel for not tapping as much as I want to. Time spent tapping on my frustration and self-betrayal means I feel better in the moment and I tap more because I have a healthier relationship to tapping. This is such powerful work and I encourage you to tap along with me.  Support the podcast! Http://tappingqanda.com/supportSubscribe in: Apple Podcast | iPhone | Spotify | Pandora | Amazon Music | iHeartRadio  | YouTube  

If you have been tapping for any length of time, you have probably asked yourself: when am I actually done? You get some relief, the intensity drops, but the issue is not completely gone. Knowing when to stop tapping on an issue is one of the most common questions I hear, and the answer is simpler than most people think. TL;DR: Key Takeaways Knowing when to stop tapping is not about reaching a SUDS (Subjective Unit of Distress) level of zero; it is about reaching the functional outcome you defined before you started. Before every round of EFT tapping, ask yourself one question: "What is the goal of this round of tapping?" and name a specific, measurable outcome. You do not need to eliminate fear or resistance completely to take action; you only need to reduce the emotional intensity enough to do what you need to do. For complex, layered issues like negative self-image, the same goal-and-metric framework applies across multiple tapping sessions over days or weeks. The three-step process for knowing when to mo

Fear is our most basic emotion. Simply put, fear is our internal guidance pointing out what might harm us so that we can stay safe. We commonly think of it in terms of fight, flight, or freeze. All three of these responses are designed to shield us from danger. We fight to defend ourselves, we run away (flight) to avoid it, and we freeze so that the threat can't see us. When tapping for fear, we usually use reframes around if something is truly dangerous to try to turn off the fear if there is no actual danger. This is a great start, but deciding whether or not something is really dangerous only scratches the surface. If we stop there with our tapping, we may be missing valuable detail. This week in the podcast, I explore the next level down: magnitude and probability.  By adding these ideas to how we assess our fears we can deepen the healing and transformation available to us through tapping. If you are experiencing fear, anxiety, or resistance to taking action, then you will love this approach. Support the

Subscribe in: Apple Podcast | iPhone | Spotify | Pandora | Amazon Music | iHeartRadio  | YouTube You sat down to tap and nothing changed. If tapping is not working for you right now, I want you to know two things: this is normal, and there is a specific process you can follow to break through. In my 18+ years as an tapping practitioner, I have walked hundreds of clients through exactly this moment, and what I have learned is that getting stuck is not a sign that tapping has failed you. It is information, and that information has a use. Key Takeaways Every round of tapping produces one of three outcomes: you feel better, the intensity increases, or nothing changes. Two of those three are direct signs of progress, and the third gives you useful information about what to do next. When tapping seems to make things worse, it means you are tuning in more accurately to what was already present beneath the surface, not that tapping caused new distress. A six-step process (tap on the frustration, release the

One of the reasons we resist taking action is that some actions simply can't be taken back. Our subconscious mind keeps us stuck because it's trying to figure out the perfect thing to do, but because the future is unknown, it's impossible to be certain. This leads us from thinking about the best choice, to stalling on making a choice, to things getting worse because we aren't doing anything at all (which is itself a choice). This kind of cycle can happen with any decision, but it's particularly likely when you're facing a choice between two options that both have downsides. When you're in that situation, the resistance is going to be higher because it feels like no matter what you choose, you lose. This week on the podcast, I share a simple tapping process that will help you take action, especially when you're faced with two choices that both feel bad. If you use this approach, not only will you break through resistance, you'll also be much happier with the choices you make. Support the podcast! Http://tappin

Subscribe in: Apple Podcast | iPhone |  Spotify | Pandora | Amazon Music | iHeartRadio  If you have ever finished a round of EFT tapping and felt a wave of sadness wash over you, you are not alone. Feeling sad after tapping is one of the most common experiences people report, and it is also one of the most misunderstood. That sadness is not a sign that tapping failed or that something went wrong. It is actually a signal that genuine healing just took place. Gene Monterastelli, EFT practitioner and educator with over 17 years of experience and host of the Tapping Q&A Podcast (690+ episodes), explains exactly why this happens and what to do about it. Key Takeaways Post-session sadness after EFT tapping is a grief response triggered by the sudden recognition of time and opportunity lost to the issue you just healed. Sadness after tapping does not mean tapping is not working; it means a shift has occurred and your system is processing what could have been different. The most effective response to post-t

The perfect time to tap is in the moment, when you are overwhelmed with emotions…and it is also the hardest time to remember to tap. That's mainly because remembering to tap in the midst of strong emotions is difficult, but it is not the only reason. The second, powerful reason why you don't tap in the moment has everything to do with how you were taught to tap. When most of us learned to tap, we were told that we "need to be as specific as possible". This is excellent advice, so much so it is now scientifically valid advice . The problem is not the advice, it is how our subconscious hears this advice.  What we say is "be as specific as possible". What our subconscious hears is "tapping only works if I am specific." In the midst of overwhelming emotions it is hard to be specific, so the subconscious resists tapping at all because it doesn't think it will work. Listen to this week's podcast to learn exactly how I overcame this subconscious resistance, which was something I faced too. Implementing this one idea

One of the conundrums of tapping is the fact that you tap because you want to feel better, but you aren't as good at tapping when you feel bad because you are in a lower resource state. To put it another way, when you need tapping the most, you are the least effective version of yourself as a tapper. But just because you aren't at the peak of your tapping abilities does not mean you are destined to fail when you sit down to tap. This week in the podcast, I share a simple game plan where I teach you: what you can do ahead of time to tap effectively when you feel bad the first thing you should tap on when you don't feel great the second thing you should tap on right after that how to continue your tapping session to get the most out of it Having a plan for those times when you're not at your best is key for getting help when you most need it. And the best time to learn this is right now! Support the podcast! Http://tappingqanda.com/support   Subscribe in: Apple Podcast | iPhone | Spotify | Pandora | Amaz

It is all too common for tappers to look back at their path to healing and think, "What on earth was I doing? I know better than that! Why do I keep making bad choices when I know exactly what to do?" This comes up most often in my individual coaching sessions when my clients talk about reaching for distracting behaviors instead of tapping. They know at the moment that the best choice would be to tap, but instead they doomscroll social media, fall down YouTube rabbit holes, reorganize their spice rack (again), or mindlessly eat a bunch of unhealthy crap. Annoyingly, this does make sense, taken from the perspective of trying to keep themselves safe. Actor and writer Tom Lennon described it perfectly in an interview by Kevin Pollak on a book tour. When Kevin asked if he liked to write, Tom said something to the effect of, "You will know I have a writing deadline coming up because my kitchen floor will be so clean you could perform surgery on it." We do not choose distractions because we are weak, or because we

If you are tapping, it almost always means you are focusing on something negative, like challenging emotions, physical pain, difficult times from your past, or limiting beliefs. This makes a lot of sense because tapping is a powerful tool for bringing about change and transformation. But just because tapping is great at responding to life's difficulties does not mean it's the only way to tap. Tapping for celebration is another great use for tapping that most of us miss. As we celebrate seventeen years of the Tapping Q&A Podcast this week, I share with you why you are missing out if you are not tapping while celebrating. The podcast covers how tapping for celebration: Accelerates your healing Encourages you to tap more Changes the way you feel in the moment beyond just relieving pain or discomfort You may not have experienced this type of tapping before, but after this episode, you will want to use it much more often! Support the podcast! Http://tappingqanda.com/support [player] Subscribe in: Apple Podc

When most of us first learned tapping we were taught to be "as specific as possible" when coming up with tapping phrases. This is sound advice, which is backed up by scientific research. But your success with tapping relies on more than just the words you say and what you focus on when you are tapping. How you feel in the moment has just as much impact on your tapping success. And when I say "how you feel" I don't mean the emotions you are feeling in the moment that you are tapping on. Rather, I am referring to every part of your resource state. Your resource state includes whether you are tired or rested, if you are sick, if you are in a quiet place where you can focus, if you are well hydrated, and when you last ate, to name just a few. It is something that most tappers miss and failing to take your resource state into account when you are tapping could be setting you up for disappointment and frustration. This week in the podcast we explore: How to assess your resource before you start to tap How to creat

One of the most powerful tools in the healing and transformational tool box is having clear goals. This is true in big picture ways, such as what I would like to achieve this year, and small picture ways, such as what I would like to get out of this next round of tapping. I believe in this idea so deeply that in my Tapping Mastery Blueprint I teach the first thing you should do before starting to tap is to ask yourself the question "What is the goal of this round of tapping?" Although goals are powerful, sometimes they can get in the way of your healing and transformation. This happens when your goals are too big for the moment. Too much pressure and expectation can become measuring sticks for failing, killing off your motivation. This week in the podcast I share: How goals and expectations can hinder our progress How to spot when this is happening to you How to tap to release feelings of frustration and failure This is not about radically transforming your tapping goals, but how to recalibrate them in such

One of the concepts I talk about daily with my clients and students is that the goal of tapping is a proportionate well informed emotional response. In most cases this is a process of giving the emotions space to be heard and understood. Once we know where the emotional response is coming from it creates the space for use to heal, transform, and create a proportionate well informed emotional response. One of the reasons why we love tapping is because it is so good at helping us to do exactly that. With that being said, sometimes it is best for us to not feel our emotions. I know that might sound a little bit radical, but whole heartedly believe it. This week in the podcast I explore the times when it is healthy and useful to tap in a way in which we aren't clearing our emotions, but instead we are putting a lid on them (for now). Even if you are skeptical of this idea, I would encourage you to give this tapping a try and then decide if it is a good fit for your healing journey. Support the podcast! Http://tap

One of the most frustrating experiences around personal healing and transformation is when we know what we need to do, how to do it, have everything we need to take action (including time and energy), really want to take the action...and then we don't. When this happens, we feel we have failed and let ourselves down, and might even decide we are unworthy of healing and transformation because we have failed and "can't be trusted". There is a simple reason this pattern keeps appearing in your life: Your inner child is running the show. As a child you were not in control of what you did, when you did it, who you did it with, what you wore and ate, when you went to bed, and the list goes on. Today, when you decide you want to do something healthy, your inner child screams "I don't wannaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Now that you are an adult, supposedly in control of your actions, your inner child ends up in the driving seat and getting its way. This week in the podcast I will show you how to tap to get your inner child on b