75 studies, strongest evidence first. Search and filter to
find what you need — each card explains what the researchers did and
found before giving the technical detail.
Meta-analysis Higher rigor
Nelms, J.A., Castel, L. · 2016
This review combined 20 studies of tapping for depression, split between 12 randomized trials and 8 studies without a comparison group. In the randomized trials, people who tapped showed a very large drop in depression, outperforming several other simple interventions they were compared against. The uncontrolled studies, which can't rule out that people would have improved anyway, showed a smaller effect, which is a useful honest contrast between the stronger and weaker evidence in the same review.
Across 12 RCTs (398 participants), EFT produced a within-group pre-to-posttest effect size of d=1.85 on depression, and was more effective than diaphragmatic breathing (p=.06) and supportive interview (p<.001) at posttest, and than sleep hygiene education at follow-up (p=.036); the 8 uncontrolled outcome studies (461 participants) showed a smaller within-group effect (d=0.70); the paper's overall combined effect size across all 20 studies is d=1.31, used in its own conclusion as the headline comparison to antidepressant/psychotherapy meta-analyses.
Meta-analysis Higher rigor
Seok, J.-W., Kim, J.U. · 2024
This 2024 review pooled 18 randomized studies of tapping for depression, covering veterans, medical patients, students, and others. On average, tapping was linked to a large drop in depressive symptoms, bigger than what typical antidepressant trials show, with group sessions doing somewhat better than one-on-one sessions. The authors note most included studies looked at mild-to-moderate symptoms rather than severe diagnosed depression, and many of the trials had some methodological concerns, which is worth keeping in view.
Pooling 18 RCTs, EFT produced a large reduction in depressive symptoms versus control (Hedges' g=1.268, 95% CI 0.951-1.585, p<.001); group-delivered EFT (g=1.50) outperformed individual delivery (g=1.18), and effects were largest for people with moderate baseline depression (g=1.78, vs 0.67 mild, 0.78 severe, 0.62 at-risk); risk-of-bias analysis found roughly two-thirds of studies had some or high risk of bias (the paper's RoB analysis is inconsistently described as covering '20 studies' in one place and '18' elsewhere, a minor inconsistency in the source itself).
Meta-analysis Moderate rigor
Zhou, J., Zhu, Z., Li, R. et al. · 2025
This network meta-analysis pooled 32 randomized trials testing many different non-drug approaches to reduce fear of childbirth in pregnant women, and tapping (EFT) came out with the single largest calmed-down effect of all the methods compared, especially after birth. Network meta-analyses are powerful but rely on indirect comparisons across different trials, and EFT was represented by comparatively few of the 32 included studies, so the huge effect size should be treated with some caution pending more head-to-head EFT trials.
Emotional freedom technique showed the largest effect size among all 17 interventions for improving fear of childbirth in the postnatal period (SMD = -3.13, 95% CI -5.00 to -1.26), ahead of counseling therapy, haptonomy, CBT, and motivational interview.
Meta-analysis Moderate rigor
Wong, K.W., Wu, X., Dong, Y. · 2024
This meta-analysis reviewed 17 randomized trials of various interventions (not limited to EFT) meant to reduce nurse burnout during COVID-19, finding mixed results overall and generally low-quality evidence across the field. It concludes more well-designed trials are needed rather than endorsing any single intervention strongly.
Across 17 RCTs, not all interventions led to positive outcomes; GRADE and risk-of-bias assessment revealed low to very low certainty evidence overall, with high heterogeneity among outcomes, though subgroup analysis showed greater success for interventions targeting nurses caring for COVID-19 patients specifically.
Systematic review Moderate rigor
Doherty, A., Benedetto, V., Harris, C. · 2021
This review pooled 22 randomized trials of psychological support during infectious disease outbreaks, of which only one used EFT specifically (most used CBT, online counselling, or other approaches). Overall, these interventions as a group significantly reduced depression and anxiety, but the review found high risk of bias and heterogeneity across the studies, so EFT's individual contribution can't be assessed from this analysis.
Across 22 included RCTs (one using EFT specifically), meta-analyses found a significant benefit for managing depression and anxiety, while the effect on stress was equivocal (SMD 0.16, 95% CI -0.19 to 0.51).
Systematic review Moderate rigor
Church, D., Stapleton, P., Mollon, P. et al. · 2018
This is a consensus guideline paper synthesizing over 100 clinical trials on tapping for PTSD, recommending a stepped-care approach (5 sessions for subclinical PTSD, 10 for full PTSD). It reports the evidence base shows EFT outperforming standard psychotherapy and medication in some comparisons. As a guidelines/review document built on practitioner survey and existing literature, it summarizes rather than generates new controlled data.
Drawing on more than 100 clinical trials, the paper concludes EFT's treatment effects for PTSD, anxiety, and depression exceed those of both psychopharmacology and conventional psychotherapy, with typical successful treatment in 4-10 sessions and low adverse event risk.
Systematic review Preliminary
Hasibuan, S.H., Said, F.M., Rashid, N.A. et al. · 2025
Researchers reviewed published studies on tapping (EFT) and its spiritual variant (SEFT) for breast cancer patients' mental health. Across the studies they found, both approaches reduced stress, anxiety, and depression, with the spiritual version potentially helping elderly patients more. As a literature review rather than new data collection, its conclusions are only as strong as the underlying studies, many of which are small and uncontrolled.
A systematic literature review of PubMed and Google Scholar articles (2019-2024) found EFT and SEFT effective for reducing stress, anxiety, and depression in breast cancer patients, with SEFT's spiritual component offering additional benefit especially for elderly patients.
Systematic review Preliminary
López-Del-Hoyo, Y., Fernández-Martínez, S., Pérez-Aranda, A. et al. · 2023
This review looked at digital (eHealth) stress-reduction programs for healthcare workers generally, not specifically EFT, finding that self-guided and 'third-wave' therapy apps often produced meaningful stress reductions. Because EFT isn't the specific focus, this entry is only indirectly relevant to tapping evidence, and the authors themselves note methodological shortcomings limit firm conclusions.
Of 22 eHealth interventions identified, 13 produced significant posttreatment reductions in healthcare professionals' stress levels (9 self-guided, 8 'third wave' psychotherapies), with significant effects also found for depression, anxiety, burnout, resilience, and mindfulness.
Systematic review Preliminary
Tarsha, M.S., Park, S., Tortora, S. · 2019
This broad review looked at many body-based therapies (massage, acupuncture, tai-chi, yoga, EFT tapping, and others) and their effects on mental health conditions. EFT was included among several approaches found to help with stress, depression, and anxiety, but massage therapy had the strongest evidence overall, and the review doesn't isolate a specific effect size for EFT alone.
Reviewing evidence across massage therapy, reflexology, acupuncture, functional relaxation, EFT, Rolfing, yoga, tai-chi, and dance/movement therapy, the authors found that massage therapy, tai-chi, dance/movement therapy, functional relaxation, reflexology, acupuncture, and EFT all appear to alleviate stress, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and facilitate pain reduction, with massage therapy having the most robust evidence and Rolfing/reflexology having the least.
Systematic review Preliminary
Lee, S.H., Jeong, B.E., Chae, H. et al. · 2017
This is an earlier (2017) publication of essentially the same systematic review methodology and findings later republished by overlapping authors in 2021 (Lee et al.), pooling 14 clinical trials of EFT for student mental health and finding consistent benefit but noting generally poor study quality and small samples in the underlying literature.
Of 14 extracted clinical trials (8 RCTs, 2 non-randomized controlled trials, 4 before-after studies), EFT showed significant clinical usefulness for public speaking anxiety, test anxiety, stress, depression, learning-related emotions, adolescent anxiety, and eating issues, though risk of selection bias was high or uncertain in most studies.
Randomized trial Higher rigor
Stapleton, P., Roil, C. · 2026
One of the largest EFT trials to date: 588 adults with self-reported visual impairment were randomly assigned to an 8-week online tapping program or a waitlist. The tapping group saw meaningful drops in anger, anxiety and depression and improved sense of their own vision functioning, and those gains held six months later, while the waitlist group did not change. An intention-to-treat analysis (which accounts for people who dropped out) reached the same conclusions, so the results don't hinge on only the completers. It replicates an earlier visual-impairment tapping program by Carol Look.
In a randomised controlled trial (n=588; 321 EFT, 267 waitlist), an 8-week online Clinical EFT program produced significant Time x Allocation interactions for anger, anxiety, depression, and subjective vision functioning (all p<.001) versus waitlist. Improvements in the EFT group were maintained at 3- and 6-month follow-up. Intention-to-treat mixed-effects models confirmed the per-protocol findings for all four outcomes (all p<.001), indicating dropouts would likely have achieved similar gains.
Randomized trial Higher rigor
Church, D., Brooks, A. J. · 2014
Fifty-nine veterans with clinically significant PTSD symptoms, on top of their usual care, received six sessions of EFT coaching. Even though pain, depression, and anxiety weren't the direct target, all three improved significantly along with PTSD symptoms, and the pain relief was still there six months later. This randomized trial adds to a body of evidence that treating PTSD with EFT tends to lift mood and reduce pain as well, not just trauma symptoms in isolation.
Pain decreased significantly during the intervention period (-41%, p < .0001), and anxiety and depression both reduced significantly, alongside significant PTSD symptom improvement, with gains tracked at 3 and 6 months.
Randomized trial Higher rigor Critical finding
Karatzias, T., Power, K., Brown, K. et al. · 2011
This same head-to-head trial of tapping versus EMDR also measured depression. Both groups improved and the difference between tapping and EMDR was not statistically significant; the d=0.69 shown is a within-group change, not an advantage over EMDR.
Depression symptoms decreased by 28% (d=0.69) in this analyzed subsample; the same trial's anxiety and PTSD outcomes are recorded in separate records (karatzias-2011-ptsd-anxiety).
Randomized trial Moderate rigor
Karatas Okyay, E., Guven Santur, S., Ozsahin, Z. et al. · 2026
One hundred five menopausal women were randomly assigned to real Tapping, tapping on fake points, or no treatment for four weeks. Everything else about the two tapping programs was identical - same phrases, same breathing, same session length - so the only difference was where the women tapped. The real-points group ended with meaningfully lower menopause-symptom, depression, and sleep-complaint scores than both other groups, while the fake-points group looked like no treatment on those measures. Quality-of-life ratings improved in both tapping groups. Hot flashes did not change in any group. The first placebo-controlled Tapping trial in menopausal women, and one of the cleanest tests yet that the specific points matter.
Three-arm sham-controlled RCT (n=105): four weekly EFT sessions cut menopausal symptoms 46% (MRS 18.66 to 10.14; d=1.01 vs sham) and depressive symptoms 45% (Meno-D 13.97 to 7.69; d=0.87 vs sham), while sham-point tapping with identical psychological components was indistinguishable from no treatment on symptoms (p=1.000) and flat on depression. Quality of life improved in both tapping arms vs control (EFT vs sham not significant). Hot-flash (vasomotor) and sexual domains were unchanged in all arms.
Randomized trial Moderate rigor
Shahzadi, S., Ali, J. · 2024
One hundred stroke patients in Pakistan were randomly assigned to EFT plus routine rehabilitation or standard care alone. The EFT group had significantly better depression scores, quality of life, and reduced burden on their family caregivers, and this held up at follow-up. This is a single-blind randomized trial with a reasonable sample size in a lower-middle-income healthcare setting, an underrepresented context in EFT research.
Compared with standard care, the EFT group showed significantly greater reductions in depression and greater improvements in quality of life from baseline to post-intervention, with effects sustained at follow-up (all p<.01); caregiver burden also decreased more in the EFT group (p<.01).
Randomized trial Moderate rigor
TFT (related method)
Morikawa, A., Fujimoto, M., Kawagishi, Y. et al. · 2025
Ninety-nine people in Japan during the pandemic were randomly assigned to a brief online Thought Field Therapy session or a waitlist. The TFT group saw large, statistically significant drops in distress ratings for a wide range of personal issues, with the effect holding for weeks afterward. This is a randomized trial with a reasonably large sample and a very large effect size, though it relies on self-reported distress ratings rather than clinical diagnostic measures.
Among 88 participants completing online TFT, significant reductions occurred in stress, irritability, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and somatic complaints (p<.01); SUDS scores for 248 issues fell from an average of 7 to 1.5 (p<.01, large effect size).
Randomized trial Moderate rigor
Stapleton, P., Le Sech, K., Toussaint, L. L. et al. · 2025
Ninety-eight adults who had experienced interpersonal betrayals or hurts were randomly assigned to a single online EFT session or a control task, then assessed on forgiveness, empathy, rumination, mood, and anxiety. The EFT group showed moderate improvements across most of these measures. This is a preregistered randomized trial, which adds credibility, though it tested only a single session's effect.
Results revealed moderate improvements in most outcomes for the EFT group compared to control, suggesting a role in fostering forgiveness and psychological recovery after interpersonal offenses.
Randomized trial Moderate rigor
Stapleton, P., Lilley-Hale, E., Mackintosh, G. et al. · 2020
Overweight and obese adults took an eight-week online tapping course they could work through at their own pace, then were checked back in with two years later. Their food cravings dropped by more than a quarter, they felt less controlled by food, and their anxiety and depression scores improved too — and most of these gains were still holding two years out. Their weight did drop over the first year but crept back by the two-year mark, so tapping looks more reliable for cravings and mood than for lasting weight loss by itself.
Participants who completed an 8-week self-paced online EFT program showed significantly reduced food cravings (-28.2%), power of food (-26.7%), depression (-12.3%), anxiety (-23.3%), and somatic symptoms (-10.6%) from baseline to 2-year follow-up, with restraint improved (+13.4%); BMI and weight decreased significantly through 12 months but were no longer significantly different from baseline at 2 years.
Randomized trial Moderate rigor
Stapleton, P., et al. · 2013
In this weight-loss tapping trial, depression symptoms fell from before to after tapping (a within-group change, d=0.37) - a smaller effect than seen in many other studies in this body of research. The trial's controlled comparison against waitlist is reported for its anxiety and weight outcomes in separate records.
Depression symptoms decreased by 21% (d=0.37) in this sample; the same study's anxiety outcome (analyzed N=96) is recorded separately with d=0.27.
Randomized trial Moderate rigor
Unknown, et al. · 2025
Ninety people in Nanjing, China with COPD (a chronic lung disease) who were also dealing with real anxiety and depression took part in this study. Half got their usual hospital care; half got usual care plus six weeks of tapping sessions. By six weeks, the tapping group had bigger drops in anxiety and depression and did better on sleep, fatigue, and lung-disease-specific quality of life than the group that didn't tap. This is a single-site trial in one hospital, so it's a solid early result rather than a settled answer across all COPD patients.
90 COPD inpatients with anxiety (AIR-C >=8) and depression (SDS >53) were randomized to routine care (n=45) or routine care plus a 6-week EFT program (n=45); the EFT group showed larger declines in anxiety and depression at week 6 and greater improvement in sleep quality, fatigue, and CAT quality-of-life scores than controls.
Randomized trial Moderate rigor
Mehdipour, A., Abedi, P., Ansari, S. et al. · 2021
88 postmenopausal women with mild-to-moderate depression were randomly assigned to eight weeks of daily tapping or a sham version of the therapy. The women doing real tapping saw their depression scores roughly halve, while the sham group barely improved. Because the comparison was a sham treatment rather than a fully established one like CBT, this is a solid but not the strongest possible test of tapping specifically.
Mean depression scores fell from 20.93 to 10.96 in the EFT group over 8 weeks of daily practice, versus 19.18 to 17.01 in the sham-therapy group (p=.001).
Randomized trial Moderate rigor
Qi, W., Xinyi, Y., Yuhan, W. et al. · 2024
Seventy older adults in Nanjing, China living with HIV — many dealing with anxiety, low mood, and poor sleep — were split into two groups. Half added a short daily tapping session to their usual care for two weeks; half continued with usual care alone. The tapping group ended up with better anxiety, mood, and sleep scores than the group that didn't tap. It's a fairly short intervention window (two weeks) in a specific population, so longer-term durability isn't yet established.
70 older adults living with HIV at the Nanjing Public Health Medical Center were randomized to 2 weeks of daily 15-20 minute EFT sessions (n=35) added to routine care, or routine care alone (n=35); the EFT group showed a positive effect on relieving anxiety and depression and improving sleep quality compared to controls.
Randomized trial Moderate rigor
Tang, X., Wang, L., Ni, S. et al. · 2023
Sixty-six people on long-term dialysis for kidney failure — a group that often struggles with poor sleep — were split into a group learning tapping over 12 weeks and a group getting usual care only. The tapping group slept better, felt less anxious and depressed, and had less trouble functioning during the day, and three-quarters said they'd keep using it. This is a pilot study focused partly on whether tapping is even practical for this patient group, and it found that it is, alongside real symptom benefits.
66 hemodialysis patients with sleep problems were randomized to a 12-week EFT intervention or control; the EFT group showed statistically significant improvement in anxiety, depression, sleep quality, sleep duration, and daytime dysfunction versus control, and 75% of participants said they would continue practicing EFT.
Randomized trial Moderate rigor Critical finding
Brattberg, G. · 2008
Sixty-two women with fibromyalgia — a condition causing widespread pain and fatigue — tried daily self-guided tapping for eight weeks, while a comparison group did nothing different. The tapping group ended up less anxious and less depressed, and reported better quality of life in areas like vitality, social functioning, and mental health, though pain itself and a couple of other measures didn't show a clear difference. It's a modest-sized study with a do-nothing comparison group, so it's an encouraging early result rather than the final word.
26 women did daily self-administered EFT for 8 weeks (56 sessions total) versus 36 on a no-treatment control; the EFT group had significantly lower anxiety (7.4 vs 9.7, p<0.05) and depression (6.9 vs 9.1, p<0.05) on the HADS, and improved on 5 of 8 SF-36 quality-of-life subscales, though self-efficacy and some physical-function subscales did not differ significantly.
Randomized trial Moderate rigor
Church, D., Hawk, C., Brooks, A.J. et al. · 2013
59 veterans with diagnosed PTSD were randomly split into a group that got six hour-long tapping sessions and a group that kept getting their usual care while waiting. Nine out of ten veterans in the tapping group no longer met the clinical criteria for PTSD afterward, compared to almost none in the waitlist group, and most held onto that improvement six months later. It's a real effect, unlikely to be chance, though the comparison group only waited rather than receiving an active alternative treatment.
After six EFT sessions, 90% of the EFT group no longer met clinical criteria for PTSD versus 4% of the waitlist group (p<.0001); psychological distress also dropped significantly (p<.0012); gains were maintained at 80% at 6-month follow-up after waitlist participants crossed over and received EFT.
Randomized trial Moderate rigor
Kwak, H.-Y., et al. · 2020
Thirty-one Korean adults with Hwabyung — a recognized anger-suppression condition — were randomly split into a tapping (EFT) group and a group doing progressive muscle relaxation, four weeks of group sessions either way. Both approaches helped with anxiety, depression, and physical Hwabyung symptoms, but the tapping group saw a bigger drop in trait anger than the relaxation group. This was a small pilot study, so consider it an early signal rather than a final answer.
In this pilot RCT, EFT (n=15) and PMR (n=16) both improved Hwabyung symptoms, state anxiety, and depression; trait anger improved significantly more in the EFT group than PMR at post-treatment (between-group p=0.022), with EFT trait-anger score dropping about 13.4% (p=0.004).
Randomized trial Moderate rigor
SEFT (related method)
Indonesian
Etika, A., et al. · 2016
Thirty older adults in Indonesia with mild-to-moderate depression were split into a spiritually-framed tapping (SEFT) group and a usual-care group over four weeks of sessions. The tapping group's scores on a standard geriatric depression scale improved more than the comparison group's. This is a small trial known to us mainly through its citation in a larger meta-analysis, so consider it an early, modestly sized signal.
30 elderly Indonesian adults with mild-to-moderate depression were randomized to individual SEFT (n=15, 4 sessions over 4 weeks) or usual care (n=15); the trial is listed in Seok & Kim (2024) Table 1 with a moderate baseline depression level, using the Geriatric Depression Scale as the outcome.
Randomized trial Moderate rigor
Lee, J.H., Chung, S.Y., Kim, J.W. · 2015
Twenty women in their 80s with insomnia were split into two group-therapy tracks — one learning standard sleep hygiene, the other an insomnia-adapted version of tapping — and the tapping group came out ahead on both insomnia and depression scores. Neither approach moved the needle on anxiety or life satisfaction. With just 20 participants split two ways, this is a small trial best read as an early comparative signal rather than a definitive answer.
In 20 elderly women (mean age 80) randomized to group EFT-I or Sleep Hygiene Education across eight 1-hour sessions, EFT was superior to SHE for insomnia severity and depression, though neither group showed significant improvement in anxiety or life satisfaction.
Randomized trial Moderate rigor
Church, D., De Asis, M.A., Brooks, A.J. · 2012
18 first-year psychology students with moderate-to-severe depression were split between four weekly group tapping sessions and no treatment. The students who tapped ended up with depression scores in the normal range, while those who didn't stayed moderately depressed — a difference the researchers describe as very large, bigger than what many antidepressant trials typically show. This was a small study with a lot of dropout from the original sample of 30, so it's a strong early signal rather than the final word.
After four 90-minute group EFT sessions over three weeks, the EFT group's post-test BDI scores fell into the non-depressed range (mean 6.08) while the control group remained in the moderate-depression range (mean 18.04), a difference described by the authors as a very large effect (Cohen's d=2.28, p=.001).
Randomized trial Moderate rigor
Church, D., et al. · 2016
In this small veterans' trial, tapping sessions were linked to a solid improvement in depression alongside changes in gene activity that researchers measured in blood samples — an early attempt to find a biological explanation for tapping's effects, not yet independently replicated at scale.
Depression symptoms decreased by 38% (d=0.9). This trial is also discussed in Church et al. 2022 for finding significant differential expression of six genes (p<0.05) alongside symptom improvement, and its PTSD outcome appears in the Sebastian & Nelms 2017 table (d=2.18).
Randomized trial Preliminary Critical finding
Church, D. · 2008
People with long-standing shoulder problems were randomized to tapping, a breathing exercise, or no treatment, with a single 30-minute session. Both active treatments helped, but tapping seemed to help more with pain, especially a month later. The study itself notes it was underpowered (too few people) to be fully conclusive.
Both DB and EFT groups improved in psychological symptoms and ROM; pain results were better in the EFT group and further improved at 30-day post-test; study found that an N of 40-60 per group would be needed for full statistical significance.
Randomized trial Preliminary
Jasubhai, S. · 2021
Fourteen young adults in India were randomly assigned to eight weekly sessions of EFT or CBT, while researchers tracked not just mood but memory and heart-based measures of calm. Both treatments eased stress, anxiety, and depression and improved short-term memory, but the EFT group showed a depression improvement as early as the third session. The sample is very small, so this needs replication before drawing firm conclusions about which treatment works faster.
Both EFT and CBT produced significant reductions in stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms with concurrent improvement in short-term memory and psychophysiological coherence; EFT showed marked improvement in depression after just 3 sessions.
Randomized trial Preliminary
Jasubhai, S., Mukundan, C. R. · 2018
Ten adults in India with both anxiety and depression were randomly assigned to eight weeks of EFT or CBT. Both treatments worked, but EFT showed a depression improvement earlier, after just three sessions, compared to CBT's eight-week timeline. With only ten participants, this needs a much larger trial to confirm the apparent speed advantage.
Both CBT and EFT produced significant reductions in anxiety and depressive symptoms; the EFT group showed marked improvement in depression after just 3 sessions, while the CBT group showed significant improvement after 8 weeks.
Randomized trial Preliminary Critical finding
Chatwin, H., Stapleton, P., Porter, B. et al. · 2016
10 adults with depression, randomly split between tapping and CBT, were tracked on both depression and anxiety measures. Depression eased in both groups over time, with the tapping group's improvement showing up a few months later than the CBT group's. Anxiety, however, didn't show a real change in either group in this small pilot — a straightforward null result worth reporting honestly rather than leaving out.
Depression improved significantly in both groups (CBT at post-test p=.032; EFT at 3-month follow-up p=.003 and 6-month p=.021), but neither EFT nor CBT produced a statistically significant reduction in anxiety scores on the DASS-21 from pre- to post-treatment.
Randomized trial Preliminary
Güdücü, N., Özcan, N. K. · 2023
A group of new mothers in Turkey experiencing postpartum depression tried tapping, compared with a group that didn't. The study's authors reported that tapping helped reduce depression symptoms. It's a small study, so read it as a promising early result.
EFT was associated with reduced postpartum depression symptoms compared to a control group, per the paper's abstract.
Controlled trial Moderate rigor
Stapleton, P., Bannatyne, A., Chatwin, H. et al. · 2017
Eighty-three overweight or obese adults got eight weeks of either group EFT or group CBT, the standard talk-therapy approach, aimed at food cravings. On the side, EFT brought down both anxiety and depression and kept them down for a year, while CBT only moved the needle on depression, not anxiety. The two approaches weren't directly compared for statistical superiority on every measure, so read this as EFT holding its own against a gold-standard therapy rather than beating it outright.
Anxiety and depression scores significantly decreased from pre- to post-intervention for the EFT group and were maintained at 6- and 12-month follow-up, while the CBT group showed significant depression improvement but no significant change in anxiety.
Controlled trial Moderate rigor
SEFT (related method)
Indonesian
Irman, O., Wijayanti, A.R. · 2022
Sixty-four people on dialysis for chronic kidney disease in Indonesia were split into a spiritually-framed tapping group and a usual-care group. The tapping group's sense of hopelessness dropped by a clear, statistically real margin compared to usual care. It's a quasi-experimental design (not randomized) in a seriously ill population, so consider it a solid signal specific to this group rather than a broad, cross-condition guarantee.
64 hemodialysis patients (32 SEFT, 32 control) in this Indonesian quasi-experimental trial showed a significant reduction in hopelessness on the Beck Hopelessness Scale in the SEFT group versus control (p=0.000).
Controlled trial Preliminary
Krishnamurthy, D., Sharma, A. K. · 2021
One hundred psychiatric inpatients in India were split into a group getting three days of add-on EFT plus standard treatment, versus standard treatment alone. The EFT group's depression scores dropped more than the standard-treatment-only group's over just three days. This is a quasi-experimental (not randomized) design over a very short treatment window.
Mean depression score in the EFT group fell from 30.96 to 24 by day three, versus a smaller decrease from 30.82 to 27.20 in the TAU group.
Controlled trial Preliminary
Church, D., Vasudevan, A., De Foe, A. et al. · 2023
Fifty-four people did a two-day EFT workshop focused on money-related anxiety, either in person before COVID or virtually during the pandemic. The in-person group showed clearer statistically significant improvements in anxiety, PTSD, and pain, while the virtual group's mood improved significantly but some measures like anxiety and depression showed only non-significant trends. Both formats improved money-related attitudes. This is a retrospective comparison of two convenience samples rather than a randomized head-to-head trial.
The in-person group had significant reductions in anxiety (P=.023), PTSD (P=.013), and pain (P=.029) and improved happiness (P<.001) post-intervention; the virtual group had a significant increase in happiness (P<.001) with non-significant decreases in anxiety, depression, and pain; both groups showed significant improvements in money attitude subscales.
Controlled trial Preliminary
Wang, J., Yan, T. L., Zhaoyu, D. · 2024
Thirty people with vague physical and emotional 'sub-health' complaints - the kind of persistent fatigue and unease that doesn't fit a specific diagnosis - tried a four-week EFT program. Their fatigue, anxiety, and depression scores improved significantly compared with a no-intervention group, while sleep quality did not change significantly. This is a small pilot connecting EFT to traditional Chinese medicine's meridian theory, so it should be seen as exploratory.
After a 4-week EFT training regimen, fatigue, anxiety, and depression scores decreased with statistically significant changes compared with a no-intervention group; the sleep-quality change (PSQI) did not reach significance (p>0.05).
Controlled trial Preliminary Critical finding
Krishnamurthy, D., Sharma, A. · 2019
This tiny pilot assigned 10 depressed patients (5 per group) to add EFT to routine treatment or receive routine treatment alone for three days. With only five people per group and an ambiguous, borderline result (p=0.05), the findings are highly preliminary and shouldn't be read as showing a clear EFT benefit.
In this very small pilot (n=5 per arm), post-intervention depression means were reported as 11.80 (EFT) and 4.20 (TAU) with p=0.05; the direction is ambiguous as reported and the sample is far too small to draw conclusions.
Biology / mechanism Moderate rigor
Church, D., Yount, G., Brooks, A.J. · 2012
83 ordinary adults, not selected for any diagnosis, tried one hour-long session of tapping, a supportive talking session, or nothing at all, and researchers measured the stress hormone cortisol in their saliva before and after. The tapping group's cortisol, anxiety, and depression scores all dropped more than in the other two groups. This was a single short session in a general, non-clinical sample, so it speaks to an immediate biological response rather than a lasting clinical treatment effect.
After a single one-hour session, the EFT group showed a 24.39% drop in cortisol versus 14.25% (supportive interview) and 14.44% (no-treatment) (group difference p<.03), alongside a 58.34% drop in anxiety (p<.05) and 49.33% drop in depression (p<.002).
Outcome study Moderate rigor
Church, D., House, D. · 2018
Eighty-one people at EFT workshops used a group format called 'Borrowing Benefits,' where one person works directly with a facilitator while everyone else taps along on their own material. Across the board, PTSD symptoms, anxiety, depression, pain, and cravings all dropped significantly, and the improvement in PTSD symptoms was a moderate-sized effect that held up six months later. Because this wasn't compared against a separate control group, some of the change could reflect simply attending an intensive workshop rather than the tapping itself.
Significant reductions were observed across all measures (P < .03), with a moderate Cohen's d of 0.54 for the PTSD treatment effect, and gains maintained at 6-month follow-up.
Outcome study Moderate rigor Indonesian
Tambunan, M.B., Suwarni, L., Setiawati, L. et al. · 2022
Twenty-two people isolating with confirmed COVID-19 in an Indonesian city took part in a tapping program. Their anxiety, depression, and insomnia scores all dropped by a statistically significant margin from before to after. This was a single-arm study with no comparison group, so treat it as suggestive rather than definitive.
In a single-arm pre/post study of 22 COVID-19-positive patients in Pontianak, Indonesia, EFT was associated with significant reductions in anxiety, depression, and insomnia scores (p<0.05) from before to after.
Outcome study Preliminary
Church, D., Brooks, A. · 2010
216 healthcare workers tried a single 2-hour tapping demonstration and self-practice session. Afterward, their reported pain, cravings, and emotional distress all dropped sharply, and just over half completed a 90-day follow-up where most gains had held. No comparison group was used, so we can't be sure how much of the improvement was specific to tapping.
Symptom severity dropped 45 percent and symptom breadth 40 percent (both p<.001) after a single 2-hour EFT self-application session among 216 healthcare-conference attendees; pain scores dropped 68%, intensity of traumatic memories 83%, and cravings 83% (all p<.001, per full-text tables).
Outcome study Preliminary
Bach, D., Groesbeck, G., Stapleton, P. et al. · 2019
Over 200 adults attending a multi-day tapping training had their anxiety, depression, and PTSD symptoms measured before and after, and a smaller group of 31 also had blood pressure, heart rate, cortisol, and immune markers tracked. Self-reported anxiety and depression dropped substantially, and several physical stress markers, including cortisol and resting heart rate, improved too. There was no comparison group, so we can't rule out that some of this reflects the general effect of attending an immersive workshop rather than tapping specifically.
Across the workshop sample, self-reported anxiety fell 40% (p<.000), depression 35% (p<.000), and PTSD symptoms 32% (p<.000); in a physiological subsample (n=31), cortisol fell 37% (p<.000), resting heart rate fell 8% (p=.001), and salivary immunoglobulin A rose 113% (p=.017); heart rate variability and heart coherence showed positive trends without a reported significance value.
Outcome study Preliminary
Church, D., Stapleton, P., Gosatti, D. et al. · 2022
One hundred fifty-one people attended a one-day virtual workshop combining EFT with heart-coherence training and mindfulness (EcoMeditation), and showed large drops in anxiety, depression, PTSD symptoms, and pain, plus increases in happiness and flow states that mostly held up three months later. There's no control group, so improvement can't be separated from the general experience of an intensive group workshop, but the follow-up data adds some durability evidence.
Post-workshop (N=111), significant reductions occurred in anxiety (-42.3%, p<0.001), depression (-37.5%, p<0.001), PTSD (-13.0%, p<0.001), and pain (-63.2%, p<0.001), with significant increases in happiness (+111.1%), flow states (+17.4%), and transcendent experiences (+18.5%); gains persisted at 3-month follow-up for a smaller subsample (N=72).
Outcome study Preliminary
Balha, S. M., Abo-Baker, O., Mahmoud, S. · 2020
Ninety patients being treated for substance use disorders in an Egyptian psychiatric hospital learned EFT as part of their care. Afterward, their cravings dropped and so did their overall psychological distress across every symptom category measured. There was no control group, so it's not clear how much of the improvement came from tapping specifically versus the rest of their treatment.
A psycho-educational EFT program significantly reduced craving levels and all nine SCL-90 symptom dimensions after the sessions (p < 0.005).
Outcome study Preliminary
Church, D., Stapleton, P., Sheppard, L. et al. · 2018
Seventy-six people took a six-week online course that used tapping to work on emotional eating, with live group calls and a year of ongoing support afterward, no specific diet prescribed. A year later, they'd lost weight steadily, felt less controlled by food, and were less depressed — though their anxiety, trauma symptoms, and overall happiness didn't show a clear change. There was no comparison group, so we can't rule out that other factors (like the ongoing support itself) played a role.
76 participants in a six-week online EFT course (live group teleclasses plus a year of monthly support) showed significant improvements from pre- to 12-month follow-up in body weight (p<.001, averaging about 1 lb/week during the course and 2 lb/month afterward), depression (p=.010), restraint (p=.025), and power of food (p=.018); PTSD symptoms and anxiety were unchanged, and happiness gains were not significant.
Outcome study Preliminary
Church, D., Clond, M. · 2019
Thirty-seven people took an in-person 6-day workshop and another 37 took a 12-week online course, both teaching a set of stress-reduction and relationship skills including Clinical EFT. Both formats improved depression and relationship satisfaction over a year, but only the in-person group showed a significant reduction in anxiety, and improvements were generally sharper in-person. Since this compares two active delivery formats rather than either against no treatment, and other skills (mindfulness, breathwork, qigong) were bundled with EFT, it can't isolate EFT's specific contribution.
Anxiety reduced significantly in the in-person but not the online group; both groups showed significant improvements in depression (p<0.001) and relationship satisfaction (29% improvement, p<0.003), with sharper symptom declines in the in-person group; gains were maintained at 1-year follow-up in both groups.
Outcome study Preliminary
Bustamante-Paster, A. · 2022
Forty-five Filipino college students struggling with severe pandemic-era depression, anxiety, or stress went through 16 tapping sessions. Across all three groups, average scores moved from the severe range down to normal or mild by the end. There was no control group, so some of the improvement over 16 sessions could reflect time passing rather than EFT alone.
After 16 sessions of EFT, the anxiety group's mean DASS score fell from 16.69 (severe) to 4.84 (normal), the depression group's from 22.77 (severe) to 10.38 (mild), and the stress group's from 25.50 (severe) to 8.70 (normal).
Outcome study Preliminary
Tambunan, M., Suwarni, N., Selviana, S. · 2023
Forty-two people isolating with confirmed COVID-19 in Indonesia tried EFT to help with the anxiety, low mood, and sleeplessness that came with the diagnosis. All three measures improved significantly. This was a quasi-experimental study in a government isolation facility, so real-world conditions may have limited the rigor of the design.
EFT therapy was effective in reducing anxiety, depression, and insomnia scores among people confirmed positive for COVID-19 (p-value < 0.05).
Outcome study Preliminary
Baker, B., Hoffman, C. · 2015
Women struggling with the mood and physical side effects of hormone therapy for breast cancer did a 3-week EFT course, then kept practicing on their own. Their mood, anxiety, depression, and fatigue scores all improved, holding up through 12 weeks. This was a service evaluation without a control group, so some of the improvement could reflect other factors like time or extra clinical attention.
Statistically significant improvements in Total Mood Disturbance (p=0.005/0.008), anxiety (p=0.003/0.028), depression (p=0.006/0.020), and fatigue (p=0.008/0.033) occurred at both 6 and 12 weeks compared to baseline; hot flush frequency also decreased.
Outcome study Preliminary
Church, D., David, I. · 2019
39 business executives attended a one-day seminar using a group tapping method called Borrowing Benefits, where everyone taps along while watching a certified practitioner work with one person. Afterward, their stress-related symptoms, pain, and cravings all dropped substantially. There was no control group and no follow-up, so this shows an immediate effect in a workplace-like setting rather than lasting change.
After a daylong seminar combining psychoeducation with group-format Clinical EFT (Borrowing Benefits protocol), severity of anxiety/depression symptoms declined 34% (p<0.0008), pain declined 41%, and cravings for problem food and drink declined 50% (both p<0.0001).
Outcome study Preliminary
Stewart, A., Boath, E., Carryer, A. et al. · 2013
In a real UK National Health Service clinic, 39 clients started and 31 completed a course of EFT for a range of emotional issues including anxiety, depression, and anger. Their overall psychological distress dropped from a moderately severe level down into the normal range, and nearly every single client improved. This is valuable because it's real-world NHS service data, not a lab study, though there was no control group and higher-quality larger studies are still needed.
CORE-10 scores improved from a mean of 20.16 (moderate-severe) at start to 8.71 (normal) at end (p<0.001), with statistically and clinically significant improvements across all measures except one client.
Outcome study Preliminary
Groesbeck, G., Bach, D., Stapleton, P. et al. · 2018
Thirty-four people at a weekend meditation-based workshop had their stress hormones, blood pressure, and mood tracked before and after. Their stress hormone cortisol dropped by almost a third, pain eased by more than 40%, and anxiety and depression both fell significantly - though the drop in PTSD symptoms didn't quite reach statistical significance in this small sample. A 3-month follow-up sample was too small to draw conclusions from, so the durability of these effects remains an open question.
Significant reductions were found in cortisol (-29%, P < .0001), resting heart rate (-5%, P = .0281), and pain (-43%, P = .0022); anxiety and depression declined significantly (-26% and -32%, both P = .0159 or better), while the PTSD decline (-18%) did not reach statistical significance.
Outcome study Preliminary
Choi, Y., Kim, Y., Kwon, D.H. et al. · 2024
30 adults with diagnosed PTSD, mostly survivors of physical or sexual violence, went through a course of tapping with no comparison group. Their PTSD symptoms dropped substantially, and their anxiety and depression scores improved too. As a feasibility pilot without a control group, this shows tapping is workable and worth testing further, not that it beats another treatment.
PCL-5 scores fell from a mean of 50.7 to 36.9 (p<.0001, d=1.06); secondary measures also improved, including PHQ-9 depression (d=0.91) and GAD-7 anxiety (d=0.51).
Outcome study Preliminary
Stapleton, P., Oliver, B., O'Keefe, T. et al. · 2022
Twenty-four adults with chronic pain did a six-week online group EFT program and had their brain activity scanned via fMRI before and after. Along with meaningful improvements in pain, mood, and quality of life, their brain scans showed reduced connectivity between pain-processing brain regions in a pattern consistent with less pain catastrophizing. There's no control group, so we can't rule out that some of the change reflects general effects of participating in a structured program, but the brain-imaging data adds an interesting objective dimension.
A repeated measures MANOVA indicated significant differences in pain severity (-21%), pain interference (-26%), quality of life (+7%), somatic symptoms (-28%), depression (-13.5%), anxiety (-37.1%), happiness (+17%), and satisfaction with life (+8.8%); fMRI showed decreased connectivity between the medial prefrontal cortex and areas related to pain modulation and catastrophizing.
Outcome study Preliminary
Stewart, A., Boath, E., Carryer, A. et al. · 2013
Twenty-four clients in a UK public health clinic tried Matrix Reimprinting, an EFT-based technique, for various emotional conditions over an average of eight sessions. Every client showed clinical improvement, with distress dropping by roughly half and self-esteem rising by nearly as much. This is genuine NHS pilot data without a control group, so larger studies are the natural next step the authors themselves call for.
Statistically and clinically significant improvements were found for CORE-10 (52% change, p<.001), Rosenberg Self-Esteem (46% change, p<.001), HADS Anxiety (35% change, p=.007), and HADS total score (34% change, p=.011).
Outcome study Preliminary
Church, D., Nelms, J. · 2016
In a small study of people being treated for frozen shoulder — a painful, physical joint condition — tapping was linked to a solid improvement in mood as a side benefit, though there was no comparison group to rule out other explanations.
Depression symptoms decreased by 44% (d=0.88) in this small, uncontrolled sample of adults being treated for frozen shoulder, a physical condition, suggesting mood benefits alongside the primary physical-symptom focus of that study.
Outcome study Preliminary
Robbins, N., Harvey, K., Moller, M. · 2023
Eleven new mothers who screened positive for postpartum depression and anxiety, while visiting a lactation clinic, took part in eight weeks of group tapping sessions. A month later, their depression, anxiety, and stress scores had all dropped significantly. It's a small, uncontrolled pilot in a group that badly needs more treatment options, so larger follow-up studies are the natural next step.
One month after eight weekly 1-hour group EFT sessions, there were statistically significant decreases in depression (p = .003), anxiety (p < .001), and perceived stress (p < .001).
Outcome study Preliminary
Lee, J.H., et al. · 2013
In a very small, uncontrolled study of ten older adults with insomnia, tapping was linked to a large improvement in depression symptoms measured on a geriatric depression scale. With no comparison group and only ten people, this is a preliminary early signal, not proof.
A large depression improvement (d=1.41) was reported in this very small (N=10), uncontrolled sample of senior insomnia patients.
Outcome study Preliminary Korean
Unknown, et al. · 2011
Ten older Korean women, average age in their mid-70s, struggling with insomnia tried a four-week group tapping program designed specifically for elderly sleep problems. By the end, their sleep, mood, anxiety, and life satisfaction all showed a real improvement — unlikely to be chance — and the sleep gains held up a month later. With only ten participants and no comparison group, this is best read as an early, promising pilot rather than proof.
Ten elderly women completed a 4-week EFT-I (EFT for insomnia) group program; all four outcome measures (sleep, depression, state anxiety, life satisfaction) showed statistically significant improvement (p<0.01), and improvement in insomnia continued at 4-week follow-up.
Outcome study Preliminary
Patel, V., Pandey, N. · 2021
Eight young adults struggling with suicidal thoughts were screened using a standard clinical scale, given one guided EFT session, then tapped on their own daily for 21 days. Afterward their suicidal ideation had eased, and they also reported feeling more self-aware and better able to manage their emotions. This was a very small, uncontrolled pilot with just 8 people receiving the intervention, so it's best read as an early signal rather than proof EFT prevents suicide.
Among 20 respondents assessed for suicidal ideation with the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale, 8 participants received an EFT intervention (an initial session plus 21 days of daily self-practice), and post-intervention assessment found EFT effective in reducing suicidal ideation while also increasing participants' self-awareness and emotional self-management.
Outcome study Preliminary
Church, D., Geronilla, L., Dinter, I. · 2009
Seven veterans dealing with PTSD symptoms did six tapping sessions, with no comparison group. Their reported anxiety, depression, and PTSD symptoms all dropped by roughly half, and the improvement was still there three months later. This is a very small pilot with no control group, so it's an early signal rather than proof.
Across seven veterans, overall symptom severity fell 40% (p<.001), anxiety 46% (p<.001), depression 49% (p<.001), and PTSD symptoms 50% (p<.016) after six EFT sessions, with gains maintained at 90-day follow-up.
Case series Preliminary
Friedman, P. · 2023
This case report tracks two therapy clients' weekly progress through an integrative therapy approach that includes tapping among other techniques. As an n=2 case study using a multi-component therapy model, it cannot isolate what specifically drove any improvement seen.
Substantial changes occurred on many measures including anxiety, cognitive fusion, experiential avoidance, valuing, life balance, and self-forgiveness; clients differed on depression, negative affect, working alliance, and spiritual awakening measures.
Case series Preliminary
Friedman, P. · 2022
This case report tracked two therapy clients week-by-week using digital assessments as they went through severe COVID-19 infections, using a broad integrative therapy model that includes tapping among other techniques. As an n=2 case report with an integrative multi-technique approach, it can't isolate what specifically drove the recovery.
Two clients tracked weekly through severe COVID-19 illness showed significant changes on some psychotherapy outcome measures during and after infection, with a typical healing process of about nine weeks to return to pre-COVID scores.
Case series Preliminary
Friedman, P. · 2021
A therapist describes using digital tracking tools to graph a couple's emotional progress in therapy, where tapping was one of several tools that reportedly helped. As a single case description, this shows how the tracking tool works rather than proving tapping's effectiveness.
Case study of a couple showed different trajectories of change for husband and wife, with tapping and the 'psychological uplifter' and Forgiveness Solution reported as powerful tools for change.
Case series Preliminary
TFT (related method)
Pasahow, R. · 2009
Two people bothered by tinnitus (ringing in the ears) tried Thought Field Therapy, a tapping-based technique, and reported less depression and anxiety about their symptoms. With just two cases, this is only a preliminary, illustrative report.
Two case studies demonstrated that Thought Field Therapy reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety in decompensated tinnitus patients.
Case series Preliminary
Church, D. · 2023
This unusual study used okra seeds as a biological proxy to test whether a depressed patient's mood, before versus after an EFT session, could affect seed germination through proximity. Seeds held after her successful EFT treatment (when her depression score dropped sharply) germinated and grew better than seeds held before treatment or untreated seeds. This is a highly novel, single-patient proof-of-concept design that does not directly demonstrate EFT's clinical benefit for depression in a normal population - it's a biomarker/mechanism curiosity study.
BDI scores improved from 20 (moderate depression) to 3 (minimal) after EFT; seeds held by the patient after treatment showed significantly greater germination and root hair growth than untreated control seeds (p<.000) or pretreatment-held seeds (p<.000).
Case series Preliminary
Zhang, H., Fu, Z., Zeng, Z. et al. · 2022
This paper describes using tapping in school counseling with Chinese children whose parents have moved away for work, leaving them in the care of relatives. Counselors reported fast relief from anxiety, fear, and low mood in case examples. It's a discussion paper built on clinical cases rather than a controlled study, so the findings are illustrative rather than statistically tested.
Through case examples, EFT was reported to quickly relieve anxiety, depression, fear, and psychological trauma in left-behind children within minutes to tens of minutes.
Review Preliminary
Church, D. · 2013
This review makes the case that a single EFT session can meaningfully help with phobias and certain anxiety disorders, and points to trial evidence that even one session lowers the stress hormone cortisol and normalizes stress-related brainwave patterns. It also cautions that more complex, co-occurring conditions like complicated PTSD need longer courses of treatment, not just one session. As a review and case discussion rather than a new trial, it doesn't carry its own participant count or effect size.
The chapter reports that randomized controlled trials show EFT effectively treats phobias and certain anxiety disorders in a single session, with a single session also producing a significant drop in cortisol and normalization of stress-associated EEG frequencies.
Review Preliminary
Church, D. · 2010
This narrative review summarizes general epigenetics research (including twin studies on stress and telomere length) and argues EFT and related methods may work faster than previously thought to influence stress-related gene expression. It's a review and argument piece, not a study reporting new EFT-specific data.
This review discusses evidence that behaviors and emotional states regulate gene activity and telomere length, and argues that energy psychology methods like EFT may rapidly remediate psychological/emotional stressors that affect epigenetic markers of aging and inflammation.
Review Preliminary
Church, D., Brooks, A. · 2010
This article is a general introduction to how EFT is taught and practiced, aimed at clinicians new to the method, with case examples. It's a descriptive/educational article rather than a new research study.
Describes EFT technique, how it's taught in workshops, and provides case examples; states research indicates EFT is effective for anxiety, depression, PTSD, phobias, and certain physical complaints.
Review Preliminary
Feinstein, David, Church, Dawson · 2010
This theoretical paper proposes that adding physical techniques like acupoint tapping to psychotherapy might more precisely shift the gene-expression changes underlying successful treatment, compared to talk therapy alone. It presents testable propositions for future research rather than new experimental data.
The paper identifies five areas of biological change dependent on gene expression shifts in successful psychotherapy (limbic responses, learning/memory, autonomic balance, cortisol, immune function) and proposes that somatic interventions like acupoint stimulation may produce more precise and powerful shifts than conventional therapy alone.