116 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-analysisHigher rigor
Chen, W.T., Chao, T.Y., Huang, W.Z. et al. · 2025
This 2025 meta-analysis combined 13 studies covering more than 600 people with PTSD, including a group of veterans. Tapping was linked to a large drop in PTSD symptoms compared to control groups, and the benefit was still measurable three months later. As with other pooled reviews in this space, the strength of the finding depends on the quality of the individual trials that went into it.
Across 13 studies and 621 patients, EFT significantly improved PTSD symptoms compared with control groups (Hedges' g=-2.062, 95% CI -2.759 to -1.452) and compared with baseline (Hedges' g=-0.865), with a veteran subgroup effect of Hedges' g=-1.102 (95% CI -1.441 to -0.877), and improvements sustained up to 3 months (Hedges' g=-0.723 for PTSD severity).
Meta-analysisModerate rigor
Wright, S., Karyotaki, E., Cuijpers, P. et al. · 2024
This meta-analysis compared EMDR against a mix of other PTSD treatments (one of which was EFT, though EFT itself is not broken out separately) and found EMDR was not significantly better or worse overall. Because EFT is lumped in with several other therapies rather than analyzed on its own, this study offers only indirect and limited insight into EFT specifically.
One-stage individual participant data meta-analysis found no significant difference between EMDR and other psychological treatments (including EFT as one comparator) in reducing PTSD symptom severity, achieving response, remission, or dropout rates.
Meta-analysisModerate rigor
Mavranezouli, I., et al. · 2020
A large, independent analysis commissioned in connection with UK national treatment guidelines pooled 90 trials of talk therapies for PTSD and, according to a secondary source, ranked tapping as the second-most-effective option among 22 approaches tested. This finding comes from an independent academic and public-health source rather than EFT researchers themselves, which makes it notable — but we have not yet independently confirmed the exact number by reading the original paper, so it should be treated as a promising lead rather than settled fact until checked.
This independent, NICE-linked network meta-analysis of 90 trials (6,560 participants, 22 interventions) reports that 'combined somatic/cognitive therapies' (SMD -1.69, 95% CrI -2.66 to -0.73) was among the most effective categories for reducing PTSD symptoms post-treatment vs waitlist, behind EMDR (SMD -2.07) and ahead of trauma-focused CBT (SMD -1.46) and self-help with support (SMD -1.46). However, the primary paper's own abstract text labels this category 'combined somatic/cognitive therapies,' not 'EFT' specifically — Church et al. 2022's characterization of this as an 'EFT' finding conflates a broader NICE-defined intervention category with EFT itself. It is unconfirmed (full text/appendix not accessible in this pass) how many EFT-specific trials, if any, were pooled into this category, or how sparse/uncertain the evidence for it was rated by the review's own authors.
Meta-analysisModerate rigor
Mavranezouli, I., Megnin-Viggars, O., Daly, C. et al. · 2020
This large network meta-analysis of youth PTSD treatments found that individual trauma-focused CBT worked best overall, and while EFT showed a promisingly large effect, the review's own authors caution that very few trials of EFT were included, so that specific finding needs more research before it can be trusted.
Individual trauma-focused CBT showed the largest, most consistent effects; results suggest a large positive effect for emotional freedom technique, but this is based on very limited evidence within the network and needs further confirmation.
Meta-analysisModerate rigorTFT (related method)
Brown, R.C., Witt, A., Fegert, J.M. et al. · 2017
This meta-analysis pooled 36 studies of trauma treatments for children after disasters, including Thought Field Therapy among several methods (mainly CBT, EMDR, and classroom interventions). Overall, treatments produced good improvement compared to before treatment and moderate improvement compared to control groups, but studies varied a lot in quality and design, so the authors call for more rigorous future studies.
Across 36 studies, psychosocial treatments for children and adolescents after disasters showed high effect sizes in pre-post comparisons (g=1.34) and medium effect sizes versus control (g=0.43); CBT, EMDR, KIDNET, and classroom-based interventions performed similarly. TFT was among the interventions reviewed.
Meta-analysisHigher rigor
Sebastian, B., Nelms, J. · 2017
Researchers combined the results of seven randomized studies testing tapping for PTSD. Compared with people who just waited or got standard care, people who tapped saw a very large improvement in their PTSD symptoms, and tapping performed about as well as EMDR or CBT where it was tested directly against them. Most of the underlying trials were still fairly small, so this is a strong early body of evidence rather than a large, definitive one.
Pooling 7 RCTs, EFT showed a large effect versus usual care or waitlist controls (d=2.96, 95% CI 1.96-3.97, p<.001), with no significant difference in effect versus EMDR or CBT in head-to-head comparisons.
Systematic reviewHigher rigor
Stapleton, P., Kip, K., Church, D. et al. · 2023
This update pooled six controlled studies of tapping for PTSD. Against waiting-list or usual-care comparisons, tapping showed a large, real improvement in PTSD symptoms. Against other active treatments like EMDR or CBT, tapping performed about the same — neither clearly better nor worse.
Versus waitlist, usual care, or no treatment, EFT produced large effects (Hedges' g range 1.38-2.51 across trials, pooled fixed-effect g=1.86 [95% CI 1.50-2.22], random-effect g=1.88 [95% CI 1.40-2.35], both p<.001); versus active treatments (EMDR, narrative exposure therapy, CBT; n=58 EFT vs n=58 comparator across 3 trials), effects ranged from -0.15 to 0.79 with fixed/random summary estimates both at 0.27 (not statistically significant), indicating comparable performance to other established therapies.
Systematic reviewPreliminary
Lee, E., Faber, J., Bowles, K. · 2022
This social work review catalogs the many available treatments for PTSD, both standard talk-therapy approaches and alternative ones like tapping, yoga, and acupuncture, to help clinicians choose. EFT is one of many treatments discussed rather than the focus, so this offers only broad context rather than a deep dive into tapping specifically.
Found 34 empirically supported studies, including 19 conventional (e.g., CBT, EMDR) and 7 non-conventional treatments including emotion freedom technique, yoga, acupuncture, and mind-body therapy, summarized to guide clinical decision-making.
Systematic reviewModerate rigor
McGreevy, S., Boland, P. · 2022
This review looked across 39 studies of touch-based therapies for PTSD (like tapping, massage, and other body-contact approaches) and found EFT stood out as a particularly well-represented technique. Because the studies reviewed varied a lot in quality and design, the authors caution that findings should be interpreted carefully.
39 articles describing eleven different touch-based interventions were included; among these, Emotional Freedom Technique prevailed as a notable intervention with a growing evidence base for reducing PTSD symptoms.
Systematic reviewPreliminary
Uzzi, C. · 2021
This review summarizes the scale of mental health impact on healthcare workers during COVID-19 across over 19,000 workers in 9 studies, noting that various support interventions including an online EFT program were part of what helped. EFT is only one of several interventions mentioned, not analyzed as a distinct variable, so its specific contribution is unclear from this review.
Across 9 studies covering 19,232 healthcare workers, high levels of stress, PTSD symptoms, depression, anxiety, burnout, and self-harm ideation were reported; psychosocial support including an online form of EFT was among interventions found effective in mitigating psychological stress.
Systematic reviewPreliminary
Rometsch-Ogioun El Sount, C., Windthorst, P., Denkinger, J. et al. · 2019
This systematic review looked at 15 studies of chronic pain treatment in refugees with PTSD, and found several approaches, including EFT, showed positive results for both pain and PTSD symptoms. EFT is just one of several interventions covered by this review, not a review specifically about tapping, and the authors note the evidence base overall is still scarce.
15 studies were included; CBT, Narrative Exposure Therapy with biofeedback, manualized trauma psychotherapy, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Emotional Freedom Techniques were evaluated, resulting in positive outcomes for both pain severity and PTSD symptoms.
Systematic reviewPreliminary
Xiong, T., Wozney, L., Olthuis, J. et al. · 2019
This scoping review looks broadly at using non-specialist ('paraprofessional') helpers to deliver trauma treatment, examining what training they receive. It isn't focused on EFT/tapping specifically, but is included in the catalog as related literature relevant to lay-delivered tapping interventions.
The review identified and summarized controlled trial research on paraprofessional-delivered trauma interventions, examining trends and gaps in training approaches (not EFT-specific).
Systematic reviewModerate 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 reviewModerate rigor
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) · 2018
The UK's national health guideline body reviewed tapping alongside many other PTSD treatments and found the early evidence promising, but not yet strong enough to formally recommend tapping as a treatment — instead, they called for more research, specifically studies outside veteran populations and studies using clinician ratings rather than just people's own reports. This is a genuinely independent, non-EFT-community verdict, and it lands in the middle: not a rejection, but a clear "more evidence needed" rather than an endorsement.
NICE's independent evidence review and network meta-analysis of psychological treatments for PTSD found "some promising evidence for clinical benefits of emotional freedom techniques (EFT) on improving self-rated PTSD symptomatology in adults with established PTSD," but did not issue a treatment recommendation for EFT. Instead, NICE issued a formal research recommendation asking what the clinical and cost-effectiveness of EFT for adult PTSD is, citing that the evidence was restricted to military veteran populations, relied mostly on self-rated rather than clinician-rated outcomes, and had limited follow-up data.
Systematic reviewModerate rigor
Church, D., Feinstein, D. · 2017
This review focused specifically on veterans and service members summarizes over 40 clinical trials of EFT for PTSD, highlighting quick treatment times, low risk, and even changes in gene activity related to immunity and inflammation. As a narrative review by leading EFT researchers, it summarizes prior evidence rather than presenting new data.
Remediation of PTSD and comorbid conditions is typically accomplished within four to ten sessions; six dismantling studies indicate the acupressure component is an active ingredient, not placebo; epigenetic effects include upregulation of immunity genes and downregulation of inflammation genes.
Systematic reviewModerate rigor
Metcalf, O., Varker, T., Forbes, D. et al. · 2016
This systematic review assessed many newer/alternative PTSD treatments and found most had weak evidence, but EFT was among four mind-body approaches (alongside acupuncture, mantra meditation, and yoga) with relatively better-quality evidence than the rest, though still limited overall. This is a balanced, somewhat critical outside review not written by EFT-affiliated researchers.
Most of the 19 studies were of poor quality with methodological limitations; 4 mind-body interventions (acupuncture, emotional freedom technique, mantra-based meditation, yoga) had moderate quality evidence from mostly small-to-moderate RCTs, better than most other emerging interventions.
Systematic reviewModerate rigor
Boath, E., Stewart, A., Carryer, A. · 2012
This systematic review sifted through 42 published EFT studies down to 7 qualifying randomized trials, and found tapping outperformed comparison approaches like diaphragmatic breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, an inspirational lecture, and a support group across conditions including PTSD, fibromyalgia, phobias, test anxiety, and athletic performance. The one method that beat EFT in these trials was EMDR. With only 7 RCTs reviewed and methodological flaws noted in the source studies, the reviewers still called for further quality research even while endorsing EFT's promise.
A search identified 42 published EFT studies, of which 7 RCTs met inclusion criteria; EFT was shown effective for PTSD, fibromyalgia, phobias, test anxiety, and athletic performance, and was superior to diaphragmatic breathing, progressive muscular relaxation, an inspirational lecture, and a support group, while only EMDR outperformed EFT.
Systematic reviewModerate rigor
Church, D., Feinstein, D. · 2012
This book chapter reviews existing randomized trials and outcome studies of energy psychology for PTSD across diverse populations, arguing the approach works quickly, safely, and in group settings, and proposes it works via rapid effects on brain fear circuits. As a review rather than new data collection, its conclusions rest on the quality of the underlying studies it cites.
The review concludes energy psychology methods (EFT, TFT) quickly and durably reduce the brain's fear response to traumatic memories, identifying seven clinical implications including limited sessions needed, low adverse-event risk, and efficacy in group format.
Systematic reviewModerate rigor
Feinstein, D. · 2012
This review pulled together 50 peer-reviewed papers on tapping-based treatments, including 17 randomized controlled trials, and concluded the effects were consistently strong and far beyond what chance would predict, meeting the American Psychological Association's own bar for an evidence-based treatment for conditions including PTSD. It's a review of the existing trial base rather than a single new study, and it doesn't quote one pooled effect size, but it stands as an early, comprehensive stock-take of tapping's RCT evidence.
A literature search identified 50 peer-reviewed papers on clinical outcomes following acupoint tapping, including 17 RCTs, which were found to consistently demonstrate strong effect sizes and positive statistical results that far exceed chance, meeting APA Division 12 evidence-based treatment criteria for a number of conditions including PTSD.
Systematic reviewPreliminary
Kwon, Y-J., Cho, S-H. · 2011
Korean researchers reviewed international and Korean studies to propose which treatments work best at different time points after a traumatic disaster - finding acupuncture and CBT more suited to the immediate aftermath, and EMDR and EFT more suited to longer-term, chronic PTSD. This is a narrative review proposing a treatment model rather than a new controlled study.
The review found acupuncture, CBT, and progressive muscular relaxation effective in the acute stage after trauma, while EMDR, EFT, and relaxation therapy were efficacious in chronic stages, proposing a staged model of Oriental Medicine for disaster mental health.
Systematic reviewPreliminary
Feinstein, David · 2010
This theoretical/review paper examines eight studies (two randomized) suggesting that combining tapping with mental exposure to traumatic memories rapidly reduces fear responses, and proposes a possible brain mechanism (amygdala deactivation) though this remains speculative. As a mechanism-focused review rather than a new controlled trial, it summarizes existing preliminary evidence.
Two RCTs and six outcome studies corroborate that tapping acupoints during imaginal exposure quickly and permanently reduces maladaptive fear responses to traumatic memories; the paper proposes this works by sending deactivating signals directly to the amygdala.
Randomized trialModerate rigor
Brown, G., Batra, K., et al. · 2023
72 students used either a related technique called AIT or standard EFT to reduce distress about a bad memory, and both worked about equally well overall, though AIT users were more likely to feel fully better after just one round. This head-to-head randomized trial suggests EFT and AIT are similarly effective techniques.
Both interventions led to a significant drop in SUD scores (from over 4 to about 1); no statistically significant differences in post-intervention SUD or HRV between AIT and EFT; a significantly higher proportion using AIT achieved full elimination of negative emotion with just one round (47.4% vs 14.7%, p=0.012).
Randomized trialModerate rigorCritical finding
Choi, Y., Kim, Y., Choi, S. et al. · 2023
This is a published research plan (protocol), not a completed study, describing how researchers intend to compare EFT to another PTSD treatment and a waiting list, using brain scans as part of the analysis. Since no results are reported yet, it can't be used to judge whether EFT works, only that a well-designed trial is underway.
This is a study protocol (not yet reporting results) for a randomized, assessor-blinded, three-arm clinical MRI trial comparing EFT, written exposure therapy, and waiting list for PTSD.
Randomized trialModerate rigorPersian
Alamdar, B.A., Mohammadtehrani, H., Behboodi, M. et al. · 2021
Thirty men hospitalized with post-traumatic stress disorder in Iran were split into a tapping group and a comparison group. The tapping group's anxiety — both in-the-moment and as an ongoing trait — dropped by a real margin, and the improvement was still there two months later. It's a small, single-hospital sample, so it's best read as an encouraging early result in a severely affected inpatient population.
30 male psychiatric inpatients with PTSD (15 EFT, 15 control) showed significantly greater reductions in state anxiety (F=14.23, p=0.008) and trait anxiety (F=3.07, p=0.031) following EFT, with gains maintained at a 2-month follow-up.
Randomized trialModerate rigorSpanish
Trejos Parra, J. J., García Osorio, C. L., Vélez Vitola, O. · 2020
This Colombian study combined EFT tapping with a recreational art-expression program for children living in shelters after suffering abuse, all of whom had post-traumatic stress. Nearly half the children who went through the combined tapping-and-art program no longer showed PTSD symptoms afterward, compared with about a quarter of the children in the comparison group. Because tapping was combined with an art program rather than tested alone, it's not possible to say how much of the benefit came from tapping specifically versus the art activities.
Post-intervention PTSD symptom scores differed significantly between groups (p=.002); 11 of 27 children (41%) in the experimental group no longer met PTSD symptom criteria, compared with 5 of 20 (25%) in the control group.
Randomized trialModerate rigor
Church, D., et al. · 2018
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 trialModerate rigor
Church, D., Sparks, T., Clond, M. · 2016
21 veterans with early warning signs of PTSD (not yet full-blown) received six tapping sessions, and their risk-level symptom scores dropped by nearly two-thirds, holding steady for six months. This suggests tapping might help prevent full PTSD from developing in at-risk veterans, though the sample is small.
PCL-M scores declined from a mean of 39 to 25 (-64%, P<.0001) after 6 EFT sessions (combined post-wait groups); gains were maintained at 3- and 6-month follow-up (mean 27, P<.0001); reductions in TBI symptoms (P=.045) and insomnia (P=.004) also noted.
Randomized trialModerate rigor
Church, D., Yount, G., Rachlin, K. et al. · 2016
Sixteen veterans with PTSD were randomized to EFT or usual care first, then measured for changes in gene activity related to PTSD alongside standard symptom scales. The EFT group's PTSD symptoms dropped by over half and stayed down, and six specific genes showed measurably different activity after treatment. Though the sample is small, this is one of relatively few studies directly linking EFT to measurable gene expression changes.
PTSD symptoms declined significantly in the EFT group (-53%, p<.00001) with gains maintained at follow-up; significant differential expression of six genes was found (p<.05) comparing before and after the EFT intervention period.
Randomized trialModerate rigor
Geronilla, L., Minewiser, L., Mollon, P. et al. · 2016
58 veterans with clinical-level PTSD symptoms were randomly assigned to tapping sessions or their usual care. Those who tapped saw their PTSD symptom scores fall by roughly half, while the comparison group didn't budge, and the benefit was still there six months later. This is a replication of an earlier veterans study, but we could not directly confirm every detail from the original source, so treat the specific numbers as provisional.
PCL-M scores in the EFT group dropped from a mean of about 65 to about 34 (p<.001), a roughly 52% decline in PTSD symptom severity, while the treatment-as-usual group showed no significant change; gains were maintained at 6-month follow-up.
Randomized trialModerate rigorTFT (related method)
Robson, R., Robson, P., Ludwig, R. et al. · 2016
256 people in rural Uganda with likely PTSD were randomized to get Thought Field Therapy from newly trained local community workers right away or after a wait. Those treated improved dramatically, and the wait-list group caught up once they got treated too, with some benefit still visible over a year and a half later. This is a solid, reasonably large randomized trial demonstrating a scalable, community-delivered model.
One week after treatment, treated group scores improved from 58 to 26.1; waitlist group improved less (61.2 to 47) before treatment, then improved to 26.4 once treated; some evidence of persisting benefit 19 months later.
Randomized trialHigher rigor
Al-Hadethe, A., et al. · 2015
Teenage boys in Baghdad who had experienced trauma tried tapping, narrative exposure therapy (another trauma treatment), or no treatment. Tapping beat doing nothing by a large margin, and also outperformed narrative exposure therapy in this trial — a notable result since it's one of the few studies with an active comparator that favored tapping specifically.
EFT (n=20) vs no-treatment (n=20): g=1.38 (95% CI 0.69–2.06, p<0.001). EFT (n=20) vs NET (n=19): g=0.79 (95% CI 0.15–1.43, p=0.02), favoring EFT over the active comparator in this trial. Gains were reported as durable to 12-month follow-up, while NET's effects were less stable, per the Church et al. 2022 review (not independently verified here).
Randomized trialModerate rigor
Nemiro, A., Papworth, S. · 2015
50 women who survived gender-based violence during conflict in the Congo were randomly assigned to tapping or CBT. Both groups saw real improvements in trauma symptoms that held up six months later. We located this study through search summaries rather than reading the full paper ourselves, so treat the specifics as provisional.
Both the EFT and CBT groups showed significant improvement in PTSD symptoms and general mental health, maintained at 6-month follow-up.
Randomized trialHigher rigor
Nemiro, A., Papworth, S., Palmer-Hoffman, J. · 2015
In this trial, 50 female refugees who had survived sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo received either tapping or CBT, an established trauma therapy, in a series of extended group sessions. Both groups improved substantially, and tapping performed about the same as CBT head-to-head — a meaningful comparison because it's one of the few trials testing tapping against an established active treatment rather than a waitlist.
Eight 2.5-hour EFT sessions (n=25) vs CBT (n=25); HTQ trauma-symptom pre-post d=2.29 (95% CI 1.51–2.99); HSCL d=1.26 (95% CI 0.61–1.87). Head-to-head EFT-vs-CBT comparison on PTSD: d=0.14 (95% CI −0.42–0.69), not statistically significant — i.e. the two treatments performed similarly. Also appears in Stapleton 2023's active-comparator table as Hedges' g=0.13 (95% CI −0.42–0.67, p=0.65).
Randomized trialHigher 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 trialModerate rigor
Church, D., Palmer-Hoffman, J. · 2014
Among veterans treated with EFT for PTSD, those who also had traumatic brain injury symptoms saw those symptoms improve too, not just their PTSD. This raises interesting questions about overlap between PTSD and TBI symptoms, though the veterans studied overlap with several other Church et al. papers on the same treatment program.
Significant reductions in TBI symptoms were found after 3 sessions of EFT, with further reduction after 6 months (-41%, p<.0021); gains were maintained at 3- and 6-month follow-up (p<.0006).
Randomized trialModerate rigorTFT (related method)
Dunnewold, A.L. · 2014
This paper summarizes four related field studies (in Rwanda and Uganda) testing whether local community leaders trained briefly in Thought Field Therapy could help genocide and trauma survivors, generally finding reduced trauma symptoms. It's a summary/description paper covering several underlying studies rather than one single new trial.
TFT has been shown to reduce PTS symptoms with trauma survivors in four related studies in Africa, including two RCTs in Rwanda (2008, 2009) and preparation of a third RCT in Uganda, using community-leader-facilitated TFT.
Randomized trialHigher rigor
Geronilla, L., McWilliams, M., Clond, M. et al. · 2014
In this trial of 54 veterans with PTSD, six tapping sessions produced a very large drop in anxiety compared with usual care — one of the largest effects seen across all the studies in this area. The same veterans' PTSD symptoms specifically are covered in a separate record.
Six EFT sessions (n=29) vs TAU (n=25); anxiety difference d=2.3 (95% CI 1.38–3.22, p<0.001). The same trial's PTSD outcome is reported in Sebastian & Nelms 2017 (d=3.06) and Stapleton 2023 (g=2.51, the largest effect in that table).
Randomized trialHigher rigor
Church, D., Hawk, C., Brooks, A.J. et al. · 2013
In this trial, 54 veterans with PTSD got either six hour-long tapping sessions or their usual care. The tapping group's anxiety dropped substantially more than the usual-care group's, a large and statistically real effect.
Six EFT sessions (n=29) vs TAU (n=25); anxiety difference d=1.52 (95% CI 0.81–2.23, p<0.001). The same trial's PTSD-specific outcome is reported separately under Sebastian & Nelms 2017 (d=1.93) and Stapleton 2023 (g=1.80).
Randomized trialHigher rigor
Church, D., et al. · 2013
This trial of 59 enrolled veterans receiving mental health services (54 in the analyzed groups) found that six tapping sessions led to a large reduction in PTSD symptoms compared with standard care — a result later confirmed independently by at least two separate meta-analyses looking at the same data.
EFT (Table 1 enrollment n=30) vs standard care (Table 1 enrollment n=29, analysis n=25 per Table 3): g=1.80 (95% CI 1.17–2.43, p<0.001). This is the same trial recorded elsewhere with PCL-based d=1.93 (Sebastian & Nelms 2017) and d=1.52 for its anxiety outcome.
Randomized trialModerate 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 trialModerate rigor
Church, D., Hawk, C., Brooks, A.J. et al. · 2013
This trial of veterans with PTSD is real and found genuine, meaningful improvement in depression symptoms after six tapping sessions. But the specific number previously listed here — an extraordinarily large effect size of d=8.02 — does not actually appear anywhere in the published study, and a rough recalculation from the study's own reported numbers suggests the true effect size is far smaller, likely somewhere in the range of other EFT depression studies (around d=1.3-1.8). We're removing the unconfirmed number rather than repeating a figure that doesn't hold up, and correcting the sample size: the trial randomized 59 people, not 49 (49 was the number who eventually completed all EFT sessions after some crossed over from the waitlist).
The primary paper (Church, Hawk, Brooks, Toukolehto, Wren, Dinter & Stein, 2013, Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 201(2):153-160, PMID 23364126) does not report a Cohen's d anywhere for any outcome, including depression — it reports F-statistics and p-values only. Verbatim from its Table 2 (SA-45 depression subscale): EFT group pretest 71.10 (SE 1.4) to post-6-sessions 57.71 (SE 1.9), F(1,51)=32.16, p<.0001, versus a standard-care/waitlist group that changed minimally (71.49 to 69.77 over the same period); 'EFT posttest lower than SOC/WL posttest, p<0.008' (between-group) and 'EFT posttest lower than EFT pretest, p<0.003' (within-group). A rough recalculation from these means/SEs suggests a within-group effect in the range of d≈1.3-1.8, consistent with the independently-reported Nelms & Castel (2016) meta-analysis figure of d=1.31 for this literature — far below the previously recorded d=8.02, which does not appear in the primary text in any form and is not plausibly derivable from the paper's own reported statistics. The trial randomized N=59 total (30 EFT, 29 standard-care/waitlist); N=49 (as previously recorded) was actually the number of participants who completed all six EFT sessions across both arms after crossover, not the total randomized sample.
Randomized trialModerate rigorTFT (related method)
Connolly, S. M., Roe-Sepowitz, D., Sakai, C. E. et al. · 2013
Local Rwandan community leaders were taught a tapping technique and used it in single sessions with genocide survivors still living with trauma symptoms two decades later. Compared with survivors who didn't yet receive it, the tapping group's trauma symptoms dropped significantly more. Because local leaders delivered it rather than clinicians, this also speaks to how easily the technique can be taught to non-specialists.
Community leaders trained in Thought Field Therapy delivered one-time individual trauma interventions to 164 adult genocide survivors in a randomized controlled design; the treated group showed significantly greater reduction in trauma symptoms than the untreated group.
Randomized trialPreliminary
Church, D., Piña, O., Reategui, C. et al. · 2012
Sixteen institutionalized teenage boys who had experienced abuse tried a single tapping session or were put on a waitlist. The tapping group showed a very large drop in trauma symptoms. The original study itself didn't calculate a standard effect-size number — that number was computed afterward by a separate research team pooling many studies together. When we redid that calculation ourselves from the study's own published numbers, we got very similar (though not identical) results, which suggests the figure here is a legitimate, if indirectly-derived, effect size rather than an error — but it's worth knowing it's a secondhand calculation, not something the original authors stated themselves.
The primary paper (Church, Piña, Reategui & Brooks, 'Single-Session Reduction of the Intensity of Traumatic Memories in Abused Adolescents After EFT: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study,' Traumatology 18(3):73-79, 2012) reports raw means and F-statistics, not Cohen's d. Verbatim from its Table 1 (30-day follow-up, IES Total): control group pre 32.00±4.82 to post 31.38±3.84 versus experimental group pre 36.38±4.74 to post 3.38±2.60, F(1,14)=240.68, p<.001; intrusive-memories subscale F(1,14)=36.25, p<.001; avoidance subscale F(1,14)=159.30, p<.001. Independently recalculating Cohen's d from these posttest between-group means/SDs using a standard pooled-SD formula yields d≈8.5 (total), d≈5.1 (intrusive memories), d≈6.9 (avoidance) — in the same order of magnitude as the previously recorded 8.07/3.95/6.89 (from Sebastian & Nelms 2017's table) but not numerically identical, consistent with a legitimate but source-derived (not author-stated) calculation using a possibly different convention.
Randomized trialModerate rigorTFT (related method)
Connolly, S.M., Sakai, C.E. · 2012
145 Rwandan genocide survivors were randomized to immediate Thought Field Therapy or a waiting list, and the treated group showed significantly reduced trauma symptoms across nearly all measures, with benefits still visible two years later. This is a fairly large, well-designed randomized waitlist trial with unusually long-term follow-up.
Group differences adjusted for pretest scores were statistically significant at p<.001 for 9 of 10 TSI trauma subscales and for both severity and frequency on the MPSS, with moderate to large effect sizes; reductions sustained at 2-year follow-up.
Randomized trialModerate rigor
Hartung, J., Stein, P. · 2012
Forty-nine veterans with PTSD received six sessions of EFT either in person or by phone, with some getting delayed treatment as a built-in wait-period control. Both delivery methods worked, but in-person delivery was somewhat more effective, with 91% no longer meeting PTSD criteria after in-office treatment versus 67% by phone. This is a well-designed comparison using a delayed-treatment control within the same study.
No change in PTSD symptoms was reported by either the phone or office delayed-treatment groups during the wait period, while both groups improved significantly after EFT treatment; at 6-month follow-up, 91% of office-treated and 67% of phone-treated subjects no longer met PTSD diagnostic criteria (p<.05).
Randomized trialModerate rigor
Church, D., Piña, O., Reategui, C. et al. · 2011
16 abused teenage boys in a court-ordered institution were randomized to a single EFT session or a waiting list. Every single teen who got EFT dropped to a non-clinical level of traumatic memory intensity, while the waiting group showed no change. This is a small but genuinely randomized study with a striking, consistent effect across all treated participants.
No improvement occurred in the wait list; posttest scores for all experimental group subjects improved to non-clinical on the total IES score (pre=36 SD±4.74, post=3 SD±2.60, p<0.001), as well as intrusive and avoidant symptom subscales and SUD.
Randomized trialModerate rigor
Karatzias, T., Power, K., Brown, K. et al. · 2011
46 NHS patients with PTSD were randomly assigned to either EMDR, an established trauma therapy, or tapping. Both treatments led to real improvements in PTSD symptoms that lasted to the three-month follow-up, with EMDR showing somewhat more people reaching full clinically significant change. This is one of the few studies to test tapping directly against an established active therapy rather than a waitlist, though the study is small.
Both EMDR (n=23) and EFT (n=23) produced significant improvements at post-treatment and 3-month follow-up over a similar average number of sessions, with clinically significant change in 26.1% of the EMDR group versus 17.4% of the EFT group; assessments at post-treatment and follow-up were done blind.
Randomized trialHigher rigor
Karatzias, T., Power, K., Brown, K. et al. · 2011
This same head-to-head trial of tapping versus EMDR also measured depression, and found a moderate improvement in the tapping group — broadly in line with the similar results seen for anxiety and PTSD symptoms in this study.
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 trialHigher rigorCritical finding
Karatzias, T., Power, K., Brown, K. et al. · 2011
This is the same head-to-head trial of tapping versus EMDR covered elsewhere for its anxiety and depression outcomes. For PTSD specifically, the two treatments again came out roughly even, with no clear winner.
EFT (Table 1 enrollment n=23, analysis n=13 per Table 4) vs EMDR (Table 1 enrollment n=23, analysis n=14): g=−0.15 (95% CI −0.88–1.59, p=0.70), not significant — consistent with this same trial's non-significant PTSD comparison reported in Sebastian & Nelms 2017 (d=−0.12).
Randomized trialModerate rigor
Stein, P., Brooks, A. · 2011
This study asked whether EFT works as well when delivered by a trained lay coach versus a licensed therapist for veterans with PTSD, and found both delivered similar, strong results with the vast majority of veterans no longer meeting PTSD criteria after six sessions. This suggests EFT could be scaled using non-licensed coaches without much loss of effectiveness, though the sample per subgroup is fairly small.
After 6 sessions, 17% of coach-treated and 10% of LMP-treated participants still met PTSD diagnostic criteria (sustained at 3 months); the trend for better outcomes with licensed practitioners did not reach statistical significance.
Randomized trialModerate rigor
Zhang, Y., Feng, B., Xie, J. et al. · 2011
91 survivors of a major Chinese earthquake with PTSD were randomized to standard cognitive-behavior therapy alone or combined with acupoint (tapping-like) stimulation. Adding acupoint stimulation to CBT worked better than CBT by itself. This is a moderately sized randomized trial adding some support to the idea that acupoint stimulation adds real benefit beyond standard psychotherapy.
Total IES-R scores and questionnaire scores in both groups after treatment were much lower than before treatment (P<0.01); the treatment group (CBT plus acupoint stimulation) showed better results than the control group (CBT alone).
Randomized trialModerate rigor
Church, D. · 2010
Veterans and family members with PTSD were given a five-day intensive course of EFT sessions, and the large majority no longer showed PTSD symptoms afterward, with the improvement holding up three months later; a companion randomized comparison confirmed no change happened just from waiting. This pilot protocol paper and its 2009 companion publication describe the same overall research program establishing EFT's short-term efficacy for combat trauma.
After 6 sessions of EFT, 87% of the EFT group were PTSD-negative, with a mean PCL-M score of 35 (SE ±2.68, p<.001); gains were maintained at 3-month follow-up (all subjects PTSD-negative); wait-list group showed no improvement during the waiting period.
Controlled trialModerate rigor
Akbari, M., Aghdasi, A., Panah Ali, A. et al. · 2023
Forty-eight women recovering from COVID-19 with PTSD symptoms in Iran were assigned to EMDR, EFT, CBT, or no treatment. All three active treatments beat no-treatment, but EMDR outperformed both EFT and CBT in this particular comparison. This is a quasi-experimental design (not randomized) with a fairly small sample split across four groups.
PTSD scores were significantly reduced in all three treatment groups (EMDR, EFT, CBT) versus control (p<0.05), but EMDR was significantly more effective at reducing PTSD symptoms than either CBT or EFT.
Controlled trialPreliminary
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 trialModerate rigor
Baghini, A., Mohammadtehrani, H., Behbodi, M. et al. · 2020
60 men with PTSD were assigned to EMDR, CBT, EFT, or a control group in a four-group comparison (described in the source as quasi-experimental, with participants drawn by voluntary sampling). All three active therapies reduced anxiety, though EMDR edged out both CBT and EFT specifically for state anxiety. This is a four-group trial, giving reasonable confidence in the comparative findings.
State anxiety significantly reduced in all three treatment groups; EMDR was more effective on state anxiety than the other two interventions (p=0.015); effects remained stable at 2-month follow-up.
Controlled trialModerate rigor
Al-Hadethe, A., Hunt, N., Al-Qaysi, Z. et al. · 2015
60 young Iraqi men with PTSD from war-related trauma were split between tapping, narrative exposure therapy, and no treatment. Those who tapped improved across all the main categories of PTSD symptoms, and that improvement held for a full year afterward, while the comparison therapy group improved in some areas but not others. We found this study through search results and secondary summaries rather than reading the full published paper directly, so some details should be treated as provisional.
The EFT group showed significant improvement across all PTSD symptom clusters, while the NET group improved on avoidance and re-experiencing but not hyperarousal; EFT gains remained stable through 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-ups.
Biology / mechanismPreliminary
Church, D., Yount, G., Rachlin, K. et al. · 2018
16 veterans with PTSD had blood drawn before and after a course of tapping sessions to see if the therapy left a mark at the level of gene activity, not just self-reported feelings. Their PTSD symptoms dropped by about half, and the researchers found measurable changes in the activity of a handful of stress-related genes. It's a small pilot study, so it's best read as an early, promising signal about a possible biological mechanism rather than a settled finding.
PTSD symptoms fell 53% in the EFT group (p<.0001), maintained at follow-up, and gene-expression testing found 6 of 93 examined PTSD-related genes were significantly differently expressed (p<.05) before versus after treatment.
Outcome studyPreliminary
Olivé, C., Ávila, M., Camacho, C. · 2025
Twelve women who survived intimate partner violence and had PTSD went through 15 group therapy sessions combining several trauma techniques, including tapping-like elements (Advanced Integrative Therapy). Two months later, nearly 92% of them no longer met the clinical threshold for PTSD. It's a small pilot group without a comparison condition, so it's an encouraging early result rather than definitive proof.
Post-treatment assessments indicated significant reduction in all DSM-5 criteria subgroups, with 91.66% of participants moving out of the clinical category after 15 structured group sessions of Advanced Integrative Therapy.
Outcome studyPreliminary
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 studyPreliminary
Gaddy, D., Baum, B. · 2023
Sixty adults with chronic pain tried a trauma-focused technique called Holographic Memory Resolution (not EFT specifically, though related in approach) over four sessions, and most completed the program with meaningful symptom improvement. This was explicitly designed as a feasibility study to see if the technique could be studied further, not a definitive efficacy trial, and there's no control group.
73% of participants completed all four Holographic Memory Resolution sessions, demonstrating feasibility; depression (p=0.05), anxiety (p=0.03), symptom burden (p<0.01), and PTSD symptoms (p=0.01) all decreased significantly, and vitality improved.
Outcome studyPreliminary
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 studyPreliminary
Diepold, J., Schwartz, G. · 2022
43 patients used a therapy technique called Heart Assisted Therapy (related to energy psychology) to process specific upsetting memories, and their self-rated distress dropped from very high to essentially zero after just 3-4 sessions per incident. The dramatic effect size is striking, but this was an uncontrolled Phase I study, meaning there was no comparison group to rule out expectation or natural fading of distress with retelling.
Mean distress level dropped from 7.55 to 0.00 in the exploratory study (n=13, p<.0000001) and from 8.31 to 0.02 in the confirmatory study (n=30, p<.0000001), replicated across therapists, gender, and veteran status.
Outcome studyPreliminary
Anderson, K., Rubik, B., Absenger, W. · 2019
30 people with sexual-assault-related PTSD tried a combination of EFT tapping and hypnosis over four sessions, and their PTSD symptom scores dropped by about a third on average. There was no comparison group, so we can't separate the specific contribution of tapping from hypnosis or from simply receiving attentive therapy.
A paired samples t-test found t(29) = 12.198, p<.001, indicating an overall decrease of 34.3% in PTSD symptom severity based on PCL-5 scores after four sessions combining EFT and hypnosis.
Outcome studyModerate 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 studyPreliminary
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 studyPreliminary
Stapleton, P., Sandstrom, U., Hamne, G. · 2018
77 traumatized young people in the Congo used a self-help tapping technique for three weeks, and their happiness and trauma symptoms improved right after, though the improvement wasn't quite statistically significant six months later. This pilot trial had no comparison group, so results should be seen as a promising early signal from a hard-to-study population.
TTT was associated with a significantly greater improvement in happiness (12.12% increase, p<0.05) and reduction in trauma symptomology (6% decrease, p<0.05) from pre- to immediately post-test; 6-month results were nonsignificant (p=0.056).
Outcome studyPreliminary
Church, D., Stern, S., Boath, E. et al. · 2017
Researchers surveyed 448 practitioners who use EFT to treat PTSD in veterans, and the numbers were striking: about two-thirds said even complex, severe PTSD typically resolves in 10 or fewer sessions, nearly two-thirds said most of their clients fully recovered, and 89% said fewer than 1 in 10 clients failed to improve at all. Combining these practitioner reports with the published research, the team proposed a formal treatment guideline of five sessions for milder cases and ten for full clinical PTSD. Because this relies on practitioners' own reports of their clients' progress rather than independent clinical assessment, treat the specific percentages as self-reported practitioner experience rather than externally verified outcomes.
A survey of 448 EFT practitioners found 63% reported even complex PTSD could be remediated in 10 or fewer sessions, 65% reported more than 60% of PTSD clients were fully rehabilitated, and 89% reported fewer than 10% of clients made little or no progress; these findings were combined with the research literature and a meta-analysis to propose a stepped-care clinical guideline of 5 EFT sessions for subclinical PTSD and 10 for clinical PTSD.
Outcome studyPreliminary
Boath, E., Stewart, A., Rolling, C. · 2014
18 Bosnian war civilian survivors tried Matrix Reimprinting, a technique that builds on EFT, and their PTSD symptom scores dropped significantly and stayed lower a month later. This small pilot has no comparison group, so the authors themselves call for further controlled studies.
Significant reduction in mean PCL-C scores from baseline to immediately post-intervention (p=0.009) and again at 4-week follow-up (p=0.005), with the immediate effect size sustained at follow-up.
Outcome studyModerate rigor
Church, D., Brooks, A. J. · 2014
218 male veterans and their spouses attended week-long retreats combining tapping (EFT) with other energy-psychology and complementary methods. Veterans' PTSD scores dropped substantially, with the share meeting clinical PTSD criteria falling from 83% to 28%; their spouses improved even more, from 29% to 4%. Because everyone received the program, with no separate comparison group, this shows change over time rather than proof that tapping alone caused it, but the size of the shift across both veterans and spouses is notable.
Among 218 male veterans and their spouses attending week-long retreats that combined EFT with other energy-psychology and CAM methods, mean veteran PCL scores fell from 61.1 to 41.8 (p<0.001), with the share meeting clinical PTSD criteria dropping from 83% to 28%; spouses fell from 42.6 to 28.7 (p<0.001), from 29% to 4% clinical. Gains were maintained or improved at follow-up (n=63).
Outcome studyPreliminary
Gurret, J.M., Caufour, C., Palmer-Hoffman, J. et al. · 2012
77 Haitian seminary students affected by the devastating 2010 earthquake learned EFT over two days, and afterward none of them still scored in the clinical PTSD range, down from nearly two-thirds at the start. There was no separate comparison group, so we can't rule out that time alone contributed to some improvement, but the size and speed of change is notable.
Following 2 days of EFT training, 0% of participants scored in the clinical PTSD range on the PCL (down from 62% at baseline); mean PCL score decreased to 27 at posttest, a statistically significant decrease (p<.001), averaging a 72% reduction.
Outcome studyPreliminaryTFT (related method)
Sakai, C., Connolly, S., Oas, P. · 2010
Fifty Rwandan orphans still carrying PTSD symptoms 12 years after the genocide got one session of tapping therapy. Nearly all of them had scored above the PTSD cutoff beforehand; afterward, almost none did by their caregivers' ratings, and about four in five no longer did by their own. It's a single-session, uncontrolled study, so treat it as an early signal rather than definitive proof.
After a single Thought Field Therapy session, caregiver-rated PTSD-cutoff prevalence dropped from 100% to 6% and self-rated prevalence from 72% to 18% (p < .0001 on both measures).
Outcome studyPreliminary
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.
Outcome studyPreliminaryTFT (related method)
Stone, B., Leyden, L., Fellows, B. · 2009
Forty-eight orphans at a Rwandan residential school, all carrying diagnosable PTSD from the genocide, went through a short tapping-based program over three days. Most who completed follow-up testing improved, and roughly a fifth improved enough to fall out of the clinical PTSD range entirely. This was an uncontrolled pilot with real dropout between pre- and post-testing, so it's best read as a promising first look, not proof.
Across three days of Thought Field Therapy sessions, the 34 orphans who completed post-testing showed an average 18.8% symptom reduction (p < .001), with a subgroup dropping below the clinical PTSD cutoff showing 53.7% average reductions.
Outcome studyPreliminary
Swingle, P., Pulos, L., Swingle, M. K. · 2005
Auto accident survivors with PTSD learned EFT in just two sessions, and three months later the ones who still felt better also showed measurable changes in their brain wave patterns on EEG. Researchers linked the lasting improvement to continued at-home tapping practice. This is a small, uncontrolled study, so it's best read as an early physiological signal rather than definitive proof.
Three months after learning EFT in two sessions, auto accident victims with PTSD who reported continued symptom relief also showed significant positive changes in EEG brain wave measurements.
Outcome studyPreliminaryTFT (related method)
Folkes, C. · 2002
Thirty-one refugees and immigrants, ages 5 to 48, who rarely seek traditional therapy for cultural and financial reasons, were treated with Thought Field Therapy and tested 30 days later. Every symptom category of PTSD dropped significantly. It's an uncontrolled study, but notable for reaching a population that typically goes untreated.
In 31 refugee/immigrant clients aged 5-48, pre-test to post-test (30 days later) scores showed a significant drop in all symptom subgroupings of PTSD criteria after Thought Field Therapy.
Outcome studyPreliminaryTFT (related method)
Carbonell, J. L., Figley, C. · 1999
Thirty-nine trauma clients were treated by nationally recognized practitioners using one of four approaches, including Thought Field Therapy, in a side-by-side demonstration. All four approaches showed some immediate benefit that appeared to last. This methodology was designed to observe outcomes, not to formally test which treatment worked best, so read it as descriptive rather than comparative proof.
Across 39 participants, Traumatic Incident Reduction, Visual-Kinesthetic Dissociation, EMDR, and Thought Field Therapy each showed some immediate and lasting impact on clients.
Case seriesPreliminary
Sise, M.T. · 2025
Two patients with PTSD and dissociation had their tapping treatment stall until a new technique called the Trauma Reintegration Process was added, after which nightmares and flashbacks improved substantially. As a two-patient case series, this shows a promising combination approach but cannot prove effectiveness broadly.
In both cases, EFT treatment stalled when the patient dissociated, but after the Trauma Reintegration Process (TRP) was introduced, EFT treatment regained momentum, leading to significant improvement in PTSD symptoms including reduced nightmares and flashbacks.
Case seriesPreliminary
Brown, G., Pace, E., Weaver, T. · 2023
This article introduces and explains a therapy called Advanced Integrative Therapy, which is related to EFT, and includes one case example. It's mostly a descriptive/theoretical piece rather than a controlled research study.
Discusses the theory behind Advanced Integrative Therapy (AIT), compares it with other Energy Psychology techniques, and reports a case study on the potential clinical effectiveness of AIT in treating trauma-related dissociation.
Case seriesPreliminary
Gallo, F., Church, D. · 2023
This article combines a review of energy psychology for trauma with a single illustrative case where one session dramatically reduced a woman's PTSD symptoms after a car accident. As a case example within a broader opinion piece, it can't establish general effectiveness on its own.
A single session of energy psychology significantly reduced the woman's PTSD symptoms, allowing her to recall the traumatic event without distress; article also discusses proposed active ingredients (reciprocal inhibition, expectation of success, pattern interruption).
Case seriesPreliminary
Pace, E. · 2021
This case report describes using Advanced Integrative Therapy, a technique related to EFT, to treat one person's complex, multi-generational trauma. As a single case, it can highlight a promising approach but cannot demonstrate general effectiveness.
Documents the potential effectiveness of Advanced Integrative Therapy (AIT) as a standardized approach for treating complex PTSD rooted in early childhood attachment rupture and intergenerational trauma.
Case seriesPreliminaryTFT (related method)
Seidi, P.A., Jaff, D., Connolly, S.M. et al. · 2021
In a conflict-affected region of Iraq with scarce mental health resources, this retrospective look at case files found that clients who got Thought Field Therapy (tapping-related) improved much more consistently than those who got standard CBT, and CBT non-responders improved once switched to TFT. This is a retrospective case series without randomization, so the comparison between treatments could be affected by which patients happened to get which therapy.
All 11 clients who received only Thought Field Therapy showed improvement; of 13 CBT clients only 1 improved; 7 CBT non-responders who then received TFT also improved.
Case seriesPreliminary
Weisfeld, C.C., Dunleavy, K. · 2020
This is a ten-year case study of one patient managing both chronic pain and PTSD using a mix of conventional therapies; EFT/tapping is not the primary intervention studied here; the catalog includes it as related trauma/pain literature. As a single long-term case report, it's illustrative rather than a controlled test of any one treatment.
Data show significant recovery over time from both chronic pain and chronic PTSD, supporting the Mutual Maintenance Model, using Psychodynamic Therapy, CBT, hypnosis, physical therapy, and pilates-based exercise (not an EFT-specific intervention study).
Case seriesPreliminaryPersian
Yavari Kermani, M., Razavi, S., Shabani, M. · 2020
Six women grieving a miscarriage went through individual EFT sessions to address both their anxiety and post-traumatic stress. Across the group, anxiety and trauma symptoms improved substantially and the gains held at follow-up. With just six participants and a single-case design, this is an early signal for a population, pregnancy loss, that badly needs more attention in the tapping literature.
Trait anxiety improved 38.75% in the treatment phase and 43.06% at follow-up; state anxiety improved 47.14% and 47.91% (as reported); PTSD symptoms improved 49.92% in treatment and 50.29% at follow-up.
Case seriesPreliminary
Nicosia, G., Minewiser, L., Freger, A. · 2019
A World Trade Center collapse survivor with long-standing, complex PTSD was treated with a combination of EFT and EMDR and reportedly recovered enough to return to work. As a single detailed case study combining two techniques, this cannot isolate what tapping specifically contributed.
A single session of EFT combined with EMDR eliminated clinically significant scores on both the TSI and PAI immediately post-treatment; treatment concluded with nearly complete symptom remediation and a return to work.
Case seriesPreliminary
Drewry, D. · 2017
This paper proposes that a specific type of sleep apnea (Central Nervous System, as opposed to the more common Obstructive type) is often caused by unresolved PTSD, and reports that most of 90 retrospectively reviewed clients improved when trauma was addressed using EFT and related techniques. The author explicitly acknowledges this is anecdotal, retrospective evidence without a sleep-lab-verified control comparison, and calls it a starting point for further research rather than proof.
Sixty-five percent of the author's 90 sleep apnea clients experienced partial or complete cessation of Central Nervous System Sleep Apnea by addressing specific trauma types using Energy Psychology techniques including EFT.
Case seriesPreliminary
Minewiser, L. · 2017
One Marine veteran's PTSD score dropped from a high, clearly clinical level to well below the clinical threshold after six sessions of tapping, and kept improving over six months. As a single case drawn from a larger replication study, it's an illustrative example rather than independent proof.
The patient's PTSD score dropped from a high clinical score of 60 before treatment to 40 after 6 sessions and to a clinical score of 22 at 6 months follow-up, along with reduced insomnia and pain.
Case seriesPreliminary
Sheldon, T. · 2014
A woman with PTSD from a car accident received six sessions combining EFT with standard psychological treatment and no longer had PTSD by the end. As a single case combining EFT with other therapy, it can't isolate what tapping specifically contributed.
After six sessions over an eight-week period combining EFT with conventional psychological treatment, the patient no longer met the criteria for PTSD, with improvements on all identified goals and assessment tools.
Case seriesPreliminary
Burk, L. · 2010
This clinical report describes three individual cases of using a single EFT session to treat stress reactions after car accidents, at different points in time after the crash. As three case reports, this can only illustrate possible applications, not prove effectiveness.
Presents 3 case histories of single-session EFT for acute psychological trauma immediately after an accident, urticaria as a stress reaction 2 weeks post-accident, and PTSD/whiplash syndrome 11 months after an accident.
Case seriesPreliminary
Lubin, H., Schneider, T. · 2009
For seven years, a prison program called 'Change Is Possible' offered EFT counseling to life-sentence and veteran inmates at San Quentin. Prisoners' own statements describe feeling calmer, less reactive, and more engaged with prison community life, but this is a descriptive program report using self-identified ratings rather than a controlled study with validated measures.
Prisoners receiving a series of EFT sessions self-reported changes in impulse control, intensity of reaction to triggers, somatic symptoms, and positive engagement in the prison community.
Case seriesPreliminary
Swack, J. · 2009
A severely disabled Vietnam veteran with PTSD and brain injury reportedly fully recovered psychologically after just three double-length sessions of an energy psychology technique called HBLU. As an extraordinary single case, it's a compelling story but cannot be generalized without further controlled research.
After three double sessions over three months of Healing from the Body Level Up (HBLU) methodology, the patient demonstrated complete recovery from PTSD and a return to normalcy on all nine areas of psychological test evaluation.
Case seriesPreliminaryTFT (related method)
Diepold, J.H. Jr., Goldstein, D. · 2008
One patient's abnormal brainwave pattern linked to a specific traumatic memory normalized right after a Thought Field Therapy session, and stayed that way a year and a half later. As a single case, this is an interesting biological correlate but cannot establish general effectiveness.
Reassessment of brain wave patterns immediately after TFT diagnosis and treatment revealed the previous abnormal pattern was altered and no longer statistically abnormal; 18-month follow-up indicated continued freedom from emotional upset regarding the treated trauma.
Case seriesPreliminary
Nicosia, G. · 2008
A survivor of the 9/11 Twin Towers collapse, who had years of complex PTSD and self-imposed isolation, went through twelve EFT sessions and was able to return to work with dramatically reduced symptoms. As a single conference case study, it's a compelling anecdote rather than controlled proof.
A single session of EFT demonstrated elimination of clinically significant scores on the TSI compared to pretreatment; twelve sessions over 8 weeks concluded treatment with nearly complete symptom remediation and return to work.
Case seriesPreliminary
Green, M. M. · 2002
Green Cross volunteers in New York combined standard crisis debriefing with tapping (TFT/EFT) to help two Spanish-speaking couples cope in the weeks after the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center. The combined approach seemed to ease the acute distress from six identified trauma memories. This is a case report, not a controlled trial, so it documents what happened rather than proving cause and effect.
Combining Critical Incident Stress Debriefing with TFT/EFT appeared to alleviate acute symptoms across six identified trauma imprints in case reports of two bilingual couples treated after 9/11.
Case seriesPreliminaryTFT (related method)
Johnson, C., Shala, M., Sejdijaj, X. et al. · 2001
During five trips to war-torn Kosovo in 2000, international clinicians used Thought Field Therapy to treat 105 people carrying 249 separate traumatic memories. Nearly all of them, 103 out of 105 patients, reported total relief, and it held up at a five-month check-in with no relapses reported. There was no control group, so the dramatic numbers should be read as a field report rather than a controlled trial.
Among 105 patients treated for 249 separate war traumas with Thought Field Therapy, total relief was reported by 103 patients and for 247 of the 249 traumas, with no relapse at an average five-month follow-up.
ReviewPreliminary
Sandström, U., Hamne, G., Hodgson, K. · 2025
This paper describes a humanitarian first-aid framework for trauma that includes a tapping technique among several other body-based tools, intended for crisis and disaster settings. It's a program description and ethical framework rather than an outcome study with data.
Describes the F.A.S.T. framework combining Trauma Tapping Technique, Lymphatic Breathing Techniques, Self-Havening, and other tools for low-threshold trauma-informed support in humanitarian/crisis contexts.
ReviewPreliminary
Stapleton, P. · 2025
This book chapter is a clinical guide introducing tapping (Clinical EFT) as a treatment for PTSD, walking through two illustrative example cases. It's an educational chapter summarizing existing evidence and practice guidance rather than a new research study.
Book chapter presents Clinical EFT as a mind-body approach for PTSD, reviewing the evidence base and providing a step-by-step clinical guide illustrated through two case examples (childhood trauma and single-event military trauma).
ReviewPreliminary
Pfund, R.A., Boness, C.L., Tolin, D.F. · 2024
A group of researchers published a formal critique of the 2023 EFT-for-PTSD meta-analysis, raising questions about which studies were included, the reliance on self-report rather than clinician interviews, and a financial conflict of interest for one of the review's authors. These are open questions worth being upfront about rather than resolved criticisms — we include them here rather than leaving them out.
The commentary notes that 5 of the 6 studies (83%) in Stapleton et al. 2023 had already appeared in Sebastian & Nelms 2017 without explanation for excluding two other prior trials, that all included trials relied on self-report rather than clinician-administered diagnostic interviews, that EFT is not on the APA Division 12 list of empirically supported treatments, and raises a conflict-of-interest concern regarding a lead author's paid EFT training business.
ReviewModerate rigor
Feinstein, D. · 2022
This review article summarizes decades of disaster-response work using energy psychology (including EFT) across dozens of countries, citing over 120 clinical trials showing benefits for PTSD, anxiety, and depression. As a narrative review and framework paper rather than a single new study, it's a synthesis of existing evidence rather than new data.
The paper reviews energy psychology's use after disasters, citing efficacy established in more than 120 clinical trials with strong effect sizes for PTSD, anxiety, and depression, and describes a four-tier model of intervention from immediate stabilization to promoting optimal functioning.
ReviewPreliminary
Motta, R.W. · 2020
This is a book chapter published by the American Psychological Association explaining EFT and summarizing the research evidence for PTSD, alongside noting that many clinicians remain skeptical. It's an educational summary, not new original research.
Reviews the mechanics of EFT and the empirical evidence, including meta-analyses, supporting its efficacy in treating PTSD, while noting resistance from traditionally trained clinicians and researchers.
ReviewPreliminary
Kalla, M., Stapleton, P. · 2016
This paper proposes a theory for why tapping might work on fear and trauma, based on how memories get restored and changed in the brain. It's a theoretical proposal, not new experimental data.
Proposes that EFT utilizes memory reconsolidation mechanisms (retrieval of fear memories, new emotional learning, and reinforcement) to facilitate therapeutic change in PTSD and phobia.
ReviewPreliminary
Porpiglia, T. · 2016
This book chapter, written by a coach involved in founding the Veterans Stress Project, advocates for EFT as a faster and more effective treatment than standard therapies for veteran PTSD, citing the project's own data. Because it is a first-person advocacy chapter by someone with a direct stake in EFT's adoption, its statistics should be checked against the primary published Veterans Stress Project papers rather than taken at face value.
Reports that EFT demonstrated a sustainable 85% success rate, averaging a 63% reduction in PTSD symptoms including TBI symptoms, citing the Veterans Stress Project's initial and replication studies.
ReviewPreliminary
Lake, J. · 2014
This trade-press review makes the case that standard PTSD treatments, medication and conventional therapy, often fall short, with many patients dropping out before they get better, and argues that complementary approaches deserve a serious look as part of the toolkit. It's a general argument piece rather than a study with its own numbers, so it doesn't report a specific tapping outcome.
The review argues that conventional pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy for PTSD have limited effectiveness and high discontinuation rates, making the case for complementary and alternative medicine interventions as part of PTSD prevention and treatment.
ReviewPreliminary
Church, D., Feinstein, D. · 2013
This review of published trials argues that tapping-based methods can quickly and durably reduce PTSD symptoms across very different populations, from combat veterans to disaster survivors to institutionalized orphans, typically in a limited number of sessions and with low risk of harm. It also highlights that the approach works in group settings and can be delivered online or by phone. As a review synthesizing prior trials rather than a new study, it doesn't report its own sample size or effect size.
The review concludes that EP methods including EFT and TFT have demonstrated efficacy for PTSD and co-morbid conditions across populations from war veterans to disaster survivors to institutionalized orphans, and outlines seven clinical implications including limited sessions needed, low adverse-event risk, and suitability for group and remote delivery.
ReviewPreliminary
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.
ReviewPreliminary
Gaffney, D. · 2013
This review article surveys the landscape of established and newer PTSD treatments, mentioning EFT as one option among many established and emerging therapies and drugs. It's a broad educational overview, not a study evaluating EFT specifically.
Reviews common categories of PTSD interventions, including prolonged exposure therapy, cognitive processing therapy, and emotional freedom techniques, among others, along with pharmacological approaches.
ReviewPreliminary
Gallo, F. · 2013
This paper walks through the history and theory behind using tapping to treat trauma and PTSD, illustrated with case examples, and discusses possible reasons it works, from memory reconsolidation to cognitive restructuring to placebo effects. It's an explanatory overview rather than a new outcome study, so it doesn't add its own trial data.
The article provides an overview of energy psychology's history, theory, and empirical research on trauma and PTSD treatment, with case vignettes illustrating the treatment process and discussion of proposed mechanisms including neuroscience and memory reconsolidation.
ReviewModerate rigor
Harper, M. · 2012
This EEG analysis found that tapping almost anywhere on the upper body seems to disrupt fear memories in a similar way, and there was no special advantage to tapping the specific acupuncture-meridian points EFT calls for versus other body locations. This is a notable finding challenging one core theoretical claim of EFT (that specific meridian points matter), suggesting the general sensory stimulation, not the specific points, may be doing the work.
Nearly all sensory inputs applied to the upper body resulted in wave power sufficiently large to quench fear-memory networks, regardless of input location; no power advantage was found for sensory input at energy meridians or gamut points specifically.
ReviewPreliminaryTFT (related method)
Robson, P., Robson, H. · 2012
This is a program report describing how the authors trained Haitian community members in Thought Field Therapy after the devastating 2010 earthquake, and describes ongoing positive feedback. It is a narrative account of implementation challenges and successes, not a controlled outcome study.
The authors describe delivering a week-long TFT training program to the local Haitian community 6 months after the 2010 earthquake and continued to receive positive feedback more than a year after the training.
ReviewPreliminary
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.
ReviewPreliminary
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.
ReviewPreliminary
Dinter, I. · 2009
This field report offers practical guidance for clinicians on how to approach veterans sensitively when using EFT, covering cultural and psychological barriers unique to military culture. It's a practice/guidance article, not a research study with outcome data.
Describes practical and cultural considerations for delivering EFT to veterans, noting EFT's usefulness because it doesn't require the veteran to describe the emotionally triggering event.
ReviewPreliminary
Schulz, K. · 2009
This qualitative study interviewed 12 therapists about their experiences using energy psychology to treat adults who survived childhood sexual abuse, identifying common themes in their practice. It reflects therapist perceptions and experience rather than measuring client outcomes directly.
Seven categories/six themes emerged regarding therapists' experiences, including diagnosis and treatment effectiveness, relating to clients, resistance to EP, and evolution of the approach.
ReviewPreliminary
Dinter, I. · 2008
This is a personal, first-person reflection by an EFT practitioner about her work and training program helping veterans heal from war trauma. It's a practice narrative, not a research study with measured outcomes.
Describes the author's EFT4Vets training program for practitioners, designed to help veterans heal from PTSD symptoms on physical, mental, emotional, relational, and soul levels.
ReviewPreliminary
Feinstein, D. · 2008
This is a review and framework paper describing how energy psychology techniques have been used in disaster relief around the world, proposing a four-stage model for when to apply different levels of intervention. It's a conceptual/practice review rather than a controlled research study.
The paper reviews energy psychology's application across natural and human-made disasters in 14+ countries, describing a four-tier intervention model and noting at least three international humanitarian relief organizations have adopted the approach.
ReviewPreliminary
Flint, G., Lammers, W., Mitnick, D. · 2006
This article proposes and describes how to combine EFT with standard disaster debriefing procedures used by first responders, with instructions and safeguards. It's a practice guidance/instructional article, not a controlled outcome study.
Presents EFT as an adjunct to Critical Incident Stress Debriefing, arguing its use in debriefings results in shorter, more thorough sessions and reduces the emotional pain of debriefing.
ReviewPreliminary
Ruden, R.A. · 2005
This theoretical paper proposes a possible brain-chemistry explanation (involving serotonin, the prefrontal cortex, and the amygdala) for why tapping-based therapies like TFT might work quickly on phobias, PTSD, and addictive behaviors. It's a hypothesis/mechanism paper, not an experiment testing patients directly.
Proposes that tapping and other sensory stimulation procedures globally increase serotonin, involving the prefrontal cortex and amygdala, and suggests the term 'Psychosensory Therapy' to describe this broader treatment paradigm.