The Tapping Evidence Base
PTSD & Trauma · Anxiety · Depression

Psychological Symptom Change in Veterans After Six Sessions of EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques): An Observational Study

Church, D., Geronilla, L., Dinter, I. · International Journal of Healing and Caring · 2009

Outcome study👥 7 participantsPreliminary✓ Source-checked📍 United States
In plain English. 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.

What they found

7
people took part

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.

How the study worked

Who took partcombat veterans (Iraq and Vietnam war veterans) with psychological/PTSD symptoms (n=7)
What they didParticipants received tapping and were measured before and after, without a separate comparison group.
Measured withSA-45 (Symptom Assessment-45)

💡 Where this could help

If findings like these hold up in larger trials, the promise is simple: a low-cost, self-administered tool that could reach people struggling with PTSD & trauma who can't easily access traditional care — at home, between appointments, or where there aren't enough clinicians to go around.

🔬 What to study next

The natural next step: a head-to-head trial against an established treatment like CBT, and a larger sample to confirm the effect.

The full record

DesignOutcome study
Participants7 people
Populationcombat veterans (Iraq and Vietnam war veterans) with psychological/PTSD symptoms
Outcome measuresSA-45 (Symptom Assessment-45)
JournalInternational Journal of Healing and Caring
Year2009
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
MethodEFT / tapping
Publication typeStudy / trial
Verification✓ Confirmed against the primary source

Read the original study →

Cite this study

APA

Church, D., Geronilla, L., & Dinter, I. (2009). Psychological Symptom Change in Veterans After Six Sessions of EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques): An Observational Study. International Journal of Healing and Caring.

This record is part of the Tapping Evidence Base — an openly-sourced, fully-referenced directory of the research on EFT/tapping. Explore more studies on PTSD & Trauma · Anxiety · Depression

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THE TAPPING EVIDENCE BASE PTSD & Trauma 7 participants WHAT THEY FOUND Across seven veterans, overall symptomseverity fell 40% (p<.001), anxiety 46%(p<.001), depression 49% (p<.001), and… Outcome study · 7 participants Church · 2009 · evidence.thetappingsolution.com