Gaesser, A.H. · 2014
Three EFT sessions (n=20) vs waitlist (n=21, d=1.1, 95% CI 0.18-2.02, p=0.019) and vs CBT (n=21, difference d=0.23, 95% CI −0.79–1.25, p=0.658, not significant).
If tapping continues to perform comparably to CBT for anxious kids, imagine a gifted child whose anxiety doesn't fit neatly into standard school counseling resources getting relief in just three sessions, after which the child can keep administering the technique themselves rather than needing a long ongoing course of therapy. That speed could matter for families facing long waits for child psychiatric care.
With EFT performing comparably to CBT here in just three sessions, the next step is testing whether that speed shows up physiologically — cortisol or heart-rate variability measured before and after each session — in gifted children, alongside academic and attentional measures that matter to parents and teachers, not just an anxiety scale. A larger trial with longer follow-up would also test whether three sessions is truly sufficient or whether gains fade without booster sessions.
| Design | Randomized trial |
|---|---|
| Participants | 62 people |
| Population | gifted children |
| Comparison group | waitlist and CBT |
| Effect size | Cohen's d (EFT vs waitlist) = 1.1 (95% CI 0.18–2.02) — on anxiety symptoms |
| Outcome measures | anxiety scale (not specified in table) |
| Journal | Original publication venue not confirmed (indexed via Clond 2016 Table 1/2) |
| Year | 2014 |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Method | EFT / tapping |
| Publication type | Study / trial |
| Verification | ✓ Confirmed against the primary source |
Gaesser, A.H. (2014). EFT for anxiety in gifted children (as tabulated in Clond 2016).
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 Anxiety · Test Anxiety & Students
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