The Tapping Evidence Base
PTSD & Trauma

Telephone delivery of EFT (emotional freedom techniques) remediates PTSD symptoms in veterans

Hartung, J., Stein, P. · Energy Psychology Journal · 2012

Randomized trial👥 49 participants⚖️ vs. phone-delivered EFT compared with in-office EFT; both compared to a delayed-treatment wait conditionModerate rigor✓ Source-checked📍 United States
In plain English. 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.

What they found

49
people took part

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).

How the study worked

Who took partveterans with clinical PTSD symptoms (n=49)
What they didIn a randomized controlled trial, participants were randomly assigned to receive tapping or a comparison condition, then measured and compared.
Compared withphone-delivered EFT compared with in-office EFT; both compared to a delayed-treatment wait condition
Measured withPTSD symptom levels (standardized measure)

💡 Where this could help

If phone-delivered relief like this continues to hold up, picture a veteran living hours from the nearest clinic, or one who's homebound, receiving real PTSD treatment over the phone and then being able to keep practicing the technique themselves between calls, instead of going without care entirely. Telehealth delivery is exactly the kind of thing that could close the gap for veterans in remote areas or with mobility or transportation barriers.

🔬 What to study next

Since phone delivery worked, though somewhat less well than in-office, the next step is figuring out what's lost in translation — the absence of in-person co-regulation, or simply less attentive tapping technique over the phone. Testing video-delivered EFT, which allows visual coaching of the tapping points, against phone-only and in-office delivery, while tracking HRV via a take-home wearable during calls, would clarify whether closing that gap is about modality or technique, and whether video could match in-office results for veterans who can't travel.

The full record

DesignRandomized trial
Participants49 people
Populationveterans with clinical PTSD symptoms
Comparison groupphone-delivered EFT compared with in-office EFT; both compared to a delayed-treatment wait condition
Outcome measuresPTSD symptom levels (standardized measure)
JournalEnergy Psychology Journal
Year2012
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
MethodEFT / tapping
Publication typeStudy / trial
Verification✓ Confirmed against the primary source

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Cite this study

APA

Hartung, J., & Stein, P. (2012). Telephone delivery of EFT (emotional freedom techniques) remediates PTSD symptoms in veterans. Energy Psychology Journal.

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

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THE TAPPING EVIDENCE BASE PTSD & Trauma 49 participants WHAT THEY FOUND No change in PTSD symptoms was reported byeither the phone or office delayed-treatmentgroups during the wait… Randomized trial · 49 participants Hartung · 2012 · evidence.thetappingsolution.com