The Tapping Evidence Base
Multiple Conditions

Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) as a Constructivist Psychotherapeutic Approach: Epistemological Reflections from a Qualitative Experiential Study

Kalla, M. · International Journal of Healing and Caring · 2018

ReviewPreliminary✓ Source-checked📍 United Kingdom
In plain English. This isn't an outcome study — it's a researcher's theoretical analysis of interviews with people who used tapping while managing a chronic illness, aimed at explaining why tapping might work from a psychotherapy-theory standpoint. There are no symptom scores or effect sizes here, just a qualitative argument about mechanism, so it belongs in the evidence base as context rather than as proof of effect.

What they found

A qualitative, theory-building paper argues EFT functions as a constructivist psychotherapeutic approach, drawing on participants' own accounts of using EFT alongside chronic physical illness to make an epistemological case for how and why the technique works, rather than testing symptom outcomes.

How the study worked

Who took partadults with chronic physical illness who used EFT, drawn from a qualitative experiential research study
What they didThis is a review or commentary synthesizing existing work rather than reporting a new trial.
Measured withqualitative thematic analysis of participant accounts

The full record

DesignReview
Populationadults with chronic physical illness who used EFT, drawn from a qualitative experiential research study
Outcome measuresqualitative thematic analysis of participant accounts
JournalInternational Journal of Healing and Caring
Year2018
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
MethodEFT / tapping
Publication typeReview or meta-analysis
Verification✓ Confirmed against the primary source

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Cite this study

APA

Kalla, M. (2018). Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) as a Constructivist Psychotherapeutic Approach: Epistemological Reflections from a Qualitative Experiential 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.

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THE TAPPING EVIDENCE BASE Multiple Conditions ✓ Review WHAT THEY FOUND A qualitative, theory-building paper arguesEFT functions as a constructivistpsychotherapeutic approach, drawing on… Review Kalla · 2018 · evidence.thetappingsolution.com