The Tapping Evidence Base
PTSD & Trauma

A Controlled Comparison of the Effectiveness and Efficiency of Two Psychological Therapies for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing vs. Emotional Freedom Techniques

Karatzias, T., Power, K., Brown, K., McGoldrick, T., Begum, M., Young, J. et al. · Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease · 2011

Randomized trial👥 46 participants⚖️ vs. EMDR (active comparator)Moderate rigor✓ Source-checked📍 United Kingdom
In plain English. 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.

What they found

46
people took part

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.

How the study worked

Who took partadults with PTSD referred through NHS services (n=46)
What they didIn a randomized controlled trial, participants were randomly assigned to receive tapping or a comparison condition, then measured and compared.
Compared withEMDR (active comparator)
Measured withPTSD symptom checklist

💡 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 larger sample to confirm the effect.

The full record

DesignRandomized trial
Participants46 people
Populationadults with PTSD referred through NHS services
Comparison groupEMDR (active comparator)
Outcome measuresPTSD symptom checklist
JournalJournal of Nervous and Mental Disease
Year2011
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
MethodEFT / tapping
Publication typeStudy / trial
Verification✓ Confirmed against the primary source

Read the original study →

Cite this study

APA

Karatzias, T., Power, K., Brown, K., McGoldrick, T., Begum, M., Young, J., Loughran, P., Chouliara, Z., & Adams, S. (2011). A Controlled Comparison of the Effectiveness and Efficiency of Two Psychological Therapies for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing vs. Emotional Freedom Techniques. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease. https://doi.org/10.1097/NMD.0b013e31821cd262

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 46 participants WHAT THEY FOUND Both EMDR (n=23) and EFT (n=23) producedsignificant improvements at post-treatmentand 3-month follow-up over a… Randomized trial · 46 participants Karatzias · 2011 · evidence.thetappingsolution.com