The Tapping Evidence Base
PTSD & Trauma

Efficacy of EFT Provided by Coaches vs. Licensed Therapists in Veterans with PTSD

Stein, P., Brooks, A. · Energy Psychology: Theory, Research, and Treatment · 2011

Randomized trial👥 59 participants⚖️ vs. wait-list control (n=29) vs EFT (n=30); licensed practitioner vs coach deliveryModerate rigor✓ Source-checked📍 United States
In plain English. This study asked whether EFT works as well when delivered by a trained lay coach versus a licensed therapist for veterans with PTSD, and found both delivered similar, strong results with the vast majority of veterans no longer meeting PTSD criteria after six sessions. This suggests EFT could be scaled using non-licensed coaches without much loss of effectiveness, though the sample per subgroup is fairly small.

What they found

59
people took part

After 6 sessions, 17% of coach-treated and 10% of LMP-treated participants still met PTSD diagnostic criteria (sustained at 3 months); the trend for better outcomes with licensed practitioners did not reach statistical significance.

How the study worked

Who took part59 veterans with PTSD (of 149 approached), randomized to active treatment or wait list, treated by a licensed mental health practitioner (n=26) or coach (n=33) (n=59)
What they didIn a randomized controlled trial, participants were randomly assigned to receive tapping or a comparison condition, then measured and compared.
Compared withwait-list control (n=29) vs EFT (n=30); licensed practitioner vs coach delivery
Measured withPCL-M (PTSD Checklist-Military), SA-45

💡 Where this could help

If lay coaches really can deliver tapping as effectively as licensed therapists, it could mean veterans in remote areas or on long waitlists for VA mental health care get help now, from trained coaches, rather than waiting months for a scarce licensed clinician. And since the whole point of coaching someone in tapping is that they end up able to self-administer it, the benefit could keep compounding long after the coach and veteran stop meeting.

🔬 What to study next

This task-shifting question — whether coaches can deliver as well as licensed therapists — is exactly the kind of finding worth testing at larger scale, ideally with an objective outcome measure like cortisol or heart-rate variability alongside the PTSD checklist, to see whether outcomes truly hold up regardless of who delivers it. Testing structured coach-training and certification models that could be deployed across under-resourced VA systems or rural areas would also turn this from a promising signal into a scalable program.

The full record

DesignRandomized trial
Participants59 people
Population59 veterans with PTSD (of 149 approached), randomized to active treatment or wait list, treated by a licensed mental health practitioner (n=26) or coach (n=33)
Comparison groupwait-list control (n=29) vs EFT (n=30); licensed practitioner vs coach delivery
Outcome measuresPCL-M (PTSD Checklist-Military), SA-45
JournalEnergy Psychology: Theory, Research, and Treatment
Year2011
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
MethodEFT / tapping
Publication typeStudy / trial
Verification✓ Confirmed against the primary source

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Cite this study

APA

Stein, P., & Brooks, A. (2011). Efficacy of EFT Provided by Coaches vs. Licensed Therapists in Veterans with PTSD. Energy Psychology: Theory, Research, and Treatment.

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 59 participants WHAT THEY FOUND After 6 sessions, 17% of coach-treated and10% of LMP-treated participants still metPTSD diagnostic criteria… Randomized trial · 59 participants Stein · 2011 · evidence.thetappingsolution.com