Many people were not taught how to resolve their problems or live the type of life they may want. Amany Abdel-Moneim discovers how emotional freedom techniques can help Emotional Freedom Techniques, often abbreviated to EFT, are part of a new and rapidly growing form of therapy in the emerging field of energy psychology that was developed in the 1990s by Stanford engineer Gary Craig after he had studied Thought Field Therapy and kinesiology. Based on the ancient principles of acupuncture, EFT is a simple procedure that gently realigns the body's own energy system without the discomfort of needles. For this reason, it is often referred to as "emotional acupuncture without the needles". It is also a great self-development tool that can help people to reach goals and create positive attitudes to help them achieve their highest potential. EFT is about returning the mind, body and feelings to a state of balance and harmony so a person is not limited by his or her negative emotions. This balancing is done with an elegant sort of emotional acupuncture. "Instead of using needles, specific points on the body are stimulated by tapping with the fingertips," says Myrette El-Sokkari, a qualified EFT transformational coach and speaker. So whether you want to deal with emotional blocks, anxiety, fears, anger, trauma, sadness, phobias, betrayal, guilt, abandonment, neglect, addictions, lack of confidence, lack of self-worth, blocks to optimum performance, or to alleviate physical pains or reach your ideal weight, or even stop smoking and unwanted behaviour, EFT can help make it happen, says El-Sokkari, who was the first person to launch an EFT awareness programme in Egypt and has taught EFT to hundreds of people in sessions both in Cairo and London. Unlike other energy healing methods, El-Sokkari believes that EFT creates positive attitudes that can assist in achieving the highest potential. "EFT works extraordinarily well in achieving self-improvement and optimal performance goals. It dials into core limiting beliefs and emotions, and then allows you to easily release them so you can adapt and drop habits, release phobias or anything blocking your growth, and improve general performance leading to a better quality of life," she explains. EFT is not about healing people, but is more about teaching them how to realign and rebalance their body's own energy, such that the body can go back to its own healing capacity and heal itself. It works on peak performance, by removing the limiting beliefs that can lead one to not doing one's true best, leading to what El-Sokkari calls "optimal performance", by which she means being optimal all the time. "It is about doing better in whatever you do. It could be a sport, or being a better speaker, or having the confidence to do your job better. I mean operating at optimal level all the time," she adds. If we can do better, and even better, this means we can succeed in anything we choose. Thus, there are EFT practitioners working with actors and writers, and so on. Top athletes are discovering EFT, and some sports teams have improved their scores through EFT tapping, says El-Sokkari, who dreams of organising and growing this expert industry and setting up an association in Egypt. El-Sokkari is a proud member of the US-based Expert Industry Association (EIA), which brings together leaders in personal development, best-selling authors, and the most-respected speakers and personal coaches. "I am happy to say I am member with John Assaraf (The Secret), Marci Schimoff (best-selling author of Happy for No Reason and other books), Pat and Janet Attwood (The Passion Test), Pamela Bruner (EFT business coach), Margaret Lynch (EFT wealth coach), and many others," she commented. EFT works by tapping on different parts of the face and body in a sequence, while concentrating on an issue or pain and doing some cognitive shifts. It has proven to be highly effective in dealing with traumas relating to war and natural disasters. "EFT has been shown to be clinically effective when properly applied. In over 80 per cent of cases, EFT recipients and practitioners achieve either noticeable improvements or the complete cessation of the problem," states El-Sokkari. "However, if it comes back, we redo EFT to see if there was another underlying core issue, and usually what comes back is not the original one, even if it may look similar." By far the quickest and easiest way to find resolution to issues is to have a personal one-to-one session, states El-Sokkari. EFT practice is quick, but in order fully to deal with an issue, it can take a few rounds of treatment. Typical patients book three sessions. Some issues may take one session, while others may be more complex and take longer, she adds. One-on-one sessions can be in person, over the phone or by Skype, and the cost per session is LE250. "So you are not going to take 10 minutes to get rid of that headache. It will probably take two minutes or so," she explains. But if it's a chronic migraine, then it could be emotionally based and you will need a session or two," she adds. "EFT is not like talk therapy or other therapies. It gets to the core issue and quickly deals with it." EFT helps you find the words, images, or event leading to the headache. One of the best things about it is that the sufferer does not have to share this information with the coach, who "is still trained to help you deal with it," El-Sokkari says. In short, EFT can take three minutes to help with a neck ache, or a few sessions to deal with a deeply rooted emotional issue, like "I cannot do anything right," or "life is not fair." El-Sokkari is also now at work on a new programme called Personal Peace Programme, which is based on the "Personal Peace Process" that the originator, Gary Craig, advises each and every person who learns EFT to do. "It's a programme that guides you into finding all the bits and pieces in your life -- your work, relationships, confidence, health, father, mother, siblings, whatever issues are there -- and then helping you to do a clean-up over a period of time," she explains. To become an EFT coach, El-Sokkari, who has finished her own EFT level I, II and Matrix Reimprinting, under master of EFT, advises people to start by learning EFT and then to practise a lot. Only then can you set up as a fully-fledged therapist. "It takes a lot of practice, dedication and self-study in order to have the intuition to use the right words with the person needing help," she adds. By doing this, you can move up the EFT levels and follow these with cases and mentoring by another EFT practitioner. "EFT is very simple, yet very profound. It will work because of its simplicity, but it is also much deeper than that," states El-Sokkari. El-Sokkari believes that it's important to use your mother-tongue language when you learn about EFT. "In our sessions, we're dealing with the subconscious, which is mainly put there when you are very young and in your mother-tongue language." For this reason, she has set up a website (Taller Than A Palm Tree, www.ttapt.com)www.ttapt.com)that makes EFT programmes available in Arabic and English. "When I work with Egyptians who speak English and Arabic, I always ask which language they feel more comfortable in. At times, we mix both languages, as when we get to the programme in their mind it might be using an Arabic or an English word -- it all depends on the individual's mind," she explains. El-Sokkari is one of only three EFT practitioners in Egypt. Two of them are foreigners, "but for 80 million people we need a lot more," she says. "I started to learn about EFT four years ago, and it took over my life and became all I do every day. I found it by chance while reading about energy healing and found it pretty amazing. At first it seemed bizarre, but I kept on reading and watching everything I could about EFT on Youtube and elsewhere. As a result, I became addicted because I saw so many cases heal." "I tried it on a condition I had (rheumatoid arthritis). I would say that EFT found me, and when I got on the EFT bus I couldn't get off." Despite being a successful financial advisor with a BA and MA in economics from the American University in Cairo, El-Sokkari has dedicated herself to learning about different forms of energy healing. Her mission is to bring positive change by facilitating the availability of knowledge of EFT in Egypt and the Arabic-speaking world and ensuring that this is available for free. "I am now teaching EFT through radio programmes, free sessions to lower-income groups, and via television on the national channels. There is also my website, which contains newsletters, videos and information dedicated to teaching people how to do EFT. " El-Sokkari also offers group sessions, in order to give low-cost coaching to larger numbers of people. She believes that everyone can have an impact on their mind and body, and everyone can be responsible for his or her health, happiness and wealth. "You have the power to shape your life, so step up to greatness," she says.
