This blog is  primarily for EFT Practitioners but anyone experiencing anxiety, worry, panic attacks or phobias may find it helpful. 

Emotional issues that clients present are most frequently the fear-based emotions of worry, anxiety, panic and phobias.

The approach of getting the client to the 'start line' holds true with these and all issues. Quite often, inexperienced practitioners can jump too quickly into applying the tapping technique itself without doing the necessary groundwork. There is a free download  about this entitled 'sample the course manual' here. 
 
Anxiety can be about specific issues, but also they can be habits which have been copied, from parents, albeit unconsciously. 

Sometimes a client may say “I'm a born worrier”, or “I will always find something to worry about”. These are issues about their beliefs and identity and can therefore require more work to resolve than say a simple phobia.

A worrier will often describe how they like to be prepared for the worst and then they believe that it is less likely to happen. This can mean that they might be reluctant to let go of the habit of worrying in case something bad happens and they are not prepared. To help such clients get to the start line requires getting their rational mind on board.

For example you can ask:

“Do you think people who don't worry like you are less safe?”

“Are you aware that the worry itself is causing you harm?”

“What would your life be like if you didn’t worry?” NB sometimes they can't even contemplate this and might say “I wouldn't know what to think about!”

“You’re here because you want to feel better and you recognise something is wrong, but you wish to keep the worrying. Does that make sense to you? Do you think that is possible?” 

People who experience panic attacks find that they occur for the first time when stress levels are high, though they might not be aware of this at the time. After the first panic attack, they can be fearful the panic attack will occur in a similar situation again. This negativity feeds on itself, but the vicious circle can be broken with EFT. So ‘fear of fear’ is something that a practitioner can help to uncover and then clear. 

The same can be true of some phobias too especially claustrophobia and agoraphobia. Separating out the different aspects of the problem and tapping on them in turn will produce good results. 
 
A further question to ask is how does the person feel about the problem they have presented? If for example it is driving on a motorway, they might say “Stupid, because I know rationally motorways are safer than normal roads.” Or “Guilty that I have to take my family the long way round when visiting relatives.” Such self judgement about the issue is what I call an ‘outer casing’ to the problem which holds it together and needs to be tapped for first. 

EFT training and client consultations are provided in Kenilworth, Warwickshire, which is convenient for Leamington Spa, Warwick, Stratford upon Avon, Coventry, and other areas in the Midlands, UK.