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EFT for Trauma Recovery: Releasing the Past and Embracing the Present

Nancy Williams-Foley • 4 December 2024

EFT for Trauma Recovery

Trauma can leave a profound imprint on the mind and body, often making it difficult to move forward and fully engage with life. Whether stemming from a single event or a series of experiences, trauma affects everyone differently. Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), also known as tapping, is an empowering tool that helps individuals gently process and release emotional pain, enabling them to reconnect with a sense of calm and balance.


In this blog, we’ll explore how EFT works, why it’s so effective for trauma recovery, and how it can help you embrace a brighter future.


1. Understanding Trauma and Its Effects

Trauma often manifests as emotional, mental, or even physical symptoms. You might experience:

  • Recurring intrusive thoughts or memories
  • Heightened anxiety or fear
  • Difficulty sleeping or concentrating
  • Feelings of shame, guilt, or sadness
  • Physical discomfort, such as tension or chronic pain


These responses are your body’s natural way of coping with overwhelming experiences. However, when trauma isn’t processed, these symptoms can linger and disrupt your daily life.


2. What is EFT and How Does It Work for Trauma?

EFT combines elements of psychotherapy and acupressure by tapping gently on specific energy points on the body while addressing painful emotions or memories. This technique helps to:

  • Reduce Stress: Tapping lowers cortisol levels, calming the fight-or-flight response.
  • Shift Emotional Patterns: EFT helps release the emotional charge tied to traumatic memories, allowing you to reframe your experience.
  • Restore Balance: By addressing disruptions in the body’s energy flow, EFT promotes a greater sense of harmony and well-being.


EFT works by creating a safe space to acknowledge and process emotions without becoming overwhelmed.


3. The Science Behind EFT for Trauma Recovery

Research supports the effectiveness of EFT for trauma. Studies have shown that tapping can significantly reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression. In one clinical trial, 90% of participants with PTSD no longer met the diagnostic criteria after completing EFT sessions.

By calming the nervous system, EFT enables the brain to process traumatic memories in a more neutral way, reducing their emotional intensity over time.


4. What Happens in an EFT Session?

During an EFT session, Nancy will guide you through a sequence of tapping on specific points, such as the side of the hand, under the eyes, and on the collarbone. While tapping, you’ll focus on a particular memory, feeling, or thought related to your trauma and repeat affirming phrases.

For example:

  • Acknowledging the pain: “Even though I feel scared when I think about this, I deeply and completely accept myself.”
  • Releasing the emotion: “I choose to let go of this fear and feel safe in the present moment.”


The process is gentle and client-led, ensuring you feel in control at all times.


5. How EFT Can Help You Embrace the Present

EFT doesn’t erase the past, but it transforms how you experience it. By releasing the emotional charge tied to traumatic memories, EFT helps you:

  • Regain a sense of safety and calm
  • Build resilience and confidence
  • Break free from patterns of fear or avoidance
  • Reconnect with yourself and the world around you


With regular practice, EFT can empower you to move forward with greater clarity and peace.


6. Is EFT Right for You?

If you’re ready to release the weight of the past and embrace the present, EFT could be the perfect tool for your healing journey. Whether you’re seeking professional guidance or want to learn the technique for personal use, EFT offers a gentle yet powerful approach to trauma recovery.


Ready to Begin Your Healing Journey?

At George Street Wellness Clinic, I'm here to support you with compassionate care and proven techniques like EFT. If you’re curious about how EFT could help you overcome trauma and reclaim your life, we’d love to hear from you.


📞 Contact me today to schedule a session and take the first step toward healing.

by Nancy Williams-Foley 29 March 2025
Maybe you hold things in until they come out all at once. Maybe you soften your words to keep the peace and then feel invisible afterward. Or maybe you’ve been misunderstood so many times that saying nothing feels safer than speaking up.  I want you to know - this can change. And it doesn't start with finding the perfect words for other people. It starts with how you speak to yourself. The Words You Use with Yourself Matter If the voice in your mind is often critical, doubting, or dismissive, it’s no wonder communication feels hard. When we constantly question ourselves internally, it’s difficult to express ourselves clearly on the outside. But the beautiful thing is - this is something you can gently reshape. Just like any other habit, communication - both outward and inward - is something we learn. And with practice, we can unlearn patterns that no longer serve us and replace them with ways of speaking and listening that feel kinder, more honest, and more grounded. What Happens When Communication Becomes Clearer When you begin to communicate with more clarity and honesty, something shifts. You feel more heard. More understood. And most importantly, more connected to yourself. Some of the things that often follow are: 🌿 Stronger relationships – Misunderstandings reduce, needs are expressed more openly, and connection deepens. 🌿 Emotional release – The pressure of holding everything in softens. 🌿 Greater self-trust – You start to feel more confident in your voice. 🌿 Inner calm – Your inner dialogue becomes gentler, less chaotic, and more supportive. Of course, we all have moments where communication doesn’t come easily. But when that becomes the norm, when you’re walking away from conversations feeling unheard, silencing yourself to avoid conflict, or replaying what you said over and over - it may be time to look at how you're speaking to yourself too. The Link Between Self-Talk and Speaking Up So often, the way we communicate with others mirrors how we communicate internally. If you’ve spent years: – Dismissing your feelings – Doubting your instincts – Silencing what you really want to say …it’s understandable that it feels hard to be open and clear with others. But here’s the truth: Your voice is not too much. Your feelings are not a burden. You deserve to take up space in conversations - both out loud and in your own mind. A Story of Change: Letting the Inner Voice Soften Let me tell you about someone I worked with - we’ll call her Sarah. Sarah grew up in a household where emotions weren’t openly discussed. She learned to keep quiet, to guess what others were feeling, and to avoid conflict at all costs. In her adult life, that turned into people-pleasing. She’d often say yes when she meant no, and when she did speak up, her inner critic would punish her for it. We started with her internal dialogue. She began noticing just how often she was talking herself down, second-guessing everything she felt. And together, we gently rewrote the script. Instead of: “I’m being dramatic,” she began to say: “ My feelings are valid.” Instead of: “I t’s easier to stay quiet,” she began to believe: “ My needs are allowed to matter.” Over time, this shift inside began to ripple outward. Sarah started setting soft boundaries, asking for what she needed, and speaking more honestly in her relationships. And the result? She began to feel seen. One day, she shared a story about finally telling a close friend how something had been making her feel. Her voice shook, but she stayed with it. And her friend really listened. That moment was a turning point. Not because the conversation was perfect, but because it was true . You Can Get There Too If communication feels tangled - if you find yourself walking away from conversations feeling unheard, or if your own mind feels like the loudest critic—I want to gently remind you: It doesn’t have to stay this way. You can learn to: 💛 Speak to yourself with kindness 💛 Pause and respond with clarity 💛 Honour your needs without guilt 💛 Trust your voice - because it matters If you're ready to change how you speak to others and how you speak to yourself, I'm here to support you. Whether it's through therapy, EFT, or simply creating space for self-awareness, this kind of healing is absolutely possible. 📍 Based in George Street, Edinburgh 💌 Book a consultation here if you’re ready to explore a gentler, clearer way to communicate, inside and out. You don’t need perfect words. You just need honesty, self-trust, and a little compassion. Your voice is worth hearing. Let’s help you use it.
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