How EFT works

CPD Workshop

How EFT Works

For thousands of years Chinese medicine has explained health and dis-ease via the concept of a meridian system and the flow or blockage of energy - known as Qi - that runs through it. 

Since its inception, EFT - through its use of the acupressure points – has also been partly explained via this method; that by stimulating acupressure points, the flow of disrupted Qi is restored and balance returns to the body.  For many EFT practitioners this explanation has felt incomplete and insufficient for use in the modern clinical world. This has been slowly changing …

Meet Nikkie

In her own words …

Nikkie introduces her live 90 minute CPD workshop on 28th August 2025.

We knew it worked,
but how?

Robust research over the last 20 years by researchers such as Dr Peta Stapleton, Dr David Feinstein and Dawson Church in the form of both of peer-reviewed randomised controlled trials and meta-analyses has shown us that EFT, as one of the most-researched form of psychotherapy, is one of the most effective therapeutic paradigms.

This is nothing new to those of us who have witnessed EFT’s benefits first-hand over many years. But the science is there to prove that EFT has earned its place amongst the so-called 4th wave of psychology after Freudian analysis (1st wave); Behaviour Therapy, Cognitive Therapy and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (2nd wave) and Humanist-Existential psychotherapy (3rd wave).

But how it works has never been that easy to explain - as indeed it is challenging to explain how any form of psychotherapy works on a biological level. Recent research has begun to shed more light on this and means that for the first time in EFT’s history, we are beginning to be able to explain how it works from a scientific perspective.

Firstly, a bodily system called the Primo Vascular System which runs through the body’s fascia or connective tissue is now thought to be the anatomical basis of the meridian system. 

Secondly, we know that on a cellular level our bodies rely heavily on electricity and that we can generate electric polarization within these cells via mechanical stimulation. 

When we combine these two things, we begin to get quite clear that EFT likely works by the process of mechanosensory transduction in which electrical impulses are generated when we tap on surface nodes of the Primo Vascular System and the targeting of these signals through the entire Primo-Vascular System network and beyond.

It’s all about The Fascia

This insight has been developing over the last 60 years:

Back in the 1960s Professor Kim in North Korea found a physical basis for acupuncture’s meridian system by staining the vascular system with tracers dyes. It was to be a further 40 years until another team of researchers managed to further clarify this.

In 2002 Langevin and Yandow used ultrasound to identify acupoints and meridians within the body’s connective tissue planes.

In 2021 T. Li at el found that tracer dyes injected into acupoints on the vascular system generated linear migrations closely aligned with the meridian charts. This provided further evidence for the physiological basis of the meridian system.

Surgical photos show enlarged proteinous vascular points within the collagen of the connective tissue or fascia. It was found that these points offered less electrical resistance and greater conductivity and that when these points were punctured (acupuncture) or tapped on (EFT and TFT), electrical signals or ‘piezoelectricity’ were generated and transmitted throughout the the primo vascular system within the collagen of the connective tissue which is itself a semi-conductor. Tapping on these points sends a deactivating signal to the amygdala, reducing arousal here and in the limbic system, and hence calming the stress response. It also activates the hippocampus, the part of the brain that is instrumental in the processes of memory.

References:

Kim, Bong-han (1962). "Editor's Note". Great Discovery in Biology and Medicine: Substance of Kyungrak. Pyongyang: Foreign Languages Publishing House. p. 4.

Langevin HM, Yandow JA. Relationship of acupuncture points and meridians to connective tissue planes. Anat Rec. 2002 Dec 15;269(6):257-65. doi: 10.1002/ar.10185. PMID: 12467083.

Li, T., Tang, B. Q., Zhang, W. B., Zhao, M., Hu, Q., & Ahn, A. (2021). In vivo visualization of the pericar-dium meridian with fluorescent dyes. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine,eCAM,2021, Article 5581227. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/5581227

How EFT Works CPD Workshop How EFT Works CPD Workshop
How EFT Works CPD Workshop
£35.00

No more red faces when a client or clinician asks you how EFT works. Nikkie Foster explains the complexities of bioelectricity in a surprisingly accessible way.

Thursday 28th August 2025 6.30pm to 8pm UK

Via Zoom

What our students say...

  • “This training has not only helped me grow as a therapist but has also helped me explore the person I want to be”

    G.H.

  • “Beyond the "facts" of how EFT can work, y'all model by word and example the best practices of EFT.”

    S.W.

  • “The training videos and extra day compared to most courses mean it feels comprehensive and leaves ample space for practice, questions and reflections..”

    L.R.

  • “I felt that every minute of the EFT-Plus Level Two training was worthwhile. Having much of the material to study ahead of time on video meant that our three days of live training were full of deeper learning and useful practice”

    S.R.

  • “A wonderful, interactive learning environment which is encouraging and confidence-building. I have gained a wealth of knowledge – and, crucially, this knowledge has easily become actionable rather than being just theoretical.”

    K.M.

  • “Emma has walked alongside me through the whole journey and given me a real feeling of being held and supported and I have become part of a warm hearted EFT Plus community.”

    J.W.

  • “I normally have trouble understanding and following in long classes, but Emma was just so engaging and funny. The one-on-one practice really helped integrate the knowledge from the reading”

    H.H.

  • “Emma is not only a very good EFT practitioner shining with empathy and care, but also a very good teacher, with the ability to share her enthusiasm and make accessible to all this complex technique.”

    A.F.

  • “Level 1 was really great. I learnt a lot, and it helped me understand so much more about EFT than I had previously understood. It feels like such a rich practice!”

    A.J.

  • “It totally changed my view on EFT (I simply knew the basics from mainstream sources) and I can sense how powerful this tool can be. I really enjoyed the format of the course and I am excited to continue to Level 2 to deepen my knowledge and skills..”

    W.J.

  • "Emma has been really helpful and supportive, with constructive criticism when needed to help my learning process, and providing a network of people to practice with, which has made getting the practice hours in much easier. "

    P.W.

  • "I have really enjoyed the mentoring sessions, sharing the experiences with fellow students, and throughout have had Emma's warmth and wisdom and support behind me."

    W.P.