The idea of unburdening yourself of emotional baggage might bring horror and dread to some, because of the connotations of needing a social crutch.

But pressures of love and life are such that it’s not always easy to get an unbiased opinion from friends and relatives. There’s the oft-heard: ‘They have enough to worry about – without my dramas!’

So it’s a welcome alternative when a therapist suggests they can release in you all the willpower and clarity you need to deal with things by yourself. Hello EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), which combines a form of therapy with tapping the body’s meridian points to help “disconnect emotions from memory,” explains psychotherapist Kimberley Trevett, 36.

“The theory is that experiences manifest themselves in the body, and that all emotional happenings – be they trauma or issues from the past – are physical to a degree.

“So if a sportsperson comes in with an injury, as long as it’s been medically checked and isn’t linked to something physical, it can be treated with EFT. But equally, if someone has an emotional issue, then this technique helps peel away the emotional layers.”

I won’t lie – it’s an unusual experience sitting opposite Kimberley who, while asking you questions and prompting responses, is tapping your nose, chin, head and back. She speaks and I repeat: “I am here…” (tap, tap, tap) “… to talk about… ” (tap, tap, tap) “… how I feel” (tap, tap, tap).

Her simple dialogue is compelling. She is a firm believer that tapping seven significant meridians or energy centres – a technique developed in 1986 by the Stanford engineer Gary Craig – opens the lock to these emotional shackles.

“This is a great technique for helping children with ADHD (Attentiondeficit/ hyperactivity disorder) who, unlike adults, don’t tend to try and
rationalise issues in the mind to resolve them. To them, the tapping is like play,” she says.

“For adults, tapping the meridians helps focus the treatment around energy. I had one client, a smoker, who after 30 minutes said she was happy to give up and didn’t even want to finish the treatment.

“You can’t do that from talking alone – it’s about giving people the energy to heal themselves.” I certainly felt relieved after my session. With Kimberley’s understanding too that men might not be as free with emotional speak as women, her EFT feels like a gentler cousin to counselling – but someone who doesn’t expect you to lead the way in conversation.
 

Email kimtrevett@taptofredom.co.ukfor
more. Treatment at The Hale Clinic, 7 Park
Crescent, London, W1B 1PF, costs £85 per
hour. Call 020-7631 0156 for appointments or
for further information.