By: Anonymous Practitioner
Presenting Issue:
Difficulty communicating with her live-in granddaughter.
Client Background:
“Margaret,” a woman in her 60s, shared that her relationship with her two granddaughters had become tense. They often corrected her for “interrupting” or scolded her for small household issues. Though she loved them deeply, these interactions left her feeling unheard and disrespected. She said, “I feel like I can’t do anything right.” This was her first EFT session.
Specific Event:
Margaret described a recent conflict involving one granddaughter’s dog. She had found the dog’s mess on the floor, cleaned it with bleach, and left the solution to sit for a few minutes. When her granddaughter came home, she yelled at her for “leaving bleach on the floor.” The other granddaughter remained silent. Margaret’s stress level (SUD) was 10 as she recalled the scene—the raised voice, the smell of bleach, and her sense of being unfairly blamed.
EFT Process:
After a brief explanation of EFT and the tapping points, we began with the setup statement:
“Even though I came home and there was poop on the floor that I tried to clean up, I deeply and completely accept myself.”
Using reminder phrases such as “poop on the floor” and “I cleaned it up,” we tapped through two rounds of the Basic Recipe. Her SUD dropped from 10 to 3. A second round focusing on “I feel guilty if I don’t clean up” and “my granddaughters should train their dogs” reduced her distress to 2.
As we continued tapping, Margaret reflected, “I always feel like I’m wrong.” This opened a connection to an early school memory.
Childhood Core Event:
She remembered being in grade school, standing to answer a question. Her answer was correct, and the teacher said, “Everyone listen to her—she’s right.” The entire class turned to look. What might have been praise instead felt humiliating. Her SUD rose again to 10.
We tapped using the setup statement:
“Even though everyone was looking at me and the teacher told them to listen to me because I was right, I deeply and completely accept myself.”
After three rounds, her SUD dropped to 0. She noted, “I don’t feel that embarrassment anymore.” When invited to sense any remaining emotion in her body, she couldn’t locate any tension.
We tapped once more on the phrase, “Even though I was embarrassed, I’m okay now,” bringing a mild residual SUD of 7 down to calm neutrality.
Session Outcome:
The session ended with “Sneaking Away,” acknowledging that we would continue the work next time. We tapped together using the phrase, “Even though there’s more to do, I’m safe and okay until next time.” Margaret smiled and said, “I feel wonderful!”
Practitioner’s Reflection:
This first EFT session helped Margaret release the emotional charge of both the present conflict and its deeper roots in childhood embarrassment. Her demeanor softened noticeably. Though more work remains, she left the session relaxed, hopeful, and intrigued by EFT’s power to dissolve lifelong patterns of self-blame and guilt.