By J. Freeman
The EFT Tapping Setup Statement is often an under-valued part of EFT. Many of EFT users have used, and taken for granted, the generic setup statement that says:
“Even though I have this ________, I deeply and completely accept myself.”
This does work, much of the time, but not always.
The EFT Tapping Setup Statement is intended to be the built-in antidote for Psychological Reversal (PR). A Psychological reversal is a failure to make progress. It is a form of subtle self-sabotage, and includes any limiting beliefs or considerations a person is holding, that prevents them from healing and changing now.
Often this takes the form of implicit self-loathing.
The person may believe, consciously or unconsciously, “Because I have this issue, I am a bad person, and therefore unlovable.” The generic Setup phrase confronts this possibility, acknowledges that “Even though I have this issue,” and antidotes the Reversal with “I deeply and completely accept myself.”
We often judge and ‘push’ ourselves, because we ‘want to be a better person,’ or think that ‘we deserve what we get.
Paradoxically, sometimes the more we judge and ‘push’ and ‘should’ ourselves, the more we get stuck.
However, there can be problems with the generic EFT Setup Statement Some people balk at the idea (or even possibility!) of accepting themselves. I worked with one woman who objected, saying, “But I don’t see myself as a ‘self’…”
Then there are others where self-acceptance is NOT the issue; and thus not the antidote. There may be other forms of Psychological Reverals lurking beneath the surface that need antidoting.
Psychological Reversals can take many forms and they include:
Possibility: “I can’t get over this issue.”
Worthiness: “I don’t deserve to get over this issue.”
Safety: “It’s not safe for me to get over this issue.”
Secondary gain: “I’m getting __________ from having this issue, and don’t want to lose it.”
Authority: “My doctor says I will always have this issue.”
Identity: “I can’t release this issue, because this issue is part of who I am.” Etc.
In my own work, I have found it to be more effective, creative and fun to custom-design my own EFT Setup Statements. Just as one of the keys to successful EFT is to ‘chunk down’ and get very specific, so also designing a very specific Setup Statement, tailored to the a specific issue, greatly enhances the effectiveness of EFT.
A simple, yet elegantly powerful way to design your own EFT Setups is to use the following ‘template.’ I call this “The Parts Setup” and it has 3 parts.
The Parts Setup:
“Even though A PART OF ME thinks that ________________, The REST OF ME KNOWS that ___________________ and I’m WILLING/CHOOSING to _________________.”
After the first phrase, insert the limiting (usually false) belief, the objection to healing (Psychological Reversal). After the second, insert a POSITIVE TRUTHFUL FACT, which confronts and antidotes the limiting belief. What is more powerful than, and can easily overcome a limiting belief?
A truthful, unlimiting fact.
After the third phrase, insert a POSITIVE ACTION you are WILLING/CHOOSING to take. CHOOSING is a powerful word; WILLING is more gentle.
An example. I once had a student who believed that she ‘could not do anything right.’ This is not true, of course; but that was her belief. And if she cannot do ‘anything right,’ then of course, she cannot do EFT right! This limiting belief will sabotage her results.
So I had her custom-design her EFT Setup Statements like this:
“Even though A PART OF ME thinks that ‘I can’t do anything right,’ THE REST OF ME KNOWS that I do some things very well (POSITIVE TRUTHFUL FACT), and I’M WILLING to love and accept myself, (POSITIVE ACTION), whether I do things well, or not.”
Even though A PART OF ME THINKS that ‘I can’t do anything right,’ THE REST OF ME KNOWS that I’ve held a responsible job for many years, and I’M CHOOSING to focus on what I do well, rather than on what I don’t.”
“Even though A PART OF ME THINKS that ‘I can’t do anything right, ’THE REST OF ME KNOWS that I am intelligent, competent and capable, and I’M WILLING to tap on myself, and get the results I want.”
I will have my clients repeat the Setup three or four times, using the same Psychological Reversal/objection, but with different ‘antidotes’ and choices in the 2nd & 3rd statements. I find that a well-designed Setup, followed by tapping, is like a ‘one-two punch’ that will effectively knock out many issues easily.
By openly acknowledging, confronting and disabling the specific Psychological Reversal, the ‘presenting issue’ is then tapped away much more easily. Often the SUD (Subjective Units of Distress) level will decrease by 50% or more, just by using this EFT tapping Setup alone. It is also very useful antidote ‘mini Psychological Reversal,’ where the SUD (intensity) level goes down only 2-3 points, and then plateaus there.
Part of Mastering the Art of EFT involves being able to improvise, be creative, and create your own EFT Setup Statements on the spot, as needed.
By J. Freeman
The EFT Tapping Setup Statement is often an under-valued part of EFT. Many of EFT users have used, and taken for granted, the generic setup statement that says:
“Even though I have this ________, I deeply and completely accept myself.”
This does work, much of the time, but not always.
The EFT Tapping Setup Statement is intended to be the built-in antidote for Psychological Reversal (PR). A Psychological reversal is a failure to make progress. It is a form of subtle self-sabotage, and includes any limiting beliefs or considerations a person is holding, that prevents them from healing and changing now.
Often this takes the form of implicit self-loathing.
The person may believe, consciously or unconsciously, “Because I have this issue, I am a bad person, and therefore unlovable.” The generic Setup phrase confronts this possibility, acknowledges that “Even though I have this issue,” and antidotes the Reversal with “I deeply and completely accept myself.”
We often judge and ‘push’ ourselves, because we ‘want to be a better person,’ or think that ‘we deserve what we get.
Paradoxically, sometimes the more we judge and ‘push’ and ‘should’ ourselves, the more we get stuck.
However, there can be problems with the generic EFT Setup Statement Some people balk at the idea (or even possibility!) of accepting themselves. I worked with one woman who objected, saying, “But I don’t see myself as a ‘self’…”
Then there are others where self-acceptance is NOT the issue; and thus not the antidote. There may be other forms of Psychological Reverals lurking beneath the surface that need antidoting.
Psychological Reversals can take many forms and they include:
Possibility: “I can’t get over this issue.”
Worthiness: “I don’t deserve to get over this issue.”
Safety: “It’s not safe for me to get over this issue.”
Secondary gain: “I’m getting __________ from having this issue, and don’t want to lose it.”
Authority: “My doctor says I will always have this issue.”
Identity: “I can’t release this issue, because this issue is part of who I am.” Etc.
In my own work, I have found it to be more effective, creative and fun to custom-design my own EFT Setup Statements. Just as one of the keys to successful EFT is to ‘chunk down’ and get very specific, so also designing a very specific Setup Statement, tailored to the a specific issue, greatly enhances the effectiveness of EFT.
A simple, yet elegantly powerful way to design your own EFT Setups is to use the following ‘template.’ I call this “The Parts Setup” and it has 3 parts.
The Parts Setup:
“Even though A PART OF ME thinks that ________________, The REST OF ME KNOWS that ___________________ and I’m WILLING/CHOOSING to _________________.”
After the first phrase, insert the limiting (usually false) belief, the objection to healing (Psychological Reversal). After the second, insert a POSITIVE TRUTHFUL FACT, which confronts and antidotes the limiting belief. What is more powerful than, and can easily overcome a limiting belief?
A truthful, unlimiting fact.
After the third phrase, insert a POSITIVE ACTION you are WILLING/CHOOSING to take. CHOOSING is a powerful word; WILLING is more gentle.
An example. I once had a student who believed that she ‘could not do anything right.’ This is not true, of course; but that was her belief. And if she cannot do ‘anything right,’ then of course, she cannot do EFT right! This limiting belief will sabotage her results.
So I had her custom-design her EFT Setup Statements like this:
“Even though A PART OF ME thinks that ‘I can’t do anything right,’ THE REST OF ME KNOWS that I do some things very well (POSITIVE TRUTHFUL FACT), and I’M WILLING to love and accept myself, (POSITIVE ACTION), whether I do things well, or not.”
Even though A PART OF ME THINKS that ‘I can’t do anything right,’ THE REST OF ME KNOWS that I’ve held a responsible job for many years, and I’M CHOOSING to focus on what I do well, rather than on what I don’t.”
“Even though A PART OF ME THINKS that ‘I can’t do anything right, ’THE REST OF ME KNOWS that I am intelligent, competent and capable, and I’M WILLING to tap on myself, and get the results I want.”
I will have my clients repeat the Setup three or four times, using the same Psychological Reversal/objection, but with different ‘antidotes’ and choices in the 2nd & 3rd statements. I find that a well-designed Setup, followed by tapping, is like a ‘one-two punch’ that will effectively knock out many issues easily.
By openly acknowledging, confronting and disabling the specific Psychological Reversal, the ‘presenting issue’ is then tapped away much more easily. Often the SUD (Subjective Units of Distress) level will decrease by 50% or more, just by using this EFT tapping Setup alone. It is also very useful antidote ‘mini Psychological Reversal,’ where the SUD (intensity) level goes down only 2-3 points, and then plateaus there.
Part of Mastering the Art of EFT involves being able to improvise, be creative, and create your own EFT Setup Statements on the spot, as needed.
