I work as a counsellor in a school for adolescents. I have recently discovered EFT and find it really helpful. I have now started using here with the students. I find that many are responsive when I work with them. However, the more troubled, disorganised students find it really hard to use the full protocol and seem to give up using it. Hence I am trying to find some short cuts so that I can give them a couple of points to tap, depending on their issues.

 Two main issues are anger management and ADHD. Anyone any ideas for keypoints to tap for these issues? Or other ideas of how to get adolescents to continue to use EFT?

 Thanks

 Jim

Hello Jim,

Glad to see that you have discovered EFT and that you achieved good results. The adolescents are lucky to be exposed to a set of techniques that can be so empowering. I am happy to offer advice about technique and delivery.

Can I ask you which points you are covering with the full protocol? You cover all the major meridian points in the basic recipe from the side of the hand and top of the head through to the point under your arm. So even though the finger points are good they are not necessary as part of a basic round.

Having said all that it is also fine to use short cuts. I can forward you ones for panic, fear, concentration,etc.

Often young people like using the finger points as they can be used discretely.

On the subject of getting and keeping adolescence interested, there is much that can be done. Some ideas would include running mini lunchtime workshops on specific issues- getting organised, getting shot of anger, etc. When I have been placed in schools I have often introduced EFT when exam time is looming. Issues around relaxation, concentration and memory are very real for students then. A good group session on one or more of those issues really hits the spot when they can feel differently there and then. Being able to take the technique away and use it in the lead up to exams is very valuable and often I have met students tapping outside the exam hall. The reports and feedback is invariably positive. Students will then pull this technique out of the bag again when they feel the need. Actually most students wait until a mate needs it and then they share the benefits. I love that.  

You may feel that you could benefit from more specific help or training with set ups for specific issues like anger and attention issues.

I have created some adapted resources for adolescents which include, cool posters of points, info on ideas for tapping and Access cards for this youth group who may find it hard to open up because of guilt, shame, embarrassment, etc. The words used also can be adapted easily so that they hit the target of a young person more readily.

Additionally, on my youth website I am happy for questions, ideas, tips etc to be posted. I have many youth members who have helped me in developing these resources as it is them I am interested in attracting. It is through working with them and listening to their honest feedback that I have made good progress.

In a short space of time, there will be a dedicated world site for kids using EFT run by a youth panel and packed with resources and suggestions.

In the meantime, If you wish I can send you a newsletter of ideas and tips for working in schools. Much is been done to make this type of interaction easier and more beneficial. I run a forum of EFT practitioners who specialise in working with children in the UK. I am happy to liaise and share with any practitioner, parent, educator or child specialist who is also interested in developing their skills and training needs.

Best wishes 

Christine

Hello, Christine and Jim.

I am a psychiatric nurse working in a youth acute unit of the hospital and I am always looking for more effective shortcuts with these kids who range in age from 4-18, most of them being adolescents. I am very interested in anything you have developed, Christine, tailored to use with youth when time is limited. 

I am working with administration to get a regularly scheduled group time for EFT. When this happens it will be a 50 minute block with about 10 kids, more or less depending on census. These young people generally have multiple severe issues of neglect, abuse, and addiction. Some have intact families but present with complex psychoses. . My current approach when I lead a relaxation group withthe patients is to do a few yoga poses or breathing exercises and have them SUDS-rate their stretch level or breathing constriction, then do the EFT Choices method from top of head though under arm tapping once on "this constricted breath" and once on "I choose to breath freely and fully." After they see results I ask them to discuss other areas where they could apply tapping.

I often get mixed results tapping individually with the kids and my time is very limited with them due to their schedule of required activites and the multitude of tasks that I face during a shift.  I would be most grateful for your ideas on brief individual sessions as well as how to conduct effective groups given the short time frame and complex group of individuals. I have to be mindful of not opening up deep issues when time may not allow for resolution. I have already had the experience of patients getting very frustrated during meditation groups because quieting the mind allows them to more fully feel their constant pain from which they usually distract themselves, and during creative visualization I have had patients get very angry when I led them through visualizing a place or activity they love because it only made them feel worse to kow they are locked up away from those experiences while in the hospital. 

Thank you in advance for any suggestions!

 Lori

Dear Christine

 Many thanks for your help and advice. I would really like a copy of your newsletter.

In an attempt to shorten the protocol with children I have stopped using the finer points and just get them to tap on their face and collar bone. I also use the gamut point. But even so I find that adolescents (and younger children) do not use the tapping other than when I see them. I am hoping that giving them a couple of points to tap might enable them to make use of them over a period of time.

For anger I have been getting them to tap on the karate point with the set up statement. Then I have them tap on the gamut point. I think that Donna Eden says that this point is associated with fear, so on the basis that fear often underlies anger and aggression I am using this point.

I also find that younger children (some with ADHD) find it hard to 'stay still' for long enough to tap, or be tapped, so I guess I need to develop more fun, creative ways of getting their interest.

But I am a beginner in all this and very much finding my way. After many years of talking therapy I have found EFT enormously helpful myself and helped with some issues that talking therapy left unresolved. So I am keen to use it now in my work and am open to learning much more!

 Many thanks

Jim

Dear Christine,

 I will soon be working with a group of high school students with exam anxiety.  Since this is a large group (24) I will not be able to get to core issues.  I have seen all of Gary's Borrowing Benefits CD's, but I don't see how to use Borrowing Benefits with kids with different emotional problems.  I tried the CD's myself to see if I could "cure" some of my own problems and found I could not get very far.  I see that you do have experience with groups of students preparing for exams.  I would appreciate any help you may have to offer.  This is such a great opportunity to help kids who I believe would help others.  I wish I could find the way to treat large groups of people at one time.  Help!

Thanks so much

Barbara Paz

ednpaz@netvision.net.il

Hello Barbara,

Happy to help if I can.

With regards to exam anxiety for a large group. It is an ideal time to pass on the benefits of tapping to a young group as they certainly are tuned into a common general issue when exams are looming.

When I am introducing tapping to a new young group like this, I would certainly be keen to get the message across to the group that this is a tool that they can use themselves very effectively for moments when they are feeling nervous or indeed for any problem where they feel an emotional charge. I would spend some time on that with them.

When are you planning on starting? What age are the group? How are you connected with them? I have adapted material for various age groups.

Before starting on tapping I would wish to have some sort of group discussion with them about what bothers them in the exam area. There will be as you would imagine some common themes (aspects) and also some factors that may be less common to the whole. These will form the basis of set up statements.

Then, introduce the tapping points with a short explanation that will mean something to that age group, running a couple of rounds to introduce the points before moving on.

Then in approaching the exam anxiety area, I would create phrases previously mentioned by students to create set up statements, eg. Even though, I don't feel we have enough time to revise....., I am still a great person, etc,, Even though I feel scared when I go in the exam room.... Even though I think we haven't learnt enough in class to answer questions on....

Introducing one set up at a time, getting students to individually measure their SUD's and remeasure after a couple of rounds, that way you are tackling one aspect of the issue at a time and students are taking control of their own measure. You can choose for students to share with the group(for those that wish) whether their SUD's measure has dropped and invite individuals to describe how they currently feel about that aspect, before being tempted to move onto the next aspect.

Depending on how the session(s) go, you may only cover some general aspects or you may be able to work on more specific aspects.That really depends on the dynamics of the group, their willingness to be vocal and how quickly shifts are made.

 Being able to hone in on specifics within the process comes with training and practice.

Without meaning to be personal the only concern I may feel is that you mentioned that you experience with using EFT to"cure " yourself hasn't been that successful. It is sometimes hard working on yourself. The only thing I would say that it may be useful to tap on yourself prior to appraoching the students because whilst I read that you can see it works, you may have some reservations and may inadvertently pass them on innocently. Young people are very quick to notice any cracks! I'm sure you already know that!

I am in the process of creating resource material and videos to help guide the EFT process for numerous school issues. Keep in touch.

Christine