Tapping: Self-Healing with the Transformative Power of Energy Psychology

by David Feinstein, Donna Eden

From the founders of Eden Energy Medicine comes a unique guide to one of the most powerful and well-researched tools for personal evolution.

Tapping is an authoritative new work that offers a vibrant answer to the psychological and spiritual challenges presented by a world in unprecedented distress. Tapping energy points on the skin while bringing problems and goals to mind changes the brain in ways that help to overcome those challenges and support those aspirations. This stimulating practice places an astonishingly effective tool into your hands, quite literally. The approach is as deceptively simple as it is potently effective.
Emerging from the field of energy psychology, the procedure signals your nervous system to reduce fear, anger, stress, and grief while activating brain regions involved with problem-solving and managing emotions―to help you find inner balance and take charge of the internal models that govern your life. As cultural historian Dr. Jean Houston shares in her foreword, this “is a stunning call to action at a time of desperate personal and collective need.”
Through their extensive research and field-tested refinements on this method, Donna Eden and Dr. David Feinstein have emerged as the top experts on this approach for self-development―combining the verified effectiveness of tapping with the best practices of psychotherapy. Created for popular and professional audiences alike, here is an unprecedented resource for self-care and personal growth.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Spirituality, Psychology

428 pages, Paperback

Published May 28, 2024

About the author

http://innersource.net/em/about/david...

Reviews

[Bharath · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had heard of Tapping in passing and looked to this book to read more about it. This is a very detailed book in terms of procedures to follow for many typical stress triggers. The technique itself is based on energy psychology combining aspects of introspection, affirmation, and acupressure. It comes across as a simpler / reduced technique which has some parallels in mindfulness practice (especially dealing with affirmations), yoga and acupressure. Research apparently indicates benefits in many conditions leading to a more positive outlook and better balance. The authors have mentioned practicing this with their patients since many years, with good results. I had expected to find more material on the conceptual framework, how it works, parallels & differences with other techniques. There is a lot of similar content repeated across conditions, and the book could have been a lot crisper. More illustrations would have been good as well.

Thanks to Netgalley, Sounds True Publishing and the authors for a free electronic review copy.

[*ੈ✩‧₊˚Sassy Little Hippy˚₊‧✩ ੈ* · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️🎧
Ok, I totally went rogue and poured my heart out at the end of this review 🤣🥰 But the first parts are my thoughts on the actual book.

An insightful book with intriguing concepts, practical techniques, and fascinating studies to back it. As someone who is fascinated by both energy and psychology, and dedicated to identifying and healing my emotional trauma, this is a beautiful addition to my journey for a deeper way to “tap” into it through EFT (emotional freedom tapping).

🏷️ This book is definitely worth its weight, as you’ll want to revisit the topics, and also worth the audio so that you can listen to the instructions and pause while you utilize the exercises. I definitely need a hard copy of this book!

🧬 The authors cover the science of how our body holds and stores negative emotions, which can turn into bigger issues (anxiety, illness, etc) and multiple ways to tap into your source emotional hold-ups and reset your way of thinking to release you from the emotional prisons you are holding yourself in.

💡It’s very insightful on some of the negative / limiting ways we think, without even realizing it! Essentially this practice of energy psychology helps to identify those negative patterns, and tap them into something less threatening, to retrain the limbic/nervous system to be less over reactive. In turn, this allows the body a way to heal.

“You don’t need to make the problem your enemy, rather accepting and understanding the forces that brought about the difficult experience allows you to process it with self compassion”

👣 The authors give step-by-step instructions and multiple examples throughout each chapter. I felt a difference within the first example (deeper breaths) as this is actually something I had been consciously fearful of (that I couldn’t take deep enough breaths), so they had me at the gate!

🫂 I’ve been taking time to go through the exercises when I have alone time, and it’s been very emotionally insightful. I am a very reflective and forgiving person (after some time has passed), so I felt like I had overcome the big emotional events (like forgiving a cheater, a heart breaker, a back stabber, etc) but this helps me work backwards to the underlying issues that happened even before the big issues, ones I didn’t even realize were there start with my childhood. For example, I’ve always been pretty independent, and haven’t really “needed” much from others, and I’m proud of that. But going through this, and hearing his examples, I realize that I’ve become this as a way to cover up my loneliness, my abandonment issues, feeling invisible and knowing I needed to not be needy. I have always felt protective of my younger self, but now I can go back to visit her, comfort her, and remind her she is not alone.

💗 Being vulnerable, here is an example of one of my tapping sessions - which is ironic because my name means “worthy of love” and I feel like my whole life has been a battle to make myself believe that I am, when everyone around me seems to not remember I exist.

“Even though I still feel some hurt that he gave the stuffed animal back, I know deep down that I am worthy of his love”. After this tap, I saw yellow, which is associated with the solar plexus, one of my most blocked chakras. This is where your self-esteem and self-confidence are said to stem from, and can lead to control issues of unbalanced. It is also connected to digestion. I have had a LOT of issues with digestion starting as a child.

In a time when so many people suffer from chronic illness, anxiety, depression, and other similar health challenges, we are programmed (in the U.S.) to cover it up with pills that numb our symptoms but do not address the root cause. We are taught to desire and rely on instant gratification, which doesn’t make sense when it comes to working on ourselves. I am on a mission to heal at the root source, and it has been quite the enlightening journey. I’ve learned more about myself, and spent more time with myself, and am quite enjoying this time of learning. It’s not without a lot of trials and setbacks. But I refuse to lose sight of my goals.

I’ve started a Chronic Healing Blog, to share my personal health story, and the things I’ve been doing to heal through arts/crafts, books like this one, gardening, and more. I’d love to have it become a healing place for ALL to share their personal journey, inspiration, insight, and more. Please join if you feel moved to do so. www.hippie-blossom.com

Thanks to NetGalley, Sounds True Publishing, Donna Eden and David Feinstein, PhD for providing me with a complimentary ARC to review. Sorry I went all gush at the end 😂 It’s a journey, folks! Not a race.

[Hazel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been interested in learning more about tapping, so when I saw this book on NetGalley, it seemed meant to be. The book itself did not disappoint. At 415 pages, if they're hoping to become the new "go-to" book about tapping, they are well on the way to their goal. I particularly appreciate that there are 6 whole chapters dedicated to how to apply tapping to specific issues: worry/anxiety/PTSD; sadness/depression; habits/addictions; peak performance; relationships; and "when disaster strikes". This is just the resource I was hoping to find, and it's given me a tremendous amount of guidance and specific tips on how to incorporate tapping into my life.

Oh, and if you doubt the credibility of tapping - the authors helpfully provide numerous scientific reference for studies that have demonstrated the benefits. Is it the placebo effect? I don't personally think so, but even if it is, it's still making a demonstrable difference. And I'm always looking for the scientific proofs to back up claims.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for my unbiased review.

[Katrina · Rating 1 out of 5]

While I haven't tried these techniques myself, I'm open to the concept that some emotional hurdles/mental blocks could be eased to some extent by the practices laid out in this book. HOWEVER. It is grossly irresponsible to even vaguely suggest that the tools in this book could in any way cure or help cure throat cancer. And they lost me completely when, at the end of the book, they stated as fact that an 8-year-old girl who received a heart transplant from a murder victim went on to solve that murder by information she received in dreams (who the murderer was/weapon used/what the victim told the murderer before her death, etc.) Utter BS without a single proof, and shows they are so unconcerned with actual truth that I can't take anything they say at face value at this point.

[Jung · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tapping, written by Donna Eden and David Feinstein, introduces readers to the concept of energy psychology, particularly focusing on the transformative practice of tapping. This method combines modern therapeutic techniques with ancient healing practices to help individuals heal from trauma, reduce stress, and improve emotional well-being. The book opens with a scenario of someone experiencing a traumatic event, such as a wildfire, and highlights how tapping can help reprogram the brain’s response to such incidents, offering a way to process trauma without becoming overwhelmed by it.

Tapping, as presented in the book, is rooted in energy psychology, a field that views the body as an intricate electromagnetic system. Your nervous system, for example, uses electrical signals to regulate everything from basic functions like breathing to more complex ones like thinking. This electrical nature is fundamental to medical diagnostics such as MRIs and EKGs. The idea behind energy psychology is that by tapping on specific acupuncture points in the body, you can influence your emotional and physical states. These acupuncture points are drawn from ancient Chinese medicine, which identifies at least 361 points along 14 major energy pathways, or meridians, in the body. By tapping these points, practitioners believe they can stimulate electrical charges that travel through the body’s connective tissue, helping to alleviate negative emotions and promote healing.

One of the core ideas behind energy psychology is that we all have internal guiding models that shape our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. These models often form unconsciously, influenced by our temperament, cultural background, and life experiences. Tapping allows us to update these models to better suit our current needs and desires. For example, the book recounts the story of Paul, a manager who used tapping to address his anxiety about work meetings. By focusing on a past experience where he was passed over for a promotion and tapping on that memory, Paul was able to change his perspective on a high-performing team member he had perceived as a threat.

The book stresses that while tapping can be a powerful self-help tool, it’s not a replacement for therapy, particularly for individuals with serious mental health issues or addictions. Nevertheless, tapping offers a unique approach to reducing fears, alleviating stress, and enhancing overall well-being.

To introduce readers to the practice, the authors present simple tapping exercises. One exercise, for instance, is designed to improve breathing. It involves tapping on 12 specific acupuncture points while repeating the phrase, “Even though it's possible to breathe more fully, I accept myself just as I am.” This exercise gives readers a glimpse into the potential benefits of tapping for influencing both physical and emotional states. The book acknowledges that while the scientific understanding of tapping is still developing, many people report significant improvements in their well-being through regular practice.

The basic tapping protocol, described in detail, is a straightforward method for addressing long-standing patterns, elusive goals, and emotional reactions that seem resistant to change. The protocol consists of 12 steps divided into four phases: preparation, the tapping cycle, adjusting the protocol, and testing the results. The preparation phase involves choosing a focus, rating your discomfort on a scale of zero to ten, creating a reminder phrase, and formulating an acceptance statement. The tapping cycle itself involves tapping on 12 acupoints while repeating the reminder phrase. An important part of the process is the integration procedure, which includes physical activities to balance the brain’s energies, helping to reinforce the changes you are working toward.

After completing a round of tapping, readers are encouraged to reassess their distress levels. If the distress hasn’t been entirely alleviated, the protocol can be adjusted. This might involve refining the acceptance statement to better reflect the emotions at play or focusing on specific aspects of the issue, such as underlying beliefs or internal objections. For instance, if a person is struggling with financial difficulties, tapping might reveal childhood memories that contribute to a belief that they don’t deserve to have much money. By addressing these emotions and beliefs, the person can begin to dissolve limiting models and create healthier patterns.

In addition to addressing specific issues, the book explores how tapping can be used to manage everyday concerns, such as worry. Excessive worry, though a common human experience, can lead to rumination and obsession over problems that are beyond our control. Tapping offers a way to manage worry by helping to deactivate the brain’s fear centers and reduce the emotional intensity of concerns. The book guides readers through using tapping for worry, including creating a reminder phrase and an acceptance statement, and repeating the tapping process until the worry diminishes.

The book also touches on psychological reversals, which are subconscious beliefs that conflict with our conscious desires to feel better. For instance, someone might worry that if they stop worrying, they won’t be prepared for potential problems. In such cases, the book recommends tapping while acknowledging this internal conflict and affirming the choice to move forward.

Ultimately, the goal of tapping isn’t to eliminate all worry or distress, but to reduce it to a manageable level so it no longer interferes with daily life. With practice, tapping can become an effective tool for quickly addressing and releasing anxious thoughts, allowing people to approach life’s challenges with greater calm and confidence.

In summary, Tapping by Donna Eden and David Feinstein introduces readers to the powerful practice of energy psychology and tapping. By combining modern therapeutic techniques with ancient healing practices, tapping offers a way to process trauma, reduce stress, and promote overall well-being. The method involves tapping on specific acupuncture points while focusing on particular issues or memories, creating acceptance statements, and adjusting the approach as needed to address core beliefs and internal objections. Regular practice of tapping can help individuals navigate life’s challenges with greater ease and resilience.

[Chantal Agapiti · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book provides a framework to close the gap between ancient wisdom and hopes for the future.
It’s a call to action giving possibilities, new ways of understanding our psyche.
A new transformative force within the field of energy psychology by stimulating energy points on the skins:
- unlock hidden potential
- shifts occur
- energy blockades are released
- mental balance is restored
We become an active part of our brain’s change, turning negative emotions as stress/fear/trauma into positive
response with problem solving/stress management. We create tools allowing us to greater resilience in life.

[J Kromrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

“Tapping: Self-Healing with the Transformative Power of Energy Psychology” by Donna Eden and David Feinstein, PhD, emerges as a beacon of hope in a world grappling with psychological and spiritual unrest. This book is not merely a guide; it is a journey into the depths of energy psychology, a field that has long intrigued those seeking holistic healing methods.

Donna Eden, a luminary in energy medicine, and David Feinstein, a distinguished clinical psychologist, have joined forces to demystify the practice of tapping. They offer readers an accessible path to wellness that is both scientifically grounded and spiritually profound.

The premise of the book is simple yet profound: by tapping energy points on the skin while focusing on specific problems or goals, one can signal the nervous system to reduce negative emotions such as fear, anger, stress, and grief. This, in turn, activates brain regions associated with problem-solving and emotional management, fostering a sense of inner balance and empowerment.

What sets this book apart is the authors’ ability to translate complex concepts into practical applications. They provide a framework and tools that are not only easy to understand but also immediately applicable. The reader is equipped to confront common life challenges—from anxiety and depression to self-defeating habits and relationship issues—with newfound confidence and skill.

The book’s narrative is enriched by the foreword by cultural historian Dr. Jean Houston, who hails it as a “stunning call to action at a time of desperate personal and collective need.” The endorsements by experts in the field, including Bessel van der Kolk, MD, further attest to the book’s transformative potential.

At 432 pages, “Tapping” is a comprehensive resource that promises to be a valuable addition to the libraries of lay people and professionals. It is a testament to the authors’ extensive research and field-tested refinements of the tapping method.

“Tapping: Self-Healing with the Transformative Power of Energy Psychology” is a groundbreaking work that offers a vibrant response to the trials of our times. A must-read for anyone seeking to harness the power of energy psychology for personal evolution and healing.

[TayTay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just be prepared for information overload so take your time with this book as I did. I have much appreciation for Donna and David for sharing their life's work to create this wonderful book.

Energy psychology is a fairly "new" development within the psychology field as it's still being unpacked by diving into changing signals sent to your brain to help manage extreme emotions. This in itself is amazing and you can already tell the type of situations, people, or moments this could be extremely useful. Tapping is the method of approach to make this happen.

What I loved off the bat was how Donna and David went through to test this book by each chapter seeking feedback from beta groups to make sure each portion made sense. You can tell the love and work that went into this. The book takes you through the following: how to do tapping, basic tapping protocol, ways you can apply tapping (sadness, anxiety, depression, etc), relationship management, and managing disasters. This will be something that I will be incorporating into my daily life as it's a growing tool that hope more people become aware of.

I wish there were more illustrations to help guide more of the principles into practice as there are some good ones. Just with all the information it would have helped made it more digestible.


Big thanks to NetGalley, Sounds True Publishing, and of course Donna Eden/David Feinstein, PhD for their incredible work for this ARC.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so interesting. This book seems to be the unequivocal complete guide to tapping. It explains all the ways you can use tapping and step by step guidelines on how exactly to do it. It starts you out with the basics and then each chapter after it shows you how to apply your tapping for specific issues. Some issues they pinpoint are worry, sadness/depression, Habits/addiction and relationships to name a few. I was very interested in how it can be used when disaster strikes and for relationships as I'd never hear it being used for those things.
I've used tapping for anxiety and migraines but not for other things. Now that I have this book to refer back to I look forward for finding ways to use it even more.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced reader copy.

[Ag · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, how I wish this book was available in kindle edition now! It would have made it so much easier to read it!
This is not a quick-fix band-aid type of self-help book. Far from it.
It is lengthy, it goes deep, and it has an explanation behind everything, there are answers to all the whys you may have when you first come across something you have never heard or met before.
I think this is the most perfect book for those who think that contemporary psychology and psychotherapy are somewhat lacking depth and holistic approach. It is all in there, in this book. All the depth you may have ever lacked.

[Synthia Salomon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Energy psychology - psychotherapy +
Tapping
Ancient healing

I plan to practice tapping in my daily life and share it with anyone that wants to learn!

“tapping is a powerful tool that combines modern therapeutic methods with ancient healing practices to help process trauma and emotional distress. By tapping on specific acupuncture points while focusing on particular issues or memories, you can reprogram your brain’s response to fears, reduce stress, and promote overall well-being. The method involves creating acceptance statements and adjusting them as necessary, addressing core beliefs and internal objections, and practicing regularly to achieve the best results.”

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a longtime tapper (EFT), I viscerally know and understand the importance of the healing that it offers. In this comprehensive book, the well-loved authors take us even deeper into the process and the many ways it can help us. I especially appreciated the section on using EFT Tapping for habits and addictions, and look forward to immersing myself in their teaching once the book is published.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher, for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Katelyn Boucher · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is a good book for counselors and social workers who are new to emotional freedom tapping and how it works. It is a great introductory book that gives basic information on how it works and exercises you can do with your clients.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A complete, practical guide to Tapping and EFT for all including the beginner and seasoned veteran. The illustrations and detailed step by step descriptions would be worth the purchase alone.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sounds True Publishing for an ARC of this book.

[Rood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read on 81inklist.
These are very interesting ideas. I will have to give it a chance.
However, too little consideration is given to the whole organism here.
I can already "tape away" the fear of failing an exam. But without studying, I won't pass the exam either.

[Becky L Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

audiobook quite fascinating. I'm at information overload on this topic at the moment. Gonna have to let it sink in and incorporate a physical practice before I can absorb more information. possibly revisit in the future.

[Darin · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book. I'm just starting with the work and it seems great. The concept is sound as is the science behind it.
I definitely recommend it with 5 stars!