Eft/tapping Q & A Podcast W/ Gene Monterastelli - Emotional Freedom Techniques

One of the great things about tapping is that we can jump right into doing work any time and anywhere. Even though we can start a tapping session without any preparation, I have found that if we give some thought to how we begin a session, then we will get more out of it. Here are five easy things to do at the beginning of a tapping session to make sure that you are grounded in your body and in the moment AND that you are fully present to the work you are going to do. You don't have to do all five, so you can mix and match to the ones that make the most sense to you. Support the podcast! Subscribe in: Apple | iPhone | Android | Google | Spotify | Pandora

When we sit down to tap we are doing it because we want to feel better. It is easy to fall into the trap of feeling like the only way our tapping will be successful is if we feel absolutely wonderful when we have finished. In truth, that isn't always possible but there are many times when we can gain relief without achieving total relief. If we set the standard for tapping that it is only successful if we gain total relief and we only have partial relief, then we will be disappointed with our tapping even though we feel better. In this podcast I talk about a simple four-step process that you can use to get the most out of your tapping and feel satisfied with your results. Using a process like this means you will get more out of an individual tapping sessions, have a better sense of your transformation, and feel encouraged to tap again in the future. Support the podcast! Subscribe in: Apple | iPhone | Android | Google | Spotify | Pandora

There is an interesting phenomenon that crops up as we become more experienced tappers and more experienced with healing and change work. We start to recognize what is possible with healing! There are two sides to this. On one hand we can become excited about having such useful tools, while on the other hand it can feel daunting to recognize how much we actually have to do. Feeling daunted can prevent us from wanting to tap because it feels like we have too much to do and it's too big a task even to begin. The good news is we don't have to do all the work at once AND even only doing a small amount of work on a big issue can make a useful difference in how we feel. This week I share a simple tap-along to help you to start the healing process when it feels too big. Support the podcast! Subscribe in: Apple | iPhone | Android | Google | Spotify | Pandora

If you have ever worked with me one-on-one or listened to an audio of me working with a client, then you know I spend a lot of time asking different parts of your body for feedback. I regularly have my clients ask questions of the physical sensations they are feeling. That is not a metaphor for something else. I really have them ask questions of the physical sensations they are experiencing (like tightness in the chest that comes up with worry) as if the sensations can talk back. Moving the focus to bodily sensations helps clients to get out of their conscious minds. The conscious mind can be inaccurate when it is trying to understand why we are the way we are. It can make an educated guess, but sometimes that is inaccurate. Pretending that a physical sensation can talk back to us gives the subconscious mind an opportunity to share information it has about the issue we want to address with tapping. Based on the success of this type of work, I have a tool that you can use at the start of the day to set you up

When I am working with clients I pay particular attention to the words they use to describe what they are experiencing. That's because more often than not our emotional response is informed by how we describe what is going on, rather than what is actually going on. To that end I have created a number of resources to help you decode the language you (or your clients) are using. In this audio, you will hear me working with one of my clients as we discuss the difference between and "fix" and "transform" and how each of those words impacts the healing process. An audio transcript can be found below the player. Support the podcast! Subscribe in: Apple | iPhone | Android | Google | Spotify | Pandora Sue: Could you repeat that thought again? That was really profound…the difference between fix and transform. Gene: We so often say "I need to fix something" and for anything that we wish to "fix" we’re implying a sense of brokenness. It becomes a state that we're in that can have a lot of negative charge around it

Recently I was working with a client who was frustrated with the process of tapping. He felt angry. The process went like this: he felt angry he tapped for the anger he felt better some time would pass he felt angry again Dealing with the same issue over and over again had him feeling incredibly frustrated. As we did some work, it emerged that his anger was a symptom of a much deeper issue. The tapping for the anger was helpful in the short term, but since it wasn't the core issue, it kept coming back again and again. In my client's case, his anger was like a notification light on the dashboard of a car where the problem isn't the red light itself, but the light is pointing out the actual problem. For him, tapping for the anger was no different than turning off the red notification light. It wasn't responding to the problem. Identifying if what you are tapping on is the core issue or just a symptom can be tricky. Here are eight questions that you can ask while tapping to help you to go past the symptoms and

We know that the most effective way to tap is when we are able to be as specific as possible with the issue at hand. But a common misconception about this idea is that tapping is only useful if we are specific. But that is not what the statement above says. It says "as specific as possible". There are times when we can't be super specific because what we are feeling isn't super specific! Sometimes our experience is a collection of emotions and feelings that are much more general OR we are processing so much at once we can't be specific about any one issue or aspect. When that happens I use what I call the Container Process. It's a tool I regularly use with my clients. It is perfect for: when you are experiencing lots of emotions at once when you can't pin down exactly what you want to tap on letting go of everything at the end of the day Also, you will be able to master the process after hearing it just two or three times so you won't need the audio if you want to do it on your own. Support the podcast! Sub

Working with clients has allowed me to understand a fundamental of human nature: All the choices we make are functional choices. In practical terms this means that all of the choices we make are the best choices that we can make in any given moment based on the information we have and our current resource state. This does not mean that we always make good choices, choices we are proud of, or choices that we would like to make again in the future. Instead it means that we are making choices for a reason. When we are able to recognize the emotional and intellectual reasons behind our choices, it highlights the areas we can address with tapping so that we can make better choices in the future. In this podcast I share how you can understand why on a subconscious level we are making "functional" choices AND how we can make better choices in the future. You can find the full tapping script as a pdf of this audio over at Tapping Q and A Podcast Scripts and Transcripts. Support the podcast! Subscribe in: Apple | iP

Recently I was working with a client on using tapping to help him to go after some major goals in his life. He didn’t need to address a particular issue, but instead he was looking for a good way to set himself up to pursue his goals. After we had done a few minutes of tapping, he felt at peace and was ready to pursue his goals for the day and in the long-term. He then said to me, “You need to share this as a podcast. Others will find it super helpful.” So here it is! The audio is less than seven minutes long and I hope it also helps you to go after your goals today. Support the podcast! Subscribe in: Apple | iPhone | Android | Google | Spotify | Pandora

We all know that New Year's Resolutions don't work. It would be nice to believe that making a statement at midnight on December 31st would be enough to create new ways of thinking and acting. It doesn't work that way. With that being said, the new year is a great time to reevaluate the lives we want to be living AND tapping is a great way to support these new goals. This week I have a simple tap-along audio that will help you to create lasting change, not just a fleeting thought at the beginning of the year which evaporates quickly. This will not only help you to take new action, but also help you with the emotional ups and downs of trying to live out a new goal. You can find the full tapping script as a pdf of this audio over at Tapping Q and A Podcast Scripts and Transcripts. Support the podcast! Subscribe in: Apple | iPhone | Android | Google | Spotify | Pandora

It seems like every client I've worked with in the last ten days has asked me about using tapping to help them to sleep better. Daily stress is a common cause of sleep disruption because our systems can get caught up in trying to solve the problems of the previous day and consumed with the worries of tomorrow. In this simple tap-along audio we spend time on physical and mental fatigue, as well as emotional exhaustion, and work on preparing the system for a great night of rest and relaxation. Let me know in the comments section below if this helps you out. Support the podcast! Subscribe in: Apple | iPhone | Android | Google | Spotify | Pandora

Support the podcast! Even though we spend most of our time tapping to try to reduce emotions, emotions are not our enemy. Our emotional response is our internal guidance system trying to keep us safe and on track. Fear is an extremely helpful emotion in that it helps us to see danger BUT problems arise if our fear response is excessive and causes us to go into a state of flight, fight, freeze, or fog. When this happens, the fear moves from pointing out a problem, to crippling us. Even when we notice that we are feeling fearful, it can be difficult to leave that state because our system thinks this is the best way to keep us on guard. Today we are going to tap for neutralizing our fear and moving to a more useful state of focus and urgency. By having a proper sense of urgency we can stay on task without being crippled by fear. You can find the full tapping script as a pdf of this audio over at Tapping Q and A Podcast Scripts and Transcripts. Subscribe in: Apple | iPhone | Android | Google | Spotify | Pa

This is really embarrassing, but it’s a true story. I live in New York City, a pedestrian city where most people don’t drive. Even when you take mass transit you still need to walk a lot just to get around. The subway stop I use most is 3/4 of a mile walk from my apartment. As a result, people here tend to be healthier than the national average because of the daily walking they're required to do, so I see far fewer obese people in NYC than I do in other parts of the United States. Back in 2014 when this was originally recorded, I was in a rural part of the US. As we were entering a restaurant there was a group of people walking out. Two members of the group leaving the restaurant were obese; they were so big it was hard for them to walk. And this is the really embarrassing part…when I saw them my first thought and emotion was one of disgust. It washed over my whole body so intensely that I felt sick to my stomach for a second. The second emotion was of total shame for being disgusted. I was, and am, so disapp

On a recent episode of the Judge John Hodgman podcast, one of the litigants (when talking about her husband) said "I want him to have what he wants. I just want him to want something different." That is such a relatable sentiment. Sometimes we believe we can see the best path for our loved ones, but at the exact same time we want them to be in control of their own lives and choices. This week we talk about and tap about how to come to terms with wanting the best for others when they are making choices that we might not love. You can find the full tapping script as a pdf of this audio over at Tapping Q and A Podcast Scripts and Transcripts. Support the podcast! Subscribe in: Apple | iPhone | Android | Google | Spotify | Pandora

When we are wanting to take action, it is very easy for us to be stuck because of worry. Worry is nothing more than a part of us trying to keep us safe by keeping an eye out for everything that could possibly go wrong. The problem is that the part of us that worries, often worries way too much. The size of the concern for our safety doesn't match the size of any potential danger. This week I have a simple question you can ask when facing self-sabotage and resistance to taking action. If you ask this question and tap with the answer, you will clear resistance and be able to take action quickly. What are you waiting for?! Support the podcast! Subscribe in: Apple | iPhone | Android | Google | Spotify | Pandora

My clients tell me all the time: "This is so frustrating! I feel like I am dealing with the same issue over and over again. When am I going to get past this!?!" I can appreciate their frustration. We want to feel like the time we are spending on our transformation is fruitful. We want to move in a positive direction as we continue to do the work. In reality, we aren't dealing with the same issue over and over again but dealing with different issues that feel the same. This week I explore why it feels like you are repeatedly dealing with the same issue, why you aren't, and what is actually going on in the healing process. Understanding this framework will make it easier to keep moving forward. Support the podcast! Subscribe in: Apple | iPhone | Android | Google | Spotify | Pandora

There is this interesting phenomenon where the more we hear something, the more likely we are to believe it. It has nothing to do with the validity of the claim. The simple repetition of a statement somehow lends it credibility in our minds. A perfect example of this is in the shape of a question I often receive from my readers. It goes something like this: I really love your tapping scripts, but I am worried because you use the word ‘not’ all the time. I know the subconscious mind doesn’t hear the word not. When you have us tap on “I am not going to be anxious” you are really tapping on “I am going to be anxious.” Aren’t you worried that you are tapping in something negative? If you have ever worried about saying the word ‘not’ when tapping, then you need to listen to this podcast. Support the podcast! Subscribe in: Apple | iPhone | Android | Google | Spotify | Pandora

It is good that we are thankful for what we have in our lives. Expressing gratitude helps us to be appreciative, grounded, and there are even health benefits to being thankful. The problem is that on a subconscious level we may feel that wanting more means do not appreciate what we already have, and that can prevent us from moving forward. This week I have a short tap-along audio and script to help you to be thankful AND move forward at the same time. You can find the full tapping script as a pdf of this audio over at Tapping Q and A Podcast Scripts and Transcripts. Support the podcast! Subscribe in: Apple | iPhone | Android | Google | Spotify | Pandora

Every time we make a choice we are limiting our future options. That is the simple reality of choice. If I choose to study literature at university, I am limiting my ability to become a medical doctor. If I choose to go to Norway on vacation, that limits my ability to go to Japan this year. I have time for one movie tonight, so if I choose “Rear Window” I can’t watch “Strangers On A Train”. Recognizing that one choice can limit our future choices can hold us back from taking action because we don’t want to miss out. In the end we choose to do nothing, which is a choice in itself. In this short audio I share a few easy ways to approach making choices so that we don’t get stuck by choosing to do nothing at all. There is also a short tap-along audio to help clear the resistance to making choices. You can find the full tapping script of this audio as a pdf over at Tapping Q and A Podcast Scripts and Transcripts. Support the podcast! Subscribe in: Apple | iPhone | Android | Google | Spotify | Pandora

Many of my clients would identify as the 'black sheep' of their families or communities. Because they moved to the beat of their own drums, they were usually out of step with everyone else. This can be particularly difficult for youngsters to handle because it felt unsafe to express their true selves. In order to survive, it's human nature to develop tricks, tools, and techniques to get by. At the time they were the best (and often the only) way to get through those difficult times, but the tools that were helpful as children are not necessarily helpful as adults. The problem is that when we use certain tools and tactics for so long, they become ingrained and habitual. In this audio we talk about how to let go of these old tools in favour of new and better ways to manage our lives. In addition to the instruction in this podcast, there is a tap-along audio. You can find the full tapping script as a pdf of this audio over at Tapping Q and A Podcast Scripts and Transcripts. Support the podcast! Subscribe in: A