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Therapeutic Uses

Tapping Tenents

A tenet is a core guiding principle or foundational belief that shapes how a method or approach is understood and practiced.

Somatic tapping is grounded in the belief that the body has an innate capacity to heal when it feels safe, regulated, and supported. By gently engaging the nervous system, tapping helps release stored stress and emotional tension, allowing the body and mind to move toward balance. Best of all, tapping is accessible—anyone can learn and use it as a compassionate self-support tool, no matter their background or experience.

Tapping with a therapist or another person can be very helpful because often the words are presented from a different perspective. Your brain can use that different perspective to help with the release of the issue being worked on from your body. Whether you use tapping for yourself, or you give or receive tapping from another person, some of the things tapping can help with are listed on this page.

Relaxation & Increased Feelings of Wellness

Tapping can be a very effective tool for relaxation and stress reduction. Tapping combines elements of cognitive therapy, stimulation of senses, and acupressure to help clients release negative emotions and promote feelings of calm and relaxation. Like other relaxation techniques, Tapping can help to lower blood pressure, slow heart rate and breathing, and promote better sleep. Tapping can also help clients manage anxiety, depression, and other emotional issues that may be contributing to their distress.

Teaching clients how to use Tapping and other relaxation techniques can be a valuable part of any practice, as it can help clients feel more comfortable and receptive to treatment. A relaxed client is more likely to engage with the therapist and follow through with treatment recommendations, which can lead to better outcomes. The first class on somatic tapping addresses how to use tapping for relaxation and resourcing with your clients.

Somatic Tapping can be used not only to reduce negative emotions and distress but also to promote positive emotions and a sense of well-being. By tapping on specific meridian points while focusing on positive affirmations or visualizations, clients can increase their feelings of joy, achievement, and happiness. Tapping can also be integrated with movement practices such as yoga or dance to more greatly enhance a mind-body connection and promote overall well-being. This approach can be especially beneficial for clients who struggle with anxiety or depression, as it can help them connect with their bodies and promote a sense of calm and relaxation.

Tapping can also be incorporated into other alternative energy practices often found in coaching such as the Emotion/Body/Belief Code. Each person responds differently to different techniques and where a magnet might work great for one person, tapping will work better for another person to release blocks. It can also be used to correct energy reversals often found using these alternative techniques. The therapeutic use for tapping is extensive.

✺ A More Rapid Change in Assessment Levels ✺

The Subjective Units of Distress Scale (SUDS) is a simple 0–10 rating that helps measure how stressed, anxious, or emotionally activated a person feels in the moment. During a tapping session, the SUDS number is checked before, during, and after the process to track change. Many people notice their number decreasing quickly as the nervous system calms, the body releases tension, and the emotional intensity softens—often within minutes. Progress can be felt happening in real time.

Research has shown that in a majority of clients working with a trained professional using Tapping, the SUDS levels can decrease rapidly with a focused intervention in just one session. This rapid reduction in distress can make a positive impact on the lives of clients, leading to a greater sense of emotional well-being and improved functioning in their daily lives.

In addition to the SUDS rating scale, the SUE scale is also used. Subjective Units of Energy (SUE) utilizes a -10 to +10 scale to show how the energy of emotions can change from very positive to very negative. Normally people move up and down the scale with the majority of time being spent near zero. Tapping helps people stuck on the negative side of the scale move from persistent negative feelings towards neutral with many reporting having periods of positive feelings for the first time in years.

Pain/Chronic Pain

Therapeutic uses of tapping occur at both physical and emotional levels. Pain can have both physical and emotional components, and Somatic Tapping can be effective in addressing both types of pain.

In cases where the pain is purely physical, Somatic Tapping may not be able to eliminate the pain, but it may be able to help reduce the intensity of the pain. This can be especially helpful for people who are using medication daily to manage their pain, as it can allow them to reduce their reliance on medication and improve their overall quality of life. When pain is purely physical, without an emotional component, Somatic Tapping may need to be used more often by the client.

In cases where the pain is related to an emotional situation or trauma, Somatic Tapping can be very effective in addressing the underlying emotional issues and may resolve the pain permanently. By working with a trained professional to uncover the emotional root of the pain, individuals can gain a better understanding of how their emotions are contributing to their physical symptoms, and can work to release or reduce those emotions and decrease or even eliminate the physical pain.

It’s important to note that while Somatic Tapping can be an effective approach for addressing pain, it’s not a substitute for medical treatment. It’s important to work with a healthcare provider to address any underlying physical conditions that may be contributing to the pain, and to develop a comprehensive treatment plan that addresses both the physical and emotional components of the pain.

Negative Cognitions/Phobias

Somatic tapping can be very effective in addressing distressing beliefs and phobias, such as perfectionism, fear of medical procedures, or persistent feelings of “not being good enough.” By gently tapping on specific points on the body while focusing on the difficult thought, feeling, or fear, many people experience a noticeable reduction in emotional intensity and reactivity.

Even when the source of a belief or fear isn’t immediately clear, somatic tapping can support insight and emotional processing. As the nervous system calms, it can become easier to access and understand the experiences, memories, or emotions connected to the problem. This process often allows individuals to release emotional tension, develop new perspectives, and respond to situations with greater ease and resilience.

✺ Tapping bridges the gap between talk therapy and somatic healing, offering your clients a holistic path to inner wellness ✺

Upsetting Events/Trauma

Upsetting events and trauma are part of the human experience. We all encounter loss, disappointment, fear, anger, or overwhelming situations at some point in life. Unfortunately, many people are encouraged to suppress emotions rather than process them, which can keep the nervous system in a prolonged state of stress.

Somatic tapping offers a compassionate way to gently acknowledge what has been held in the body—sometimes for years—and begin to release the emotional charge connected to those experiences. By calming the nervous system and supporting emotional regulation, tapping can help individuals feel safer, more grounded, and more at ease as they heal from difficult or traumatic events.

Tapping can also be used with clients who experience dissociation including those having multiple alters. Clients who have been open to using tapping have experienced a significant reduction in dissociation. Clients who have had multiple alters, even those with dozens, report after using tapping that either the number of alters has reduced greatly to just a few or the alters have gone quiet. Clients have stated that tapping causes all of the alters to “pay attention and be present.”

Use with Your Theoretical Framework

While every client deserves an individualized approach, not all clients respond fully to traditional therapeutic methods. Somatic Tapping (also known as Emotional Freedom Techniques) can be integrated into a wide range of theoretical orientations to support movement through emotional blocks and enhance therapeutic progress.

When combined with your existing clinical framework, tapping offers a holistic way to address both the emotional and physiological components of distress. It becomes an additional tool in both the therapist’s toolbox and the client’s coping toolbox, providing another pathway for regulation, healing, and meaningful change.

Many behavioral health professionals are look for new and effective techniques to help their clients, and Somatic Tapping can be a valuable addition to their toolbox. The evidence-based tapping quickly reduces the intensity of emotions and physical pain. It is a powerful tool, improving the overall well-being of clients. Helping someone reduce physical or emotional pain from a SUDS of 10 down to a 7 or less can be life changing for the client.

Tapping provides a number of benefits for the behavioral health professionals who use it. Somatic Tapping can help professionals to reduce their own levels of vicarious trauma or secondary traumatic stress. This is important for those working in high-stress environments, such as community mental health, domestic violence centers or veteran's centers.

Overall, Somatic Tapping can be a valuable tool for behavioral health professionals who are looking to expand their skill sets and improve the outcomes for their clients. With its evidence-based approach and rapid results, tapping can help professionals more effectively address a wide range of conditions and provide better care for clients.

Somatic Tapping is a proud contribution from CopperFire Digital LLC. As the driving force behind these offerings, I, Diana Sturm, along with CopperFire Digital LLC, hold the copyrights to this website and the classes offered through this site.

Mailing address: P.O. Box 850053, Mobile, AL 36685-0053