What is EFT Tapping?
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) Tapping is a gentle, mind-body practice that combines the principles of acupressure with modern psychology. Often described as "psychological acupuncture," it involves using your fingertips to tap on specific energy meridian points on your face and upper body while focusing on a stressful thought, memory, or feeling.
By physically tapping on these points while acknowledging your distress, you send a calming signal directly to the amygdala—the brain's emotional smoke detector. This sends a message to the nervous system that you are safe enough in this moment, which helps to rapidly lower cortisol (the stress hormone) levels and shift your body out of a "fight-or-flight" survival state and into a more regulated, grounded state. More information about the benefits of Tapping can be found on the Tapping Solution website.
How EFT Can Benefit Grieving Pet Parents
Tapping can provide measurable emotional regulation for grieving pet owners in several ways:- Validates "Disenfranchised" Grief: Society sometimes minimizes the loss of an animal, leaving pet parents feeling isolated and misunderstood. EFT uses specific "setup statements" such as, "Even though my heart is completely broken over losing Bella, I accept myself and my pain," which deeply validates and honors the bond you shared.
- Calms the Physical Pain of Loss: Deep grief often manifests physically as a heavy chest, a knot in the stomach, or tight shoulders. Tapping safely accesses these areas, releasing the physical tension and trauma trapped in the body.
- Quiets Guilt and "What-If" Loops: Pet parents frequently experience agonizing guilt over medical decisions, the timing of euthanasia, or sudden accidents. Tapping helps interrupt these repetitive, painful cognitive loops, calming the distress signals so the bereaved individual can eventually transition from remembering how they died to remembering how they lived.
- Provides a Self-Soothing Tool for Triggers: Empty food bowls, a quiet house, or a stray toy can trigger sudden waves of intense sorrow. Because EFT requires no special equipment, it serves as an immediate, on-the-spot tool to help one ride out these emotional waves without becoming entirely overwhelmed by them.
The 9 Tapping Points
Tap gently 12 to 14 times on each point in the following sequence:
- Side of Hand (SH): The outer edge of your hand for the setup statement.
- Eyebrow Point (EB): Where the eyebrows start near the nose.
- Side of Eye (SE): On the bone outside either eye.
- Under Eye (UE): On the bone beneath either eye.
- Under Nose (UN): Between the nose and upper lip.
- Under Mouth (UM): Below the bottom lip and above the chin.
- Collarbone Point (CB): An inch down and an inch out from the center of your collarbones.
- Under Arm (UA): About four inches below your armpit.
- Top of Head (TH): On the crown of your head.
How to Do a Round of Tapping for Pet Loss
- Identify Your Issue: Focus on a specific aspect of your grief or physical feeling (e.g., chest tightness or missing your companion).
- Rate the Intensity: Score the thought or feeling from 0 to 10 based on how intense this feels (0 being not at all intense; 10 being the highest level of intensity).
- The Setup Statement: Tap the Side of Hand (Karate Chop) point while repeating a set-up statement three times (e.g., "Even though I feel this deep sadness over losing my companion, I accept these feelings fully and completely.").
- Tap Through the Points: Tap 12 to 14 times on the remaining eight points while talking through what's troubling you and causing distress.
- Check In and Re-rate: Take a deep breath, re-evaluate the intensity from 0 to 10, and repeat if needed to further reduce the intensity.
- Positive Statements: Once the intensity has become more manageable, end the Tapping Session with positive statements such as, "I allow myself to be more at peace;" "I give myself permission to view what happened through a more compassionate lens;" or "I am open to releasing what is not serving me" as you tap each point.
Ready to Try It?
Use the practice exercise below to familiarize yourself with the Tapping Points and to see how it feels to lower the intensity around whatever issue is causing you emotional or physical distress. EFT Tapping Practice
Gently but firmly tap 12-14 times on each highlighted point while focusing deeply on the supportive phrases below. Allow yourself space to breathe and feel safe and supported.
