Core Issues"I've been using EFT on a problem for some time but I haven't been able to get permanent relief.", is a common remark I receive from new clients. The next logical thought for this person may be that EFT doesn't work. What I know from experience is that it is likely due to a number of possible oversights on the part of the person or their inexperienced practitioner. One reason could be that all the aspects of the problem haven't been addressed or that they aren't being specific enough. Often (and this is especially true for individuals working by themselves), it's about their inability to find or discover core issues.

There has been a lot written about the importance of finding a core issue. In fact, my ability to finding core issues quickly is something people often say about my work. Core issues are your assumptions about the world and who you are. It's often reflected in the way you behave and many core issues are subconscious. One of the things I love about EFT is it's ability to jog the subconscious mind and allow ideas and concepts to come to the forefront of consciousness. Core issues are the framework of your reality- it's "the water we are swimming in" - and we fail to see what these are when we are working through issues alone. A core issue can be described as a deeper and more important issue than the more superficial one that is presenting itself to be worked on. Let me give you an example.

My client Penny (name changed to protect confidentiality) came to see me when she was diagnosed with cancer (presenting issue). She had been in a dysfunctional relationship with her husband of 15 years and she felt the pain of their daily interactions was the cause of her illness. At first we worked on some of the presenting problems in their marriage mostly regarding her desire to go back to school and begin on a new career path. A few very specific examples of past arguments were worked on when Penny said, "I am not good enough for my husband". Statements that begin with "I am" or "I always" or "I never" are frequently core issues. We worked on clear examples of being "not good enough" until she couldn't come up with more. This is the point where an inexperienced practitioner might stop prematurely. I asked her if that belief (I am not good enough) was older than the relationship with her husband. She said yes and that it had to do with the way her mother made her feel as a child. The sessions continued until she was not only getting relief from her physical symptoms, but most importantly, she was able to believe that she was indeed good enough to do anything and consequently she re-enrolled in college.

Our core issues often repeat themselves throughout our lives until we work on them. If you've ever been in one job or relationship after another that have been unsatisfactory, suspect a core issue that hasn't been addressed is at play. Some questions to ask yourself to uncovering them include:

Does this person, feeling, or situation remind me of something else?When have I felt this way in the past?What are examples of this same dynamic happening in my past?

Top 5 reasons ...

As a practitioner, EFT mentor, and trainer (over 2000 clients and students around the world) I can say that I consistantly see the same mistakes among tappers. The one thing I hear most often from a new client (even practitioners who are my clients) is that they just aren't making progress and seeing really verifiable results out in the real world. The reasons are pretty basic if you've studied EFT for some time however I still see this so much I thought they were definitely worth repeating.

#1- You are still being too global/general. We know the metaphor for the forest or table top collapsing and still you want to do like the lazy baker's son, "Killed 7 in one strike" Well, unfortunately most of the time you simply can't. Break it down. Break it down. Break it down. The more traumatic (and don't judge here what is trauma for the next guy as it is very unique to each individual) the more you might have to take it to miniscule pieces. This shows up in my work with veterans where we might have to break it down to,"Even though I heard the sound of the incoming bomb,.." then onto,"Even though I am terrified as I look at my buddy's eyes .." We could be tapping 15 min on one incident. How do you know you've made progress? TEST!

#2- You are heading to la-la land too quickly. Sure who doesn't want to say beautiful, radiant, heart-felt, affirmations? Well when it comes to EFFECTIVELY using EFT you got to stay in the muck just a little bit first. I got another complaint the other day from someone who attends group meetings lead by another practitioner who does one round then has their group attendees immediately repeat a bunch of reframes like, I forgive, I let it go, I am over it. Bulls*it! You aren't going to convince anyone that something that was profoundly wounding is going to wiped away so quickly. Yes, I use my intuition to gauge when someone is ready to insert the positive statements but that's because I have been doing this for so long and I .... TEST! How many of us know really sweet, conscious, spiritual people that go around all day speaking nice platitudes and their lives are a mess? Don't end up spreading icing on a pile of manure. In the end it still stinks!

#3- You aren't recognizing shifting aspects. Now this one is tricky especially when working alone. Make sure your statements are very specific (see #1) and then write down what pops into your head if you have to in order to keep track of your mind as it skips from emotion to emotion and scene to scene. This is clearly an advantage to working with a professional for your own issues. I stop at the end of each round and sense a shifting aspect however when I first began I felt more comfortable just asking,"Was anything else popping into your mind as we did that round?" If the SUDs hasn't dropped enough and you know you've been specific then 9 times out of 10 this is the culprit.

#4 - You don't test enough. Gary says that this is the difference between a master and a novice and he's right. Don't be afraid to test your results. If you were successful it is simply great information. Rue Haas says that in order to be a great practitioner you have to be willing to be insatiably curious and being curious about why it didn't work will cause you to become a better detective and helper.

#5- You are allowing your own blocks to get in the way of becoming masterful. I don't even want to tell you how many times someone tells me a story about a condition, or situation and I've asked,"Well, did you tap on it?" and they give me a sheepish smile. The way to get the most from EFT is DOING EFT.

Hope this gives you some food for thought.

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