There is a lot of power in acknowledging the negative feelings and the disowned parts of the self. Once you do that and bring them to the surface – make them more conscious – you can change/transform/release them.

Setup statement in EFT

Acknowledgment and acceptance is so important. Steven Hayes, PhD says that “there is a lot of wisdom in our emotions. It’s important to respect and attend to even our most troubling feelings.” ⁽¹⁾ In EFT we are actually tapping into that wisdom and attending to the troubling feelings with the setup statement. You will find perspective shifts after using the Original /Classic EFT protocol.

The setup statement also gives you a clue about how much you are able to accept yourself. There will be resistance to the setup statement if there is self-hatred, low self-esteem, guilt etc and this in turn will give you more insight into your issues. Many of my clients who had low self-image were not able to say the default setup phrase,”I love and accept myself”, used in Original EFT. Gradually as we resolved the past events that caused these feelings of low self-worth, they were able to say the setup with more conviction. You can also use alternatives to these statements in the meantime, as you continue to work on  being more accepting of yourself. Click here to read an article that explains this in detail.

Original EFT as created by Gary Craig and New versions

The new versions of EFT use a combination of tapping and affirmations in one way or the other. Some use the setup statement and some don’t. I am yet to find a version that does not combine tapping with affirmations. I find that some new techniques are very good, but in my opinion a strong foundation in Original EFT is the best way to begin.

Reference

(1)- http://www.nicabm.com/nicabmblog/the-healing-effect-of-mindfulness-working-through-painful-emotions/