By Chandrama Anderson
E-mail Chandrama Anderson
About this blog: About this blog: I am a LMFT specializing in couples counseling and grief and have lived in Silicon Valley since 1969. I'm the president of Connect2 Marriage Counseling. I worked in high-tech at Apple, Stanford University, and in ...
(More)About this blog: About this blog: I am a LMFT specializing in couples counseling and grief and have lived in Silicon Valley since 1969. I'm the president of Connect2 Marriage Counseling. I worked in high-tech at Apple, Stanford University, and in Silicon Valley for 15 years before becoming a therapist. My background in high-tech is helpful in understanding local couples' dynamics and the pressures of living here. I am a wife, mom, sister, friend, author, and lifelong advocate for causes I believe in (such as marriage equality). My parents are both deceased. My son graduated culinary school and is heading toward a degree in Sociology. I enjoy reading, hiking, water fitness, movies, 49ers and Stanford football, Giants baseball, and riding a tandem bike with my husband. I love the beach and mountains; nature is my place of restoration. In my work with couples, and in this blog, I combine knowledge from many fields to bring you my best ideas, tips, tools and skills, plus book and movie reviews, and musings to help you be your genuine self, find your own voice, and have a happy and healthy relationship. Don't be surprised to hear about brain research and business skills, self-soothing techniques from all walks of life, suggestions and experiments, and anything that lights my passion for couples. (Author and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Calif. Lic # MFC 45204.)
(Hide)View all posts from Chandrama Anderson
Tapping is a method of releasing anxiety by "thunking" certain pressure points or meridians in the body. It's simple, effective immediately, and you can do it in your car, office, home, etc.
My colleague who shared tapping with me gave me a slightly different method than you’ll read about below. In this method you tap 10-15 times in each of the following spots:
1. Karate chop on the outside of your hand (about halfway between the top of your pinkie and your wrist)
2. About 2” up between your ring and pinkie finger on the top of your hand
3. About 1” below your clavicles (both sides)
4. Forehead, a little above your eyebrows (both sides)
5. Below your eyes, on the bones there (both sides)
6. Between your nose and upper lip
‘The Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT- also known as "Tapping Therapy" or "Meridian Tapping Techniques (MTT)") was created by Gary Craig and works like emotional acupressure to quickly, gently and easily release the negative emotions and beliefs that are at the root of all our problems and pain.’
Gary says to tap with a “thunk” and to think about the specific situation that is bothering you (many come from childhood and are triggered as adults) and use specific language as part of the tapping process: "Even though ______________, I deeply and profoundly accept myself."
Here’s a
link to Gary’s site that explains his method completely, as well as how to do EFT.
I used the first version of tapping above with my clients and they find it releases their anxiety. Try both ways and see what works for you. If you don’t have much time, just doing the six points above will be a tremendous help.
