So, you’ve explored the science and benefits of EFT (and if you haven’t yet, it’s well worth a read). Now you might be wondering what a session actually looks like – whether you’re preparing for your first or just feeling curious. This post will walk you through what a session (specifically, with me) actually looks like. Think of this as a behind-the-scenes glimpse into how it all flows – from tuning in, to tapping, to wrapping up with grounded clarity.

Session One: The Deep Dive

A quick summary of this EFT session:

• Requirements: show up (with a willingness for joint exploration)
• Time commitment: 2 hours
• Aim: mind mapping in order to develop your personalized breakthrough blueprint

In this session I do a lot of ‘detective work.’ By asking the right questions and getting to know you, I begin building a picture of your subconscious mind. Essentially, figuring out what makes you, you.

In doing so, we start to uncover the root of your limiting beliefs, along with any stories and memories that support these. Here is an incredible testimonial from my lovely client Bernadette about her experience:

“I was feeling worthless, insignificant, remorseful, and suicidal…once I had peace with my childhood and my past mistakes, we moved on to tackle my fear of job interviews and Money Mindset. I was on a job that underpaid me and overworked me and within a few months of working with Valerie and being able to interview without feeling anxious, I got a 36% raise at my current job and a month later I got a job offer that increased my salary by total of 73%”

Taking time to understand your brain wiring matters. It ensures that when we start tapping, we will be planting the right ‘seeds’ (thoughts and beliefs) into the ‘soil’ (your brain’s reticular activating system). In doing so, new, empowering beliefs can truly take root.

We will then discuss any other goals and dreams – personal or professional – and then collaboratively tailor an ‘action plan’ specific to your needs (and brain!). This may include discussion of frequency and timing of sessions, as well as talking through any other strategies I think may be beneficial.

Do not worry about needing to have all the answers, that is exactly where I come in! I am here to support and guide in a way that feels safe, grounded and comfortable. All you need is a willingness to show up and explore together.

To further assist me with my detective work, you will get some homework in the form of a peace list. This involves writing short sentences about memories you would like to make peace with, including (but not limited to) relationship breakdowns, illness, trauma or feelings of rejection or abandonment. I will give you more examples and information when the time comes. You provide as much or as little detail as you feel safe and comfortable doing.

Session Two: Let the Tapping Begin

A quick summary of this EFT session:

• Time commitment: 90 minutes
• Aim: Release (heavy emotions) & realign (to peace and purpose)
• Requirements: As above – show up, with a willingness for joint exploration

In most cases, 1:1 coaching session are 90 minutes long however, this may vary depending on your package and individual needs.

Each session typically involves several rounds of EFT, broken up with NLP, pattern interrupts (to keep things fun) or if more grounding is needed, visualization and breathwork exercises.

I like to break down the structure of a typical session into the following three parts:

The ‘HEAVY LIFTING’ (releasing)

You will probably hear me compare our work together to personal training. Guided by your peace list, in real-time I continue to piece together things like the main memories behind them, the supporting belief systems, even who you learned it from, so I can ensure the language used during our tapping rounds speaks directly to your subconscious.

You will probably find that as you relax into the session and allow space for yourself, you recall details you thought you had forgotten or find that deeply held beliefs arise, seemingly out of nowhere. You may feel things in your body or have emotions surface unexpectedly, but this is part of the process – your body and nervous system are beginning to release and neutralize these heavier emotions. It is very common to experience physical symptoms of these massive releases including burping, tears and yawning.

Dr Peta Stapleton has really great example of what a round of tapping looks like here. Through my own training and experience, I have developed a more personalized ‘fast’ (yet still incredibly effective) version of EFT. Try it out with my video, which is designed to shift feelings of stagnancy and stuckness.

Of course, the focus of a session does not have to stick to only the items on your peace list. It can change based on what you need or if there is something specific you would like to work on. I totally understand that life happens, and things pop up. For example, I often help clients prepare for last-minute job interviews or to navigate the pain and shock of a sudden breakup.

FUTURE PACING (realigning)

This is a major component of sessions – not only to achieve the best results possible, but to experience more joy by planting the seeds for your big dreams.

What is it?

I describe future pacing as really living the future by talking through all the explicit details and then visualizing, so you can truly feel those positive emotions in your body. We may choose one (or several) future situations, particularly those where you have moved through a challenge or reached an incredible milestone.

I will usually get you to future pace three, six or twelve months ahead. Sometimes I might even get you to do 5 or 10 years out to reaaaaally stretch and push the limits of your subconscious a bit so you can really start to imagine ALL the possibilities. This can be both exciting and challenging, so it is very normal to feel a bit uncomfortable during this part.

Some common prompts I use to help you live in the future include: What would it feel like to experience more calm in my day-to-day life? Where would I like to be living in three months? How would I like to feel at my job? What experiences would I like to have at my job? Where would my dream holiday destination be?

Why is future pacing important?

Importantly, what we are doing here is tapping (quite literally) into the brain’s neuroplasticity to create new neural pathways. By ‘extinguishing’ or ‘tapping away’ at some of those big emotions in the heavy lifting part of our session, we have started the process of clearing up older belief systems. This means our brain is now ‘primed’ to pick up these new beliefs.  

Future pacing is also useful for creating safe place in your mind. Here, we once again create neural pathways, this time specifically geared toward peace and safety. This supports the healing process (in two main ways):

1. Unlocking Body Safety

EFT supports vagal nerve improvement, which can contribute to a general sense of safety and well-being within the body. The vagus nerve is the longest nerve in your body going all the way from your brain to your intestines. It is a major component of the parasympathetic nervous system and is responsible for regulating various bodily functions including breathing, digestion and heart rate. It also counterbalances stress responses, essentially helping you to shift from being more in your sympathetic nervous system (‘flight or fight’ mode) to your parasympathetic nervous system (‘rest and digest’ mode).

As 80% of vagus nerve fibers are sensory, when you move or breathe into certain areas of your body – through things like EFT, meditation, visualization and deep breathing (all of which we do in session!) – you can influence vagal nerve functioning. As the vagus nerve sends signals to the brain that activate the parasympathetic nervous system, you are not only creating a feedback loop that reinforces a state of relaxation but supporting the regulation of bodily functions. This is why you have probably heard of the massive impact EFT has on stress reduction and anxiety^1,2,34

Many of us live in a chronic fight-flight or freeze state, so using EFT to ‘retune’ the vagus nerve can help shift the body into rest, repair, and resilience.

2. Personal Empowerment

EFT is an effective way to shift and create different emotional states – often extremely quickly and effectively too! In sessions you are learning about the tapping process and other brain-based strategies, therefore enabling you to see and feel tangible proof of these shifts. You get to leave feeling empowered, knowing you have the power to change how you feel, respond, and move through life: one tap at a time.

CLOSING WITH CARE

Congrats! You have made it through. The heavy lifting and future pacing has been done and it’s time to wrap things up. At this point, we go through any ‘self-work’ discussed in session so you can take aligned action and keep building momentum.

These approaches are totally tailored to you, but common recommendations include personalized affirmations or mantras, journal prompts, scripting and visualizations/mental rehearsals. We might also discuss more practical strategies such as time blocking and goal setting, to help you navigate your days with more intention and confidence.

What happens after a session?

The last (but arguably) one of the most important things to expect during EFT is transformation. Not only in tangible, measurable successes – think pay rises, improved relationships – but also in how you feel: a renewed outlook on challenges, a sense of lightness and increased resilience.

You have input new ‘coding’ into your brain, now you just have to let it sink in. The beauty of EFT is that that rewiring continues to occur, long after you close your laptop. I typically advise you take it easy over the next 24 hours to ensure that integration can fully occur. You have just done so much shifting and should enjoy being in the new safe place you have created.

At the end of a session, I find that clients either feel more energized and excited or like a ‘tappy nappy.’ My job is to ensure we strike a balance so you hit that subconscious sweet spot: not too fatigued but not too alert. Most of my clients report they experience a better night’s sleep and increased feelings of calm and clarity the day of and/or after a session.

You can view more FAQs, including how many sessions you may need here.

To finish off…

An EFT session might feel unfamiliar at first, but it’s really just a safe space to explore what’s going on inside – one tap at a time. It isn’t about fixing, it’s about remembering and returning to the wisdom and wholeness that is YOU, by clearing old patterns and wiring. While the structure may seem simple, the energy it unlocks is anything but ordinary.

You don’t need to have the ‘right words’ or have it all figured out. I will be there to guide you, hold space, and help you gently work through whatever comes up.

Hopefully, this peek behind the curtain helps you feel more prepared (and maybe even excited!)

When you’re ready, the healing begins with a single tap.

Sending calm and clarity,
Val xxx

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¹Church. D., P. Stapleton, A. Vasudevan, & T. O’Keefe. (2022). “Clinical EFT as an Evidence-Based Practice for the treatment of Psychological and Physiological Conditions: A Systematic Review,” Front Psychol, 13:95145, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.951451

²Bach, D., Groesbeck, G., Stapleton, P., Sims, R., Blickheuser, K. & Church, D. (2019). “Clinical EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) Improves Multiple Physiological Markers of Health”, Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine, 24, pp. 1-12,https://doi.org/10.1177/2515690X18823691

³Church, D., Yount, G. & Brooks, A.J. (2012). “The effect of emotional freedom techniques on stress biochemistry”, Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 200(10), pp. 891–896. https://doi.org/10.1097/nmd.0b013e31826b9fc1

⁴Stapleton, P. (2025). About EFT. Available at: https://www.petastapleton.com/about-eft (Accessed 7 May 2025).