One of the things I love the most about EFT is how easy it is to use for self-healing. Compared to other modalities like EMDR and biofeedback, it's remarkably accessible.

That said, not everyone likes doing EFT on their own, and even for people who do like it (and have the skill and experience to use it effectively), going it alone is not always the best course of action.

Keep reading to determine whether continuing to do EFT on your own, without the help of a professional EFT practitioner, is the most effective way for you to completely and permanently heal the issues that are holding you back and causing you to suffer.

1) You like EFT and know that it works, but you just don’t like doing it on your own.

Using EFT for self-healing is not for everyone. Many of my clients don’t tap on their own at all, and that’s absolutely fine. Just like some people prefer to do their taxes on their own (or with the help of Turbo Tax or other software), while many others prefer to turn to an accountant at tax time, some people prefer working with an EFT practitioner to tapping issues out on their own.

2) You’ve been trying to heal an issue on your own, but you can’t seem to get at the root of it, and feel like you have a blind spot.

Sometimes the hardest thing for us to see is our own stuff. It’s too close to us, and too tangled up with our identity, fears, and conditioning for us to get a clear view. As an EFT practitioner with nearly 10 years of experience, this even happens to me sometimes. It’s easy for me to identify, unpack, and tap out my clients’ issues, but my own are not always so accessible. There’s no shame in that. If you need help, get help. You deserve it.

3) The issue you want to heal feels too big or too painful to dive into, unpack, and tap out on your own, and you feel like you need the support and guidance of an experienced professional.

It can be really scary and overwhelming to dive into our traumatic memories, experiences of loss, and fears by ourselves. So many people all over the world are using EFT for self-healing that it can feel like that’s what you should do, too, but if you need or want support and guidance in your healing process, you should have it.

4) You know that an issue, be it grief, a trauma, a fear, etc. is holding you back and causing you to suffer, and you know how to do EFT, but you keep avoiding it, putting it off, etc.

In this case, sometimes all you need is a shift in perspective, which my article, When You Don’t Feel Like Tapping, might help you with. And sometimes what you need is the help of an EFT practitioner who will go with you into the issue, thoroughly unpack it with you, and tap the whole thing out. Pick the option that feels best for you and go with that. Or maybe read the article, and if you still feel resistant to tapping your way through the issue on your own, then seek the assistance of an EFT practitioner.

5) You feel mostly at peace about an upsetting event, but you’re still angry or resentful toward the other person or people involved, and you can’t seem to let it go.

This is very common, and it usually means that there are what we call hidden aspects that you haven’t been able to identify and tap out on your own. This is what EFT practitioners are trained to do, and a good one will be able to help you quickly uncover, identify, and release the hidden aspects that are keeping you stuck in anger/resentment.

6) You’ve tapped and tapped about the loss of a loved one, but you're still in pain when you think about that person, and you can’t seem to get any further with healing the grief on your own.

Once again, this is a case of hidden aspects, and a good EFT practitioner will be able to help you quickly identify and release the aspects of your loss that are still causing you to suffer. I've said it before and it bears repeating: Love is forever, but grief doesn't have to be. Truly.

7) You have goals you want to achieve, but you feel stuck and can’t figure out how to identify and release your inner blocks so you can live your best life.

Using EFT to achieve goals is one of my favorite ways to use this incredible healing tool, and it can also be one of the trickiest. Not only do you need to identify whatever limiting beliefs and fears you may have about achieving your goals, you also need to find and release the traumatic experiences that gave rise to them, and that can be very challenging.

8) You know that you have issues that are holding you back and causing you to suffer, but you’re not really sure what they are or how to figure that out.

Again, we all have our blind-spots, and an experienced professional is trained to help you find yours so that you can see yourself clearly, assess what needs to be healed, and then heal it.

No Matter How Much You're Hurting, You Can Heal

You deserve to be free from whatever is holding you back and causing you to suffer. Whether you do that tapping work on your own, with an EFT practitioner, or a combination of both, I encourage you to keep at it so that you can completely and permanently heal.

By Heather Ambler

Heather Ambler is a San Francisco Bay Area EFT practitioner and mindset coach. Through her private practice and online programs, she’s helped over 14,000 people in 83 countries recover from loss, heal trauma, release fears, increase confidence, and achieve goals. To learn more and schedule an EFT session or free consultation, click here.