When stress or anxiety has taken hold, you may be able to explain exactly why you feel the way you do, and still feel it in your chest, your stomach or your shoulders.
Tapping is a gentle practice that brings your body into the work. Using your fingertips, you tap lightly on a series of points on your face, upper body and hand while you focus on what’s causing you distress.
What it can help with
I may suggest tapping when you’re dealing with stress, anxiety or overwhelm, or when you feel stuck on a thought or feeling that won’t ease. Tapping combines elements of established psychological approaches with gentle acupressure, and a growing body of research, including randomised controlled trials, has found it can reduce anxiety and stress. Researchers are still debating how it works and how it compares with other treatments, and results vary from person to person.
What a session looks like
- We start with what’s causing you distress and where you notice it in your body.
- We tap together, at your pace, and I guide you through each point. Having someone calm alongside you can help your own body settle. This is often called co-regulation.
- We stop to check what has changed and decide what you’d like to do next.
You stay in control throughout. You don’t need to share details you’re not ready to talk about, and you can pause or stop at any time. Tapping works online as well as in person, and you can use it between sessions once you’ve learned it.
How it fits with counselling
Tapping is one part of how I work, rather than a stand-alone treatment or a replacement for medical care. We’ll only use it if it feels right to you. I’ve completed my training in tapping and am working towards certification.
Curious about trying it? Send me a message to book a free 15-minute chat.
