EFT Movie Technique: The Art and Skill: Part 2

EFT Movie Technique in 3 Parts : Part Two

Brief Overview

This article forms part of a series of three, covering Movie Technique and how to test your results thoroughly. This article is part 2.

In this part, we cover how to do the EFT Movie Technique. We also include the essential points you need to be aware of to use this approach successfully.

EFT Movie Technique Instructions

You have identified a key event connected to the client’s problem.

1. Therapist: “In that event, I guess that you were happy, and then something happened, and a big emotion hit you. How long did that first big emotion occur over? How many seconds, minutes, hours?”

Ideally, you are looking for a short duration, the shorter, the better. The answer should be in seconds or minutes. If the answer is longer than this, break the event down into smaller chunks. Why do I suggest you say “seconds, minutes hours”? Because if they are thinking hours or more, you want to know.

I have had clients say, “thirty years.” Then I have needed to give further instruction to get the technique set up effectively. By the way, clients who have said multiple years had already been instructed that the event needs to be short duration!

2. If that event was a movie, what would be the title of it?”
Please note you are looking for a specific event. If the client has difficulty coming up with a title, switch the question around and re-ask with the following words,
Therapist: “If that movie was a colour, what would that be?”

People sometimes have a problem coming up with a title, as it can feel as if they have been “put on the spot.” This reaction sometimes indicates an underlying issue. It is best to sidestep it by making it easier to come up with an answer, thus the colour question.

3. Therapist: “Run the movie through your mind; what is the intensity as you do that?” You have now set up a feedback mechanism.

4. Do a round of EFT using the words:

“Even though I have this (whatever title they have given the event) movie problem, I accept it happened.”

Example: The client gives the movie title as, “Last Chance.”

“Even though I have this, Last Chance movie problem, I accept it happened.”

5. Therapist: Re-assess the intensity of the movie. Ask the client to “Run the movie through your mind; what is the intensity of that movie now?”

6. Repeat steps 4-5 until the intensity when they run it through their mind is zero or as close to zero as possible.

At this point, you may have dealt entirely with the event itself, meaning it will no longer be part of the database that the mind and body system uses to run the client’s current life. Or, you might have lowered the intensity of the event substantially. The result of this is that you can now go through it step by step without much discomfort. This enables you to use more direct (associated) forms of tapping safely.

Points to Success

Movie Technique works best when dealing with an event in which the emotions took place over a few moments. There maybe one or two emotional crescendos. In an event with multiple crescendos, it can be targeted at the highest intensity moment.

If the intensity does not decrease when using the technique, make sure they are not switching aspects. Switching aspects is when our mind moves to another piece of the problem. To the client, it can seem as if nothing has improved.

However, this often happens because the intensity of the original problem has dropped in strength, and the new aspect may draw their attention because it now is more evident because of its higher intensity.

Also, if the intensity does not drop, ask, “what would happen if you let this go?” Often people will come up with the obvious thoughts, such as “I’d feel better.” Agree with them and then ask again, “What might you gain from holding onto this?” You are looking for conscious or unconscious blocks to clearing the event.

Sometimes these take a moment to come into conscious awareness. It can often surprise the client what pops to the surface. Examples, “It is not safe for me to let this go,” “I want to get back at them because they hurt me,” etc. If thoughts like these pop-up, you can tap on them to clear the resistance to let go of the event.