How to Use Tapping (Psychological Acupuncture) in Schools: Evidence and Clinical Applications

Academic fitness and academic survival has become a growing area of concern in pedagogy. The classroom is one of the important places students have the opportunity to learn and develop characteristics to achieve. However, the academic trajectories of students characterised by fear and failure are not positive. Chronic underachievement at school is associated with school truancy and drop out, misbehaviour, disengagement and difficulties with teachers. It is also associated with poor mental and physical health, future low salary, unemployment and affiliation with negative peers (Martin, 2010). Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) are a novel intervention combining elements of exposure therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and somatic stimulation. It is often referred to as 'psychological acupuncture' (i.e. without needles). Many studies have examined the effects of EFT on test-taking anxiety and depression in students (Church, De Asis, Brooks, 2012), teacher burnout (Reynolds & Walden 2010), anxiety (Andrade & Feinstein 2004), presentation anxiety (Boath et al 2012A) and post-traumatic stress disorder (Karatzias et al 2011). The combination of a short-term intervention, easy to master technique, and immediate results contribute to the hypothesis that EFT may be an effective tool for students in classroom situations who are at risk of academic fear and failure. In this course, Dr. Peta Stapleton (Bond University) presents the EFT tapping technique and outlines the results from 3 clinical trials in Queensland schools during 2014-15. The course ends with a short Q&A session with Dr. Stapleton.