Naturally Thin You: Weight Loss and Psychological Symptoms After a Six-Week Online Clinical EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) Course

Church, Dawson; Stapleton, Peta; Sheppard, Lily; Carter, Brett

doi:10.1016/j.explore.2017.10.009

Cited by 8 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…Participants lost weight within the six-week program with average weight loss around 5.4 kilograms, additionally reporting a reduction in self-reported levels of depression (Church & Wilde, 2013). A similar program examined the effectiveness of EFT for both weight loss and symptoms of PTSD (Church, Stapleton, Sheppard, & Carter, 2018) and while online delivery of EFT for weight loss overall was positive, neither studies included a control or comparison group.…”

Section: Online Eft For Food Cravingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparison of the Effectiveness of Two Modalities of Group Delivery of Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) Intervention for Food Cravings: Online versus In-Person

Stapleton¹,

Stewart²

2020

JSS

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Section: Online Eft For Food Cravingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparison of the Effectiveness of Two Modalities of Group Delivery of Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) Intervention for Food Cravings: Online versus In-Person

Stapleton¹,

Stewart²

2020

JSS

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“…Weight decreased an average of 1 pound per week during the course and 2 pounds per month between pre-test and one-year follow-up. Church et al's [45] results indicate that EFT may promote beneficial long-term change when delivered in an online format. Research has also highlighted the neurological mechanisms that underlie successful weight loss through EFT.…”

Section: Evidence For Food Cravingsmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…The clinical utility of EFT to address the influence of food in the external environment and assist weight loss was recently examined in 76 participants enrolled in a six-week online EFT course [45]. Weight, restraint, the power of food in the external environment (e.g.…”

Section: Evidence For Food Cravingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Online Delivery of Emotional Freedom Techniques in the Treatment of Food Cravings and Weight Management: A Randomised Controlled Trial

Stapleton¹,

Roos

Mackintosh³

et al. 2019

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Background: The combination of dietary restraint and physical exercise as a recommended treatment for weight loss has had limited long-term success. One factor proposed as limiting weight management techniques efficacy is the failure to target psychological processes linked with overeating. Consistent with prior research that has identified the efficacy of emotional freedom techniques (EFT) in reducing food cravings and aiding weight loss, this pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT) examined the impact of online delivery of EFT intervention on food cravings and weight management. Methods: Participants were randomly assigned to an eight-week online EFT intervention group or waitlist control group. The sample comprised primarily of women (96%) aged between 41 and 60 years. Of the treatment group, 65% consumed their craved foods daily and had an average Body Mass Index in the obese range (33.3). Outcome measures assessed included food cravings, dietary restraint, subjective power of food, weight, somatic (body sensation), anxiety, and depressive symptoms.

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“…In a study of a 6-week online EFT program, significant improvements were found for body weight (p < 0.001), behaviors to restrain eating (p = 0.025), and the association of food with reward (p = 0.018). Participant weight decreased an average of 1 pound per week during the course and 2 pounds per month between pretest and 1-year follow-up (Church et al, 2018a). In a pilot randomized clinical trial of obese adults that investigated the effect of Clinical EFT on brain activation in response to food craving stimuli using fMRI, findings indicated that EFT may decrease limbic region brain activity and reduce food related symptoms in overweight/obese individuals (Stapleton et al, 2019a).…”

Section: Weight Loss Cravings and Binge Eatingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Clinical EFT as an evidence-based practice for the treatment of psychological and physiological conditions: A systematic review

Church¹,

Stapleton

Vasudevan³

et al. 2022

Front. Psychol.

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BackgroundSince the turn of the century, Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) has come into widespread use in medical and psychological treatment settings. It is also used as self-help by tens of millions of people each year. Clinical EFT, the manualized form of the method, has been validated as an “evidence-based” practice using criteria published by the American Psychological Association (APA) Division 12 Task Force on Empirically Validated Therapies. Its three essential ingredients are exposure, cognitive framing, and acupressure.ObjectivesIn 2013 we published a paper defining Clinical EFT and reviewing published research. It has been viewed or downloaded over 36,000 times, indicating widespread interest in this treatment modality. Here we update our findings based on subsequently published literature and propose directions for future research.MethodWe performed a systematic review of the literature to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and meta-analyses. Retrieval of 4,167 results resulted in the identification of 56 RCTs (n = 2,013), 41 of which were published subsequent to our earlier review, as well as eight meta-analyses.ResultsRCTs have found EFT treatment to be effective for (a) psychological conditions such as anxiety, depression, phobias, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); (b) physiological issues such as pain, insomnia, and autoimmune conditions; (c) professional and sports performance; and (d) biological markers of stress. Meta-analyses evaluating the effect of EFT treatment have found it to be “moderate” to “large.” Successful independent replication studies have been carried out for anxiety, depression, PTSD, phobias, sports performance, and cortisol levels. We outline the next steps in EFT research. These include determining its impact on cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and cognitive impairment; analysis of the large-scale datasets made possible by mobile apps; and delivery through channels such as virtual practitioner sessions, artificial intelligence agents, online courses, apps, virtual reality platforms, and standardized group therapy.ConclusionsSubsequent research has confirmed the conclusions of earlier studies. These find Clinical EFT to be efficacious for a range of psychological and physiological conditions. Comparatively few treatment sessions are required, treatment is effective whether delivered in person or virtually, and symptom improvements persist over time. Treatment is associated with measurable biological effects in the dimensions of gene expression, brain synchrony, hormonal synthesis, and a wide range of biomarkers. Clinical EFT is a stable and mature method with an extensive evidence base. Its use in primary care settings as a safe, rapid, reliable, and effective treatment for both psychological and medical diagnoses continues to grow.

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Naturally Thin You: Weight Loss and Psychological Symptoms After a Six-Week Online Clinical EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) Course

Cited by 8 publications

References 31 publications

Comparison of the Effectiveness of Two Modalities of Group Delivery of Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) Intervention for Food Cravings: Online versus In-Person

Comparison of the Effectiveness of Two Modalities of Group Delivery of Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) Intervention for Food Cravings: Online versus In-Person

Online Delivery of Emotional Freedom Techniques in the Treatment of Food Cravings and Weight Management: A Randomised Controlled Trial

Clinical EFT as an evidence-based practice for the treatment of psychological and physiological conditions: A systematic review

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