EFT vs. EMDR: Comparing Two Powerful Techniques for Emotional Healing

If you've searched "EFT vs EMDR," you're probably trying to figure out which one is right for you, or wondering if they're the same thing (they're not). Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT Tapping) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) are two established approaches to emotional healing, and this guide lays out exactly how they compare so you can figure out what fits what you're working through.

Both have gained recognition for their effectiveness, but how do they compare? Let's look at the world of EFT vs. EMDR to help you understand these powerful tools for emotional healing.

In this post, we’ll explore the similarities and differences between EFT and EMDR, look at their effectiveness, and provide insights to help you decide which one might be best for your needs.

If you're brand new to this, our complete guide to EFT tapping covers the points, the process, and the evidence.

EFT vs. EMDR at a glance

EFT Tapping and EMDR: What are they?

EFT, also known as Emotional Freedom Techniques or Tapping, is a mind-body approach that combines elements of ancient Chinese acupressure and modern psychology. It involves gently tapping on specific points on the body (that correspond to meridians) while focusing on emotions or issues you want to address. This process helps calm the nervous system, reduce cortisol (the stress hormone), and rewire the brain’s emotional response.

EMDR is a psychotherapy treatment originally designed to alleviate the distress associated with traumatic memories. It uses bilateral stimulation, often in the form of side-to-side eye movements, while the patient focuses on traumatic memories. The process helps reduce the emotional intensity of those memories over time.

EMDR was developed by psychologist Dr. Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s. During a session, a trained EMDR therapist guides the client through the bilateral stimulation while they focus on a troubling memory, image, emotion, or sensation. Besides eye movements, that bilateral stimulation can also take the form of alternating hand taps, auditory tones, or tactile stimulation (like alternating taps on the shoulders or knees).

Many therapists use both EFT and EMDR therapy in their practices, and these techniques are even sometimes combined (for example in something called the Gamut Point Procedure).

But while both techniques aim to promote healing and emotional balance, they differ in their approach and application.

Is tapping the same as EMDR?

No. This is a common mix-up, since both use a form of side-to-side stimulation, so let's be precise about the difference.

EMDR's "bilateral tapping" refers to bilateral stimulation: a therapist guiding you through alternating left-right sensory input, most often eye movements but sometimes alternating hand taps or tones, while you hold a specific traumatic memory in mind. It's one piece of a structured, multi-phase clinical protocol.

EFT tapping is a different technique altogether. You tap with your fingertips on specific acupressure points, on both sides of the body, while naming out loud what you're feeling ("this anxiety," "this tightness in my chest") and rating its intensity. There's no requirement to alternate sides in a specific rhythm, and no memory-reprocessing protocol behind it. Our guide to bilateral tapping for anxiety covers how EFT's own two-sided tapping works and how it's different from what people usually mean by "EMDR tapping."

In plain terms: if a therapist is guiding your eye movements or alternating taps while you hold a specific memory in mind, that's EMDR's bilateral stimulation. If you're tapping your own fingertips on acupressure points while naming a feeling, that's EFT.

Comparing EMDR vs. EFT: Key Differences and Similarities

EFT Tapping and EMDR are both designed to help people manage and release emotional distress, but their methods and approaches differ significantly. Let’s take a closer look at how they stack up.

Key similarities

1. Address emotional and psychological issues: Both EFT and EMDR are effective for navigating strong emotions, relieving stress and anxiety, and helping regulate your emotional state.
2. Used for trauma and PTSD: Both techniques are effectively used to help people heal from trauma and overcome PTSD symptoms.
3. Non-invasive and natural: Both are gentle, holistic approaches that don’t involve medication or invasive procedures.
4. Based on modern psychology principles: These techniques both draw from powerful psychological practices like cognitive behavioral therapy, exposure therapy, and memory reprocessing.
5. Involve bilateral stimulation: EFT and EMDR both involve a form of bilateral stimulation, meaning they stimulate both the left and right sights of the brain.
6. Effective and backed by research: Research supports the effectiveness of both techniques. For example, a comparative study published in the Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease found that both EFT and EMDR were similarly effective in reducing PTSD symptoms.[1]

Key differences

1. Technique: EFT involves using your fingertips to tap on acupoints, while EMDR uses eye movements or other forms of bilateral stimulation.
2. Accessibility: EFT can be self-administered after learning the technique, while EMDR typically requires structured sessions led by a trained therapist.
3. Focus: EFT is often used for a wide range of issues, from daily stress to trauma. EMDR is primarily used for processing traumatic memories and healing from PTSD.
4. Duration: EFT can be practiced in short sessions; even just a few minutes can provide relief. EMDR sessions are typically longer and may require multiple sessions for full effect.
5. Cost: EFT can be learned and practiced for free, while EMDR usually involves the cost of therapy sessions.

Can you do both?

Yes, and plenty of people do. EMDR and EFT aren't competing for the same job. A trauma-informed therapist may use EMDR in session to process a specific memory, while a client uses EFT tapping on their own between sessions to stay regulated day to day. That's the most common pattern therapists describe, and it's also the idea behind the Gamut Point Procedure mentioned above, which blends elements of both.

Who tends to benefit from combining them: people who've experienced trauma or PTSD, people managing anxiety or phobias, people dealing with situation-specific anxiety like test anxiety or social anxiety, and people who feel stuck in traditional talk therapy alone.

If you're currently working with a therapist, it's worth asking whether they're familiar with EFT or open to you bringing tapping into the work you're already doing together. If you want to start learning EFT on your own right now, our complete guide to EFT tapping walks through the points and the process.

Why body-based approaches like these help where talk alone sometimes doesn't: a purely logical, "just think it through" approach often can't close the gap between knowing you're safe and actually feeling safe. Both EFT and EMDR work by engaging the body, not just the thinking mind, which is closer to how the nervous system actually calms down, a framework I write about at length as the Calm Gap in my book REWIRED.

Why Consider EFT Tapping?

While both techniques have their merits, and both EMDR and EFT are extremely effective healing techniques for serious issues, EFT Tapping can offer some unique advantages.

Here's why it's such a powerful option:

1. Easy to learn and practice: You can learn the basics of Tapping in minutes and start applying it immediately.
2. No special equipment needed: All you need is your own hands.
3. Cost-effective: Once learned, Tapping is free to practice on your own. Additional support resources like books, app subscriptions, and others are generally low-cost options.
4. Can be done anywhere, anytime: Whether you're at home, at work, or on the go, you can tap to find relief.
5. Addresses a wide range of issues: From anxiety and stress to physical pain and phobias, Tapping has shown effectiveness across various concerns.
6. Extremely effective: Many people report feeling calmer after just one Tapping session. And research shows it’s highly effective for even some of the most serious concerns (for example, it’s considered one of the most effective treatments for PTSD in young people). You can read all about the research on Tapping for PTSD here.
7. Empowering self-help tool: Once learned, you can use Tapping on your own, putting the power of healing in your hands.

As you can see, EFT Tapping stands out for both its simplicity and accessibility.

What our data shows

Across the Trauma Support category in The Tapping Solution App, 9 sessions built for trauma and PTSD-adjacent support, people have completed 54,319 sessions and rated the intensity of what they were feeling from 0 to 10 before and after. The average goes from 6.5 to 4.0, a 38% drop, in a single sitting (app data, not a clinical study).

One session in that category built for in-the-moment stress: Stop a Panic Attack has been completed 11,657 times, with the average rating going from 7.4 to 5.1. It's the kind of self-help use case EMDR isn't designed for, something you reach for on your own, in the moment, without a scheduled therapy session.

A larger, published study of 270,461 Tapping Solution App users found anxiety dropped an average of 44% and stress dropped 45% after using the app (Church & Stapleton, 2020, JMIR Mental Health). That's self-report data at scale, not a controlled trial, and it points the same direction as the smaller controlled studies referenced above.

In their own words

Walt, 58 years of PTSD from his time as a Vietnam veteran, rated his anxiousness an 8 before tapping, a 1 after

Cheryl, From Fear and Worry to Peace, rated her worry an 8 before the session, a 7 after

Our proof library doesn't have an EMDR-specific app-feedback or testimonial quote, so the two quotes above come from our trauma and anxiety feedback instead.

Ready to Try Tapping?

If you're intrigued by the power of EFT Tapping, you can learn all about Tapping here.

The Tapping Solution App is an excellent resource to get started and learn the technique on your own.

With hundreds of guided Tapping meditations covering a wide range of topics, it's like having a Tapping coach in your pocket 24/7.

Our users report significant benefits:

• 📉40% reduction in anxiety after just 9 minutes of Tapping (based on more than 1.7 million uses of our Releasing Anxiety meditation)
• 😌35% drop in pain intensity after one session with our Release General Pain meditation
• 🚀 55% more confident after our Boost of Confidence meditation

Whether you're dealing with stress, anxiety, trauma, or just want to improve your overall well-being, Tapping could be the tool you've been looking for.

Download The Tapping Solution App today and start your journey towards emotional freedom.

It's free to try, and you might be surprised at how quickly you can find relief.

Remember, while both EFT and EMDR are powerful techniques, the best approach is the one that works for you.

If you're curious why reprocessing techniques like these work at all, my book REWIRED covers the memory reconsolidation science behind it.

Until next time… Keep Tapping!
Nick Ortner

Go deeper

• Our complete guide to EFT tapping, if you want the full picture on what it is and how to do it.
• The EFT tapping chart, for the 9 points at a glance.
• Tapping phrases and tapping scripts, for exact words to use once you know the points.
• Bilateral tapping for anxiety, on EFT's own two-sided tapping practice and how it differs from EMDR's bilateral stimulation.
• Tapping for trauma, our full guide to using EFT alongside professional care for trauma and PTSD.
• Juanita's story, on using tapping between EMDR sessions to reinforce the work.
• If you'd like to work with someone one-on-one, our practitioner directory lists independent EFT practitioners who work online and in person.

Tap along with me

This video gets into why old wounds keep running the show and how tapping helps release them, the mechanism behind the comparison above.

EFT vs. EMDR: Your Questions, Answered

Is EFT the same as EMDR?

No. They're both approaches to emotional healing, but they're different techniques with different origins. EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) involves tapping with your fingertips on specific acupressure points while naming and focusing on the feeling you want to shift, and you can learn to do it yourself. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a structured psychotherapy that uses bilateral stimulation, guided by a trained therapist, to help the brain reprocess a specific traumatic memory.

Which is better, EFT or EMDR?

It depends on what you need. EMDR has a strong evidence base specifically for PTSD and is delivered by a licensed clinician following a structured protocol, so it's often the right choice for processing a specific traumatic memory with professional support. EFT is easier to access, can be self-administered, and works well for everyday stress, anxiety, and in-the-moment emotional regulation. Many people use both: EMDR in session with a therapist, and EFT tapping on their own between sessions.

Can I do EMDR on myself?

No. EMDR is a clinical therapy protocol delivered by a trained and certified EMDR therapist. There isn't a self-administered version of it. If you're looking for something you can practice on your own, EFT tapping is designed for that.

What is bilateral tapping?

In EMDR, bilateral tapping (or bilateral stimulation) means alternating left-right sensory input, like eye movements, alternating hand taps, or tones, guided by a therapist while you focus on a memory. It's a specific part of the EMDR protocol. EFT tapping is different: you tap with your fingertips on acupressure points on both sides of the body while naming the feeling out loud, and you can learn and use it on your own.

Does tapping work for trauma?

Research, including controlled trials in veterans with PTSD, has found tapping can significantly reduce trauma symptoms. Tapping works alongside professional care, not in place of it, especially for a PTSD diagnosis or complex trauma.

How do I choose between EFT and EMDR?

If you're processing a specific traumatic memory or have a PTSD diagnosis, start with a licensed EMDR therapist or a trauma-informed clinician. If you want a tool for everyday stress, anxiety, or emotional regulation you can use on your own, start with EFT tapping. If you're already in therapy, ask your therapist whether tapping between sessions makes sense alongside the work you're doing together.

Can EFT and EMDR be used together?

Yes. Many therapists use both, and some combine elements of each in something called the Gamut Point Procedure. A common pattern is EMDR in session with a therapist, and EFT tapping on your own between sessions to stay regulated.

References

1. Karatzias T, Power K, Brown K, McGoldrick T, Begum M, Young J, Loughran P, Chouliara Z, Adams S. A controlled comparison of the effectiveness and efficiency of two psychological therapies for posttraumatic stress disorder: eye movement desensitization and reprocessing vs. emotional freedom techniques. J Nerv Ment Dis. 2011 Jun;199(6):372-8.