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The EFT protocol is based on acupuncture meridians, and so there is a proven relationship to the emotions also. Tap the energy and clear the emotions. And there are some EFT protocol steps that are borrowed from EMDR, where you circle your eyes clockwise and counter-clockwise as part of a setup. I forget those details because I have not used that in a long time.
There is a more general way to look at EMDR called bilateral stimulation. The idea is to use any system that alternates between the left and right brain hemispheres. This develops better balance and helps to interrupt the stuck patterns that make large loops through the brain and the sympathetic and parasympathetic pathway with the vegus nerve. Both EFT and EMDR are about pattern interrupt but they have different way to go about it. So you really do not need to use the eyes. You can also use audio sounds that alternate from side to side or binaural beats can use a slightly different frequency in each side, where difference puts you into theta or delta for relaxation. I used a lot of audio in the past.
I was attracted to EMDR because I had a strong feeling it was going to be important. So I made sure that I found a therapist who could do PTSD and EMDR. It was not what I expected. I thought that they would use a light or something. But what they used was just their hand, moving their forearm back and forth like a metronome. I did not like the effect and it was too fast but stuck with it because it really helped.
My therapist also had a device called a tapper. It is like holding two cell phones that buzz alternatively in each hand back and forth. This was much better. I could set the speed down to about 1hz and it really helped to calm me while talking about issues because I was so stressed. And is very good for doing guided meditations to create a safe space.
I bought my own tapper because I thought it would be a way that I could calm myself down and try meditating more. Which is very hard for me because I am often lost in anxiety. That did not work though and it just gave me a headache. It seems I really need to do the work one on one with another person to be with me. Probably because my primary issues relate to states of being in fear and alone. So I get triggered and I'm gone. But having my own tapper worked great and COVID happened we just continued the sessions over the phone. I was in an inner place anyhow.
The EMDR protocol is great because it is so simple just three steps. First talk a bit and identify an issue, then EMDR, then they ask "what do you notice now". Observe and share how I am feeling or what I am feeling in my body. That's it. And repeat. Each time it clears whatever comes up. And that proces really helps to develop and ability to witness issues when the come up instead of just falling into them.
When an issue is real obvious I tend to use EFT and dive right in. But when I am just in an unknown anxiety place most likely some child part where I need to be calmed and work gradually through it then I'll choose EMDR instead. Hope I can talk more about the energy patterns later.
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