FOCUS: Can you tap away stress?

Friday 10 February 2023

Are you stressed? Anxious? Overwhelmed? Then tapping might just be for you, according to a Jersey wellness coach.

Express spoke to Tapping Practitioner Yolanda Sáez Castelló of Tap It Better Jersey about this unique remedy for everyday stresses...

What is 'tapping'? 

"Emotional Freedom Technique, aka EFT or Tapping, is an evidence-based technique that involves tapping your on acupuncture points on face and torso.

"Safe, simple and easy to self-administer, its effects can be far-reaching."

What's the science behind tapping? 

"In essence, tapping is an absolute stress killer that sends powerful calming signals to the brain.

If the reader will excuse the slightly geeky LBS Masters of Science part of me), in a process called mechanotransduction, very specialised proteins in our cells transform the mechanical stimulus of the tapping into electric impulse, which then travels to the brain.

Pictured: The EFT tapping points.

"The solid Randomized Controlled Trials behind Tapping, published in peer-reviewed journals, show huge reductions in stress hormone cortisol, as wells as, most crucially, in blood flow to the stress centre in your brain. This is known as decreased amygdala activation and proven in Functional MRI brain scan research.

"Many physiological markers have been shown to improve, such as decreases in pain and food craving."

What are the effects of tapping? 

"The usual effects are feeling calmer, often immediately, more able to think clearly, less upset, angry, feeling less pain or other physical symptoms, and even overcoming trauma - though understandably this would be a longer process."

What kinds of things can tapping help with? 

"...The 'bread and butter' of tapping is clearing stress, anxiety, phobias, depression and feeling overwhelmed - my one-on-one professional clients might use it for fear of public speaking, before a difficult meeting, or simply to reset into calm and clarity of mind to get through the rest of their busy day."

Yolanda also said some of her corporate clients use it help them to feel more productive and focused.

Pictured: The bread and butter of tapping is still clearing stress, anxiety, phobias, depression and feeling overwhelmed.

She has even introduced her methods into local schools - "there is... a tribe of children here that tap before sleep, or on the way to school if they are nervous about it!"

When did you first become interested in tapping? 

"While working for the biggest bank in the world trading FX in the billions I became unwell due to stress," Yolanda explained.

"20 years ago, no one sat you down and spoke to you about burnout, so I kept working extremely hard, proud to never miss a promotion round – but, on the flipside, this was making my healing journey long and arduous; that’s when I attended a stress-relief seminar where Paul Mackenna was introducing everyone to Tapping.

"It has helped me ever since, and subsequently I decided to do a huge career pivot and help professionals just like me!"

Do you have any particular success stories? 

"Every single day I hear how my professional clients thrive despite various challenges because they now have tools that take them straight into a great state of mind.

"Specific examples include a successful professional who hadn’t left the island for years due to a fear of flying, which was starting to affect her career progression as certain meetings pre-pandemic required her presence abroad; she wrote to me from a different country only hours after our very first session and has never looked back.

Pictured: Tapping helped one woman overcome her fear of flying. 

"Helping Jersey residents through the trauma and bereavement of recent events has been a great honour."

Yolanda also noted that she "often" ends up helping her clients' children too - one particularly memorable moment being when a little boy who had been struggling with post-viral arthritic pain "got up from his chair and started doing karate moves in the middle of our second session".

What does an average session look like? How long before a person starts to see effects? 

Yolanda combines her tapping with a form of mental health coaching.

"Some people are really into the tapping, others more into the talking, but that’s the beauty of one-on-one work, it is always tailored to your preference. There are frequent checks for progress in the intensity of the uncomfortable feelings, which reassure the client, as well as advanced techniques to avoid retraumatising."

Pictured: Relief from tapping can be immediate, or take a few months of sessions. 

"Relief can be very fast, sometimes immediate for the simpler cases, while others will require a few months of sessions."

Yolanda said most of her clients - who are from all around the world - are mostly women in finance and STEM. She is now looking at expanding into group programmes to help more people - "watch this space if you are interested," she said.

Even though she is looking to expand her services - and is currently examining expanding into group programmes - Yolanda added: "You might all be surprised to read this from me, but I consider it an ultimate success when clients report they are feeling so much better, they no longer need the tapping!"

This article first featured on Bailiwick Wellbeing, your free guide to wellness in work and island life to help you start the weekend - and week ahead - in the right way. Sign up now here.