While it is true that the techniques of energy psychology have resulted in some exceptional recovery from serious disorders, it is also important to understand that there are persons that offer professional services whose ethics are questionable.

The various forms of psychotapping utilized, regardless of the proprietary names, continue to be more widely known. Sufferers, seeking relief seldom have any way to evaluate the ethics or qualifications of a practitioner. As a result, exploitation, especially financial, will probably also increase proportionately.

Here are a couple examples of things I have found on the internet. In the northeast of Brazil, and attorney claims to be an expert in EFT. He has presented several times on a local TV station. Watching him, it is evident that he has no real knowledge of how to use the techniques. Unfortunately, he claims that EFT, as practiced by him, will cure cancer. Will there be people that are willing to pay him? No doubt! Desparate and uninformed people will grasp at anything. Probably, this man could be prosecuted for the unlicensed practice of medicine, but when will that occur? And, how many unfortunate humans will have been deceived before that happens?

Several Youtube videos show a man in England providing EFT and TFT to large audiences in an auditorium. The “show” is all jazzed up with an impressive stage, specialized lighting, and the fast-talking presenter speaks of the wonders of the techniques. The production has great similarity to shows presented by stage hypnotists. 

There are numerous Youtube videos, presented by a large number of persons. Some of them are quite professional. Many are not. Some could even be described as pitiful. Yet it is probably that all of them are offering to help people gain relief from a multitude of discomforts, emotional or physical.

How do I fit in to all this? First, it must be understood that no one really knows why these techniques help, when they help. Consequently, the use of the techniques is alway experimental. I do want people to know about the  techniques because there is the possibility of benefits. At the same time it is healthy to be a skeptic.

No one with a physical symptom should use these techniques without consulting a licensed health care practioner. Because physical symptoms are commonly evidence of tissue pathology, diagnosis is always desirable. That said, I want to also add that if and when prescribed treatment fails to bring relief, then psychotapping is appropriate to consider. Some health care practitioners may be supportive of the use of these techniques, but others may not.

With many years experience in treating mental and emotional disorders, I see the greatest problems in the application of these techniques for the relief of emotional and psychosomatic discomfort.

There is much to suggest that psychotapping has the greatest potential for relieving conditions characterized by worry and obsessive thinking. Many fall into a description of fear. Fear of the future, fear of situations, fear of objects, fear of animals, fear of poor performance, fear of criticism, fear of ridicule, etc. Some will be described as perpetuation of emotional problems based on past traumatic experiences.

Psychotherapy has often been recommended for persons suffering from those conditions, and often it has been helpful. However, psychotherapy is a relative long and involved process which is not available to the vast majority of sufferers.

When the discomfort is associated with repetitive social conflict, whether in the family or workplace, the probability of relief by the sole use of psychotapping is poor. There is a need for psychotherapy in addition to the possible benefits of psychotapping.

Similarly, persons with patterns that are commonly called addiction or habituation will also need more than only psychotapping. 

Psychotapping is of little value as the primary treatment for severe depression of conditions known as thought disorders, such as schizophrenia or autism. In fact, some professional believe that psychotapping is potentially harmful with these conditions.

My advice is that if you think that the energy psychology approaches may be helpful, do evaluate the practitioner. Be suspicious if the practitioner describes the marvels of these techniques and offers assurance that you will be helped. 

Reported beneficial results do not mean predictable beneficial results!