Unlocking Emotional Freedom: Tapping into Healing
As physicians, we bear witness to immense suffering, loss, and trauma daily. The weight of these experiences can accumulate, manifesting as burnout, stress, or even deep emotional wounds. But what if there was a simple, evidence-based technique that could help regulate our nervous system and process these emotions effectively? Enter the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), or "tapping."
I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Jill Wener, an internist-turned-wellness advocate, about EFT and its potential impact on physicians and individuals navigating life’s challenges. This powerful technique combines the principles of acupressure and psychological processing, allowing us to calm our stress responses and heal from emotional distress.
What is the Emotional Freedom Technique?
"The Emotional Freedom Technique is an evidence-based trauma-healing, stress-reduction, and nervous system-regulating technique," explains Dr. Wener. "It involves tapping on specific areas of the face and chest—acupressure points used in acupuncture—while verbalizing the distressing thoughts or emotions."
At its core, EFT leverages the brain’s neurological wiring to reframe how we process stress. "The stress center of our brain, the amygdala, and the hippocampus—where memories of trauma are stored—trigger our fight-or-flight response when they perceive danger. Tapping sends calming signals to these areas, helping the brain recognize that we are safe."
What makes this technique particularly powerful is its dual action: it activates the parasympathetic nervous system, shifting us from a state of heightened stress to one of calm while also allowing for emotional processing. Whether it’s a difficult patient encounter, personal trauma, or the accumulated weight of years in medicine, EFT offers a tangible way to regain balance.
The Role of Trauma in Medicine
Medical professionals often don’t recognize how much trauma they experience. "It's not just the ER trauma cases," Dr. Wener clarifies. "We are exposed to trauma daily—witnessing patient suffering, making difficult decisions, enduring verbal abuse from distressed patients and families, and even experiencing moral injury within a broken healthcare system."
She outlines three main categories of trauma in medicine:
Primary Trauma – Directly experiencing traumatic events, such as patient deaths or medical errors.
Secondary Trauma – The emotional toll of caring for suffering patients.
Vicarious Trauma – Absorbing the distressing stories and experiences of others.
All of these, if unprocessed, can embed themselves in our nervous system, affecting our emotional and physical well-being. "EFT can be used as a technique to actively heal past trauma," she says, "or as a daily tool to process difficult emotions as they arise, preventing them from becoming deeply ingrained."
How EFT Can Be Used in Everyday Life
Beyond deep trauma healing, EFT is a versatile tool. "You can use tapping for anything from frustration with a child not making their bed to processing intense grief," says Dr. Wener. "It works in both acute stress situations and long-term emotional healing."
One of the most compelling aspects of tapping is its accessibility. "Unlike meditation, which requires consistent practice for transformative benefits, EFT works even in short bursts. You can tap for five minutes and feel significant relief. It’s quick, practical, and can be self-administered."
Imagine finishing a difficult code, feeling emotionally drained, and needing to see your next patient. Just a few minutes of tapping could help regulate your nervous system and allow you to move forward with greater clarity and calm.
Bringing EFT into Medicine
Despite its effectiveness, EFT is not widely taught in medical schools or residency programs. "We learn about medications and procedures, but not about holistic, evidence-based techniques like EFT," Dr. Wener notes. "Yet, it's a tool that physicians, nurses, and even patients can easily learn and integrate."
EFT can be especially useful in:
Patient care – Helping patients manage pain, anxiety, and chronic stress.
Clinician well-being – Offering a simple method for stress relief after difficult encounters.
Medical education – Teaching medical trainees resilience and emotional processing skills.
"I recently received CME accreditation for my EFT training, which means physicians can now learn this skill while earning continuing education credits," she shares. "This is a significant step toward integrating EFT into mainstream medicine."
Self-Worth Beyond Medicine
Our conversation shifted to a deeper reflection on self-worth. "What makes a person worthy?" I asked Dr. Wener.
Her response was simple yet profound: "Existing."
For many physicians, self-worth is tied to productivity, patient outcomes, or external validation. "We base our value on metrics like patient satisfaction scores or whether we get everything done perfectly. But true worthiness is not about achievements. It’s about recognizing that we are enough, just as we are."
She recalls a pivotal moment when she realized she had given her self-worth away to a flawed system. "My patient satisfaction scores would come back, and I’d feel gutted if they weren’t perfect. But then I had a teacher ask me, ‘So you're telling me your worth as a human is determined by a sick patient’s judgment during their worst moment?’ That perspective shift changed everything for me."
A Final Pearl of Wisdom
As we wrapped up, I asked Dr. Wener for one last piece of advice.
"You aren’t alone. It’s okay if you’re not okay. And it’s okay to ask for help. Life doesn’t have to be like this—it can be better."
Her words resonate deeply. Medicine is a calling, but it can also be an emotional battlefield. Techniques like EFT give us the tools to navigate this journey with greater resilience, compassion, and self-awareness.
If you want to learn more about EFT, you can find Dr. Wener’s resources at jillwener.com.
If this post resonates with you, share it with a friend or colleague. We all deserve to heal; together, we can create a culture of well-being in medicine.