EFT Gold Standard — Gary Craig's Basic Recipe

Overview

EFT Gold Standard — literally the "gold standard of EFT" — refers to the original and complete protocol developed by Gary Craig in the early 1990s. A former student of Roger Callahan, creator of Thought Field Therapy (TFT), Craig simplified and universalized his mentor's approach into a technique accessible to everyone — both practitioners and laypeople alike. Where TFT required advanced training to diagnose the specific tapping sequences for each disorder, Craig unified all relevant points into a single, linear and reproducible sequence.

The term "Gold Standard" emerged to differentiate the original protocol from the many variants that arose over the years — Clinical EFT, Faster EFT, Matrix Reimprinting, and others. It remains to this day the pedagogical reference and the foundation of any serious EFT training. Its rigorous structure — setup statement, tapping sequence, 9 Gamut Procedure, and repeated rounds — makes it a comprehensive tool for working on emotions, memories, phobias, or physical pain.

Since the 2000s, over 100 clinical studies published in peer-reviewed journals have examined EFT. Meta-analyses (Church et al., 2013; Clond, 2016; Sebastian and Nelms, 2017) have demonstrated large effect sizes for anxiety (d = 1.23), depression (d = 1.31), and post-traumatic stress (d = 2.96). The American Psychological Association (APA) has recognized EFT as a "probably efficacious" practice for PTSD treatment, and several U.S. military organizations have integrated Gold Standard-based protocols into their veteran rehabilitation programs.

Creator: Gary Craig (born 1940), Stanford engineer and performance coach, trained in TFT by Roger Callahan. He distributed the protocol freely from 1995 onward, making it accessible via his website and free manuals — a decision that contributed to the worldwide growth of the practice.

Core Principles

EFT Gold Standard rests on a central hypothesis, formulated by Craig as: "The cause of all negative emotions is a disruption in the body's energy system." This disruption manifests as an interruption in the flow of energy meridians — a concept borrowed from traditional Chinese medicine — and can be triggered by a memory, a thought, a physical sensation, or anxious anticipation.

• The meridian system: EFT mechanically stimulates specific points located on the 14 main acupuncture meridians. Stimulation through tapping sends a piezoelectric signal along the meridian, propagating to the limbic and amygdalar structures of the brain, modulating the conditioned emotional response associated with the target memory or thought.
• Simultaneous activation: The key principle is the simultaneous activation of the mental representation of the problem (via the reminder phrase) and stimulation of meridian points. This co-activation interrupts the stimulus-emotional-response loop encoded in the nervous system.
• The SUDS scale: The Subjective Units of Distress Scale (SUDS), borrowed from Joseph Wolpe's systematic desensitization, allows subjective measurement of emotional intensity from 0 (no disturbance) to 10 (maximum imaginable). This repeated measurement before and after each round provides objective feedback on progress and guides targeting work.
• Specificity of aspects: Craig emphasizes the notion of "aspects" — the various facets of a complex problem (the smell of the traumatic memory, the voice of the aggressor, the shame felt, etc.). EFT Gold Standard is more effective when targeting a specific aspect rather than the overall problem. If SUDS does not decrease, it often means an unidentified aspect is still active.
• The generalization effect: Treating enough specific memories linked to the same theme produces a generalization effect — the brain reorganizes its emotional encoding across the entire theme, sometimes resolving dozens of apparently distinct problems in a minimum of sessions.
• Underlying neurobiology: Imaging studies (Church et al., 2012) have shown that tapping on meridian points reduces amygdala activation, decreases salivary cortisol (by an average of 24% per Church et al., 2012) and modulates gene expression of genes related to inflammation and stress response.

Technical Details

Other names

EFT Basic Recipe, Classical EFT, Craig Protocol, Complete EFT with 9 Gamuts

Creator

Gary Craig, 1990s, distributed freely from 1995

Origin

Derived from Roger Callahan's Thought Field Therapy (TFT, 1980)

Typical session duration

45 to 90 minutes (practitioner-led); 10 to 30 minutes (self-application)

Number of points

9 main meridian points + Gamut point (back of hand) + Karate Chop point (side of hand)

Training levels

EFT Practitioner Level 1 (self-application and simple problems); EFT Practitioner Level 2 (trauma, phobias, chronic pain); Certified EFT Practitioner (AAMET/EFT International)

Compatibility

Usable alone (self-application) or with a practitioner; compatible with psychotherapy, conventional medicine, and somatic approaches

Recommended sessions

1 to 3 sessions for simple phobias; 6 to 12 sessions for mild to moderate PTSD; long-term follow-up for complex trauma

Evidence base

100+ published studies; meta-analyses confirming efficacy; recognized by the APA for PTSD

Main Indications

EFT Gold Standard presents a particularly broad spectrum of indications, covering emotional disorders, psychosomatic manifestations, and physical pain:

• Anxiety and anxiety disorders: generalized anxiety, panic disorder, performance anxiety, social anxiety. Clond's (2016) meta-analysis reviewed 14 randomized controlled trials demonstrating significant reduction in anxiety symptoms (effect size d = 1.23, p < 0.001).
• Specific phobias: spider phobia, snake phobia, heights phobia, social phobia, blood and injection phobia. Case studies report resolution in 1 to 3 sessions of phobias persisting for decades.
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): the domain where EFT demonstrates its most remarkable effects. Church et al. (2013) obtained an effect size of d = 2.96 in a randomized controlled trial on war veterans. Several U.S. military PTSD treatment programs now incorporate EFT Gold Standard.
• Mild to moderate depression: improvement in PHQ-9 and BDI scores after 4 to 8 sessions in several randomized studies. EFT Gold Standard acts particularly on rumination and automatic limiting beliefs.
• Chronic pain: fibromyalgia, tension headaches, chronic low back pain, chronic fatigue syndrome. EFT reduces the emotional and catastrophizing component of pain, and several studies objectify reductions in cortisol and inflammatory markers.
• Addictions and compulsions: food cravings, smoking, alcohol consumption. EFT targets the emotional triggers and foundational memories of the compulsion.
• Athletic and professional performance: managing pre-competition or presentation stage fright, overcoming mental blocks, improving concentration.
• Acute pain and medical procedures: reducing pre-operative anxiety, managing pain during dental care, preparation for childbirth.

Session Protocol — The Complete Procedure

The Gold Standard protocol comprises five main steps, which may repeat across multiple rounds within a single session:

Step 1 — Identification and SUDS Assessment (5-10 minutes)

The practitioner helps the client identify the target emotion, memory, or situation as precisely as possible. It is not enough to say "I have anxiety"; one must specify: "the constriction in my throat when I have to speak at a meeting" or "the image of my boss looking at me with contempt". The more specific the targeting, the more effective the tapping. Once the target is identified, the client rates its subjective intensity on the SUDS scale from 0 to 10.

Step 2 — The Setup Statement (2-3 minutes)

The client vigorously taps the Karate Chop point (the fleshy point on the side of the hand between the little finger and the wrist, corresponding to Small Intestine meridian SI-3) while repeating 3 times a structured phrase: "Even though I have [precise description of the problem], I deeply and completely accept myself."

This phrase serves a dual function: (1) maintaining the cognitive and emotional system activated on the target problem, preventing the denial mechanism from minimizing the disruption before tapping; (2) introducing a component of unconditional self-acceptance that neutralizes the guilt or shame often associated with the problem.

Step 3 — The Tapping Sequence (5-8 minutes)

The client successively taps each meridian point 7 to 10 times with the index and middle fingers, while repeating a short "reminder phrase" summarizing the problem. The 9 canonical points in order are: EB (Eyebrow — Bladder meridian BL-2), SE (Side of Eye — Gallbladder meridian GB-1), UE (Under Eye — Stomach meridian ST-1), UN (Under Nose — Governor Vessel GV-27), CH (Chin — Conception Vessel CV-24), CB (Collarbone — Kidney meridian KI-27), UA (Under Arm — Spleen-Pancreas meridian SP-21), and TH (Top of Head — Governor Vessel GV-20).

Step 4 — The 9 Gamut Procedure (3-5 minutes)

This step, characteristic of the Gold Standard and absent from simplified versions, involves stimulating the Gamut point (on the back of the hand, in the hollow between the ring and little finger tendons, corresponding to Triple Warmer meridian TW-3) while performing 9 sequential actions designed to integrate the left and right brain hemispheres: close eyes, open eyes, look hard down-right (without moving head), look hard down-left, roll eyes clockwise, roll eyes counterclockwise, hum 2 seconds of a tune, count rapidly from 1 to 5 aloud, and hum 2 seconds again.

Step 5 — Reassessment and Successive Rounds

After each complete round (setup + sequence + 9 Gamuts), the client takes a deep breath and reassesses their SUDS. If the score has decreased but is not yet at 0, additional rounds are performed while adjusting the setup phrase to reflect the "remainder" of the emotion. If the score does not move, this generally indicates that a different aspect has become salient and must be identified and targeted specifically.

Variations and Sub-protocols

• Clinical EFT (Dawson Church): standardized and manualized version for clinical research. Removes the 9 Gamut Procedure, integrates CBT elements, and has been the subject of the largest number of randomized controlled trials. See the Clinical EFT article.
• Short Form EFT: simplified variant eliminating finger points and the 9 Gamut Procedure. Recommended for daily self-practice and mild crisis situations.
• Aspect Targeting: advanced Gold Standard technique involving decomposing a traumatic memory into its various sensory, cognitive, and emotional aspects and treating each separately until achieving SUDS of 0 across all dimensions.
• Chasing the Pain: Gold Standard-derived technique for physical pain. The practitioner asks the client to locate, describe, and rate the pain on SUDS, then performs rounds until resolution. If the pain moves, the new location is targeted — a sign that the underlying emotional component is reorganizing.
• Group EFT: used in humanitarian and post-disaster contexts. A facilitator guides a group through the procedure, each participant targeting their own problem. This approach has been deployed in conflict zones (Rwanda, Kosovo, Palestine) with measurable results on collective PTSD indicators.

Contraindications and Precautions

• Active psychotic episode: absolute contraindication. Working on intense emotions is contraindicated during acute psychosis. EFT may resume in stable remission under psychiatric supervision.
• Severe complex trauma (C-PTSD): the 9 Gamut Procedure and direct targeting of traumatic memories can provoke abreaction (intense reliving of trauma) or dissociation in patients with early trauma or disorganized attachment. In these cases, use gentle techniques (Tell the Story Technique, Tearless Trauma Technique, or Movie Technique) with a trauma-specifically trained therapist.
• Active suicidal ideation: if the client presents active suicidal ideation, priority is given to the usual safety protocol before any EFT work.
• Dissociative disorders: a history of dissociation requires a secure therapeutic framework and an experienced practitioner. The 9 Gamut Procedure may be disturbing for some dissociative profiles.
• High-risk pregnancy: theoretical precaution related to meridian stimulation. No documented adverse effects, but caution recommended in the first trimester.