Sneaking Up on the Problem (EFT)

Presentation

Sneaking Up on the Problem is a fundamental EFT strategy developed by Gary Craig, which has become an essential reference in clinical EFT practice for all situations where a direct approach to the problem might provoke excessive traumatic reactivation. Its evocative name — "sneaking up on the problem" — perfectly describes its principle: we approach the sensitive content like approaching a fearful animal, gently, without sudden movements, without abrupt gestures, gaining its trust before getting close.

Unlike other EFT techniques that use precise, direct problem identification from the start, Sneaking Up deliberately begins in vagueness and generality. The first setup phrases are intentionally vague, generic, almost abstract: "Even though something difficult happened...", "Even though I went through an experience I would rather not have had...". The trauma is not named. Its content is not described. We work first on the existence and overall resonance of the experience.

The central idea is that even without precisely naming the memory, the organism knows what it is about. The nervous system responds to these vague formulations because it "fills in the blanks" unconsciously — it knows which event is involved, even if the patient does not need to name it explicitly. And as the global intensity diminishes, increasingly specific details can be progressively introduced.

Sneaking Up is not a standalone technique in the procedural sense, but rather a calibration strategy for entering the work. It can precede any other EFT protocol — Movie Technique, Tell the Story, Tearless Trauma — and is often used as a gateway technique toward more direct approaches. It is the technique that takes the most care of the therapeutic relationship and patient safety.

Core Principles

Generality as protection: When a patient is highly reactive or the subject is extremely charged, any precise formulation may immediately trigger intense reactivation. Generality protects the patient from this initial intensity peak by allowing the organism to begin discharging without being directly exposed to the content. It is a form of reverse desensitization: we start with the global before reaching the specific.

The gradient principle: Sneaking Up works as a gradient of increasing precision. Level 1: very general (a difficult event). Level 2: context introduced (a difficult period of my life). Level 3: register specified (something painful involving a relationship). Level 4: emotions approached (a buried anger I don't quite understand). Level 5: the event named in very neutral terms (something that happened in my childhood). Each level is only reached when the previous one is at SUD ≤ 3.

The 4-5 threshold: The golden rule is never to introduce more precision if intensity is above 4 or 5 out of 10. If intensity remains elevated despite tapping, the current level of generality is still processing something. Stay at that level until resolution before progressing. This rule ensures the patient is never overwhelmed.

Building safety: One of the most important effects of Sneaking Up is not just intensity reduction — it is the progressive construction of a therapeutic safety experience. At each step, the patient learns that "talking about this does not destroy me," that the therapist does not push, that they control the pace. This repeated safety experience is itself healing.

Complementarity with other techniques: Sneaking Up is rarely used alone all the way through. It prepares the ground for transition to more targeted protocols. When the global SUD has sufficiently decreased through vague formulations, the therapist can introduce elements of the Movie Technique, Tell the Story, or Tearless Trauma to finalize work on remaining specific aspects.

Technical Overview

Origin

Gary Craig, EFT Universe — adapted from advanced clinical EFT practice

Nature

Progressive approach strategy by gradients of increasing precision

Application level

Intermediate to expert — also applicable by beginning practitioners with supervision

Compatibility

Gateway technique — precedes and complements all other EFT techniques

Primary indications

Severe traumas, very sensitive subjects, therapy beginners, patients anxious about addressing the problem, patients with bad previous therapeutic experience

Estimated duration

20 to 60 minutes, sometimes across multiple sessions for the most severe cases

Format

Individual or group (with adaptation)

Measurement tool

SUD 0-10 at each precision level

Progression rule

Only if SUD ≤ 3-4 at current level

Special feature

No content required — therapist does not need to know what the memory contains to work

Main Indications

• First session with a traumatized patient: before therapeutic alliance is even established, Sneaking Up allows beginning work on emotional charge without forcing exposure
• Traumas involving intense shame: sexual abuse, shameful addictive behaviors, family secrets — situations where the patient cannot yet name the content aloud
• Patients who dissociate upon evocation: for patients whose mere thought of the trauma tips them into dissociation, extreme vagueness of early formulations prevents this shift
• Multiple entangled traumas: when it is difficult to identify a specific memory to treat — the trauma presents as a global and diffuse lived experience
• Adolescents and children: young patients are often unable to name or conceptualize their suffering; vague, non-intrusive formulations are more developmentally appropriate
• Burnout treatment: professional exhaustion rarely results from a single identifiable event; Sneaking Up works on global charge before descending into specific incidents
• Major depression: patients may struggle to identify a specific emotion or memory; formulations like "even though something heavy weighs inside me" allow working without requiring precision
• Sleep disorders of traumatic origin: when nightmares and nocturnal ruminations are linked to a not-yet-nameable trauma
• Very rational or therapy-resistant patients: vague, non-dramatized formulations are less threatening for patients who distrust the direct emotional approach

Session Protocol

Step 1 — Global intensity assessment and agreement (5-10 min)
The therapist evaluates the patient's global anxiety or distress level at the idea of "working on this difficult subject" — without naming the subject. A global starting SUD is obtained. The principle is explained: "We will work very gently, never going faster than your comfort. You are entirely in control of the pace."

Step 2 — Level 1 formulations: maximum abstraction (5-15 min)
Start with maximum vagueness: "Even though something difficult happened in my life...", "Even though I went through an experience I would rather not have had...", "Even though part of me is affected by something I'm not yet talking about...". Multiple tapping rounds. The patient doesn't need to consciously know what's being addressed — their nervous system knows. Re-evaluate global SUD after each round.

Step 3 — Level 2 formulations: general context (5-15 min)
When SUD has decreased notably, introduce slightly more context: a life period ("during my childhood / adolescence / professional life"), a relational category ("something involving people close to me"), a general emotional tone ("something that left me with a lot of fear / anger / sadness"). Still don't name the event.

Step 4 — Level 3 formulations: dominant emotion (10-15 min)
Begin naming associated emotions without naming the facts: "Even though this fear I feel when I think about it...", "Even though this deep shame, even if I don't quite understand yet where it comes from..."

Step 5 — Level 4 formulations: peripheral details (10-15 min)
Introduce non-central contextual elements: the place ("in that place"), the era ("during that period"), associated bodily sensations ("this knot in my stomach"). Approach the core without entering it.

Step 6 — Level 5 formulations: the heart of the problem (10-20 min)
Only when SUD is at 3 or below across all previous levels, begin naming the specific event or content. At this point, intensity has often so diminished that precision is no longer dangerous. Transition to Movie Technique, Tell the Story or Tearless Trauma to finalize work.

Step 7 — Generalization test (5 min)
Ask the patient to think directly about the difficult subject (if now appropriate) and evaluate SUD. If intensity is much lower than starting SUD, Sneaking Up has successfully "drained the global charge."

Variations and Sub-techniques

Sneaking Up with bodily metaphor: When the patient struggles to verbalize anything, anchor vague formulations in bodily sensations: "Even though I have this tension in my shoulders whose origin I don't really know...". The body becomes the entry point toward traumatic content without requiring verbal narrative.

Sneaking Up in Borrowing Benefits groups: The therapist guides the whole group to tap on very vague formulations while one person works on their own subject. Others benefit from intensity reduction without needing to name their own problem.

Sneaking Up through the resource door: Before approaching the problem, install positive resources (inner strength, supportive person, peaceful moment) through affirmative tapping, then grade the approach to the problem from that enhanced resource state.

Written Sneaking Up: The patient writes increasingly precise setup phrases on paper while tapping after each phrase. The distancing through writing adds an extra safety layer for highly reactive patients.

Grading by sensory modality: Rather than grading by narrative content, grade by sensory modality — first sound (without image), then image (without sound or smell), then smells, etc. For traumas with strong sensory imprinting.

Combination with Time Line Tapping: Begin Sneaking Up by situating the event very far in the past ("something that happened a long time ago"), without specifying when, then progressively bring it closer in time as intensity diminishes.

Contraindications

• Light to moderate traumas without notable reactivation: Sneaking Up is unnecessarily slow for low-intensity traumas. Use the basic EFT protocol directly with precise formulations.
• Patients needing direct confrontation: Some patients with active, direct coping styles may feel frustrated by the indirection of Sneaking Up. For them, a more direct approach is both more acceptable and more effective.
• Acute crisis urgency: In an acute emotional crisis, Sneaking Up is too slow. Priority to rapid stabilization and grounding techniques.
• Active suicidal crisis: Absolute contraindication to any trauma work. Priority to risk assessment and safety securing.
• Severe in-session dissociation: If the patient dissociates despite vague formulations, work must stop for grounding techniques. Vagueness is not sufficient when dissociation is structural and deep.
• Time constraints: Sneaking Up requires time and patience. In a short session context (less than 45 minutes) with a highly charged trauma, reserve it for a dedicated session rather than starting without being able to reach a minimal resolution level.