Tell the Story Technique (EFT)

Presentation

The Tell the Story Technique is an advanced EFT protocol developed by Gary Craig and refined by clinical EFT practitioners, notably Dawson Church and Ann Adams. It is one of the most natural and powerful approaches for trauma treatment, because it draws on verbal narrative — one of the most fundamental forms of meaning-making in human experience.

Unlike the Movie Technique, where the patient silently and mentally "watches" their memory, Tell the Story involves active oral narration. The patient tells their story aloud in their own words, while the therapist listens with particular attention to emotional activation signals: voice changes, speech acceleration or slowdown, unusual pauses, trembling, tears, body movements, posture or breathing changes.

The fundamental rule is simple but demanding: as soon as an activation sign is detected — by the therapist or by the patient — narration stops immediately. Tapping is then done on the last phrase spoken before stopping, or on the present emotion/sensation, until intensity drops to 0-2. Narration then resumes from that point or slightly before.

This technique is particularly suited to patients who need to put their experience into words, to those who need to be heard, and to those whose trauma does not present as clear visual imagery but rather as a diffuse, charged narrative flow.

Core Principles

Narrative as therapeutic act: Narration is not merely an exposure vehicle. The very act of telling one's story to a present and attentive person activates deep emotional regulation processes. Narrative neuroscience research shows that putting a difficult experience into words contributes to its reorganization in autobiographical memory — a process that tapping amplifies and accelerates.

Detecting hot spots: The therapist develops a key competence: reading physiological and para-verbal activation signals. A subtle change in breathing may indicate a hot spot as much as a tear. This skill enables intervention before the patient is overwhelmed — rather than reacting after an abreaction.

Tapping on the exact phrase: The instruction to tap on "the last phrase spoken" is surgically precise. It allows treatment of the exact content that triggered activation, without therapist interpretation or reformulation. The patient remains the author of their own narrative, and the work remains anchored in their actual experience.

Verification through re-narration: After each stop and tapping round, validation occurs by asking the patient to re-tell the passage that had triggered activation. If narration flows smoothly without voice changes or activation signs, they can continue. If intensity rises, tap again.

Complete narration as final test: The ultimate goal is to tell the entire story — from beginning to end, with all available details — without any notable emotional activation. This comprehensive test is the measure of trauma resolution for this technique.

Technical Overview

Origin

Gary Craig (EFT Universe), refined by Dawson Church and EFT Research team

Nature

Guided oral narration with therapeutic interruptions and tapping

Application level

Advanced — requires practitioner trained in reading activation signals

Primary indications

Moderate to severe traumas, PTSD, painful life narratives, grief, abuse

Estimated duration

30 to 90 minutes depending on narrative complexity and number of hot spots

Format

Individual — in-person or video teleconsultation

Comparison with Movie Technique

More verbal and interactive; better addresses traumas with narrative rather than visual dominance

Key therapist competency

Fine reading of para-verbal and physiological activation signals

Emotional overflow risk

Moderate — requires constant therapist vigilance

Main Indications

• Narratively complex traumas: events whose memory is primarily verbal rather than visual — traumatic announcements, humiliating conversations, accounts of violence
• Grief and losses: the death of a loved one, an abrupt breakup, traumatic job loss — situations that are narrated more than visualized
• Chronic verbal or emotional abuse: bullying, psychological manipulation, emotional maltreatment in childhood
• Patients who need to be heard: some patients have never been able to tell their story. Tell the Story responds to this fundamental need while therapeutizing it
• Relational traumas: betrayals, abandonments, interpersonal humiliations — located in the field of speech and connection
• After the Movie Technique: as a verification and consolidation step, to ensure that neutralization is complete and generalized
• Patients with difficulty forming mental imagery: partial aphantasia or personality traits that are more verbal than visual
• Teleconsultation therapy: the verbal nature of the technique makes it particularly suited to video format, where the therapist can observe the face and listen to the voice

Session Protocol

Step 1 — Framing and agreement (5-10 min)
The therapist explains the principle: the patient will tell their story, and the therapist may interrupt at any time — this is not disrespectful, it is the protocol. Interruptions mean "I caught something important." A global SUD is evaluated on thinking about this story.

Step 2 — Narration begins (5-15 min)
The patient begins telling their story. The therapist listens without interrupting as long as no activation signals are perceived, mentally noting passages that may harbor hot spots.

Step 3 — Detection and first stop
As soon as an activation sign appears, the therapist gently says "Stop" — or the patient raises their hand if they felt the intensity rise themselves. The last phrase spoken is identified, along with the present emotion or sensation. SUD is evaluated.

Step 4 — Tapping on the activated passage
A setup is built around the exact content: "Even though [last phrase / present emotion], I accept myself..." Tapping sequence using reminder phrases faithful to the patient's experience. Multiple rounds until SUD ≤ 2.

Step 5 — Re-narration of the passage (validation test)
The patient is asked to re-tell the passage that triggered the stop. If narration flows without activation, continue. Otherwise, tap again.

Step 6 — Resumption and progression
Resume narration from the validated point. Continue until the next activation sign. Repeat the stop — tapping — re-narration — progression cycle as many times as needed.

Step 7 — Complete narration (final test)
When the patient believes all hot spots have been traversed, ask them to tell the full story from beginning to end with all remembered details. The therapist remains attentive to any residual sign. If the account flows without activation, the work is complete for this memory.

Step 8 — Positive reframe and anchoring (5-10 min)
A positive perspective or reframe of the hidden resource in this experience may be introduced. Ensure patient's emotional state before closing.

Variations and Sub-techniques

Partial Tell the Story: When a patient is too overwhelmed to begin narrating, start with the Tearless Trauma Technique or Sneaking Up to reduce global intensity, then transition to Tell the Story once distress level is lowered.

Tell the Story in group: In a secure group therapeutic setting, multiple patients tap simultaneously while one narrates. The "borrowing benefits" effect allows other group members to also benefit from the work being done.

Written narration + tapping: For patients reluctant to narrate aloud — they write their story by hand while tapping, stopping at each intensity rise. Less interactive but accessible as supervised self-practice.

Reversed Tell the Story: Start from the end of the story (often the most charged denouement) and work backward toward the beginning. This inversion can quickly defuse the most intense points before addressing context.

Contraindications

• Severe in-session dissociation: If the patient shows signs of significant dissociation, narration must stop and be replaced with grounding techniques before resuming.
• Very recent trauma (less than 72 hours): Treating ultra-recent trauma may interfere with natural memory consolidation. A minimal waiting period is generally advised.
• Selective mutism or dissociative aphonia: The verbal nature of the technique makes it unsuitable for these specific presentations. Prefer Movie Technique or somatic tapping.
• Traumas with strong shame component: Some patients are unable to verbalize deeply shameful events aloud even in therapeutic context. Sneaking Up or Movie Technique can prepare the ground.
• Patients without established therapeutic alliance: Tell the Story requires a high level of relational trust and security. Do not use in a first session with an unknown patient having severe traumatic history.
• Active suicidal crisis: Absolute contraindication. Priority is safety assessment and securing.