Group EFT — Borrowing Benefits

Presentation

The Borrowing Benefits protocol is an adaptation of Clinical EFT to a collective format, formalized and scientifically validated by Dawson Church, Ph.D., and David House, LCSW. The approach rests on a remarkable phenomenon: when a group of people tap simultaneously on their own problems while a volunteer works individually with a therapist in front of the group, each participant registers significant reductions in emotional intensity regarding their own concerns — without ever having explicitly verbalized them with the therapist.

The name captures the mechanism perfectly: participants «borrow» the benefits of the volunteer's session and apply them to their own difficulties. The process involves several neurological mechanisms, including mirror neuron activation, attentional synchronization, and collective emotional resonance.

From a therapeutic accessibility standpoint, the group format represents a major advance: where an individual EFT session may last 60 to 90 minutes for one patient, a two-hour Borrowing Benefits session can simultaneously benefit 20, 50, or even several hundred participants. Clinical research published in Energy Psychology: Theory, Research, and Treatment documents improvements comparable to those achieved in individual therapy, including PTSD, anxiety, and depression symptoms.

Lead researchers: Dawson Church, Ph.D. (founder of EFT Universe), David House, LCSW — landmark study published in 2018 (PMC5871035).

Core Principles

1. Mirror Neuron Theory

Mirror neurons, discovered by Giacomo Rizzolatti at the University of Parma in the 1990s, fire both when we perform an action and when we observe someone else performing it. In the Borrowing Benefits context, observing a volunteer process a painful emotion activates corresponding neural circuits in each observer. When these observers simultaneously tap on their own meridian points, they couple this mirroring activation to acupressure stimulation — amplifying the therapeutic effect beyond simple imitation.

2. Collective Emotional Resonance

In any human group, certain emotional themes are universally shared: fear of rejection, shame, loss, inadequacy. When the volunteer says «Even though I'm afraid of failing...», that phrase instantly resonates with many participants carrying a similar fear, even if expressed differently. The attentional synchronization created by the group amplifies the power of each tapping round.

3. Normalization and Destigmatization

Seeing other people — sometimes healthcare professionals, executives, elite athletes — grappling with similar anxieties breaks isolation and reduces the shame associated with symptoms. This destigmatization itself produces a measurable therapeutic effect that adds to the benefits of tapping itself.

Technical Overview

Format

Groups of 5 to 300+ participants, in person or via videoconference

Typical duration

90 minutes to 3 hours (workshops) or 3 to 5 days (intensive retreats)

Recommended sessions

1 session may suffice for circumscribed problems; 3 to 5 sessions for chronic issues

Points used

Standard EFT sequence: karate chop, top of head, eyebrow, side of eye, under eye, under nose, chin, collarbone, under arm

Assessment

SUD scale (Subjective Units of Distress) 0 to 10, recorded before and after each sequence

Video format alternative

Watch a recorded EFT session and tap along with your own problem

Group-specific contraindication

Severe dissociative trauma: requires individual treatment prior to group participation

Main Indications

• Generalized anxiety and professional stress: Church & House (2018) on 216 healthcare professionals documented significant anxiety reductions (Cohen's d = 0.84) after a single workshop day.
• PTSD and traumatic stress: Veterans retreat studies with 218 participants show PTSD prevalence reduction from 83% to 28% in veterans and from 29% to 4% in spouses, measured by the PCL-C.
• Depression: Significant PHQ-9 score reductions with clinical response rates exceeding 60% in treated groups.
• Chronic pain: Cortisol mediation mechanisms suggest efficacy in psychosomatic and inflammatory pain conditions.
• Performance anxiety: Athletes, musicians, and public speakers — documented effects in one to three sessions.
• Workplace wellbeing: Corporate burnout reduction programs with documented improvements in team climate.

Session Protocol

Preparation phase (20-30 minutes)

Each participant identifies their personal problem in writing, records their initial SUD score, and notes associated body sensations. The facilitator teaches the tapping points and runs a practice round on a neutral topic.

Group work phase (60-90 minutes)

The therapist invites a volunteer to share their issue. The therapist-volunteer interaction proceeds exactly as an individual session. The key rule for observers: tap at the same time as the volunteer, but on YOUR OWN problem. When the volunteer says «Even though I have [their problem]», each participant says internally «Even though I have [MY problem]». Between rounds, both the volunteer and participants reassess their SUD scores silently.

Integration and closing phase (20-30 minutes)

Each participant records their final SUD and calculates the reduction. Optional sharing consolidates learning. The facilitator guides a final integrative tapping round.

Video format (asynchronous alternative)

Watch a recorded EFT session online and tap simultaneously on your own problem, adapting phrases to your situation.

Variations and Sub-techniques

Multi-day intensive retreats

3 to 7-day retreats alternate group Borrowing Benefits sessions with individual deep work. Veterans retreat studies document the most striking results, with PTSD reductions maintained at 6-month follow-up.

Videoconference format

Mirror neuron activation works equally well via screen. International participants can attend thematic sessions (practitioner anxiety, grief management, etc.).

Thematic segmented workshops

Structured around specific themes (fear of rejection, impostor syndrome, chronic pain), this approach strengthens collective resonance and allows more targeted work.

Clinical supervision application

In care teams, caregivers tap on their own emotional experience (compassion fatigue, anger, grief) during supervision while a peer volunteer works with the supervisor — a documented burnout prevention application.

Contraindications and Precautions

• Severe dissociative trauma: Persons with frequent dissociative episodes or a diagnosis of dissociative identity disorder should be oriented to individual care before group participation.
• Acute psychotic crisis: Requires prior medical stabilization.
• Recent unprocessed trauma: Events within 48-72 hours may trigger acute distress difficult to manage in a group setting.
• High-risk pregnancy: Consult physician before intensive sessions.
• Severe cardiac conditions: Rare but possible physiological reactions (crying, trembling) should be anticipated.