Table of Contents

1. Purpose of This Case Study
2. Overview of the 16 Sessions
3. Who Attended
4. Method & Session Structure
5. What Participants Were Struggling With
6. Measurement Approach
7. Quantitative Results (The 69% Reduction)
8. Qualitative Results (Somatic & Emotional Shifts)
9. Why These Findings Matter for Healthcare Teams
10. Limitations
11. Takeaways
12. Explore Stress Reset Programs & Book a Demo
13. Data Ethics Note

1. Purpose of This Case Study

Healthcare teams today benefit from tools that are both evidence-based and practical—methods that help staff downshift stress in real time.

To explore how Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT Tapping) supports immediate nervous system regulation, I analyzed 16 live, unscripted online group sessions I hosted on the meditation app Insight Timer. These sessions were open to the public and generated real-world emotional data from a broad range of participants.

Across all 16 sessions, 1,274 people attended, with individual groups ranging from 52 to 132 participants. Attendees shared spontaneous, honest feedback about their stress levels and somatic experiences.

2. Overview of the 16 Sessions

These sessions were delivered throughout 2023, with two live sessions per month from February through April, three sessions in May, two per month from June through August, and one final session in November.

They addressed themes commonly reported by people in caregiving and other high-stress roles, including:

• People-pleasing & boundaries
• Inner critic & self-doubt
• Perfectionism
• Codependency
• Intuition & self-trust
• Self-confidence

Each session lasted 35–45 minutes and ended with an active chat where participants shared numerical stress ratings, somatic cues, and emotional reflections.

3. Who Attended

Because the sessions were open-access, the participant group naturally included:

• general users of the Insight Timer app
• educators
• mental health professionals
• individuals in helping roles
• and a small number of nurses or healthcare workers

This creates a diverse and authentic data sample, reflecting how humans regulate under emotional stress—not a controlled, profession-specific study.

4. Method & Session Structure

Every session followed a simple, repeatable structure:

1. Participants identified a recent stressor (e.g., conflict, overwhelm, fear of speaking up).
2. They rated their stress or emotional intensity from 0–10.
3. I guided them through several rounds of EFT Tapping.
4. They shared real-time shifts and sensations in the chat.
5. Somatic responses were noted: breath, shoulders, throat, chest, belly, back, etc.

Participant reflections captured meaningful moments:

This dynamic feedback created a rich natural dataset.

5. What Participants Were Struggling With

Across all 16 sessions, several consistent patterns emerged.

People-Pleasing & Fear of Disapproval

• Saying “yes” under pressure
• Fear of upsetting others
• Difficulty maintaining boundaries
• Shame or guilt afterward

Inner Critic & Self-Doubt

• Harsh internal judgment
• Tension when facing mistakes
• Fear of not being “good enough”

Perfectionism

• Pressure to never make errors
• Overworking to avoid criticism
• Rumination

Codependency & Emotional Over-Responsibility

• Fear of conflict
• Fear of abandonment
• Feeling responsible for others’ reactions

Somatic Stress Responses

Participants commonly reported:

• chest tightness
• throat constriction
• shoulder/neck tension
• stomach knots
• fatigue
• headaches

These are very common stress presentations in caregiving professions, without implying that this sample represents healthcare workers.

6. Measurement Approach

This was a real-world observational analysis, not a clinical trial.

Participants voluntarily shared:

• starting stress number
• ending stress number
• somatic changes
• emotional or cognitive reflections

Only publicly visible, anonymous chat entries were used.

7. Quantitative Results (The 69% Reduction)

From all participants who reported numerical values:

• Average starting stress: 8.28
• Average ending stress: 2.56
• Average reduction: 68.98%

Rounded: 69% reduction in self-reported stress—achieved in a 35–45 minute session.

This aligns with a growing body of evidence demonstrating that EFT can reduce:

• cortisol
• anxiety
• physiological stress activation
• emotional intensity

For a deeper look at how EFT influences the amygdala and stress pathways, you can read: How Does EFT Calm the Amygdala?

8. Qualitative Results (Somatic & Emotional Shifts)

Somatic Shifts

• Shoulders relaxing
• Chest opening
• Breathing deepening
• Tension easing in throat or jaw
• Pain decreasing in back, hips, or belly

Emotional Shifts

Participants described feeling:

• calmer
• grounded
• more accepting
• less fearful
• more empowered
• more self-compassionate

Cognitive Shifts

• “I can trust myself.”
• “I choose to be my friend.”
• “I deserve to speak up.”

These immediate cognitive reappraisals reflect significant nervous system downshift.

9. Why These Findings Matter for Healthcare Teams

While these sessions were delivered to the general public—not in clinical workplaces—the emotional and somatic patterns observed are highly relevant to caregiving and high-demand professions, where individuals often struggle with:

• chronic emotional load
• self-silencing
• fear of conflict
• boundary fatigue
• perfectionism
• intense somatic stress
• constant interpersonal pressure

A tool that reliably reduces emotional intensity by ~69% in under an hour has meaningful implications for:

• HR leaders
• nurse managers
• clinical directors
• wellness coordinators
• behavioral health leaders
• staff development teams

These findings come from public, open-access sessions. While they were not conducted inside healthcare settings, the emotional patterns closely align with those commonly reported in caregiving and high-demand professions.

10. Limitations

Here are the key limitations of this case study:

• Self-selected participants
• Self-reported outcomes
• No control group
• Mixed professional backgrounds
• Not a substitute for clinical research

Even so, the consistency of shifts across 16 independent sessions suggests that EFT reliably supports rapid stress down-regulation for diverse groups.

11. Takeaways

• 1,274 total participants
• 16 group sessions
• 69% reduction in self-reported stress
• Sessions were 35–45 minutes
• Strong somatic, emotional & cognitive shifts
• Themes consistent with caregiving and helping professions
• Real-world data aligns with published EFT outcomes

12. Explore Stress Reset Programs & Book a Demo

If supporting emotional well-being and resilience within your healthcare team is a priority, you’re invited to explore our Stress Reset Programs.

To experience EFT firsthand, you can also book a free 30-minute demo call, which includes a 15-minute guided tapping experience so you can feel how quickly the nervous system calms.

13. Data Ethics Note

All data used in this case study was aggregated anonymously from public chat entries voluntarily shared during live group sessions. No identifying information was collected or stored.