Evidence for EFT (Emotional Freedom technique) for PTSD What is the evidence for Emotional Freedom Technique or EFT for PTSD?

Emotional Freedom Technique or EFT is a form of therapy for PTSD. EFT combines the cognitive components from CBT and exposure therapy and combines it with stimulation of eight acupuncture points. 

From Church, D. et al. (2018):


  A typical sequence in the treatment of PTSD might be to have the client vividly recall details of a traumatizing event (exposure) while pairing the memory with emotionally neutral statements (cognitive reframing). To these cognitive and exposure elements, EFT adds the stimulation of a pre-established set of eight acupuncture points (acupoints) by tapping on them with the fingertips, a form of acupressure. 



Church, D., Stapleton, P., Mollon, P., Feinstein, D., Boath, E., Mackay, D., &amp; Sims, R. (2018, December). Guidelines for the Treatment of PTSD Using Clinical EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques). In Healthcare (Vol. 6, No. 4, p. 146). Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute.
The meta-analysis on anxiety referred to by Church, D. et al. (2018) was performed by Sebastian &amp; Nelms, (2017) was published in a questionable journal. 

This critique by Ferrara found that


  four studies suffered from two fatal flaws: they had a small number of participants, and EFT was compared to waitlist controls that did nothing. These studies really tell us nothing about the effectiveness of EFT and they do not validate the theory behind it. 
  
  Small, biased studies without comparison groups from one group of researchers with a financial interest in EFT have shown the treatment is associated with improved PTSD symptoms. However, when it has been compared to CBT, there are no differences between the approaches.


https://healthybutsmart.com/emotional-freedom-technique/


Church, D., Stapleton, P., Mollon, P., Feinstein, D., Boath, E., Mackay, D., &amp; Sims, R. (2018, December). Guidelines for the Treatment of PTSD Using Clinical EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques). In Healthcare (Vol. 6, No. 4, p. 146). Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute.



Sebastian, B., &amp; Nelms, J. (2017). The Effectiveness of Emotional Freedom Techniques in the Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Meta-Analysis. EXPLORE, 13(1), 16–25.