FAQ-Old

FAQs & Resources

Here are the answers to the questions most commonly asked by FAST clients …

In summary: EFT is:

○ Fast, safe and effective
○ Evidence-based
○ Useful in both short term and chronic stress and trauma situations
○ A brilliant self-help technique that you can draw on even outside of sessions

○ What can EFT help me with?

It can help with everything, but some of the common things around these times could be:

○Feelings of exhaustion and overwhelm
○Sleep problems
○Stress, anxiety & panic
○Feelings of anger
○Feelings of isolation and detachment
○Coping with new and fast-moving high-stress situations
○Managing acute, traumatic stress reactions

○ How is your service different from other in-house support I’ve been offered?

What makes FAST unique is that, unlike traditional counselling or behavioural therapy -based services, our sessions are centred around Emotional Freedom Technique – more specifically evidence-based EFT.

In addition, the service we offer is not linked to any other major organisation or service provider. This makes us totally independent from any organisation or employer which some of our clients have found reassuring. 

○ What is Evidence-based Emotional Freedom Technique? How does it work?

At its core, EFT is a powerful, self-help tool. It allows the rapid dialling- down of anxiety, fear, anger and stress – all common and, often, debilitating experiences in ongoing high stress situations.

EFT combines the traditional elements of talking-based therapies with the crucial body-based element of tapping lightly on the skin.

This powerful combination sends calming signals to the amygdala – the brain’s fight or flight centre – telling it that it can stand down.

Once the basic tapping points have been learned, EFT can be used at any time it’s needed. When offered in a session with a trained practitioner, EFT combines the benefits of traditional therapeutic approaches with the rapid emotional relief benefits unique to EFT.

To learn more about the science of EFT, scroll down the page for Dr Peta Stapleton’s TedX talk on the evidence behind the technique. 

○ I’m feeling really overwhelmed, will four sessions be enough?

The thing that people often find most surprising about EFT is how quickly it can work. It’s not unusual to see a significant, rapid improvement in emotional and psychological issues – often after just one or two sessions. 

Because of it’s capacity to reprocess challenging emotions quickly, a lot can be achieved in just four EFT sessions.

 If you find you’d like to go on to have more sessions, there will be the opportunity for you continue however this will be on a charged basis. You can discuss this directly with your practitioner, or, if you would like to work with a different practitioner on a paid basis, we can put you in touch with another member of our team.

○ What if it opens up a can of worms? I don’t want to make things worse! Surely it’s better to just keep going rather than run that risk?

EFT is one of the most effective therapies for dialing down intense emotions quickly – and permanently. It works with what’s going on for you in the moment – however intense that is.  

Your practitioner is highly skilled and experienced and will be able to help you to process really intense anxiety and fear within the session – even if it is off-the-scale right now, They will never leave you in a distressed state. 

If you still have any concerns, we suggest you get in touch to book an initial appointment. Your practitioner will be happy to spend time just talking through any concerns with you. There’s never any pressure to take part in active therapy if you choose not to and you can stop at any time. 

You’re always in full control and your wellbeing and safety are our primary concern. 

○ Can EFT help me if I’m in the midst of this crisis?

Yes.

EFT is one of the most effective techniques for helping to dial down high stress states in the midst of the crisis. 

Because of the way it ‘communicates’ with the amygdala – the body’s fight or flight centre – it can get it to stand-down much more quickly than a lot of traditional talking therapies. This is why it is so effective in a crisis situation. 

○ Will my employer or colleagues know I’ve sought help?

No. 

Our service is completely confidential and we are not connected to or employed by any other organisation. We take your confidentiality very seriously and will never disclose any information about you with anyone else, including your employer. 

○ Is it really free?

Yes! 

Our service is offered by highly qualified and experienced practitioners who are volunteering their time free of charge.  

Whilst some people are helping by offering support with shopping and dropping people to and from appointments, this is our way of contributing during this extraordinary time.  

Our service will always be free during the Covid-19 crisis and we will never ask for any payment. There is an opportunity to donate towards our running costs if you would like to but there will never be any expectation or pressure to make a donation.

○ Does the stress I’m experiencing need to be directly linked to Covid-19 for me to get help?

No. 

We understand that Covid-19 may not be the main cause of any stress or overwhelm you’re experiencing – however it’s very likely that it’s played a role.

Even if your main stress is about something completely unrelated, we’re here to help if you’ve been impacted by the crisis in any way. 

○ Things change so fast. What do I do if I need to cancel an appointment at the last minute? 

We understand that, in times like this, sticking to appointments can be really difficult.

We always ask that you give at least 48 hours notice of cancellation where possible. If you’re not able to do this, please let your practitioner know that you won’t be attending as soon as you can.

Unfortunately, because of the demand for our service and our practitioners’ time, if more than two appointments are cancelled with fewer than 48 hours notice, we will automatically review whether we’re able to continue offering sessions. 

○ I’ve always been the one who does the caring. I’m not used to needing or asking for help. Do you understand that this is hard for me?

We completely understand how difficult it can be to ask for support when you’re used to being the one in the caring role. It’s something we hear over and over again from our clients. 

One of the other things we hear a lot is that they wish they’d got in touch sooner – the relief is so great when they finally seek the support they need themselves. 

It’s a cliche but think about the oxygen mask in the airplane. 

In a crisis we’re always told to put our own mask on before we go to help anyone else. The reason behind seeking support for your emotional wellbeing is the same – you can’t be there for other people when you’re in difficulty yourself.

One thing we mention to our clients is that, by caring for themselves, they’ll be more able to continue caring for others. This could be their patients, their families or even their colleagues.

○ How do I know I need help?

When you’re dealing with the immediate situation, it can be hard to recognise when you need help too. As human beings, we seem to be programmed to keep going until things become unmanageable.

Some of the early signs that you may benefit from support are:

• Increased irritability and anger
• Poor or disturbed sleep and vivid dreams
• Feeling tired all the time
• Finding no pleasure in things you used to enjoy
• Feeling detached and ‘a bit out of it’
• Physical symptoms such as headaches, tense muscles and clenched jaw
• Digestive issues 
• Increase in or loss of appetite

If any of these sound familiar, we recommend you get in touch as soon as possible. That way we’ll be able to help you get on top of things before they become more of an issue.

○ What are the differences between online and face to face sessions? Is online as effective?

During the Covid-crisis all therapy sessions have been offered online. Because practitioners can see, hear and respond to their clients in real time, as if they were in the room, online sessions are just as effective. 

Our practitioners have extensive experience of delivering high quality, effective online sessions.

One of the major benefits of online sessions is you’re not limited to practitioners in your area. In fact, one of our practitioners, an ex-intensive care nurse, is based in New Zealand! This means it’s much easier to book you in with a practitioner quickly.