Tapping Into Recovery: Can EFT help incarcerated people with trauma?

May 17, 2026 Addictions, Post-Traumatic Stress, Trauma , incarceration, jail, prison

For many people who’ve experienced deep trauma, whether it be people inside the criminal justice system, those recovering from addiction, veterans returning from combat, or from sexual trauma, traditional talk therapy sometimes feels slow, too painful, or not enough. Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), often called “tapping,” is a brief intervention that combines talking about a memory or feeling with gentle tapping on specific points on the face and hands. It’s simple to learn, can be done in short sessions, and many people find it immediately calming.

For those individuals specifically exiting jails and penitentiaries, the challenges of re-integrating into society can be overwhelming; whether it concerns their ability to find work, housing, food security, safe social support systems, addiction and mental health services, etc. However all of these challenges nearly always are layered on top of having experienced significant levels of adverse and traumatic experiences while in the prison system. In addition to incarceration- trauma is the load of pre-existing lived experiences prior to incarceration, commonly known as adverse childhood experiences which may include abuse, family violence, poverty, sexual trauma, family addiction and more.

A vast majority of the incarcerated U.S. population has a history of trauma, with estimates up to 95% for men and women having experienced significant previous trauma. Research indicates this is a significant factor in involvement with the criminal justice system, with higher rates of conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in incarcerated populations compared to the general population. Studies show incarcerated individuals report higher rates of childhood adversities (also known as Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs) than the general population.

What does the research say about EFT’s ability to help traumatized individuals? A growing body of controlled trials, systematic reviews and meta-analyses suggest EFT can reduce PTSD symptoms, anxiety and depression in trauma-affected groups. A recent systematic review and meta-analysis concluded EFT produced clinically meaningful reductions in PTSD, anxiety and depression, with effects that in several studies lasted for months after treatment ended. PubMed

Veterans are one of the most-studied groups. Randomized trials have shown that brief EFT protocols delivered in as few as six sessions can significantly lower PTSD symptoms and overall psychological distress in veteran samples, sometimes with large effect sizes compared with waitlist or usual-care controls. These results have been replicated in several trials, suggesting the approach can be useful as a short, adjunctive treatment for combat-related trauma. PubMed+1

In our program our focus is on individuals who have recently been incarcerated but are now experiencing re-entry challenges. This is a population that EFT has not sufficiently addressed. It is our aim to utilize programs that have used EFT for traumatized populations but create innovative programs to specifically address this population.

EFT and other tapping interventions have however been integrated effectively into a select number of addiction treatment and prison settings. Pilot studies in addiction treatment showed reductions in psychological distress and cravings when EFT was added to standard care.

Programs that have taught tapping in prison systems, including veterans, such as the HARP Program at the Chesterfield County Jail in Virginia have utilized tapping procedures for incarcerated individuals focusing on addiction recovery and have made significant strides in reducing recidivism. The Arukah Project in the UK has also demonstrated promising outcomes as well using EFT and other Tapping interventions with an initial focus within jail and prison settings. Early reports suggest that EFT may be a practical and effective adjunct for individuals who have been incarcerated. It is our aim to show how EFT can support individuals who have been incarcerated and are facing the unique challenges of leaving prison and re-entering society.

What might make EFT helpful? Researchers propose a few mechanisms: the exposure element (bringing the traumatic memory or urge into mind), paired with somatic regulation through tapping, may reduce arousal and the emotional charge connected to memories. Some studies also report improvements in heart-rate variability and other markers of physiological calm after EFT sessions—though the exact biological mechanisms remain under study. PMC+1

A balanced view: not everyone agrees. While many studies are positive, critics point out limitations: several trials are small, some are pilot studies without long term follow-up, and the overall evidence base still needs more high-quality, large randomized trials and independent replications. Some commentators have labeled aspects of energy-psychology approaches (the broader category that includes EFT) as controversial or inadequately explained by the proponents. That debate underlines the importance of using EFT not as a stand-alone treatment. PMC+1

Ultimately more clinical research needs to be done on the effectiveness of EFT in both incarcerated and post incarcerated individuals to measure both short and long term effectiveness. This is in part a motivational factor for the creation of our program.

References

Anderson, K., Rubik, B., Absenger, W., (2019). Does combining emotional freedome techniques and hypnosis have an effect on sexual assault specific posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. J. of Energy Psychology, Theory, Research and Treatment. 11(2) p. 31-49

Chen, WT., Chao, TY., Huang, WZ. et al. Effectiveness of Emotional Freedom Techniques in Alleviating Symptoms Associated with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 275, 2027–2037 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-025-02000-4

Church, D., Stern, S., Boath, E., Stewart, A., Feinstein, D., & Clond, M. (2017). Emotional Freedom Techniques to Treat Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Veterans: Review of the Evidence, Survey of Practitioners, and Proposed Clinical Guidelines. The Permanente journal, 21, 16-100.

Church, D.; Stapleton, P.; Mollon, P.; Feinstein, D.; Boath, E.; Mackay, D.; Sims, R. Guidelines for the Treatment of PTSD Using Clinical EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques). Healthcare 2018, 6, 146.

Feinstein, D. (2021). Energy psychology in the treatment of substance use disorders. In R. Carroll, (Ed), Complementary and integrative approaches to substance use disorders (pp. 69-106). New York: Nova Science Publishers.

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Hartung, J. & Morales, N. (2019). Psychological and medical applications of certain innovative therapies in correctional settings: Clinician, staff, and client observations from three institutions. Energy Psychology Journal, 11(1). doi 10.9769/EPJ.2019.11.1.JH

Lubin, H. & Schneider, T. (2009). Change is possible: EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) with life-sentence and veteran prisoners at San Quentin State Prison. Energy Psychology: Theory, Research, and Treatment, 1(1), 83-88. doi: 10.9769.EPJ.2009.1.1.HL Read more at Energy Psychology Journal

Popescu, A. (2021). Trauma-Based Energy Psychology Treatment Is Associated with Client Rehabilitation at an Addiction Clinic, Energy Psychology Journal, doi 10.9769/EPJ.2021.13.1.AP