Trends of Meridian-Based Psychotherapy - Review of Researches on Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to investigate the researches about regarding Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) and to understand the trends of Meridian-based Psychotherapy. Methods : Every article relevant to EFT was obtained from `Pubmed` and Korean journal databases. Keywords used for searching included `EFT` and `Emotional freedom technique`. Results : 1) 5 reviews, 11 randomized controlled trials, 3 controlled trials, 1 single group comparative study and 4 case studies were searched. 2) Anxiety disorders were most frequently studied with EFT. Other studies included insomnia, depression and pain symptoms. EFT interventions were attempted in many different protocols and assessed with various tools. 3) Review articles indicated that meridian-based psychotherapies, such as EFT, are based on the meridian theory of oriental medicine. They evaluate EFT positively for its effectiveness on psychiatric diseases. Conclusions : EFT is increasingly studied and used in clinical practice of various fields. Objective evaluation tools and standardized intervention protocols are needed for the development of a new guideline for EFT.