A few weeks ago I got an urgent call from Jessica asking if she could come for an EFT session as soon as possible and if possible now. She had just come from the doctor who was going through the details of her upcoming investigative operation, all the possible side effects and possible outcomes. She was feeling very upset and luckily I had a free slot that afternoon so was able to fit her in.
When she arrived she was tearful so we spent some time tapping to get to a calmer space. When she was calmer I asked her what were the worst things about having an operation. Here are the things she shared:
- worried about being put to sleep,
- having a melt down,
- what the results of the operation would show
- needing to be in control
She had also experienced another procedure that had not gone well but did not feel ready to revisit this experience at this time. For those of you experienced with EFT, will know that any remaining trauma associated with this event will impact how the client feels about this happening again as well as triggering any beliefs created as a result of that experience. Here are some examples of beliefs that may get created as a result of traumatic hospital experiences:
- I don’t trust my caregivers
- Bad things happen to me
- I need to stay in control
I then asked Jessica to tell me about what had happened that morning slowly while tapping on all the feelings that arose as she was recalling the sequence of events. We then focussed on physical sensations that were arising for her as a result of her anxiety. To conclude the session we did a round of positive EFT of the quality she wanted to feel more of – faith and trust that it will be OK. On the SUE scale from -10 (complete opposite of faith and trust) through to 10 ( most faith and trust possible), she started off at -5 and we finished at +3. Unfortunately there was not time to take this further.
The following week she would have the opportunity to go round the hospital to familiarise herself with the environment and meet the staff so that it would be less unknown. I suggested that if she felt anxious she does EFT on her finger points touching and breathing into each point. As it happened, she felt fine and didn’t feel the need to tap.
I offered to come with her to hospital on the day of her operation so we met in the car park 15 minutes before she was due to go in and did some tapping to reduce her anxiety. I then escorted her to the waiting room and then the ward tapping on her as we went. I asked her if she gained strength from any spiritual beliefs and she replied that she felt she had a guardian angel with her so I built that into the EFT statements as well. We did some positive EFT on bringing the quality of acceptance into every cell of her body. I asked her what colour what soothing for her and she said purple. So we tapped purple light into every cell. After a while she needed to get changed into the hospital gown. When I asked her how she felt about putting it on and she said she felt it was undignified she we tapped on infusing the hospital gown with purple light, the bed and everyone’s touch with purple light that is soothing and healing.
All the hospital staff were very understanding and accepting my weird tapping as if it was normal – maybe it is!
I tapped with Jessica while she was being wheeled to the operating theatre and then left her there.
Here is her feedback:
“Tamara is being very diplomatic and generous towards me. To say I was tearful when we met is like suggesting Niagara Falls is a bit wet! Inside I was in complete meltdown. I had the double whammy of having to face my two greatest fears in one go – the possibility of dying and having to have an operation – I had to have a small tumour removed which would or would not prove to be benign. In fact on the day I met with Tamara, the biopsy was the least of my concerns, my entire focus was on the thought of being put to sleep and having an operation and it filled me with complete horror.
I had been told some time ago by my GP, after choosing to have another procedure wide awake rather than have anaesthetic (I was held down by a number of nurses instead), that I had to get these fears under control because the chances were I would at some point need to have an operation. Well some point was now.
I arrived at Tamara’s feeling quite hysterical but left our session feeling calm and more resilient. The cynical part of me wondered if I was calm because I was simply exhausted from crying so much but the truth was I was more than calm. I felt stronger, I felt armed, I had tools now to help me get through this. I tapped continually over the next couple of weeks. I told myself all the things Tamara had spoken to me and added in a few more. Some days were better than others. If I got the crying panic out of the way early the rest of the day was good. And soon I could go for several days without feeling nauseous and overwhelmed with what lay ahead.
Something that felt incredibly supportive during those three weeks between finding the tumour and having it removed, was knowing that Tamara was going to be there on the day. I had complete faith in her skills and it felt like I had booked the world’s biggest security blanket to wrap myself in. Tamara was unbelievable. She was able to blend into the background whilst tapping on me all the time. She was so intuitive in her approach and if she felt nervous or conspicuous in any way it never came across. The waiting room was full, it was more like an OAP club going on holiday. In small groups we got called off to our respective wards, Tamara tapped throughout. She tapped during checks ups and visits from surgeons and anaesthetists. How she managed to find alternate ways of saying essentially the same thing for an hour and a half was astounding to me. And then it was my time to go to theatre. She stayed by my side tapping away as I was wheeled down the corridor. She squeezed into the lift next to my bed and continued tapping. She continued until I went through the theatre doors.
And there I was, on my own …….and I was completely calm. I went into the theatre completely at peace with no hint of tears. And the next thing I knew I was back on the ward.
The lady in the next bed was still waiting to go down to theatre when I came back. She wanted to chat. She said she had heard Tamara through the curtains and appreciated how fearful I was. She wanted to make sure I was ok and say how wonderful she thought it was that I had brought Tamara with me. She knew about tapping and thought it was just great that the hospital had let her come with me. The hospital had indeed been marvellous. They assured me I was not their worst patient and that they had experienced people clinging on to doors at the last moment too afraid to go through to theatre. Perhaps they will reflect on how well I managed in the end and what enabled me to do so – I hope so, because even if you are not barking mad like me, nobody wants to be put to sleep and this could so easily be used on patients by staff in hospital.
I can honestly say the two greatest things I have ever done for myself was having a doula when I gave birth and having Tamara by my side as I faced my greatest fear – being put to sleep. If you don’t have a phobia it will be difficult to understand how enormous an ordeal this was for me. EFT did what it said on the lid, it gave me freedom from emotions that have seen me kicked out of hospital before for being too hysterical.
I would recommend Tamara and EFT to anyone, particularly those who may find themselves in my position.
Oh – and the tumour was benign!
Jessica”
💡 And the science backs her up.
A clinical study (Thomas, Cutinho & Aranha, 2017) found that just two 10-minute EFT sessions—one the day before surgery and another on the day—reduced pre-surgery anxiety by 35%. The control group? No change at all.
🧠 EFT works by calming the body’s stress response, shifting the nervous system from fight-or-flight to rest-and-restore. For people like Jessica, this can be life-changing.
✨ Whether you’re heading into surgery yourself or supporting someone who is, EFT offers a gentle, empowering tool to feel calmer, safer, and more in control.
🔬 Read the study here: https://energypsychologyjournal.org/eft-reduces-anxiety-among-women-undergoing-surgery
If you are anxious about having a surgical procedure and want to find out how EFT can help:
* download a free EFT manual
* book a 1-2-1 session
* attend a training