When I began working as a homeopath I saw a one year old boy who had repeated ear infections and had already had several courses of antibiotics. I prescribed a remedy. Mum phoned the next day – he had thick pus coming out of the ear. That continued for 5 days. I had to really hold my nerve, but he came through it a new child and to my knowledge, never had ear infections again. Sadly I didn’t know EFT back then. I wish I had – it would have helped me immensely as I waited, metaphorically biting my nails, until I heard back from the mum.
Recently several trainees and practitioners have emailed me about clients having reactions after EFT sessions. Common symptoms are a cold, flu, fever or a return of old symptoms, such as a migraine, bladder infection etc.
It might sound odd, but this is something to celebrate. Now I am older and wiser and have experienced numerous clients going through a healing crisis (known as an aggravation in homeopathy), I view a temporary return of old symptoms as a rewind and clearing of what has occurred before. Colds, flu, loose bowels and fever are classic detox symptoms. I tell clients they are going through an upgrade and the short term pain will be worth it, and ultimately, they all agree with me. They certainly acknowledge the potency of the therapy, and they often feel quite heroic for having experienced a healing crisis!
If you have children may have noticed that they often have a growth spurt after acute childhood illnesses, like chicken pox. It is as if they are burning off a layer and are then able to develop more quickly physically and emotionally afterwards. It is much the same with clients have a healing crisis. They are clearing out something they no longer need.
Let’s think about what is happening when we have a cold, flu etc. We need to rest. It is our body literally shouting at us to take a break. So encourage clients to rest and, if possible, to avoid use of over-the-counter medications which may ultimately suppress the symptoms. Ride it out, and drink plenty of good quality water. When it’s over, they will really feel the upgrade. Remember too, they will never be presented with anything that their body can’t handle.
As for you, the practitioner, hold tight. Resist the urge to keep checking in with them. And use EFT on your own worries and anxiety. If you have experienced a healing crisis / physical reset / upgrade / aggravation (whichever you prefer), you can assure your clients that you have been there too and survived.