EFT Setup Statement: The Exact Phrase, Word for Word

The EFT setup statement is "Even though I have this ___, I deeply and completely accept myself" — said while tapping the side of the hand.

Why it works

The canonical wording, as Gary Craig formulated it, is: "Even though I have this [specific problem], I deeply and completely accept myself." It is repeated three times while tapping the karate-chop point — the fleshy outer edge of the hand below the little finger. The phrase is built out of three elements, and it is worth being precise about which of them plausibly does the work. First, acknowledgment of a specific distress: naming a problem out loud holds it in attention instead of letting it stay diffuse, which is a mild form of the exposure that sits at the centre of well-evidenced anxiety treatments — you cannot habituate to something you keep looking away from. Second, the self-acceptance clause, which matters because the usual response to noticing distress is a second layer of distress about having it; self-compassion research suggests that dropping that self-criticism makes the original feeling more tolerable to stay with, and staying with it is the precondition for anything shifting. Third, the tapping itself, which gives attention a rhythmic physical anchor. The honest position on that third element is that the acupoint rationale — that these are meridian points with specific physiological effects — has no confirmed biological basis, and dismantling studies have not established that the tapping location contributes anything beyond the exposure and acceptance components.

How to do it

1. Identify a specific distress — not "I’m anxious" but "I’m anxious about the meeting tomorrow at 3pm."
2. Rate the distress intensity 0–10 (this becomes your baseline).
3. Form the statement: "Even though I [specific distress], I deeply and completely accept myself."
4. Say it three times while tapping the karate-chop point (the outer edge of either hand) continuously.

Evidence

The setup statement combines exposure (naming the problem) and self-affirmation (acceptance). Both components have independent evidence. The karate-chop point itself has no confirmed physiological function; the tapping may act as a distraction or somatic anchor during the exposure-plus-acceptance exercise. Waite and Holder (2003) ran a controlled dismantling test in which a sham-tapping group improved as much as the true-acupoint group, direct evidence that any benefit came from the exposure-and-acceptance framing rather than the tapping location. (mechanistic)

The acupoint claim is unconfirmed and the meridian model it rests on is not accepted in mainstream physiology. What evidence exists for the setup statement is indirect — it comes from the separate literatures on exposure and on self-compassion, not from studies of this phrase. EFT as a modality has a limited and contested evidence base: trials exist but are frequently small, under-controlled, and conducted by proponents, and the components have not been convincingly dismantled. Treat this as a self-help phrasing some people find useful, not an established treatment, and not a substitute for professional care.

Sources

• Waite, W. L., & Holder, M. D. (2003). Assessment of the Emotional Freedom Technique: An alternative treatment for fear. The Scientific Review of Mental Health Practice, 2(1), 20–26.

Common mistake

Making the problem statement vague ("I have this issue") rather than specific. EFT research consistently shows that specificity — naming the precise event, memory, or worry — produces stronger effects than general category statements.