Welcome!

Cecily Johnston

EFT Tapping Coach

Tapping is the practice of using one’s own fingers to tap on acupuncture points on one’s own body. Tapping is known for helping with emotional regulation, stress reduction, and anxiety alleviation.

About Me

I encountered EFT Tapping at a time when I felt emotionally stuck. 

I had rejected much of the achievement culture and high expectations of my earlier life, but not enough to be confident in my choices.  Even while “rebelling” in some ways (intuitively building a life that accommodated my yet undiagnosed neurodiversity), I retained some of those cultural values:  I judged myself for achieving below expectations.  And I held onto negative emotions; they were more life-affirming than the numbness of earlier years.  In short, I was stuck …

My Approach

As a coach, I strive to collaborate with clients to develop approaches that are customized to their unique issues and responses.
I do this through:

  • One of the core principles of EFT Tapping is that it is “client led,” which means that clients set the direction, content, depth, and pace of the process.  The coach leads the tapping techniques.  Adapting the techniques themselves is a natural extension of that principle.  If something doesn’t sit right with you – whether it’s a phrase, a technique, or a specific tapping point – we’ll adjust.  

    My neurodiverse life gives me personal experience with disconnect from emotions, heightened reactions, and trauma from non-inclusive settings.  Compared with neurotypicals, there may be greater variability among neurodiverse people in what versions of tapping are comfortable and effective.  We’ll start with the EFT Tapping methods that have been clinically tested, and we’ll adapt the process to find what works for you.

  • Perhaps you have emotional wounds from an accumulation of “small” moments.  Maybe you experienced a troubling or traumatic incident.  Maybe you’re stuck in a cycle of anxiety.  My approach is to start with where you are and what you want to release, and we’ll figure it out from there, together.   

  • In my opinion, this is an earned attribute, not one to be self-applied.   I include it here so you know I value this trait and aspire to deserve this description.

  •  During sessions, I check with clients about their experience with the process.  I also encourage clients to speak up proactively to add to that discussion.  If clients’ emotions shift during a session, we’re on the right track.  If nothing shifts, that’s valuable feedback and we can make adjustments.

    In addition, I will explain techniques in advance so people don’t have to cope with uncertainty about what’s next.  This is known as “preframing,” and it also teaches people about tapping so they can tap on their own if they want to.  It’s not a requirement, just an option.

  • My training in EFT Tapping was holistically trauma-informed.  The sad truth is that trauma is widespread, so it is unsurprising when it comes up in a session.  If a traumatic memory arises in a session, I am ready to help you.  I will follow your lead in how much you want to share.  

    Tapping can help, even if your comfort in speaking about something is minimal or non-existent.  You don’t have to say anything unless you want to.  And tapping can still help in other areas if you’d rather set that aside.  It is completely up to you.

Areas of Support

People turn to EFT Tapping for a great variety of reasons.  Below are some areas where tapping can be particularly helpful.

Neurodiverse Individuals and their Parents and Grandparents

If you’re neurodivergent, navigating a world designed for neurotypicals can be exhausting.  I am still learning, but I am familiar with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance, a.k.a. Pervasive Drive for Autonomy).

For neurodivergent adults, tapping can help manage:

  • Overwhelm, anxiety, and fear of new experiences

  • Stress around transitions and social interactions

  • Emotional regulation

For parents, grandparents and caregivers, tapping can support:

  • Managing your own stress, frustration, and anxiety

  • Letting go of guilt over imperfect interactions 

  • Finding clarity and confidence in supporting your child

  • Cultivating emotional resilience for the long haul

For children:  Although at this time I do not work with neurodiverse children directly, I can support you if you want to introduce your child to tapping yourself.

Hard Days and Rough Patches

Sometimes a “minor” issue hits you hard.  Other times, life just feels overwhelming.  Tapping can help you to de-escalate your own reactivity so you can tackle a challenging situation without that added complication.  You can: 

  • Release overwhelming emotions 

  • Process complex feelings

  • Break free from limiting beliefs and negative thought loops

  • Regain a sense of calm so you can approach challenges with clarity

  • Create space for personal growth.

Academic and Performance Stress

Whether you’re striving to keep up, excel, or get unstuck, or if you’re questioning the path ahead, tapping can help you to:

  • Release sadness, anger, and frustration 

  • Weaken or dismantle imposter syndrome and perfectionism

  • Reconnect with your internal drive without the weight of expectations

  • Align choices with your true values

  • Release anxiety and fear about next steps

Deep Dives

Sometimes a tapping session opens a door to go deeper than expected.  That’s not an obligation, just a possibility.  This can happen with any of the themes listed above.  Here are a few examples where tapping can result in deep dives – and deep healing:

  • Tapping on a strong reaction to a recent incident could lead to an “origin story” for that reaction.  Releasing the emotions around that early experience results in releasing the emotions around the more recent incident.

  • Tapping on a pattern you want to break could uncover how that pattern was adaptative in the past, and how it served or protected you.  Tapping on that root situation makes releasing the pattern much easier.

  • Tapping on a belief you want to release, such as “I am not enough,” could revive memories of how that belief started and was reinforced.  Tapping on one early memory helps to rewire that whole set of memories, and helps to dismantle the belief those memories bolstered.

Please note that if a session leads to deeper layers, you are always in control of how far we go, and how much you want to say.  If it is a memory you don’t want to articulate, there are tapping techniques for that.  Or you can choose a different topic.   (Please see “Trauma-Informed” in the “My Approach” section, above.)

Whether you’re managing daily stress or working through deeper challenges, we can find ways for tapping to help you.