Tapping, the Gentler Cousin to EMDR for Lowering Cortisol & Stress Levels Artwork

Hello Health, Moms Empowered

Hello Health Moms Empowered, shows women and men how to be strong, positive leaders for their families. Explore health and wellness with medical experts. Discover the connection of traditional medicine, nutrition, and natural plant-based products. Hear the inspirational lessons that your host Pamela learned fighting for her son’s life. Now is the time to look at your health symptoms and ask "why?" and "how?". Doctors, health, and wellness leaders share stories of hope and healing, here on the Hello Health, Moms Empowered podcast.Many health practitioners believe that medical approaches should not be limited to a single method. On this show, experts, leaders, and families present ground-breaking practices that combine traditional Western medicine with alternative modalities. If you are passionate about effective methods that elevate your life, this is your best guide.Tap into the courage within you and seek better solutions to achieving your best self. And, help the kids and adults in your community live their best lives.This show is an eye-opener that everyone has a right to a happy and healthy life. No one is a lost cause. Go beyond hurtful stigmas, outdated practices, and unnecessary labels to find life-changing discoveries. Redirect your health for the better.Hosting the podcast is Pamela Wirth, lifelong learner, author, and health enthusiast. As the principal of Strategic Growth Advisory, she problem solves and coaches startup businesses to public companies. Pamela lends a burning desire to dig deeper into holistic and natural practices after challenges with her son.At the age of six, Pamela's son Ryan began to developmentally regress. He experienced anxiety, had motor challenges, sensory issues, fatigue, made unusual vocalizations, and lost his sense of humor. When brought to medical professionals, no one could explain his condition. In fact, most of them considered Ryan incurable or on the spectrum. But motherly love encouraged Pamela to look for better advice and clearer answers. This started a complicated trial and error stage of trying a variety of tests, medicine, nutrition, and supplements.It turns out Ryan suffered from an autoimmune disorder. Even after discovering that his immune system works against infections, the fight is far from over. Pamela knows too well that there is no final answer when it comes to health. Therefore, she has worked with doctors to develop a protocol. Thankfully, his health has been restored and he enjoys a happy life today.This roller coaster of a story inspired Pamela to build Hello Health®, a company dedicated to nutrition, education, and network building to help heal more people. Her team prioritizes adults and children dealing with neurodiversity, autoimmune, sensory processing disorder, and autism spectrum syndromes.Bringing every episode closer to home, Pamela invites individuals with their own stories of healing. Hear their mesmerizing journeys of hitting their lowest points and the incredible courage it took to regain lost health. Find out how they went beyond the traditional bounds of medicine, tested practices in radical ways, and uncovered effective natural methods.Don't let disease or illness put an end to your hopes and dreams. Whenever you think that you can't become better, widen your perspective. A single doctor’s decision should dictate your future. Get up and gather the courage to give yourself a happier life through respect, care, community, dedication, and persistence.Listen to Hello Health, Moms Empowered at www.hello.health, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere else you listen to your shows.

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Hello Health, Moms Empowered

Tapping, the Gentler Cousin to EMDR for Lowering Cortisol & Stress Levels

September 30, 2025 • Pamela Wirth

0:00 | 18:53

Christine Slomski is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Emotional Freedom Technique Practitioner, and the founder of Calm Hearts Counseling, a private practice based in Arizona. She specializes in trauma recovery, grief counseling, and supporting women's mental health through all stages of life.

Christine's counseling philosophy is rooted in a holistic approach to healing—nurturing the mind, heart, body, and spirit. Drawing from body-centered modalities, she supports women in reconnecting with their inner calm, cultivating a sense of safety within themselves, and creating more fulfilling, authentic relationships. Her passion is to empower women not just to cope, but to truly thrive in their lives—with clarity, confidence, and a renewed sense of wholeness.

You can connect with Christine at CalmHeartsCounseling.com.

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SPEAKER_00 0:09

Hi, this is Pamela Wirth with the Hello Health podcast. And today I have Christine Slumsky, licensed professional counselor, emotional freedom technique practitioner, and founder of Calm Arts Counseling. Thank you so much, Christine, for being on.

SPEAKER_01 0:24

I am so glad to be here with you, Pamela. Thank you for having me. And I'm excited to talk about the emotional freedom technique today.

SPEAKER_00 0:31

Yes. So tell us how you got into health and wellness. What is this technique? And who are you really serving in this?

SPEAKER_01 0:40

Those are some really good, big questions broadly, what brought me into health and wellness. Gratefully, I was born into a family that had that consciousness of balancing, at least in our family system, balancing Eastern medicine and Western medicine and really looking to how can we care for our bodies in an in optimal ways. And so I have some family members in health and wellness. And so I was introduced to it in a in a at an early age. And also just through my own personal journey when I've leaned into certain areas of medicine that then kind of led to dead ends, then I really dug into pretty deeply what used to be called alternative medicine, but now we know it as mind-body medicine. And so I do quite a bit of that work in my um in my role as a licensed professional counselor. I look at the mind and the body and see and just move us beyond conventional talk therapy to see how can we thrive as a whole person. So just in brief, that that journey is taking me on to pursue certifications in yoga, yoga nidra. So I've studied herbalism and especially the emotional freedom technique. And I'm going on almost 20 years now of using it, and I love it. It's one of my primary tools for myself, my clients, my family members. So what is it? Yeah, great question. So the emotional freedom technique, we call it either tapping or EFT tapping. Sometimes it's called meridian therapy because we're tapping along meridians in the body, which I can share a little bit about. But essentially, to kind of distill it down, the emotional freedom technique is a calming tool. And it's it's like pairing acupressure and psychology. So if we even back it up a step, we all know or we've heard of what acupuncture is, right? We put these little needles on certain points of the body. There's over 2,000 points. But what those needles are doing is they're stimulating points along our meridian system or our nervous system to get to clear blockages, right? And um with EFT tapping, we're doing something very similar with acupressure on nine points that are very accessible or quickly accessible to us, right? Um, and I can demonstrate those. It's on our face and on our torso, top of the head. And then we're also pairing it with what's going on emotionally for us or physically. So again, it's a calming tool to distill it down in its most simplest form. When we're pressing on these points along the body, these nine points, research is showing us that it's sending that calming signal to the amygdala, that little almond shape piece in our brain that puts us in fight or flight. So it's telling our body and our brain, hey, we're safe in this moment. It's okay. It's okay. Because we're all of us are on fight or flight all the time. Does that make sense?

SPEAKER_00 3:33

Yeah, it does. But do you so of the nine points, are you hitting different like is is there a difference between the nine points? I guess is what I'm trying to ask. If you do like the side of the head versus the top of the head or the torso or whatever.

SPEAKER_01 3:50

Well, the beauty of EFT tapping is that you can you can tap along any point and you can skip over points and it's still effective. Now, if you look at um through the lens of Chinese medicine and which point we're tapping on, it correlates to a different organ system, right? So under here, I'm pointing to under um uh under my pupil on the bone under my eye, that correlates to the stomach meridian. And in fact, the psychologist who kind of um gave birth to, although Gary Craig, um, I want to give him the credit, he's really the father of EFT tapping, but a psychologist that kind of came up with this concept, initially called thought field therapy, was Dr. Roger Callahan, a psychologist also studying Chinese medicine, and he was working with a woman who had terrible stomach pains and a phobia of water. And one day they were getting nowhere in therapy to address her fear of water. And he just said, you know what, let's just start talking about your fear and what's getting in the way of you getting into water and just tap on that point under your eye because it correlates with a stomach meridian. And they found that by doing that, she was relieved of stomach pain and it also addressed her fear. So that's kind of a long-winded answer. But um, they, yeah, so the points do correlate with different organ systems. And at the same time, you can you can't get EFT wrong. It's a very, very forgiving technique for calming the body.

SPEAKER_00 5:16

And then who are you seeing most of right now? Like tell us a little bit about the types of people that you typically see and the types of things that you're typically working through.

SPEAKER_01 5:26

I primarily serve women in my practice, women of all ages, although I would say um the bulk of women I work with are ages 35 to about 65, 70, and um working women, women with families, women who are um caring for the people around them that are really holding that space or caring for aging parents, um, women who are in all the roles with all the hats. And so I work with a lot of women who are living with chronic stress, chronic anxiety, chronic overwhelm, as well as chronic illness too. We know that autoimmunity is now it's so prevalent in women more than men, right? And we're seeing those autoimmune disorders. So that's who I serve. And as a mind-body therapist, going beyond conventional talk therapy, we use a lot of EFT tapping and then other modalities as well to really signal to the body, hey, it's okay, we're safe, we can let go of this stress. And particularly, we use this as a tool to support women, like at the end of the day or at the end of the week, to discharge that stress because we don't want to go to bed with it, right? Um, and so that's just a little bit of how I use EFT and the population that I serve.

SPEAKER_00 6:37

And then as you're doing this holistic view, when do you encourage them to solicit other practitioners to maybe take care of certain things that might be causing some of this chronic, you know?

SPEAKER_01 6:50

Yeah, yeah, the um chronic uh health issues. That's a great question. I love, love um collaborating on client care. So um it really is a multifaceted approach. So when I see that um just something in the body is not getting resolved through these stress reduction tools, um I'll refer them. I I work with a lot of um naturopathic doctors, function functional medical providers, homeopathists, herbalists, um, something that can also get into the body even deeper than EFT tapping, right? Because we have so many other beautiful modalities that complement this tool. So that's a that's an instance where I will um refer out as well, or not refer out, but incorporate another provider into their care, particularly with hormonal support as well, wherever you're at in that journey. Um, tapping can be very helpful because we are reducing cortisol levels. And just a quick fact an hour of EFT tapping reduces cortisol production by 43% versus traditional talk therapy, and that's huge. And we know that cortisol levels that are off the charts are really uh messing with our hormones, right? But all that to say, um, yeah, I definitely like to get someone on board to support women with hormonal support.

SPEAKER_00 8:04

So let me ask you this. So the thought of tapping for an hour sounds like a long time. Is there an easy way to kind of get into a pattern of this? Because that sounds kind of overwhelming to carve out an hour.

SPEAKER_01 8:18

Yeah, I'm glad you bring that up. And that's that's based on what what the research shows. Um yeah, I in fact I don't tap an hour a day, but what I do is I'll start my day by with with some tapping and breath work. Um, I encourage clients to tap for at least three to five minutes a day. Some of my clients, they um they're very disciplined and principled and they're in competition with themselves and they want to do it 15 minutes every day on their lunch break. But I say it's something is better than nothing. And in my opinion, it's not practical, right, with all of us in our busy lives to do an hour of tapping. Um, but just breathing and tapping can can help, even if you're at a stoplight or if you're in the pickup line. A lot of my clients will do that when they're in the pickup line, just tapping and breathing.

SPEAKER_00 9:07

Yeah, that actually makes a lot of sense. Those lines are something else. Um is there a favorite place that you encourage your patients to tap while they're just trying to reset, so to speak?

SPEAKER_01 9:20

My response to that is go where you feel drawn. So I teach tapping, I teach the nine points, right? Which is the basic straightforward protocol, right? There's integrity in teaching it as it's been taught to me. And then also because it's such a forgiving tool, um, tap anywhere along those points. Wherever feels good, sometimes there'll be a point that's really tender. And I would just say tap and breathe there because you're clearing something in your meridian system that's been stored there. Um and while I wouldn't say it is the one point you have to do, what we call in the EFT community kind of the money point is this point called the um the thalamus gland here. We also tap on this in EMDR therapy. I'm also an EMDR therapist, and it's right below your collarbone, and there it tends to be pretty sore. There's a gland there. And when we're tapping on that, that can be really, really effective. And for my working um clients who are professionals in the boardroom or they're at a meeting or or with family, the I tell at like at a dinner table, they can tap on the side of the hand, and I'll I can show these to you today. And they can just do that discreetly, just tapping and breathing. No one knows.

SPEAKER_00 10:32

Nobody has to know.

SPEAKER_01 10:34

All right, you know, because it looks kind of funny if you're doing it in front of people.

SPEAKER_00 10:38

For sure. Any other um points? So besides the hand, your um the head, the sides, where else, where else are the nine?

SPEAKER_01 10:48

Yeah, so let's review them since we're um together here today. So we start on the side of the hand, that fleshy part, the ridge of the hand, right beneath the pinky. And it doesn't matter if it's your right, right side or left side. Um, and uh for those who may be listening to this, they can't see, we call it the karate chop point. So if you were gonna do like a karate chop, that's where we start tapping. And there's actually um a setup statement that we create that goes with this, um which I can share in a moment, but we start here and then we go to this eyebrow point right um in between your eyebrows, and we can go one side or either side or both sides, side of the eye on the temples, okay, under the eye, so it's that bone right underneath the pupil, under the nose, and then we tap under the lip. It's like in this divot point where the chin is, and then underneath the collarbone, not on the bone, on right underneath, um, on the side of the body, like right underneath the arm, a few inches below the armpit, and then top of the head, that governing vessel. So those are the nine basic points that we teach.

SPEAKER_00 11:48

That's great.

SPEAKER_01 11:48

And then any other thoughts around um when and how to bring your kids into this when they're starting to melt down or uh yes, you know, there's really a whole component on EFT tapping in children. Um it can be, well, here's the thing when when kids are having meltdowns, we co-regulate, right? So it's really important that we can take a breath and get our nervous system as calm as we can in the moment, right? And then what we do, because we have these mirror neurons, right? Especially with our kids. They're watching us. We're we're mirroring. And so we can just start to tap and breathe and just say, oh my gosh, yes, you're so tired. Oh my gosh. It's yeah, you're just so upset. And we can just start tapping with them and breathing, right? And telling them what tapping is before. So if it, if we're like in the middle at the start of a tantrum or meltdown, and we can just, you know, hey, just watch me and let's just tap together and breathe. And kids, I've noticed this, they'll see that and start tapping and just kind of start to calm themselves. And there's a lot that we can do with kids as well, um, like formally and clinically with EFT tapping. But that's just the first thing that comes to mind is or just doing our butterfly taps. This is borrowed from EMDR, just tapping and breathing, calming, taking that butterfly tap, and we're still hitting those thalamus points.

SPEAKER_00 13:12

Super interesting. Yeah, yeah. Anything else you want to touch on?

SPEAKER_01 13:19

Oh my goodness, Pamela, there's my mind is going in four or five different directions. I would say that tapping is wonderful for for everyone and anyone. It is, it's universal. There are no no adverse effects, none. Um, as I said, I'm also an EMDR therapist. And while I I love and respect that modality, it's a powerful modality that can bring up a lot if someone's not quite ready. Tapping is just as effective, but I call it like the gentler cousin of EMDR. And so um it can be used in an airplane, in a bathroom, um, at a concert, like wherever you are. And it's also really wonderful to do outside of therapy. There are resources you can look up online. Um, but also if you are working with a therapist, particularly like at My Practice, you can pair it with um OCD treatment, um, post-traumatic stress, um, body image, um, uh relationship conflict, anything where we feel stuck belief-wise and also stuck in reactivity and stress. And so I think it's just one of many great tools, but I love it because once you learn it, you can use it on your own and you're not dependent on a therapist. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:39

That's a great idea. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 14:41

Yeah, you're welcome. You're welcome. And I think it's really important for us to use, particularly for some of us who are caregivers. I know I've been in that role recently in the last year and supporting a family member after a major surgery, and it's a lot, right? And so by again, by taking that moment to pause, and for me, it's tapping, it's tapping and breathing paired with some aromatherapy. And it just helps me empty out, settle down, and get clear, right? So that then I can sleep well, I can wake up with a clear mind, and I'm more effective for myself, my family, my clients.

SPEAKER_00 15:16

Yeah. So when you're doing aromatherapy, what are some of your favorites in terms of kind of cleansing the mind and helping the body reset?

SPEAKER_01 15:23

Oh, great question. Aromatherapy-wise, so I really love, I obviously lavender, I give out lavender sachets, sachets to all of my clients. Um, but it really depends on the client for myself. I love tea tree oil for just its clarifying component. I use that. And in fact, I use it on some of my meridian points that we're tapping on because essential oils can be used sort of, um, yeah, they can be used with um acupressure, acupuncture points. I love that. I love citrus oils for clarifying and brightening. Um, and I love some of more of those um cooling or denser oils for grounding. I'm thinking cedar wood. We're heading into the winter months soon, right? And to have something that is grounding can be really helpful. And fun fact, the olfactory system is connected to the amygdala in the brain, right? So when we're tapping, we're calming that amygdala. And how amazing that it would make sense that if we want to smell something that is brightening, we are we are stimulating that amygdala, right? If we're in a depressed or collapsed state. Um, and if we are heightened in that fight or flight state, smelling something that is grounding, anchoring, and calming. Isn't that just amazing? Yeah, yeah. And you langu is great too. Um, it's it has a kind of a soothing quality. It's perfume-like, but soothing. I love you language ling. What about yourself?

SPEAKER_00 16:49

I love lavender, tea tree. Um I like Boswellia a lot. For some reason, that seems very just kind of grounding to me and also has other benefits like antibacterial, antiviral, you know. So you feel like you're coming on with something, it's I for me at least, it's very kind of grounding and it also feels like maybe I'm doing something good for my body at the same time, too.

SPEAKER_01 17:12

Yeah, it feels nourishing, doesn't it? On a certain level, yeah. Yeah, and you know, frankincense is coming to mind. Not everyone's cup of tea, but that one is something that just is feels like that grounding. And again, another fun fact bergamot oil was just published in a medical journal. That if you smell high-quality therapeutic grade bergamot oil for up to two minutes, inhaling it and exhaling, it offsets symptoms of PTSD. How amazing is that?

SPEAKER_00 17:39

Well, I love all these different tips and tricks and things to help people kind of get their hands around how they're feeling and how to take in all the things that life is throwing at them.

SPEAKER_01 17:51

So yeah, and it's beautiful now because there's just there's so much, there's so much dialogue around um what else can we do outside of um outside of just traditional, you know, the traditional medical model, um, which has its benefits, but there's so much now, so much available to us, so much information, and and everyone's just so individual too, right? So you get to choose and what feels right for you, what resonates.

SPEAKER_00 18:17

Yeah, absolutely. If people want to learn more about you, where do they find you?

SPEAKER_01 18:22

They can go to calmheartscounseling.com. They can look me up, Christine Slomsky, therapist in Arizona, and uh results will come up. But calmheartscounseling.com, that's my practice, and uh that's where I do a lot of mind body work as a therapist.

SPEAKER_00 18:39

Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_01 18:40

You're welcome. Thank you for having me. It's been great to connect, Pamela.