EFT tapping and cortisol: what the research actually shows

Cortisol is the body's primary stress hormone. Chronically elevated cortisol is linked to anxiety, poor sleep, and metabolic problems. Two peer-reviewed RCTs have measured what a single EFT session does to circulating cortisol — and the findings are notable enough that they have been widely cited.

Study 1: Church, Yount & Brooks (2012)

Church D, Yount G, Brooks AJ. The effect of emotional freedom techniques on stress biochemistry: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 2012;200(10): 891–896. (PMID: 22986277)

• Design. Three-arm randomised controlled trial.
• Sample. 83 non-clinical adults.
• Arms. One hour of EFT, one hour of supportive interview, or one hour of rest.
• Finding. Salivary cortisol dropped 24.4% in the EFT group, significantly greater than supportive interview (-14.2%) or rest (-0.6%).

Study 2: Stapleton, Crighton, Sabot & O'Neill (2020)

Stapleton P, Crighton G, Sabot D, O'Neill HM. Reexamining the effect of emotional freedom techniques on stress biochemistry: A randomized controlled trial. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 2020;12(8):869–877. (PMID: 32162958)

• Design. Three-arm RCT, designed as a replication of the 2012 study with improvements.
• Sample. 53 participants.
• Arms. EFT, psychoeducation, or no treatment.
• Finding. Cortisol dropped 43.24% in the EFT group — significantly greater than psychoeducation (-19.67%) and no-treatment (+2.02%).

What the wider physiological picture looks like

Bach et al. (2019) measured a wider panel of biomarkers in 31 participants after a standardised clinical EFT session. They reported a 37% drop in cortisol, 8% drop in resting heart rate, 6% drop in systolic blood pressure, and a 113% increase in salivary immunoglobulin A (an immune marker). The design was pre-post rather than randomised, so the results are suggestive rather than definitive.

What these numbers actually mean

A 24%–43% drop in cortisol after a single session is large compared with most behavioural interventions. A few honest caveats:

• Both RCTs used a single hour-long session by a trained practitioner. A 5-minute self-tapping session in an app is not the same intervention, even if the same protocol is used.
• Acute cortisol drops do not automatically translate to long-term stress reduction. They are a signal that something is changing in the body, not proof of clinical recovery.
• The Stapleton 2020 replication is currently the strongest single data point. We should be more cautious about quoting a single study's number as a universal claim.

How Coacalm uses this

We deliver clinical-EFT-style sessions in 5- to 15-minute formats, with SUDS rating before and after each one. You won't see a cortisol reading on your phone — that requires a saliva sample — but the self-reported distress drop is the same outcome the research uses.

About this article:Coacalm is a wellness app. EFT tapping is a complementary practice. Information on this page is educational and is not medical advice. If you're experiencing a mental-health crisis, please contact your local emergency services or, in the US, call or text 988. Last reviewed: June 2026.