My EFT Journey: A Journey of Healing and Growth

I love celebrating milestones, and this year marks the 20th anniversary of my journey with EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique). It was a profound gift—one that I will forever cherish with gratitude.

It all began in the summer of 2004. My family and I were in Istanbul for our summer vacation when my dear friend, Gulcan Arpacioglu  told me she had a special gift for me. She said, “But you’ll need to come to my home and spend the entire day here.” Intrigued, I agreed, not knowing what to expect. It turns out her gift  was an EFT workshop. EFT/Tapping is a simple and effective technique administered by gently tapping the acupuncture points to transform negative emotions like fear, worry, anxiety, depression.

Leaving my kids with my mom for the day was a bit of a challenge, but I reminded myself that’s exactly what grandmas are for. So, off I went to Gulcan’s house, unaware how EFT could impact my life. That day, I witnessed incredible transformations. I saw such profound healing during the workshop that I was left in awe.

One particular participant had a deep-seated phobia of dogs. She couldn’t even tolerate the idea of being in the same room with a dog. However, Gulcan  had Peanut then. By the end of the day, to my amazement, I watched this woman petting Peanut with a sense of calm that seemed unimaginable just hours earlier. Many radical healings happened that day, including one of my own; with an awareness that shed light on some of my childhood trauma. 

I had been a skinny child until the third grade, when I started gaining weight and remained on the chubbier side throughout my life. During the workshop, a powerful realization hit me. My emotional eating began when I was eight years old, the same year I moved in with my dad and stepmother after a seven-year custody battle.

My stepmother had a son who was 13 at the time—a growing teenager with a big appetite. I noticed how she often praised him for his eating, which I subconsciously interpreted as love and acceptance. That summer, in an effort to gain her approval, I began competing with my step-brother to eat as much as he did. That’s when my unhealthy relationship with food started.
This insight felt like a light bulb moment. For the first time, I saw how my childhood experiences had shaped my behaviors, and I felt an immediate shift to my attitude toward food.

Over the next few years, I used EFT sporadically for myself and my family. But in early 2015, life threw me another twist: a cancer diagnosis. Determined to heal, I sought to uncover the emotional roots of my illness. Gulcan once again came to my rescue, guiding me through hours of EFT therapy. Together, we unearthed layers of childhood trauma, limiting beliefs, unhealthy relationship patterns, and even past life karma.

It was like windows opening, allowing light to illuminate my darkest corners. EFT became my lifeline during that challenging period, and I’m not sure how I would have survived without it.

EFT  had such a transformative impact on my life that  I began sharing  it with  my family and friends and  eventually teaching it at Cancer Support Community and  sharing it at various healthy living Expos. 

Although I don’t practice EFT professionally,I often use it to raise funds for meaningful causes, including earthquake relief efforts. Most recently, I’ve contributed to supporting amputee children who were impacted by the February 6, 2022 Earthquake.

I owe a heartfelt thank-you to Gulcan. for introducing me to EFT, for being a role model, a guiding light, and for unlocking my healing potential.
Today, EFT is more popular than ever. There are even apps like The Tapping Solution to make it accessible. If you’d like to explore it, I highly recommend these websites:

www.emofree.com (the official site by EFT founder Gary Craig)
www.eftinternational.com
www.thetappingsolution.com

So, the next time you’re feeling emotionally stuck, give EFT a try. You just might find the healing and clarity you’ve been searching for.

Here are few  EFT testimonials from my friends: 
When I first heard about the EFT technique I was a bit skeptical but I still decided to give it a try because of all the positive experiences my friends had with Zeynep. I am very glad I did. It has benefited me in a way I had never expected and I saw this change incredibly fast, in only one session. If you have some fears or worries in life, you will definitely be very happy with the EFT technique. I highly recommend Zeynep. She is not only great at what she does, she also is an incredible human being. You will feel her positive vibes the moment you meet her.  B.C

Prior to my first experience with EFT session with Zeynep, I had no idea what to expect. After the session, which lasted about an hour, I realized how much my feelings/issues had been suppressed in my psyche since my childhood, and how it affected my well-being as an adult up to this moment in time. I truly believe that Zeynep is the ideal mentor for anyone that wishes to identify their burden within and discover a way to relieve their inner emotional stress. The success of our first meeting allowed me to comprehend Zeynep’s ability to understand the psychological aspect to build an emotional ’roadmap’ during the session, by posing certain questions before the session, and to use key words during, to venture deeper into the subconscious mind to discover the origin of the fear and give you the strength to find a release mechanism. Thank you Zeynep!  A.K

I always thought that EFT is a very interesting and intriguing method for healing trauma and other subconscious disorders. Zeynep was the first to apply this technique on me. During the session, I had emotional outbursts which led to the release of an extensive emotional burden. I did not experience any adverse events or negative thoughts during or after the session. I would definitely recommend these sessions for people who are not able to outroot their unconscious/ undiagnosed fears, traumas, and dysthymia. H.E

EFT is a very simple and effective method to release difficult emotions or suppressed feelings. You can implement this technique by yourself but I believe that it is very helpful if you do this together with an expert, especially in the beginning. Zeynep is always a solid support to me as well as being a very caring soul. The EFT session which we did together was so powerful, the suppressed feeling of fear which was with me for long years was completely gone in one session. I highly recommend her. E.K.

I’ve heard about the EFT tapping but never tried it before, until Zeynep kindly offered to introduce it to me. I appreciate how Zeynep easily connects, approaches with compassion and respect, and allows space while working on deep negative emotions. I’m forever grateful and highly recommend her services. B.H

Göbekli Tepe , Totem Poles and possible common ancestors...

 I had a light bulb moment when I saw a totem pole for the first time in my life up close in Alaska. Of course, I have seen pictures of totem poles before but seeing them in person has made an impact on me and prompted me to compare them to stone totems in Göbekli Tepe. The resemblance was so striking and obvious.

Could the indigenous people in Northwest Coast of North America and Göbekli Tepe might have shared common ancestors?

Totem poles in the Northwest coast of America are carved from the trunks of large trees, especially the Red Cedar. While the oldest totem poles we know, are from the 19th century, it has been suggested that this tradition has existed since long before then. Totem poles are rich in symbolism, and used for a variety of purposes.

Totem Heritage Center, Ketchikan, Alaska

There are several reasons to raise a totem pole. One of the most common functions is to honor the dead. At one time, totem poles are used to keep the ashes of the deceased person. There used to be a niche in the pole to hold the ashes of the deceased.These poles usually also had the carvings of the crest symbols  of the deceased. The purpose  was to commemorate the life of the deceased and affirm the lineage and history of the descendants.
After the contact and missionary activities of the westerners in the mid-1800’s, the cremation practice was replaced with burial but the memorial poles are continued to be placed near the clan house of the deceased or in a designated area near their village. Especially if a chief has passed away, the new chief would raise a totem in his honor.  The pole would typically commemorate the lineage of the dead chief. 

Ensign Albert Niblack of the US Navy who was stationed in Alaska between 1885-87 , has made observations of mortuary practices observed in the Northwest coast. Below, I’ve attached some pictures from his book. 

Now, let’s go halfway around the world to Gobeklitepe. Scientists agree that Gobeklitepe is somehow related to death and a ritual for transition to death.  (more for Gobeklitepe and Death, pls. refer to my article https://reikinewsletter.blogspot.com/2022/12/gobekli-tepe-and-ancestral-reverance.html)

Göbekli Tepe is a 12,000 year old ritual area and cult center in Southeast Turkey, where T-shaped pillars in the center of the ritual area are surrounded with 12 other smaller stones. Discovery of Göbekli Tepe has changed our understanding of evolution of civilization forever and proved that our ancestors were much more capable than we’ve imagined.

From my archive at Sanli Urfa Museum, Turkey

In 2009, a large sculpture was discovered in Göbekli Tepe and excavated the next year. The sculpture was 1.92 mt length, with a diameter of 30 cm, weighing 500 kgs, where 10 people struggled to lift and carry it. The sculpture features three main figures one above another. The top part of the column is a predator, the front part of the head is not visible, but a short neck, arms and hands are visible. The arms are holding another head, probably a human. Also large snakes are visible, below the heads of snakes, possibly structures of legs of the upper human body. This sculpture is not the only one, similar totem pole-like sculptures were discovered some 20 years ago in Nevali Cori, only 20 miles away from Göbekli Tepe. 

Archeologists agree that this sculpture found in Göbekli Tepe and other nearby locations were reminiscent of totem poles of Northwest Coast erected by indigenous people of North America. 

To assert this similarity, we need more information on where Göbekli Tepe people have come from and where they brought this tradition of building 3 dimensional, stone sculptures/poles from.

Even though many cultures around the world have totem poles, the oldest monumental wooden sculpture known today, the Shigir idol, was carved shortly after the last Ice Age, approximately 12.000 years ago and found in Russia (middle Ural mountains, near Kirovgrad) in 1890 .

Just like in Göbekli Tepe, when this first radiocarbon dating was carried out, scholars suggested that the dating was incorrect, because they believed that the hunter-gatherers who inhabited the area 9,500 years ago would not have been capable of crafting such a massive object. A later analysis gave an age of 11,500 years! 

Shigir Idol is displayed in Sverdlovsk Museum in Yekaterinburg, Russia.

                                                                    Image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shigir_Idol

The top portion of the Shigir totem pole, is a head with a face with eyes, nose, and mouth. The body is flat and rectangular. Horizontal lines at the level of the thorax may represent ribs. Geometrical motifs decorate its surface, including zigzag lines and depictions of human faces and hands. The arrangement resembles a totem pole for sure.

Scholars have proposed various theories about the carvings' meaning, such as a creation myth, a navigational aid or map, depiction of  mythological creatures or to serve as a warning not to enter a dangerous area.

Scholars also noted that the Shigir Idol's decoration was similar to that of the oldest known monumental stone ruins at  Göbekli Tepe. 

We should remember that if a piece is made of stone, it  may also have had parallels in wood. However, it would have probably failed to survive the millenia. However, if there are wooden totem poles in central Asia, it’s fair to assume that there could have been stone ones as well. It’s just that scientists should find more examples of these poles to be able to link it to Göbekli Tepe.

We know that, once there was an ice bridge between Siberia and Alaska across which people migrated to America. One of the Alaska tribes,Tlingit’s oral history describes their ancestors arriving by taking a risky trip through the "hole-in-the-ice". Another oral tradition describes the arrival of Tlingit descendants by boat. I guess both possible and could have happened.An earlier story mentions people living in Alaska already when the Tlingit population moved into the area.

The oldest dated settlement in Southeast Alaska is 10,000 BC towards the end of the last Ice Age. We now know that there were humans in America way before that, anywhere from 23,000 to possibly 26,000 years ago. So, it's still a mystery to resolve, when exactly these early ancestors have moved.In summary:

The oldest wooden totem pole found in Russia dates back to 12,000 years agoThe oldest stone totem/sculpture found in Southeast Turkey resembles the Russian wooden pole, dating back to 11, 600 years ago.

There is a long tradition of Northwest American indigenous people to erect totem poles for the deceased.Scientists agree that at least one function of the Göbekli Tepe ritual areas is a ritual for transition to death.We know that at least some ancestors of Northwest American tribes migrated from Asia.The question is, could the ancestors of Göbekli Tepe and Northwest American tribes share the same ancestors, i.e ancestors from Central Asia?

To prove this, we need more archeological evidence for the stone or wood pole erection practices in the migration routes as a practice to honor deceased. Also, we need burial practice similarities in Central Asia, Northwest America and Göbekli Tepe to prove the link for common ancestors. 

I really hope we will have professors of Archeology to consider this as a graduate study and assign this investigation to their master or PhD students, so we can lift the veils.

References:

“The Coast Indians of Southern Alaska and Northern British Columbia” by Albert Niblackhttps://bit.ly/4ciSVTy

Shigir Idol at Wikipedia- image source https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shigir_Idol“

“Human Migration Map”https://www.ipsnews.net/2018/03/map-human-migration

"The Göbekli Tepe Totem Pole” by Cigdem Koksal Schmidt & Klaus Schmidt https://bit.ly/4fuLj2L

From Albert Niblack's book, evolution of burial practices:

1- Haida column containing a box holding the ashes of the dead.

2- Haida totem  mortuary column with compartment for the remains of the dead in a box.

3- Two column support a box containing the body of the dead

4. Haida commemorative column erected in front of the house of the deceased , while the body is deposited some distance from it.

An animal predator above a human at Totem Heritage Center in Ketchikan, Alaska