Are You Stuck in Survival Mode? Find Freedom to Heal & Restore with EFT Tapping with Sophia Torrini

Rita Mercer Author

Learn how EFT tapping can calm anxiety, heal trauma, and help you move from survival mode into emotional freedom.

Burnout, chronic stress, and emotional overwhelm are more than just mental experiences—they live in the body. When the nervous system becomes stuck in survival mode, even the most motivated and self-aware individuals can feel trapped, exhausted, and disconnected from who they truly are. In this episode of The Daring Well Podcast, Rita Mercer sits down with certified clinical EFT practitioner Sophia Torrini to explore how Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) can help regulate the nervous system, release stored emotional trauma, and reconnect individuals to a sense of wholeness and purpose.

Sophia’s work bridges neuroscience and soul-centered healing, offering a compassionate, body-based approach to transformation. Through her personal story and clinical insights, she explains why so many people struggle to “think their way” out of stress and why true healing requires working with the body, emotions, and subconscious patterns together.

Understanding Burnout, Trauma, and Identity Collapse

Burnout and trauma often arrive quietly, building over time until the body simply cannot keep up. Many people experience what Sophia calls identity collapse—a moment when the life, role, or version of self they once relied on no longer fits or functions. This can happen after chronic stress, illness, loss, or years of operating in survival mode.

When the nervous system is constantly activated, the body prioritizes safety over growth. Creativity, clarity, and connection become secondary to simply getting through the day. Over time, this dysregulation can leave individuals feeling disconnected from their intuition, their values, and even their sense of self.

Rather than viewing these experiences as failures, Sophia reframes them as signals. The body is communicating that something deeper needs attention—not more willpower, but more regulation, compassion, and emotional processing.

What Is Clinical EFT and Why Does It Work?

Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), often referred to as “tapping,” is an evidence-based modality that combines elements of cognitive psychotherapy with somatic stimulation. By gently tapping on specific meridian points while acknowledging emotions and thoughts, EFT helps calm the nervous system and release stuck emotional energy.

Sophia explains that emotions are not abstract concepts—they are energy in motion. When emotions are not fully felt or processed, they can become stored in the body, contributing to anxiety, chronic stress, and even physical illness. EFT works by signaling safety to the brain and body, allowing these emotions to move through rather than remain trapped.

Unlike approaches that focus solely on changing thoughts, EFT begins with regulation. When the body feels safe, the brain can shift out of high-alert survival patterns and into states that support healing, insight, and choice.

Living in Survival Mode vs. Living in Creation

One of the most powerful distinctions Sophia shares is the difference between living in survival and living in creation. Survival mode is governed by the sympathetic nervous system and characterized by fear, anxiety, anger, and hypervigilance. In this state, the brain scans for danger and limits perception to worst-case scenarios.

In contrast, living in creation becomes possible when the nervous system is regulated. As brainwaves slow and the parasympathetic nervous system activates, individuals gain access to curiosity, hope, and expanded awareness. Choices that once felt impossible begin to appear.

Sophia references research showing that emotions carry measurable frequencies. Lower-frequency emotions tend to deplete energy and narrow perception, while higher-frequency emotional states support growth and resilience. Healing, then, is not about bypassing difficult emotions but gently guiding the nervous system toward states that support life.

The Parallel Process: Healing Past, Present, and Future Selves

A central concept in Sophia’s work is the parallel process, a method that integrates healing across time. Rather than focusing only on present symptoms, this approach acknowledges that unresolved past experiences and unmet emotional needs continue to influence current behavior and nervous system responses.

The process begins by gently healing the past self—the version of you that learned to survive through fear, control, or disconnection. As that healing occurs, individuals can then connect with their future self, the version already living with greater ease, health, or fulfillment.

True healing, Sophia explains, is wholeness. When past, present, and future selves are aligned, individuals no longer feel internally fragmented. Instead of being driven by old survival patterns, they begin to feel guided by intuition, clarity, and embodied trust.

How Chronic Stress Dysregulates the Nervous System

Chronic stress keeps the body locked in a state of high alert. When emotions like fear and anxiety dominate, the brain produces high beta waves associated with vigilance and threat detection. Over time, this pattern exhausts the system and reduces the body’s capacity for rest, repair, and immune function.

Sophia explains that many people attempt to address stress cognitively—through positive thinking or mindset shifts—without first addressing physiological regulation. However, when the body believes it is in danger, affirmations and logic often fall flat.

Practices like EFT, meditation, and breathwork help slow brainwaves and signal safety. Once the nervous system calms, individuals can process emotions more effectively and begin making choices aligned with healing rather than fear.

Rewiring the Brain Through Emotional Regulation

Healing does not require fighting negative thoughts or emotions. In fact, resistance often reinforces them. Sophia emphasizes the importance of acknowledging emotions without judgment and allowing them to move through the body.

Rather than forcing positivity, individuals are encouraged to make small, believable shifts in perception. A thought like “This will never change” might soften into “There may be another way.” Even subtle shifts can open the nervous system to new possibilities.

As regulation increases, the brain becomes more flexible. Over time, individuals gain confidence in their ability to navigate challenges, drawing from lived experiences of resilience rather than fear-based predictions.

Signs Your Body Is Dysregulated

The body often signals dysregulation long before conscious awareness catches up. Sophia highlights several key indicators, including shallow breathing, holding the breath, muscle tension, digestive discomfort, and persistent fatigue.

Breathing patterns are especially telling. Anxiety commonly leads to shallow chest breathing, which reinforces sympathetic activation. In contrast, diaphragmatic and pelvic breathing activate the parasympathetic nervous system and support emotional release.

By learning to observe bodily sensations with curiosity rather than judgment, individuals can develop a more compassionate relationship with their nervous system and respond to stress earlier—before it escalates into overwhelm or panic.

Self-Havening: Using Touch to Create Safety

One accessible technique Sophia shares is self-havening, a form of gentle, intentional touch. Slowly stroking the arms, holding the heart, or placing hands on the throat can activate calming neurochemical responses in the brain.

This practice sends a powerful message of safety and self-support. Rather than pushing discomfort away, individuals learn to be present with sensations while offering reassurance to the body.

Self-havening is especially helpful for those with trauma histories, as it restores a sense of agency and choice. Even observing someone else perform the movement can have a grounding effect, making it a flexible and inclusive tool.

Panic Attacks, Mindfulness, and Early Awareness

Sophia notes that research shows panic attacks often begin long before the physical symptoms appear. Subtle internal cues—changes in breathing, tension, or emotional agitation—are frequently ignored until the nervous system becomes overwhelmed.

Developing regular body awareness can prevent escalation. Simple practices such as orienting to the room, naming sensations, and breathing into the abdomen help interrupt the stress cycle.

Importantly, emotions naturally move through the body within 90 seconds when not fueled by stories or rumination. Learning to experience emotions without layering fear or judgment allows the nervous system to return to balance more efficiently.

A Path Toward Wholeness and Hope

Sophia’s story is a powerful reminder that healing is possible even when circumstances feel dire. Through nervous system regulation, emotional processing, and compassionate self-connection, individuals can move from survival to creation.

This work is not about perfection or bypassing pain. It is about building a relationship with the body, honoring its signals, and creating conditions where healing can naturally unfold.

As Rita Mercer emphasizes, listeners are encouraged to take what resonates, move at their own pace, and remember that even small moments of regulation can create meaningful change over time.

Keywords: nervous system regulation, emotional freedom techniques, EFT tapping, burnout recovery, trauma healing, identity collapse, stress management, parasympathetic nervous system, somatic healing, emotional regulation

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Categories: : EFT - Emotional Freedom Technique, Emotional Wellness, Healing, Nervous System, Trauma