SmokingEarly Phase 1NCT00981396
The Effect of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) in Smokers Failing a Smoking Cessation Program
A Early Phase 1 study testing EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) and CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) in people with Smoking, run by Soul Medicine Institute at 1 site in United Kingdom.
Trial summary
The National Health Service (NHS) stop smoking service at the Central Lancashire NHS Trust serves a diverse population of smokers, with a very good quit rate and high standards. However, clinical experience predicts that some clients are unlikely to succeed through the NHS smoking cessation program. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 12 to 99 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Smoking
- What is being tested?
- EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) and CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 40 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited Kingdom
- Study dates
- 20 Sep 2009to 31 Dec 2027
- Phase
- Early Phase 1
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 12 to 99 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- High anxiety related to the quit attempt
- Cravings which sabotage the quit attempt
- Low confidence at their ability to quit and remain quit
Who cannot join
- None, all NHS clients are eligible
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United Kingdom1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
NHS Central Lancashire Primary Care Trust
Ormskirk, Lancashire, L39 2JW
Dawson Church, 707 237 6951, dawsonchurch@gmail.com
Joan Draper, LPC
About this study
Official title: The Effect of EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) in Smokers Failing a Smoking Cessation Program
The National Health Service (NHS) stop smoking service at the Central Lancashire NHS Trust serves a diverse population of smokers, with a very good quit rate and high standards. However, clinical experience predicts that some clients are unlikely to succeed through the NHS smoking cessation program. This special population has difficulty quitting for a variety of reasons. Some relapse over the course of the following two years and return repeatedly to the service. Others, for instance those with health problems, may be highly motivated to quit, but unable to resist their cravings. The purpose of this study is to determine if EFT makes a difference in quit rates with the most challenging population of clients.
- Conditions
- Smoking
- Being tested
- EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques), CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)
- Keywords
- smoking, EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques), CBT (cognitive behavior therapy), cravings, trauma
- Medical subject headings
- Smoking, Color Vision Defects, Wounds and Injuries
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques)Behavioural
EFT is a brief but efficacious stress-reduction intervention. It combines exposure, cognitive structuring, and somatic stimulation.
CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)Behavioural
CBT is a behavioral intervention that seeks to challenge and change negative client cognitions about events and life circumstances.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| CBT | Active comparator | Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Receives: Behavioral: CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) |
| EFT | Experimental | Emotional Freedom Techniques, a novel but efficacious stress-reduction technique Receives: Behavioral: EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Quit rate
Measured: treatment period
Secondary outcomes (1)
Psychological symptoms and physiological symptoms
Symptoms and smoking 3, 6 and 12 months post-intervention
Measured: Three, 6, and 12 months after intervention
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted22 Sep 2009 (estimated)
- Study start20 Sep 2009
- Primary completion31 Dec 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion31 Dec 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for SmokingStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Early Phase 1
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Triple blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 40 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Soul Medicine Institute
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Dawson Church, Soul Medicine Institute
- Investigators
- Dawson Church, PhD, Principal investigator, Soul Medicine Institute
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT00981396
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- SMI-SMO-92509
- Status last verified
- Apr 2026
- First submitted
- 19 Sep 2009
- Last updated
- 27 Apr 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 27 Apr 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Effect of EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) in Smokers Failing a Smoking Cessation Program
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT00981396
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- SMI-SMO-92509
- Conditions
- Smoking
- Keywords
- smoking, EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques), CBT (cognitive behavior therapy), cravings, trauma
- Phase
- Early Phase 1
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 40 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Soul Medicine InstituteUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 20 Sep 2009 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Dec 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 31 Dec 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 22 Sep 2009 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The National Health Service (NHS) stop smoking service at the Central Lancashire NHS Trust serves a diverse population of smokers, with a very good quit rate and high standards. However, clinical experience predicts that some clients are unlikely to succeed through the NHS smoking cessation program. This special population has difficulty quitting for a variety of reasons. Some relapse over the course of the following two years and return repeatedly to the service. Others, for instance those with health problems, may be highly motivated to quit, but unable to resist their cravings. The purpose of this study is to determine if EFT makes a difference in quit rates with the most challenging population of clients.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Triple blind (participant, investigator, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| CBT | Active comparator | Behavioral: CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)Cognitive Behavioral Therapy |
| EFT | Experimental | Behavioral: EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques)Emotional Freedom Techniques, a novel but efficacious stress-reduction technique |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 12 to 99 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- High anxiety related to the quit attempt
- Cravings which sabotage the quit attempt
- Low confidence at their ability to quit and remain quit
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- None, all NHS clients are eligible
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques)EFT is a brief but efficacious stress-reduction intervention. It combines exposure, cognitive structuring, and somatic stimulation. | Behavioural | EFT |
| CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)CBT is a behavioral intervention that seeks to challenge and change negative client cognitions about events and life circumstances. | Behavioural | CBT |
Primary outcome
Quit rate
Time frame: treatment period
1 secondary outcome
Psychological symptoms and physiological symptoms
Time frame: Three, 6, and 12 months after intervention
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 27 Apr 2026.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Dawson Church, PhD principal investigator
Soul Medicine Institute
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A Early Phase 1 study testing EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) and CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) in people with Smoking, run by Soul Medicine Institute at 1 site in United Kingdom.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 27 Apr 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United Kingdom. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
What does this phase mean?
Early Phase 1 (sometimes called Phase 0) studies give a very small amount of a treatment to a few people, mainly to see how the body handles it.
Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Joan Draper, LPC (01695 588000, joan.draper@btinternet.com), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Quit rate (time frame: treatment period). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 27 Apr 2026.