Guilt and Shame - Emotional Freedom Techniques for Effective Coping

Freeing yourself from guilt of the past:

    Identify the beginning of the guilt, when did you first feel guilty or ashamed about something?
    What persons were involved?
    What emotions do you remember experiencing?
    How did you react?
    What emotional response do you get as you think of it now?
    Where do you feel that emotion in your body at this moment?
    What intensity is the emotional/physical feeling if "0" represents no intensity and "10" represents maxed out or the worst you have ever felt?

Now, let's apply this information using Emotional Freedom Techniques.
Emotional Freedom Techniques is a treatment developed by Gary Craig, a Stanford University educated engineer with no health care background. He works off of the techniques of Roger Callahan and other pioneers in the energy psychology field.
Here are the general steps to this simple effective technique:

    Take the three middle fingers of one hand and tap lightly on the fleshy part of the side of the other hand, just below the little finger. This part is called the 'setup phrase' and sets the stage for the process.
    Make your setup phrase simple and repeat it three times as you tap on your hand
    The setup phrase goes like this: "Even though I have had this guilt since (i.e.: Mother told me I was too fat to play softball at age 8), I choose to deeply and completely love and accept myself. I forgive myself, (Mother), my higher power, anyone or anything else that may have contributed to this guilt, and I release any anger, judgment or criticism I still may hold for any of them."
    Fill in your own words to describe your situation, then highlight, copy and paste your statement into a text or word file .
    Now, choose a reminder phrase that represents the gist of the problem, be as specific as you can. i.e.: this guilt I feel in my gut, at an intensity of 7", highlight, copy and paste it into your text or word file with your setup phrase and repeat it as you tap through the sequence of points listed: With the fingertips of one hand cupped together, tap 7-10 taps on each point:
        the inside of your eyebrow (either side) on the bony part,
        next the outside of your eye, on the bony part,
        next the cheekbone just under your eye,
        then just under your nose, above your lip,
        next on the midpoint between lower lip and chin,
        next the point a little to the side of where your collarbone meets your breastbone,
        next just under your arm, about halfway between your armpit and your waist,
        next on top of your head>
    as you go through the tapping, if something else comes up, like "I remember feeling this way when (fill in your experience)", then notice that feeling and continue to tap

    repeat this process until nothing comes up while you tap, and your original intensity of feeling is down to "0" both physically and emotionally.

Try this technique for guilt and see what you can accomplish.