Setting the right comparison
What "before and after" actually means here
Unlike practices with visible before-and-after results — a haircut, a workout program, cosmetic treatments — Access Bars doesn't produce anything to photograph. The comparison people make is entirely subjective: how they describe their mental and physical state walking in, versus how they describe it walking out.
Reports of the "before" state commonly include everyday tension, a busy or racing mind, and general stress — the kind of baseline most people carry through an ordinary day. Reports of the "after" state commonly include calm, mental quiet, and sometimes tiredness. This shift is consistent with what tends to happen after any extended period of quiet rest and attentive touch.
The most detailed measured data point comes from a 2017 pilot study, which used standardized anxiety and depression questionnaires before and after a single 90-minute session in seven participants, finding large average drops in both scores. That's a real, measured before-and-after difference — but with only seven participants and no comparison group, it can't confirm whether the touch technique itself, rather than 90 minutes of rest and attention, produced the change.
Before and after, without the hype
A realistic comparison of the kinds of subjective changes people report before and after an Access Bars session.
Before
People often describe tension, stress, or a busy mind before a session.
During
The session offers quiet rest and light head contact.
After
Reports often mention calmness, sleepiness, or mental quiet.
Evidence limit
A before-after shift does not prove the specific touch method caused the change.
Commonly reported states, side by side
These reflect commonly described self-reports, not a guaranteed outcome for every session.
Mental state
Often busy, distracted, or racing
Often described as calmer or quieter
Physical tension
Everyday tension common
Often reported as reduced
Energy level
Varies
Often more relaxed, sometimes tired
Anxiety/depression scores (pilot study)
Higher baseline scores
Large reported decrease post-session
The one piece of measured before-and-after data
Beyond subjective description, one small study put numbers to the comparison.
Anxiety and depression scores drop measurably from before to after a single session.
Pilot study
Common misunderstandings
Access Bars produces visible "before and after" results like a physical transformation.
There's nothing to visibly photograph — any comparison is about self-reported mood, not appearance.
The pilot study proves Access Bars specifically causes the reported mood shift.
Without a control group, the study can't separate the touch technique's specific effect from ordinary relaxation.
Everyone experiences the same before-to-after shift.
Reported experiences vary; some people notice little difference between how they felt before and after.
What to remember
- There's no visible physical "before and after" with Access Bars.
- Commonly reported shifts are toward calm and reduced mental busyness.
- A small pilot study measured large drops in anxiety and depression scores, without a control group.
- The specific cause of any measured shift hasn't been independently confirmed.
Key takeaways
The shortest useful version of this page.
Access Bars produces no visible physical before-and-after result.
Commonly reported shifts are from tension and mental busyness toward calm.
A small pilot study measured large drops in self-reported anxiety and depression scores.
That study lacked a control group, so the specific cause of the shift isn't confirmed.
Reported experiences vary, and some people notice little difference.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between before and after Access Bars?
There's no visible physical change; the reported difference is in mood, typically shifting from tension toward calm.
Is there research measuring this shift?
A small pilot study measured large drops in anxiety and depression scores after one session, though without a control group.
Does everyone notice a difference?
No — reported experiences vary, and some people notice little to no change.
Can I see photos of Access Bars before-and-after results?
Not meaningfully — the practice doesn't produce a visible physical change to photograph.
Sources
Terrie Hope. The Effects of Access Bars on Anxiety and Depression: A Pilot Study. Energy Psychology: Theory, Research, and Treatment, 2017-11. Accessed 2026-07-14
Source of the measured before-and-after anxiety and depression score data.
Access Bars. EFT International. Accessed 2026-07-14
Independent summary of the pilot study's findings.
