Havening Techniques are a series of procedures developed by Dr. Ronald Ruden and his brother Dr. Steven Ruden, based on psychosensory therapy principles. Havening uses touch, attention, and positive imagination to ease emotional pain and promote healing. It is a self-healing strategy that helps alleviate stress, anxiety, and trauma.
Here’s a breakdown of key aspects of Havening:
- How it works: Havening triggers the body’s own healing systems by engaging the amygdala and releasing emotional memories. When we are stressed, anxious, or traumatized, our bodies can get locked in a fight-or-flight response. Havening helps to release the body from this state.
- The Role of Touch: Light pressure is applied to certain places on the body, such as the forehead, temples, or upper arms. Touch is an important part of Havening, inducing the release of delta waves in the brain, which are associated with relaxation and sleep. Touch also promotes the release of oxytocin, a hormone linked to social bonding and relaxation.
- The Role of Attention: Attention is focused on a specific thought, image, or sensation. This helps to redirect attention away from negative experiences towards positive ones.
- The Role of Positive Visualization: Repeating positive affirmations or visualizations, such as “I am safe and protected” or “I am capable and strong” during Havening, can interrupt negative brain pathways and enhance positive associations.
- Core Components: Havening involves touch, focused attention, and positive visualization. The main steps include identifying a difficult or traumatic event, touching certain spots on your body while focusing on the memory, repeating a positive affirmation or visualization, and then taking a few deep breaths after finishing.
- Rapid and Gentle Transformation: Havening facilitates rapid, gentle, and permanent electrochemical and physical change in the cells of the amygdala. It works on the level of the individual neuron, so transformation can be nearly instantaneous.
- Various Havening Techniques: There are different types of Havening including Event Havening, Transpirational Havening, Affirmational Havening, Outcome Havening, Hopeful Havening, Role Havening, and Iffirmational Havening.
- Event Havening is used for specific traumatic events.
- Transpirational Havening is used to diffuse chronic emotional states.
- Affirmational Havening reinforces positive qualities and improves resilience.
- Outcome Havening helps to alter the memory of a traumatic event.
- Hopeful Havening is used to promote healing and recovery.
- Role Havening is when a practitioner takes on the role of someone involved in a past trauma to help mitigate the damage done.
- Iffirmational Havening helps move individuals toward acceptance that change is possible.
- Self-healing tool: Havening is a strong tool for daily self-healing that can be used to relieve stress, anxiety, and trauma while also promoting overall well-being. It can be done alone or with a practitioner.
- Versatile Application: Havening can be used to address various issues such as stress, anxiety, trauma, phobias, panic attacks, and PTSD. It also has applications for improving relationships, self-discovery, and physical health.
- Integration: Havening can be integrated with other therapeutic approaches. It is not something used in place of a particular school of thought but rather, a way of enhancing other modalities.
In summary, Havening is a neuro-scientific approach to healing that uses specific touch, attention, and positive visualization to reduce negative emotions, and facilitate mental and physical wellbeing.