Havening Techniques, also known as Delta Wave Techniques, is a psychosensory treatment that employs gentle touch to address unwanted emotional and somatic responses linked to distressing memories and events. This approach is rooted in contemporary neuroscience and is considered a tool rather than a therapy in itself. It is used by practitioners working with individuals experiencing a range of issues, including those struggling with anxiety, panic attacks, phobias, stress, trauma, low self-esteem, and anger issues.
At its core, the application of Havening Techniques for anxiety involves using specific types of touch, known as Havening Touch, to induce delta wave activity in the brain. Under normal circumstances, delta waves are associated with deep sleep and do not occur in the awake adult. By introducing these waves during the awake state, particularly when a distressing memory or feeling is activated, a paradoxical situation is created: the person is aroused but feels safe. This process is understood to lead to the depotentiation of traumatically encoded experiences in the amygdala. Essentially, it helps the brain release these experiences that may be acting as a filter for how present-day information is processed.
A practitioner guides the client through this process, either by applying the touch themselves (Facilitated Havening) or by teaching the client how to apply it to themselves (Self-Havening). The touch movements are simple, such as gently stroking the arms, palms, or face. Crucially, the practitioner explains the neuroscience behind the techniques and why touch is effective. Consent is paramount, and practitioners discuss touch and obtain permission each time it is used, even with existing clients. If a client is uncomfortable with touch, they can be guided through self-havening, and some practitioners conduct their entire practise without physically touching clients.
Various specific Havening Techniques can be used when working with anxiety. For example, Event Havening is particularly useful for single, traumatically encoded situations that contribute to anxiety. In this method, the client briefly activates the distressing memory and its associated emotion, rates their distress level, and then focuses on simple distractions (like counting or humming) while the practitioner applies or guides self-havening touch. This process is repeated until the distress significantly decreases. Transpirational Havening is employed for chronic emotional states that manifest across many different events. Here, the client accesses a memory evoking the emotion and chants a word representing it while receiving touch. Other techniques like Affirmational Havening and Hopeful Havening are used to foster psychological wellbeing and resilience by having the client focus on positive words or a sense of hope while touch is applied. Outcome Havening can help in visualising and implanting desired future states. These different techniques can be combined within a session depending on the client’s needs.
A significant advantage of Havening Techniques for anxiety is the ability to work content-free. This means clients do not need to verbally disclose the specific details of a distressing event or issue for the techniques to be effective. As long as the client can access the associated feelings internally, the practitioner can work with it. This is beneficial for clients who may be unable or unwilling to discuss their experiences openly, perhaps due to shame or the fear of re-traumatisation.
How Havening Techniques Add to Existing Treatment Approaches:
Havening is often seen as an adjunctive or integrative tool that can be seamlessly incorporated into a practitioner’s existing skillset. It is not presented as a complete replacement for all other therapeutic modalities but rather as a powerful addition. Many practitioners combine it with other approaches like NLP, hypnosis, or coaching techniques. Some believe that the electrochemical environment created by Havening can make traditional psychotherapy more effective by removing the “amygdala filter,” allowing clients to access deeper levels of processing more quickly and safely. It can help clients move through resistance in a gentle manner and feel safe exploring difficult areas. Havening can also teach clients practical skills for self-care and managing stress or anxiety in their daily lives, which can sustain progress made in sessions.
Where Havening Techniques May Surpass Traditional Anxiety Treatment Approaches:
Based on clinical experience, Havening offers several distinct advantages that may go beyond what other methods can achieve as easily or readily.
- Speed and Efficacy: It is frequently described as being quick, effective, and long-lasting. Practitioners report seeing results within a single session. For conditions like panic attacks and phobias, which are strongly linked to amygdala activity, Havening can be particularly rapid and effective.
- Reduced Re-traumatisation: A key benefit is that the client is not re-traumatised during the healing process. Unlike some exposure-based methods where high anxiety might be intentionally activated, Havening aims to create a sense of safety while processing the distress.
- Content-Free Processing: The ability to work content-free allows clients to address deeply sensitive issues without needing to articulate them verbally. This is a significant departure from many talk-based therapies.
- Gentleness: It is consistently described as a gentle approach. This is particularly valuable when working with complex trauma or deeply entrenched anxiety. The combination of being both fast and gentle is highlighted as unique.
- Real-Time Results: Clients can often see and feel the results of the treatment in real-time during the session, which is considered a very positive and tangible aspect.
- Accessing States Safely: It can help clients access resourceful states or explore inner experiences, sometimes facilitating a state similar to hypnosis but with the client remaining fully in control.
- Working with the Underlying Neurology: The method is explicitly based on understanding and targeting the neurological and biochemical processes involved in encoding and releasing distressing memories.
While other therapies may share goals such as reducing symptoms or changing a client’s relationship with their anxiety, Havening provides a distinct, psychosensory mechanism for potentially achieving this through the depotentiation process facilitated by touch-induced delta waves.
The acceptance and integration of Havening Techniques within the wider mental health and coaching communities is still in its earlier stages. There can be skepticism due to its novelty and the apparent simplicity and speed of the results. However, practitioners who use it frequently report profound transformations in their clients and often find that it enhances their own professional practise and self-care. The strong recommendation from experienced users is often to “just do it” or “try it” to experience its effects first-hand. There is a vision among proponents that, as research continues and awareness grows, Havening could become a widely recognised, perhaps even default, approach for addressing trauma and anxiety.
Summary: Havening technique for anxiety
Havening Techniques for anxiety are a psychosensory treatment using touch to generate delta waves in the brain, which is understood to depotentiate distress encoded in the amygdala. Practitioners guide clients through Havening Touch or Self-Havening, working with issues like panic attacks, phobias, stress, and trauma. A key benefit is the ability to work content-free, meaning clients do not need to verbally disclose details of distressing events. Havening acts as a valuable addition to existing therapeutic toolkits, potentially enhancing the effectiveness of other modalities. It is seen as surpassing traditional anxiety treatments in its described speed, efficacy, and gentleness, allowing clients to process difficult experiences without re-traumatisation. The real-time results and focus on underlying neurological processes are highlighted as particular strengths. While still gaining wider recognition, practitioners find it transforms their practise and provides a powerful self-care tool.