Comparing Havening Techniques and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Mental Wellbeing

Understanding the landscape of therapeutic approaches can be beneficial for individuals seeking support for mental health challenges. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Havening Techniques® represent two distinct, yet potentially complementary, methods for addressing conditions such as anxiety, depression, stress, and trauma. While CBT is a widely recognised psychological therapy focusing on the link between thoughts, feelings, and behaviours, Havening is a newer psychosensory approach that targets the neurobiological encoding of distressing experiences.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and its Variants

CBT is a well-established therapeutic system often referenced for its real-world track record in addressing anxiety and related disorders. Variants include Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), and Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy (REBT). CBT approaches aim to modify anxiety reactions that interfere with an individual’s ability to live their life as they wish. This typically involves identifying and challenging unhelpful thought patterns and changing problematic behaviours. A central technique in CBT can be keeping thought records.

• CBT for Anxiety: CBT principles form the basis for many approaches to anxiety. It often involves exposure therapy, which requires facing anxiety-provoking situations. Professionals using CBT are experienced with this approach. In ACT, a variant of CBT, the goal is not primarily symptom reduction but helping clients live a valued life. Exploring attempted solutions to manage anxiety is done nonjudgmentally. Learning to face anxiety-provoking situations is part of behavioural activation, a component of CBT.
• CBT for Depression: Behavioural Activation, a CBT approach, is effective for treating depression. The focus can be on establishing positive patterns of activity and thoughts, as negative patterns can perpetuate stress long after an original difficulty has passed. Going to war with depression is seen as counterproductive.
• CBT for Stress: While sources don’t specifically detail CBT for stress as a standalone issue, the principles of identifying unhelpful thoughts and behaviours can apply to managing stress. The accumulation of stress and tension is acknowledged as problematic. NLP, which shares some conceptual ground with cognitive approaches, is mentioned for stress management.
• CBT for Trauma: Trauma can manifest not just as a story from the past, but as disruptive physical reactions in the present. Exposure therapy within CBT can be used, but it can be anxiety-provoking, necessitating professional support and guidance. Difficult emotions like shame and embarrassment, often linked to trauma, need to be identified and confronted, not ignored or suppressed.
• Self-Help vs Professional CBT: Some aspects of CBT and its variants can be explored through self-help resources. For instance, self-help guides might introduce techniques like thought records. However, undertaking challenging aspects like exposure therapy is recommended with a therapist who can provide support and guidance. SFBT resources can also be used by individuals not currently seeing a therapist.

Havening Techniques®

Havening Techniques are a psychosensory modality believed to work by depotentiating traumatically encoded experiences in the amygdala. This neurobiological process is thought to allow individuals to go beyond the cognitive “story” associated with a perceived trauma or stressful experience. Havening aims to cleanse the “doors of perception” for greater awareness and freedom. It can be used in conjunction with various other therapeutic approaches, including CBT, mindfulness, NLP, and hypnotherapy. Practitioners often use touch (Havening Touch), applying gentle strokes to areas like the face, arms, and palms. Permission for touch is always sought from the client. Alternatively, clients can perform the touch themselves (Self-Havening). Havening is described as quick, effective, and long-lasting.

• Havening for Anxiety: Havening is considered effective for anxiety. It can be used to address panic attacks and phobias. By reducing baseline stress and depotentiating encoded stress responses, it can help manage anxious feelings. Havening can be used content-free, meaning the client does not need to verbally disclose the specifics of a distressing event or feeling.
• Havening for Depression: While not exclusively for depression, the principles of Havening apply to various forms of human suffering, including depression. By addressing underlying trauma or stress, it can potentially impact self-esteem and overall wellbeing. Havening can help individuals shift their perception and move beyond the negative constructs that might dominate their mind.
• Havening for Stress: Havening is highlighted as particularly effective for reducing stress. It can reduce accumulated negative stress, referred to as allostatic load. Self-Havening is presented as a simple tool that can be used daily to reduce negative stress. It can provide relief for individuals feeling at a “breaking point” due to the pressures of daily life.
• Havening for Trauma: This is a primary application of Havening. It is designed to depotentiate traumatically encoded memories in the amygdala. It can help heal trauma and is effective for amygdala-based disorders like PTSD. A key advantage is that the client is reportedly not re-traumatised during the process. Havening creates an electrochemically safe place, which is considered essential for trauma healing. It can be beneficial for individuals who have experienced severe abuse, helping to heal trauma layers and build resilience. It addresses the impact of trauma on daily interactions.
• Self-Help vs Professional Havening: Havening can be learned and used effectively by individuals for self-care and self-development. Self-Havening is suitable for reducing baseline stress, building resilience, increasing positive emotions, and relieving present moment emotional distress. However, for clearing deeply encoded trauma or dealing with complex issues, working with a certified professional practitioner is strongly recommended. A lay person should not attempt to do trauma reprocessing on themselves due to potential risks. Experiencing Havening with a practitioner is considered a good way to understand its benefits. Havening is described as a tool, not a therapy, meaning its application depends on the user’s scope of practice; professionals use it within their therapeutic framework, while lay people use it within a self-care context.

Summary: Havening vs CBT

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and its variants like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) are established psychological approaches that address anxiety, depression, stress, and trauma by focusing on changing thoughts, behaviours, and responses to internal states. CBT often involves techniques like exposure therapy and thought records, aiming to modify reactions that interfere with life goals. While self-help resources exist for CBT, professional guidance is recommended for complex issues and challenging techniques.

Havening Techniques are a newer psychosensory modality that targets the neurobiological encoding of distress, particularly in the amygdala. It involves gentle touch (self-applied or by a practitioner) and aims to depotentiate traumatic memories and reduce stress quickly and effectively. Havening can be used content-free and integrates well with other therapies. It is effective for anxiety, stress, and trauma, helping to provide a sense of safety and facilitating shifts in perception. Self-Havening is a valuable tool for self-care, stress reduction, and building resilience, but professionals are necessary for treating significant or complex trauma. Both approaches offer distinct pathways to support mental wellbeing, with professional guidance being crucial for more severe or complex challenges.