Havening Techniques are a psychosensory treatment that uses touch to eliminate unwanted feelings from distressing memories and events, and promote personal growth. The method is consistent with current neuroscience. Havening is a gentle, rapid technique that is easy to learn, can be self-applied, and has essentially no side effects.
What are Havening Techniques used for?
- Stress and anxiety relief: Havening can reduce the intensity of negative feelings and promote relaxation. It is used to treat conditions including generalised anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Trauma relief: Havening can aid in the discharge of emotional memories and the healing of past traumas and unpleasant events. Havening can minimise the emotional and physical distress associated with traumatic memories, as well as promote a sense of safety and well-being. It can also improve the overall quality of life for trauma survivors, including sleep, relationships, and the ability to engage in daily activities.
- Physical health: Havening may help to strengthen the immune system, reduce inflammation, and alleviate pain and suffering in the body. It can also reduce physical tension, such as tightness associated with stress and anxiety.
- Improved relationships: Havening can assist in the development of communication skills, empathy, and emotional intelligence, leading to stronger and more rewarding interactions with loved ones.
- Enhanced mental clarity and productivity: Havening can help to cleanse the mind, relieve stress, and enhance creativity and productivity.
- Self-discovery: Havening can help increase self-awareness by helping individuals understand and accept their emotions, thoughts and beliefs.
How Havening Techniques Work
Havening uses touch, attention, and positive visualisation to interrupt neural pathways that store traumatic memories and create new, positive ones. The techniques stimulate the release of delta waves in the brain. Delta waves are slow, deep brain waves associated with relaxation and sleep. Touch is an important part of Havening and can induce the release of delta waves. The techniques also trigger the body’s inherent healing mechanisms and can enhance emotional and physical wellness.
The basic steps of Havening are as follows:
- Think about a difficult or traumatic incident that you want to work on.
- While focusing on the memory or feeling, touch certain spots on your body, such as your forehead, temples, or upper arms.
- Remind yourself of a positive affirmation or visualisation, such as “I am safe and protected” or “I am capable and strong.”
- Touch the exact places for many minutes while repeating the affirmation or image.
- Take a few deep breaths after finishing the Havening technique and notice how you feel.
Why are therapists and coaches using Havening?
Many therapists and coaches are incorporating Havening into their practice because it is a versatile technique. Havening is considered an adjunctive therapy, meaning that it is not used in place of a particular school of thought, but is integrative. It can be combined with various therapeutic approaches, such as talk therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), mindfulness-based therapies, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), and hypnotherapy. Havening can increase the effectiveness of other therapies by creating an electrochemical environment in the mind and body that removes the amygdala filter from the psychotherapeutic process. This allows the individual to resonate more fully within themselves and move to deeper levels of healing, more quickly, and in a safe way.
Havening provides a sense of safety for the patient. Havening creates a safe space for the patient electrochemically by reducing the activity of the neurons that are holding the traumatic experience active in the brain. This empowers the brain to release these experiences that serve as a trauma filter for current information processing.
Furthermore, Havening is a flexible method, that can be used with any issue. The simplicity of the technique allows clients to take a certain amount of control over their healing journey, empowering them to move beyond their fears and anxieties. The client can also use self-havening as a tool at home between sessions, which allows them to feel more secure and safe.
Benefits for Clients
Clients experience numerous benefits from Havening techniques, such as:
- Rapid results: Havening can produce changes quickly. Some clients report feeling significantly better, more grounded, clear, and peaceful, after just one session.
- Content-free work: Havening can be used effectively without needing to discuss the details of a traumatic event, which is useful for clients who are unable to talk about their experiences.
- Reduced re-traumatization: Because clients do not need to go into the details of a trauma when using Havening, they are not re-traumatised during the healing process.
- Empowerment: Clients are able to learn self-havening techniques that empower them to manage their own emotional state.
- Improved mood: Havening can help clients experience feelings of relaxation, inner peace and joy.
- Improved sleep: Havening can help with sleep problems, as well as other issues related to trauma.
- Increased self-awareness: Individuals can gain insight into their thoughts and behaviours, which can help them make positive changes in their lives.
- Enhanced well-being: Havening can be used to improve overall well-being, including stress relief, emotional regulation, creativity, and self-awareness.
Havening is a flexible tool that can be used by a variety of people, and is not limited to mental health professionals. Parents and teachers, for example, can use Havening to help children self-regulate their emotions. In conclusion, Havening is a powerful tool that can be used to heal the pain of the past, manage stress and anxiety, build resilience, and enhance overall well-being.