Psycho sensory therapies use sensory input to alter mood, sensations, thinking and behaviour. These therapies use sensory input rather than language or chemicals. Havening is one such psychosensory therapy.
Psycho Sensory Therapies
Examples of psycho sensory therapies include:
- Havening Techniques®: A psychosensory treatment that uses gentle touch to eliminate unwanted feelings from distressing memories. The havening technique for anxiety involves sensory input to alter the mind/body.
- Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT): A tapping technique that combines elements of cognitive therapy and acupressure to address emotional issues.
- Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR): A therapy that uses bilateral eye movements to process and integrate traumatic memories.
- Thought Field Therapy (TFT): A technique that involves tapping on specific body points in a particular sequence to alleviate psychological problems.
- Yoga: Combines physical postures, breathing techniques, and meditation to promote physical and mental well-being.
- Exercise and Related Activities: Physical activity releases endorphins and can improve mood and reduce stress.
- Aromatherapy: The use of essential oils to promote relaxation and well-being.
- Craniosacral Therapy: A gentle, hands-on therapy that aims to release tension in the central nervous system.
- Meditation/Relaxation: Practices that cultivate a state of calm and focused awareness.
- Biofeedback/Neurofeedback: Techniques that provide real-time feedback on physiological functions to promote self-regulation.
- Music Therapy: The use of music to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs.
Some psycho sensory therapies activate the mind with a particular memory; others do not. Those that activate a particular memory have the potential to de-encode emotional, cognitive and sensory components of a traumatising event. These therapies, along with those that do not focus on specific memories, can downregulate the response to stressors.
Psycho sensory therapies offer several benefits to clients:
- Addresses Physical and Emotional Dimensions: Psycho sensory therapies address both the physical and emotional dimensions of well-being.
- Accessibility: Psycho sensory techniques can be used when client’s problems are not accessible simply by talk therapy.
- Can Lead to a Deeper Understanding: Psycho sensory techniques can lead to a deeper understanding of a client’s problems.
- Gentle Approach: Psycho sensory therapies like the havening technique for anxiety offer a new and gentler way to approach emotional and physical disturbances.
- Reduces Reliance on Pharmaceuticals and Talk Therapy: Psycho sensory therapies offer an alternative to pharmaceuticals and traditional talk therapy.
- Potential for Rapid Results: Some psycho sensory therapies may be faster than other modalities.
- Can be Integrated: Many psycho sensory therapies can be integrated with other therapeutic approaches.
- Empowering: Psycho sensory therapies can be a tool that allows you both to help people and help people help themselves.
Psycho Sensory Therapy as a Self-Help Tool
Psycho sensory therapies can be used as self-help tools to:
- Reduce Baseline Stress: Psycho sensory techniques like the havening technique for anxiety can reduce baseline stress and allostatic load.
- Build Resilience and Positivity: These techniques can build resilience and increase access to positive emotions.
- Energise an Outcome: Psycho sensory therapies can energise an outcome.
- Relieve Present Moment Emotional Distress: Psycho sensory therapies are effective for relieving distress in the moment.
- Promote Self-Care: Havening can be easily integrated into daily life for self-care.
Self-havening can improve well-being, just as meditation, mindfulness or exercise can.
Tags: Psycho Sensory Therapy, Havening, EFT, EMDR, Self-Help, Stress Reduction, Emotional Healing