Trauma

How Havening Technique for Anxiety Impacts Brain and Mind Processes

by John Nolan
5th February 2025

Havening technique for anxiety works on multiple levels to reduce the impact of anxiety on the brain and mind. It primarily targets the amygdala to reduce activation and depotentiate traumatic memories, while also engaging the cortex to change negative thought patterns and promote mindfulness. Additionally, Havening supports the regulation of neurochemicals, encourages positive emotions, breaks patterns of avoidance, and enhances overall psychological well-being. By combining neurological and psychological approaches, Havening provides a comprehensive method for overcoming anxiety.

Havening for Anxiety: A Comprehensive Overview

by John Nolan
4th February 2025

Havening for anxiety is a technique that aims to depotentiate the encoded traumatic experiences in the amygdala, which can reduce the impact of past traumas and lower overall anxiety levels. It involves the use of touch, distraction, and focused attention to create a sense of safety, which can then help to make other therapeutic techniques more effective. It is often used to facilitate a shift in perception, reduce emotional distress, and build resilience. Havening can be used alongside other therapies, such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), and is also a valuable tool for anxiety coaches.

Tools and Techniques a Havening Practitioner Uses to Help Clients Overcome Anxiety

by John Nolan
2nd February 2025

A Havening practitioner uses a range of tools, primarily Havening Techniques, to assist clients in overcoming anxiety. Havening works by targeting the amygdala and depotentiating traumatically encoded experiences. Alongside these techniques, practitioners often employ other tools including mindfulness and cognitive reframing, and also work to build resilience and empower clients. Deciding to work with a Havening practitioner depends on individual preferences and needs. If you are experiencing trauma, phobias, or other amygdala based disorders and are looking for a fast, gentle, content-free way to gain control over your anxiety, Havening may be a good fit. If you have tried other methods of anxiety management without success or are open to exploring newer techniques based in neuroscience then a Havening practitioner may be the right choice.

The Transformative Power of Havening: When and How to Benefit

by John Nolan
27th January 202530th January 2025

Havening is a potent psychosensory therapy that utilizes touch and distraction to bring about rapid and gentle changes. It is beneficial for a variety of emotional and psychological issues, including trauma, phobias, and anxiety and can be done by a practitioner or as a self-care practice. Havening helps to reduce distress, build resilience, and improve overall well-being. It also empowers individuals by giving them a tool they can use independently to manage emotional challenges and stress. Havening is increasingly recognised as an effective method for promoting healing and personal growth.

Help for Flashbacks

by John Nolan
24th January 20258th March 2025

Flashbacks are a distressing symptom of trauma and PTSD, and there are many ways to manage them including various forms of therapy, medication, self-help strategies, and lifestyle changes. It is most helpful to acknowledge your feelings, use grounding techniques, and be compassionate with yourself during flashbacks. Seeking professional help is crucial, and there are many different approaches that can be beneficial in managing flashbacks, such as EMDR, ACT, Havening and Somatic therapy. These treatments can help you to process the traumatic memories that are causing flashbacks, and move towards healing.

The Interplay of Trauma and Depression: Pathways to Healing

by John Nolan
18th January 2025

Trauma can significantly contribute to depression by disrupting the brain’s ability to regulate emotions. Addressing trauma, whether through self-help methods, or with a professional, allows for emotional regulation and a reduction in depressive symptoms. New approaches such as Havening and ACT can offer specific techniques and philosophies which help clients resolve trauma. Self-compassion, mindfulness, and emotional regulation are also helpful strategies in dealing with the impact of trauma.

The Interplay of Trauma and Anxiety: Brain Mechanisms, Healing Pathways, and Professional Guidance

by John Nolan
16th January 202526th January 2025

Trauma significantly affects anxiety, altering brain function and leading to avoidant behaviours and heightened emotional reactivity. Addressing past traumas can lead to reduced anxiety and a richer more meaningful life. Self-help techniques like mindfulness, acceptance and conscious breathing can help, and there are several effective approaches that can be used by a professional. Choosing the right approach is a very personal journey that is best explored with the support of a qualified professional, and it is important to pay attention to key indicators when it’s time to seek that support. The aim is not to erase difficult feelings or thoughts but to transform one’s relationship to them.

Psychosensory Therapy

by John Nolan
13th January 202530th April 2025

Psychosensory therapy is an approach that uses sensory stimulation to bring about a positive shift in a person’s state of being, and therefore addresses the interconnectedness of the mind and body. By utilizing sensory techniques, it offers an alternative method for managing stress, processing difficult experiences, and promoting healing and well-being. This approach can be helpful for people who have difficulty talking about their experiences or who prefer a body-centred approach to wellness.

Havening Techniques for Healing: Self Havening all work with the Havening therapist?

by John Nolan
9th January 202522nd January 2025

Havening uses touch, focus, and visualization to promote healing from stress, anxiety and trauma. It can be used in a range of circumstances and is flexible to suit the specific needs of individuals. It is based on neuroscientific principles which demonstrate that this approach can create real and lasting change in the mind and body. Self-Havening can be used for day-to-day stresses and emotional regulation, while a practitioner can provide guidance for those dealing with deeper trauma or those who would benefit from more support in the process of healing. Havening is a powerful tool that can be integrated into an existing life to enhance both mental and physical well-being.

Anxiety and the Brain: Understanding and Treating Anxiety with Havening

by John Nolan
9th January 202516th January 2025

Anxiety involves the amygdala’s stress response to perceived threats, which can become heightened by encoded trauma. Havening is a powerful method that uses touch, attention, and visualisation to directly target the encoded memories in the amygdala, promoting relaxation and reducing anxiety. It is a gentle and rapid method that can be used as self-havening or facilitated by a therapist. Havening is considered more effective than some traditional approaches because it addresses the root cause of anxiety and trauma, is quick and effective, does not require the details of the trauma to be discussed and can be used to increase the effectiveness of traditional approaches to support well-being.

Flashbacks, the Brain, and Therapeutic Approaches

by John Nolan
5th January 202522nd March 2025

Flashbacks are a distressing re-experiencing of traumatic events. They are stored in the brain and triggered by cues associated with the original trauma. Different types of therapies such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Havening, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, and Solution Focused Therapy offer approaches for helping people to manage the effects of flashbacks and move forward. These therapies can assist in calming and reducing the intensity of the flashbacks, restoring a sense of agency, as well as helping people to live more fully in the present.

Havening: A Guide to a Powerful Self-Healing Technique

by John Nolan
1st January 20259th May 2025

Havening is a psychosensory therapy that uses touch, attention, and positive visualisation to ease emotional pain and promote healing. It is based on the idea that touch, focused attention, and positive visualization can trigger changes in the brain, specifically in the amygdala, which processes emotional memories. How Havening Works: The Science The Amygdala: Havening is… Read More »Havening: A Guide to a Powerful Self-Healing Technique

Understanding Your “Nervous Mind”: what helps calm your mind

by John Nolan
31st December 202410th January 2025

When you feel like your mind is “nervous,” it often means that certain parts of your brain are overactive or misinterpreting signals. It’s helpful to understand the roles of these key areas: The Amygdala: This is like your brain’s alarm system. It’s designed to respond to threats and can trigger a fight, flight, or freeze… Read More »Understanding Your “Nervous Mind”: what helps calm your mind

What havening technique are used for

by John Nolan
27th December 20243rd January 2025

Havening Techniques are a psychosensory therapy that uses touch to promote healing and well-being. They are based on neuroscience and aim to alleviate stress, anxiety, and trauma by altering the way the brain processes information. Here’s a breakdown of what Havening Techniques are and what they’re used for: The Core Principle: Havening works by using… Read More »What havening technique are used for

What is Havening Touch: How It Helps Overcome Trauma

by John Nolan
26th December 202426th December 2024

What is Havening Touch? Havening Touch is a simple, gentle, and soothing touch that you can do on yourself, or someone else can do for you. It’s a key part of Havening Techniques, which are used to help people release the difficult feelings and memories that come with trauma. It’s not like a massage or… Read More »What is Havening Touch: How It Helps Overcome Trauma

Rewiring the Anxious Brain: Techniques and the Role of the Havening Therapist14th May 2025
Rewiring the anxious brain leverages the brain's capacity for neuroplasticity to change its responses to anxiety. Anxiety is understood to involve the amygdala and cortex pathways. Techniques targeting the amygdala, such as exposure therapy, relaxation, exercise, and Havening, aim to modify emotional memories and threat responses through experience and direct neurological intervention. Techniques targeting the cortex, like cognitive restructuring and mindfulness, focus on changing anxious thoughts, interpretations, and awareness. Other approaches such as NLP, SFBT, Hypnotherapy, and Neurofeedback also contribute to this process by addressing subconscious factors, promoting solution-focused thinking, conditioning relaxation responses, or directly altering brainwave patterns. A Havening therapist is particularly integral to this process by facilitating amygdala depotentiation through techniques like Havening and guiding clients in self-practices such as CPR for the Amygdala, enabling effective and controlled healing of trauma and building resilience. The goal is to build new neural pathways that resist anxiety and allow individuals to live more fully according to their values.
Reasons for Professionals and Senior Management Seeking Private Anxiety Treatment13th May 2025
Many professional people and senior management seek anxiety treatment, often in private settings, due to the severe impact anxiety has on their careers, performance, and relationships. They may seek effective and tailored solutions beyond temporary symptom relief, favouring approaches that focus on performance, well-being, and client control. Stigma, embarrassment, and the need for privacy to address what can feel like a secret problem are significant motivators for choosing private treatment. They may also be looking for alternative approaches if previous attempts at managing anxiety, particularly through avoidance, have proven costly and ineffective.
An Exploration of Havening Techniques for Anxiety12th May 2025
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.
Coaching for Depression11th May 2025
This report has examined coaching for depression, drawing on principles and techniques found in various therapeutic modalities. Coaching-informed approaches differ from traditional therapy by focusing on solutions and positive emotions rather than problems, viewing the client as the expert rather than the therapist, and emphasising possibilities over impossibilities. Potential advantages include building confidence, fostering hope, and promoting action-oriented strategies. For clients, coaching can be preferable due to feeling more understood, empowered, and less blamed. Practitioners may benefit from a more collaborative role and the fulfillment of helping clients achieve lasting positive change. A critical element in coaching for depression is the constant monitoring of progress, often done through scaling questions, tracking goal achievement, and regular check-ins to identify what is better. Key techniques include using positive focus, finding exceptions, externalising problems, challenging negative thoughts, setting SMART goals, and promoting behavioral activation.
Comparing Havening Techniques and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Mental Wellbeing9th May 2025
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.