Trauma

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

John Nolan
31st December 202427th May 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

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

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

Psychosensory therapy: what is can do for you.

John Nolan
26th December 202426th February 2025

Psychosensory therapy involves applying non-specific sensory input to generate an extrasensory response to effect a beneficial change within the brain, either transiently or permanently. This type of therapy is distinct from talk therapy (psychotherapy) and drug therapy (psychopharmacology). The active ingredient in psychosensory therapy is called an “electroceutical”, which is anything that employs electrical stimulation… Read More »Psychosensory therapy: what is can do for you.

The amygdala and trauma: understanding what your brain is doing leading to roots for your recovery.

John Nolan
25th December 202427th February 2025

The amygdala plays a central role in the experience of psychological trauma. It is a part of the limbic system, which is responsible for survival-based responses to threat. The amygdala is primarily involved in processing emotions, especially fear and anxiety, and it is critical for generating emotional and physiological responses to stimuli. Here is a… Read More »The amygdala and trauma: understanding what your brain is doing leading to roots for your recovery.

what is havening techniques

John Nolan
20th December 202416th April 2025

Havening Techniques® are a psychosensory treatment that uses touch to help with a variety of emotional and mental health issues. The techniques are rooted in neuroscience and are designed to be a gentle and effective self-help tool. How Havening Works: Havening uses a soothing touch, typically on the upper arms, palms, and around the eyes,… Read More »what is havening techniques

Using Havening To Reduce the Impact of Trauma, Anxiety and Stress

John Nolan
6th December 202426th January 2025

Havening Techniques® (also known as Delta Wave Techniques) are a type of psychosensory therapy that uses sensory input, specifically touch, to alter the mind and body. Havening can be used to treat a variety of conditions, including trauma, anxiety, stress, phobias, chronic pain, and addiction. The Havening touch works by sending signals to the brain… Read More »Using Havening To Reduce the Impact of Trauma, Anxiety and Stress

The Connection Between Trauma and Anxiety

John Nolan
5th December 202425th December 2024

Trauma can lead to several physiological changes, such as changes in brain wave patterns and an increase in stress hormone activity. These changes are the result of the brain’s attempt to protect itself from further harm. However, they can also lead to several problems, including anxiety. Trauma changes the way a person experiences the world.… Read More »The Connection Between Trauma and Anxiety

How to Help Yourself When you’re triggered

John Nolan
12th August 20194th March 2025

You can probably think of an occasion where the feelings you were experiencing at a particular moment were stronger, more intense than the situation really deserved. Something from your past had been awakened or ‘triggered’. Sometimes people are aware of what these memories are; sometimes they just experience the emotional charge from the past event.… Read More »How to Help Yourself When you’re triggered

Which part of the brain controls anxiety6th June 2025
Which part of the brain controls anxiety. The Brain’s Anxiety Network Anxiety is a complex emotional response that involves several interconnected regions of the brain rather than being controlled by a single area. Understanding how these different parts interact provides insight into how anxiety is generated.… Read More »Which part of the brain controls anxiety
Mastering the Experience of a Panic Attack5th June 2025
Experiencing a panic attack can feel intensely frightening, like an attack on one’s very being, leading to a sense of being gripped and paralysed. These attacks can happen for seemingly no explanation and are often described as the most alarming experiences of a person’s life. A… Read More »Mastering the Experience of a Panic Attack
Comparing Havening Techniques and EMDR for Trauma and Anxiety4th June 2025
Both Havening Techniques and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) are methods for addressing distressing experiences, including those related to work anxiety. Key differences include the perceived speed of the techniques, with Havening often described as faster. Havening can be performed content-free, meaning verbal disclosure of details is not always necessary, unlike EMDR which typically involves more recounting. The mechanisms differ, with Havening focusing on depotentiation of encoded traumatic memories in the amygdala through touch, and EMDR using eye movements or other bilateral stimulation. Havening is also easily taught for self-application and can be effectively integrated with other therapeutic approaches. Havening clients report not being re-traumatised during the process. While EMDR is an established trauma treatment, Havening is a newer approach focused on rapid processing and client empowerment.
Workplace Anxiety: Strategies and Support3rd June 2025
Anxiety about work is a common experience driven by how we interpret and respond to work-related situations, often involving excessive focus on future problems and attempts to control the uncontrollable. Effective self-help strategies include developing awareness of triggers, practising acceptance and mindfulness, gradually facing feared work situations through exposure, reinterpreting anxious thoughts, using relaxation and breathing techniques, and writing down worries. When workplace anxiety is severe, professional help is available. An anxiety coach can provide guidance on tackling avoidance and managing internal states. An anxiety therapist offers structured treatment to understand and modify responses to anxiety. For extreme anxiety or that linked to trauma, a Havening practitioner may provide help, including processing experiences without detailed verbal disclosure. Managing anxiety about work involves understanding its mechanisms, employing targeted techniques, and seeking appropriate professional support when necessary.
The Amygdala’s Role in Anxiety1st June 2025
The amygdala, part of the brain's limbic system, is a crucial structure for anxiety. It acts as a rapid threat detector, triggering the stress response and fight-or-flight reaction. The amygdala forms emotional memories based on associations, causing triggers to elicit anxiety. It is involved in various anxiety disorders and trauma responses. Although it can override the thinking brain, the amygdala learns from experience and can be rewired through exposure, relaxation, breathing techniques, exercise, sleep, and mindfulness, allowing for more effective anxiety management.