Understanding Havening: A Novel Approach to Anxiety Relief
Havening Techniques® is a psychosensory method using touch, attention, and imagination to create electrochemical changes in the brain, primarily leading to the depotentiation of traumatically encoded memories in the amygdala. This approach differs from traditional anxiety treatments that often focus on cognitive restructuring and symptom management by directly addressing the neurological encoding of emotional distress. Havening enhances traditional therapies by acting as an integrative and rapid tool that can break through resistance, provide content-free processing, and create a sense of safety, thereby accelerating therapeutic progress. It positively impacts mental processes such as memory processing, emotional regulation, the sense of safety, and resilience. Self-Havening empowers individuals with a tool for self-care and stress management.