Havening

Havening Touch®

What is Havening?

Havening Touch® is a psychosensory therapy technique that aims to help individuals alleviate stress, anxiety, trauma, and emotional distress. It is a science-backed method, which is designed to change the brain to “de-traumatize” the memory and remove its negative effects from both our mind and body. As part of its protocol, it uses the sensory input of human touch as a therapeutic tool which we have identified as Havening Touch®. Physical touch increases the serotonin in the brain and reduces cortisol, which is known for creating a “fight or flight” response. These chemical changes play a direct role in your mood and how you cope with negative experiences.

The word Haven means ” a place of safety” and that’s exactly what this method does, it puts you in a safe place.  The core of this technique is the touch: Therapeutically applied, gently stroking movements on the arms, on the palms and in the facial area. These movements generate delta waves in the brain and increases levels of seratonin. Seratonin helps stabolise moods.

These waves are associated with the deepest level of relaxation and restorative sleep. This touch can either be applied by the Practitioner, or the practitioner will guide you to perform this on yourself. The decision of who should provide the touch will be made jointly. Thanks to sound and standardized training, officially certified Practitioners are so experienced that they know exactly what speed and pressure are most useful in the process.

As well as touch it also incorporates distraction and eye movement.

The Havening Techniques® are powerful tools that can be used to treat the consequences of encoded traumatic or stressful memories. It works to interrupt the thought pattern in your amygdala, which is responsible for “fight, flight or freeze”. As well as using touch, and distractions such as imagining you are on a beach and counting out loud your steps as you purposefully walk along. Other distraction techniques are also used, as both the left and right brains are activated to help break the amygdala’s connection to the negative event.

The therapeutically applied, physical touch makes the subjective experience of receiving this method feel cathartic, liberating and soothing! Heart and soul feel refreshed, no matter what purpose you use it for.

Celebrity hypnotherapist, Paul Mckenna is a strong advocate for havening. It is NOT hypnotherapy.

What happens during a session?

  1. Initial Consultation:
    • Discussion: The session begins with a brief discussion about your goals, concerns, and the specific issues you want to address. This helps the me understand your needs and tailor the session accordingly.

The Havening Touch Process

  1. Identifying the Target Memory or Feeling:

    • Focus: You will be asked to think about a specific distressing memory, emotion, or physical sensation that you wish to alleviate. This helps to activate the emotional response associated with the memory.
    • Rating: You will then be asked to rate the intensity of your distress on a scale from 0 to 10 to establish a baseline.
  2. Applying Havening Touch:

    • Gentle Touch: You will apply gentle, soothing touch to specific areas of your body. These areas include:
      • Arms: Lightly stroking from the shoulders down to the elbows.
      • Hands: Softly rubbing the palms and fingers.
      • Face: Gentle stroking of the forehead and cheeks.
    • Repetition: This touch is repeated in a rhythmic and calming manner, usually for several minutes.
  3. Incorporating Distraction Techniques:

    • Counting: You may be asked to count backward from 20, 50, or 100, which helps to distract and occupy the conscious mind.
    • Visualizations: You might visualize a peaceful scene, such as a beach or forest, to help induce a state of relaxation.
    • Humming: Humming a tune or song you find soothing can also be part of the process.

Monitoring and Adjusting

  1. Re-Evaluation:
    • Intensity Check: After a few minutes you will re-evaluate the intensity of your distress. This helps to gauge the effectiveness of the session.
    • Adjustments: Based on your feedback, I may adjust the technique or continue with additional rounds.

Closure and Integration

  1. Closing the Session:
    • Discussion: The session concludes with a discussion about your experience. I may provide insights, affirmations, or additional techniques for you to practice at home.
    • Future Planning: If necessary, future sessions may be scheduled to continue the healing process.

What are the benefits?

  • Helps with anxiety, including GAD & social anxiety
  • Removes phobias
  • Changes how you perceive traumatic/distressing memories
  • Reduces feelings of anger, cravings & panic attacks
  • Works with PTSD & grief/loss
There are several different types of Havening and depending on what is discussed in the session will depend on the one used. Some of these are:
  • Event havening – where we work on a specific event
  • Transporational havening – this uses the emotional state that is created by the event
  • Outcome havening – where the outcome of an event is changed. So imagining the event and how you would like it to be
  • Affirmational havening – using words such as “I am…”. This is done to reinforce the positive and overlooked qualities we have
  • Hopeful havening – this is most often done at the end of the session
  • Ifformational havening – This is a way of tempting the mind into the direction of more helpful opportunities