Havening
Quote from Dr. Steve Ruden, cofounder of Havening Techniques.
“The application of light, gentle touch on specific areas of the body -arms, face, and hands sends signals to those brain parts actively engaged in our behavior. Using attention, imagination, distraction and touch creates a dynamic healing and restoring environment within our system. Using the Havening Touch as the primary mechanism to electrochemically change a new opportunity in health and wellness. This healing device is built into our biology.”
What is Havening?
A Haven is a place of safety or refuge. Havening is a step-by-step process that puts our emotional responses into a safe space.
I am a Certified Havening Techniques® Practitioner, meaning I have completed the training and mentoring required by the Havening organization.
Havening Techniques come under the umbrella of psychosensory therapies, which use sensory input to alter thoughts, moods, and behavior. The sensory input of human touch is used on the hands, arms, and face. The touch can be applied by the practitioner when meeting in person, or if you prefer, you can apply touch to yourself. If the session is over Zoom, the client and therapist apply Havening Touch on themselves.
What happens in a session
Let me give you an example of a Zoom session. I wanted to eliminate a recurring panic sensation when I swim underwater. I sat comfortably in my office chair at home in front of the computer connected to my Havening Practitioner, Eugenia, through Zoom.
After I had shared a little about myself, she asked, “What would you like to work on today, Kate?”
I get this panicky feeling when holding my breath underwater. I’m a confident swimmer doing hour-long workouts three times a week; my panic seems disproportionate to the actual time I’m underwater.
“Can I get rid of this panic with Havening?”
“I’m confident we can change this panicky feeling,” said Eugenia. “Let’s see what happens.”
Eugenia asked me to recall a recent memory of swimming underwater. She asked “Can you tell me on a scale of 0 -10 how much distress you feel?”
As I recalled swimming a lap underwater, I felt tension build throughout my body, particularly my chest. “About a seven,” I said.
Immediately, we both began using Havening Touch. My hands slowly stroked down my arms from my shoulders to elbows, switching to brushing the palms of my hands together or placing the palms of my hands on my forehead and sweeping down the side of my face.
She then distracted me by asking, “Name five things that are blue?”
“The sky, a bluebird, the sea, lapis lazuli and blueberries,” I answered while we continued using Havening touch.
Eugenia led me through a number of distractions, checking in with me regularly. I was guided gently and confidently through the rest of the Havening session.
The results
At the end of the session, she asked, “Kate, can you bring forward the memory of being underwater? How do you feel now on a scale of 0-10?”
“0” I said. I saw myself calmly swimming underwater for the whole length of the pool with ease.
The next day, I was delighted to experience a calm feeling in my body while I swam a lap underwater. I did need to take a big breath when I got to the other end. As I swam the lap, I used the affirmations I had created at the end of my Havening session: “I am alive. I am peaceful and calm.”
Through receiving Havening sessions, clients find that they handle life with more equanimity. Their stress response to events that once would derail them discover that they can handle these events feeling calmer, with less activation through their nervous system.
You can do it yourself
Self-havening is a powerful tool you can use at home by yourself. You can use Havening Touch as you repeat an affirmation you created in your Havening session to help reinforce the positive change in your nervous system. This helps build on the changes achieved in the session and gives you an easy-to-use tool to apply at any stressful time.
Bit of History
Havening Techniques was developed in New York by two brothers, Dr. Steven Ruden and Dr. Ronald Ruden, in 2001. They have been studying and sharing their research and treatment success ever since. Ongoing development and strenuous research continue to this day.
Resources:
Healing in your hands, Kate Truitt
This book integrates the neuroscience of trauma with cutting-edge research on self-havening—a groundbreaking technique that draws on the power of mindful touch to heal even the most profound traumatic stress. It weaves together powerful client stories, insights from the field of neuroscience, and personalized havening practices to create a complete self-healing program that anyone can use.
Auntie Rosa’s Magic Hugs Veronica Bovenzi and Erika O’Neil
In this book, Havening touch is described clearly to child readers and also in more detail for parents and other adults who love and work with children.
What is Havening and how does it work?
This YouTube is an excellent explanation of Havening and how it works in detail
Self Havening This You Tube demonstrates and explains how to use Havening by yourself.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
While Kate Mackinnon can't guarantee any specific results and the following testimonials do not constitute a warranty or prediction regarding the outcome of an individual using her coaching services, her clients report having positive experiences.
'I’ve spent my entire life with irrational fears and huge, uncontrollable reactions to water, being cold, and any water in my face or ears, including my own tears. After my first Havening session with Kate, I was able to wash my face in the shower without even thinking about it. After three Havening sessions, my fears and reactivity to cold and water were completely gone and I was finally able to enjoy my long time dream of playing with the dolphins in the Bahamas this summer. I'm so grateful! M.M. Livermore