Havening (for Trauma and Emotional Wellbeing)
I have recently completed my Havening Techniques® training and am currently a Havening student while I complete the required casework, written work and assessment process. Once this has been submitted and marked, I will be able to update my status.
Havening is a gentle psychosensory and somatic approach that uses soothing touch, calming distraction and nervous system regulation to help reduce the emotional charge connected to difficult memories, trauma responses, anxiety and stress. It is another beautiful tool I can bring into the therapy room alongside therapeutic counselling, clinical hypnotherapy, EFT tapping, breathwork, mindfulness and other trauma-informed approaches.
When we experience trauma or extreme stress, the brain can create very strong neural pathways linked to that memory. In Havening, the theory is that the emotional part of the memory becomes stored in the amygdala through receptors called AMPA receptors, which become potentiated or switched on during the traumatic experience. When the memory is reactivated safely during Havening, the gentle touch helps produce slow Delta brain waves, which create a calming neurochemical state in the brain and nervous system. This process is believed to help depotentiate those AMPA receptors, essentially weakening the emotional alarm response that has become attached to the memory. The memory itself usually remains, but the intense emotional and physical reaction connected to it can reduce significantly, allowing the brain and body to recognise that the danger has passed.
For clients, this means Havening can often feel much gentler than repeatedly talking through painful experiences in detail. It does not require you to tell me every part of what happened, and it can often be adapted so that you feel safe, steady and in control throughout. While any trauma work needs to be handled carefully, Havening is generally considered a gentle approach, and strong abreactions are not the aim of the work.
Havening may be helpful for trauma, anxiety, panic, phobias, emotional triggers, stress, painful memories, limiting beliefs and nervous system dysregulation. It can also be used to build resilience, confidence, emotional safety and a stronger sense of internal calm.
For me, Havening sits beautifully within a trauma-informed way of working because it recognises that trauma is not just held in our thoughts, but also in the body, brain and nervous system. No single modality works for everyone, and I will always work with you as an individual to find what feels safe, respectful and effective for you.
Sometimes that may be counselling. Sometimes it may be hypnotherapy, EFT tapping, breathwork, mindfulness, parts work or nervous system education. And sometimes Havening may offer a gentle way to help your brain and body begin to feel safer again.
