Havening Techniques
In a fast-paced and ever-changing world, many of us find ourselves searching for ways to manage stress, trauma, and emotional challenges. Among the various therapeutic approaches emerging today, Havening Techniques are a unique blend of neuroscience and healing touch. Interestingly, when we examine this method, it becomes evident that Havening is not only a cutting-edge psychological intervention but also resonates with ancient healing traditions from cultures around the world.
In this post, we’ll explore Havening Techniques® and their connection to ancient practices that have long understood the mind-body connection.
What Are Havening Techniques®?
Developed by Dr. Ronald Ruden, Havening Techniques are psychosensory-based tools designed to help people reduce trauma and stress by engaging the brain’s capacity to heal itself. Through gentle, soothing touch (such as stroking the arms, hands, and face) combined with guided imagery and affirmations, Havening helps shift the brain from a state of high emotional distress into calm and safety.
This technique is underpinned by research in neuroscience, specifically how the brain encodes trauma and fear. It works by activating the brain’s delta waves, which aid in downregulating the amygdala and disrupting distressing memory pathways.
Ancient Wisdom Meets Modern Science
Though Havening may seem new, it shares remarkable similarities with healing methods used by traditional cultures for centuries. Let’s take a look at some ancient practices that align with Havening’s principles:
1. The Power of the healing Havening Touch
Touch has always played a vital role in healing rituals. Ancient Egyptian, Chinese, and Indigenous traditions recognised physical contact's calming and restorative effects. Practices like Reiki and acupressure involve gentle hand movements across the body’s energy points to promote emotional and physical balance—concepts echoed in Havening’s soothing touch to regulate the nervous system.
Touch stimulates the release of oxytocin and serotonin, two key neurotransmitters that reduce stress and foster a sense of connection and calm. This neurobiological effect has been a cornerstone of both ancient practices and Havening’s approach to emotional healing.
Havening Touch is a very gentle application where touch is applied smoothly on the face, hand palms and upper arms of the client. The primary purpose of havening touch is to produce a slow frequency of Delta waves to activate positive changes in the brain. Havening touch triggers electrochemical reactions that disconnect you from traumatic memories which disturbs you unconsciously or consciously
2. Rhythmic Movements and Delta Waves
Many cultures have employed rhythmic rituals to create altered states of consciousness and promote healing. In shamanic drumming, for example, steady, repetitive rhythms are used to entrain brainwaves and induce states of deep relaxation. Similarly, Havening activates the brain’s delta waves—those associated with deep sleep and restoration—through slow, deliberate touch and guided visualisation.
This activation of delta waves helps shift the brain away from fear and hypervigilance, creating a space where healing can naturally occur. The rhythm of both touch and sensory input is key to breaking the cycle of trauma held within the mind and body.
3. Visualisation and Affirmation
Ancient practices often relied on imagery and affirmations to influence the mind and body. Indigenous healers might guide individuals to visualise protective symbols or safe places to foster emotional strength. Similarly, Havening encourages clients to use positive imagery, such as imagining a peaceful haven or safe space. This technique rewires negative neural pathways, reinforcing new, healthier patterns in the brain.
Studies in neuroplasticity affirm what ancient cultures intuited: that what we focus on shapes the structure of our brain and can transform emotional states over time.
The Mind-Body Connection Through Time
What’s remarkable about both Havening Techniques and ancient healing practices is their shared understanding of the deep mind-body connection. Whether through touch, rhythm, or visualisation, these approaches recognise that emotional trauma isn’t just stored in the mind but in the body as well. By attending to both the physiological and psychological aspects of trauma, these methods promote holistic recovery.
Modern research is now catching up to this wisdom, confirming that trauma can dysregulate the nervous system and that healing must involve more than just cognitive awareness. Havening Techniques offer a scientifically validated way to bridge this gap, harnessing both modern neuroscience and age-old methods of self-soothing.
Integrating Ancient and Modern Healing in Practice
For those seeking a holistic approach to trauma recovery, Havening offers an opportunity to connect with both cutting-edge science and the time-honoured wisdom of ancient cultures. By embracing touch, rhythm, and visualisation, this technique taps into the brain’s natural ability to heal and transform. It reminds us that healing does not always have to be complex—sometimes, the simplest acts of care, presence, and self-compassion are the most powerful.
How Does Havening Techniques® Work? - The Process
As havening is a body-centric therapy, human touch is required to trigger or get sensory input.
Recall the traumatic experiences. You can share them with the practitioner, but if it is too painful to express it in words, then you only need to think about it.
To de-link the emotional stressor associated with traumatic events, havening touch is applied. This touch becomes the reason for the generation of Delta waves in the brain. These waves set off electrochemical reactions which dissolve the encoded memory from the brain via reducing the receptor at the encrypted neural channel.
At that stage, distraction techniques are applied, and after the activation of traumatic memory, the practitioner uses distraction therapies to calm the client.
This is the last step. Here the practitioner evaluates the negative effect of triggering traumatic memory and suggests further sessions to the client.
What Problems Do Havening Techniques® Address?
Distressing Memories including loss, broken relationships, bullying, shocking events, news embarrassment etc
Depression & Abuse
Chronic Pains such as Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, Rheumatism and ME
Mental and Physical Traumas, including PTSD
Feelings of Shame, Guilt, Jealousy, Rage, Anger and Regret
Witness or Victim of Manmade Disasters e.g. Murder, Rape, War, Crimes, Bombing, Assault
Panic Attacks & Phobias
Victims of Natural Disasters including Hurricane, Flood, Earthquake, etc
Cravings, Emotional Eating Behavior or Addiction
Final Thoughts
Havening Techniques are a testament to how modern psychological interventions can benefit from the ancient wisdom of human healing traditions. By integrating these methods, we honour the legacy of generations who understood that touch, rhythm, and positive imagery are vital elements of emotional well-being.
Whether you are a clinician, a carer, or someone on a personal healing journey, Havening Techniques may offer profound insights into how the mind and body can reconnect and find peace.
Would you like to explore Havening Techniques further?
Connect with me today to learn more about how this powerful method can support your emotional well-being.