Havening Techniques® – A game-changer in the treatment of trauma
‘Havening Techniques’ (also known as Delta Wave techniques) is a healing modality that helps individuals overcome traumatic experiences in their lives and the consequences of those events, often experienced as negative thoughts, feelings or behaviours.
Havening Techniques are part of a broader group of therapies known as psycho-sensory techniques that use sensory input to change thought, mood or behaviour.
Havening Tehcniques were developed by American Neuroscientists and brothers, Dr. Ronald and Dr. Steven Ruden. Led by Dr. Ronald Ruden, the pair set out to discover how and where trauma is encoded in the brain, at an electro-chemical level. Unsurprisingly they discovered that trauma is encoded in the Amygdala, the part of the brain responsible for triggering our fight or flight response.
The Amygdala is an ancient structure that can be traced back as far as the dinosaurs. It’s purpose is to regulate the release of the hormones adrenalin and cortisol into the blood stream in response to threat. It is these hormones that cause all the symptoms we are so familiar with experiencing when we are in our fight or flight mode: pounding heart, faster breathing, churning stomach, light-headedness, sweats etc. All these physical changes are a result of the body’s efforts to drive more oxygenated blood to the muscles in order to prepare for fighting or fleeing.
If you were to design a human being from scratch, it would make sense for trauma to be encoded in the Amygdala. The reason is so that following a traumatic experience, the amygdala can trigger your fight or flight response even faster the next time a similar situation is encountered… From an evolutionary perspective, learning from trauma and being able to spot threat earlier the next time a similar situation is encountered is an advantage.
But, not only did the Doctors Ruden discover where trauma is encoded, they discovered what it looks like at an electro-chemical level, and most excitingly of all, how to un-encode it. Havening Techniques are the method they developed to un-encode trauma. In simple terms, Havening Techniques, use touch to generate delta waves in the brain. Delta waves are the very low frequency brain waves we experience in deep sleep, in deep relaxation, in meditation… and in Hypnosis!
Delta waves are generated automatically in response to touch delivered to the hands, arms and face (although, at Transformative we elect to use only hands and arms). Delta waves are produced in much the same way reflexes work in the body, so when ‘Havening touch’ is applied correctly, the production of delta waves is automatic and inevitable.
At Transformative we don’t see ‘disorders’. When people come to us experiencing anxiety, depression, PTSD, panic attacks, fears and phobias, insomnia or any other related conditions, we see perfectly designed human beings whose minds and bodies are working exactly as they should in order to protect them from the threats their mind perceives, often as a result of past events.
At Transformative we use Havening Techniques, in conjunction with Clinical Hypnotherapy, to identify and heal those events, situations and experiences that people have encountered in the past, either first hand, or as a witness, and that have hurt them. We can then reprogramme the mind, and in particular, the subconscious mind, removing the power of these events and setting them free.
N.B. Online Havening services are available at this time! Drop us a line or give us a call to learn more.
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FAQs
Do Havening Techniques involve touch?
Yes, we use touch applied to the hands and arms to generate delta waves in the brain. The protocols we follow will take you through what’s involved in detail and we will require written and verbal consent to proceed. If you would prefer to apply your own ‘Havening Touch’ this is also possible. This technique is known as “Directed Self-Havening”.
Is Havening used only for healing past trauma?
Whilst it is, as we have said, a game-changer in the treatment and resolution of past trauma, Havening has many other healing applications. These include the general down-regulation of psychological discomfort, the release of trapped emotions, affirmation work and outcome work. And, because it mirrors Clinical Hypnotherapy in that it induces a state of deep relaxation through the generation of Delta Waves, it can also be used as a vehicle for the introduction of hypnotic suggestions.
Can I do Havening myself?
Yes. As part of your session we will teach you how to “Self-Haven”. This gives you an unbeatable tool that you can use at any time in the future to bring you out of emotional discomfort, whatever the cause, and back into your ‘thinking brain’. As you may know, when you are either hyper-aroused (anxiety, panic, anger) or hypo-aroused (depression, lethargy, indifference) you are not able to access your full problem-solving capabilities. Whatever challenges you face in life, it’s always better to face them as calmly as you can and with your full cognitive capabilities engaged.