Havening Technique


Havening is part of a new field called psycho-sensory therapy—approaches that use touch, eye movement, and sensory stimulation to shift how the brain and body process emotions.


Dr. Ronald Ruden developed the Havening Technique after he discovered that certain forms of touch (such as gently stroking the arms or palms) produce delta brain waves—the same slow, soothing waves linked with deep sleep, relaxation, and a sense of safety.



How It Works

✔️Stress Response- When we experience trauma or intense stress, the brain releases a strong electrical signal (around 100 hertz).


✔️ Memory Lock- This signal causes changes in specific receptors in the brain called AMPA receptors, “locking in” the distressing memory.


✔️ Delta Waves- Havening touch produces delta waves that de-activate (dephosphorylate) those receptors.


✔️Emotional Release- As a result, the brain begins to unlink the stressful emotion from the memory, reducing its intensity.



Why It Matters

• Lowers stress chemicals in the body

• Promotes calm, comfort, and safety

• Changes how the brain processes difficult thoughts and feelings


Step-by-Step: The Havening Exercise

1. Pay attention to any stress or traumatic memory you wish to re-code and notice what it looks like in your imagination and how stressful it feels.


Now, rate its strength on a scale of 1-10, where 10 is the most powerful and 1 is the least powerful. This is important as it lets you measure how much you are reducing it.


2. Clear your mind, or just think about or imagine something nice.


3. Stroke your cheeks of your face repeatedly. (6-7 times)


4. Stroke your hands down the sides of your arms from the top of your shoulders down to your elbows, and keep doing this downward stroking motion, again and again, throughout this process.


5. As you continue stroking the sides of your arms, imagine you are walking in a beautiful place in nature, with each footstep you take in the sand, count out loud from 1 to 20.


6. Keeping your head still, continue to stroke your arms, look left and right 10 times as if you were trying to see out of the very corners of your eyes.


7. Still stroking the sides of your arms, imagine you are walking in a beautiful place in nature, with each footstep you take in the sand, count out loud from 1 to 20.


8. Open your eyes and check how you feel on your scale from 1 to 10. How much lower the stress level is now?



Remember

Havening allows you to use your body’s natural calming system to gently release distress and create lasting peace of mind. With practice, you’ll find it easier to return to a place of balance and safety—no matter what life brings.

✨ Try This Practice Today, and share what you notice in our next session✨