Havening

Domain VI · Brief, integrative, trauma, hypnosis & coaching · Ronald Ruden, Steven Ruden · New York

What it is

Havening is a trademarked set of "psychosensory" techniques: the client briefly calls up a distressing memory or emotion, then receives (or self-applies) slow stroking touch to the upper arms, face and palms while doing distraction tasks (imagery, counting, humming, eye movements), re-rating…

Format

• No phased treatment model is described in the sources; the published unit is a single session of repeated rounds. The phases below organise that session inside ordinary trauma care; phases A and D are added here.
• Session count and format. Research sessions were single, individual sessions; Thandi's facilitator demonstrated on five participants and the rest did facilitated self-havening in pairs. Practitioners claim sessions of 60–90 minutes and improvement in one to three sessions — a practitioner claim,…

Who practises it, and how they are trained or regulated

• Training. Certification is through the Havening Techniques organisation (havening.org lists "Becoming a Practitioner", trainings and a practitioner directory); a 16+ hour foundational training is described at Georgia Tech. Certification is not a clinical licence; use it within your existing scope of practice.
• Version followed: Havening Techniques® (Ronald Ruden MD PhD, with Steven Ruden; trademarks owned by Ron Ruden and stewarded by the Center for Havening Research and Training, New York). The step-by-step session below follows the facilitated protocol operationalised in Thandi et al. (2015), the most detailed published procedure, with variants from Sumich et al. (2022) and practitioner-facing summaries. The official…

Questions to explore with your client

• What drew you to it, and what are you hoping it will change?
• Is there physical contact? Was it explained beforehand, and do you feel free to say no or stop at any point?
• Does it involve any substance, plant preparation, remedy or supplement? Has your doctor or prescriber been told, especially about any medication you take?
• Does it involve intense or unusual breathing? Have you been told about the medical conditions for which that is not advised?
• Is it a group, retreat or community? How do they respond if someone wants to leave or raises a concern?
• Who runs it, and what training or registration do they hold?
• What actually happens in a session or meeting, and how often?
• What does it cost, and is there pressure to commit to more?
• How do you feel afterwards, in the hours and days that follow?
• Does it fit with, or clash with, the work we do here?

What practitioners of it watch for

• Slower drop in ratings is expected; allow more rounds.
• Client leaves only when oriented and arousal is at or below the start of session.
• A sharp drop is encouraging; a rebound upward means more rounds or a different target.
• Using it to avoid all distressing material long-term is avoidance; note it and plan event work when ready.
• Hesitant or compliant consent, freezing, or a history of touch-related abuse → use self-applied or no-touch mode.

When to involve someone else

• New or worsening physical symptoms, or advice to stop or change prescribed medication: involve the client's doctor or prescriber.
• Signs of coercion, isolation from family and friends, escalating costs or secrecy: discuss openly and consider safeguarding.
• A crisis or thoughts of suicide: follow your crisis protocol. In the US, call or text 988; in the UK and Ireland, Samaritans on 116 123.

Drawn automatically from the guide's own sections. Stay curious: neither endorse nor dismiss what the client values, and check anything that matters against the full guide and its sources. Not medical advice.