Havening

1. Introduction

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 Havening Primer, Protocol Sheets and Ruden's 2011 book are not drawn on; where they may differ, this is flagged [uncertain].

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 distress between rounds [source: Thandi et al. 2015; Simply Psychology 2026; havening.org]. Georgia Tech's wellbeing programme, which runs it with Havening International support, calls it tools combining "specific applied touch with mindfulness-based exercises"; the self-applied form is called Self-Havening® [source: Georgia Tech page]. It is a technique set, not a full psychotherapy; in clinical practice it is best treated as an adjunct inside a trauma-informed treatment plan [synthesis].

How change is said to happen (developers' claims, contested). Ruden holds that traumatic events are "encoded" so that recall re-triggers the emotional response, and that havening touch produces a sensory/electrical signal (he names low-frequency delta and theta waves, "electroceuticals") that "depotentiates" the encoded link so the memory loses its charge [source: havening.org; ChoosingTherapy quoting Steve Ruden; Ruden 2019, Explore 15(3):222–229, title only]. The official site says the techniques are "designed to disrupt this pathway through a process called synaptic depotentiation" and that it "can't provide any guarantees" [source: havening.org]. Thandi et al. state that touch raises serotonin, disrupting reconsolidation of the traumatic link; secondary accounts attribute to Ruden claims about AMPA receptors and the amygdala [source: Thandi et al. 2015; Wikipedia; Simply Psychology]. These neurobiological mechanisms have not been independently validated; critics (Cousins 2011, "Mesmer's ghost") called for much more research, and more conventional explanations are distraction during recall (working-memory load), therapist contact and relaxation [source: Wikipedia; Simply Psychology]. Sumich et al. (2022) found distress fell in both touch and no-touch sessions, faster with touch [source: NTU iRep record]. Present the mechanism to clients as the developers' hypothesis, not as established fact [synthesis].

2. Framework

No phased treatment model is described in the sources; the published unit is a single session of repeated rounds [source: Thandi et al. 2015; Sumich et al. 2022]. The phases below organise that session inside ordinary trauma care; phases A and D are added here [synthesis].

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 [source: Thandi et al. 2015]. Practitioners claim sessions of 60–90 minutes and improvement in one to three sessions — a practitioner claim, not a tested dose [source: Simply Psychology]. For clients with complex or multiple traumas, expect to work one target per session over a longer course, and to spend sessions on stabilisation first [synthesis]. Can be delivered by video if fully self-applied [synthesis].

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 [source: havening.org; Georgia Tech page]. Certification is not a clinical licence; use it within your existing scope of practice [source: Simply Psychology; synthesis].

3. Guiding principles

• Brief activation, not prolonged exposure. The target is called up only long enough to rate it, then attention moves to touch and distraction [source: Thandi et al. 2015]. Practically: never ask the client to narrate the trauma in detail during rounds.
• Touch is pleasant, consensual and normalised first. [source: Robertson booklet]. Practically: get explicit, revocable consent for each touch area, and default to self-applied touch.
• Distraction is part of the active ingredient. Developers describe touch plus distraction; the booklet calls touch itself a working-memory activity [source: Robertson booklet; Thandi et al.]. Practically: keep the client busy with a changing task each round.
• Ratings guide every decision. Rate before and after each round; stop at a low score or a plateau [source: Thandi et al. 2015]. Practically: a plateau means change the target or the approach, not push harder.
• Assess current traumatic stress and needs first. [source: Robertson booklet]. Practically: if the person needs medical, social or skills help, that comes before event work.
• No promises. The official site gives no guarantees [source: havening.org]. Practically: describe it as a technique that helps some people, offered alongside, not instead of, evidence-based PTSD treatment [source: Simply Psychology; synthesis].
• Memories are the client's experience. Standard practice: havening is used to reduce distress about what the client already remembers, never to uncover or "recover" memories [synthesis]. Practically: do not suggest content, do not chase gaps.
• Attribute the theory. Practically: say "the developers think…" when explaining delta waves or depotentiation [synthesis].
• Self-efficacy. Teaching Self-Havening makes the skill portable [source: Georgia Tech page; ChoosingTherapy]. Practically: end with the client doing the strokes themselves.
• Stay within competence. Practically: if you are not trauma-trained, use only Havening Touch for regulation, not event work [synthesis].

4. Intervention inventory

Sources for the core session: Thandi et al. 2015 (full procedure), Sumich et al. 2022 (touch vs no-touch), ChoosingTherapy and Simply Psychology (secondary summaries). All example language is illustrative. Where a step is a clinical addition it is marked [synthesis].

4.1 Screening and readiness check

• Purpose / when: Before any event work; decide between regulation-only use and memory work.
• Steps: (1) Ask about current traumatic stress and what kind of help would help most — medical, social care or skill building [source: Robertson booklet]. (2) Screen for active psychosis, severe or frequent dissociation, current suicidality or self-harm, substance intoxication, ongoing danger (e.g. living with an abuser), and a history of abuse involving touch [synthesis]. (3) Readiness criteria for event work: client can name a single target; can use at least one grounding skill; can tolerate brief recall without dissociating; has support between sessions [synthesis]. (4) If criteria are not met, teach Havening Touch / Self-Havening for regulation only and build stabilisation first [synthesis]. (5) Explain that havening complements, and does not replace, evidence-based PTSD therapy [source: Simply Psychology].
• Example language (illustrative): "Before we work on any memory, I want to check that you have enough steadiness and support right now. If not, we'll start with the calming part only."
• Watch for: Losing time, numbing or depersonalisation during history-taking signals dissociation risk; slow down and stabilise [synthesis].

4.2 Informed consent, including consent for touch

• Purpose / when: Before Havening Touch is ever applied, and again before each touch area. Thandi et al. applied arm strokes only "with consent" [source: Thandi et al. 2015].
• Steps: (1) Describe the method, the developers' theory as theory, the limited evidence, and the alternatives (including evidence-based PTSD treatments) [synthesis; Simply Psychology]. (2) Offer three delivery modes: self-applied touch (default), therapist-applied touch, or no touch (distraction only) [source: Thandi et al. 2015 used facilitated and self-applied; Sumich et al. 2022 compared touch vs no touch]. (3) If therapist touch is chosen: name each area (upper arms, palms, face) and ask separately; agree a stop signal (word or raised hand); state that consent can be withdrawn at any moment; document consent [synthesis]. (4) Check your licensing body's and employer's rules on therapeutic touch and your liability cover before using therapist-applied touch [synthesis]. (5) Never apply touch to anyone who is dissociated, intoxicated or unable to signal stop [synthesis].
• Example language (illustrative): "Havening uses slow strokes on the upper arms, face and palms. Most people do this on themselves, and that works fine. I can do the arm strokes instead if you'd like, but only if you want that, and you can tell me to stop at any time."
• Watch for: Hesitant or compliant consent, freezing, or a history of touch-related abuse → use self-applied or no-touch mode [synthesis].

4.3 Havening Touch

• Purpose / when: The core sensory input; used during every round and as a stand-alone calming skill.
• Steps: Slow, gentle, downward strokes (a) from shoulders down the sides of the upper arms toward the elbows, (b) across the face — brow, cheeks, under the eyes, (c) palms rubbed together or stroked [source: Thandi et al. 2015 (arms); ChoosingTherapy quoting Kate Truitt (brow, cheeks, arms, palms); Simply Psychology (upper arms, below eyes, palms)]. Keep a slow, comforting rhythm; continue throughout the distraction task [source: Thandi et al. 2015]. Exact stroke speed and order in the official protocol are [uncertain].
• Example language (illustrative): "Cross your arms and stroke gently from your shoulders down toward your elbows, slowly, as if comforting someone."
• Watch for: Softening breath, sighing, shoulders dropping suggest calming; tickling, irritation or rising arousal mean slow down, change area or drop touch [synthesis].

4.4 Self-Havening (home and in-session regulation)

• Purpose / when: The same strokes applied by the client alone; used for daily regulation, between sessions, by video, or when therapist touch is not wanted [source: Georgia Tech page; ChoosingTherapy].
• Steps: (1) Teach the three touch areas (4.3). (2) Pair with a calm image or simple counting. (3) Practise in session until the client can do it unprompted. (4) Agree when to use it (e.g. on noticing early stress signs) and log use and a 0–10 distress rating before and after [synthesis]. Georgia Tech teaches the self-havening moves within an "ABC of Self-Regulation Tapping" programme [source: Georgia Tech page].
• Example language (illustrative): "When you notice your chest tightening, try two minutes of the arm strokes while you picture somewhere calm. Rate yourself before and after."
• Watch for: Using it to avoid all distressing material long-term is avoidance; note it and plan event work when ready [synthesis].

4.5 Target selection and activation

• Purpose / when: Start of event work; choose one specific target.
• Steps: (1) Client chooses an exact word or phrase for the current emotional difficulty [source: Thandi et al. 2015]. (2) Client brings it to mind briefly and rates distress 1–10 (10 = most distressing) [source: Thandi et al. 2015]. (3) Keep activation short; no detailed narration [synthesis consistent with source]. (4) One target per sequence [synthesis].
• Example language (illustrative): "Give me a word or short phrase for what's bothering you. Notice it for a moment. How strong is it now, from 1 to 10?"
• Watch for: Rating above 8 with signs of flooding or dissociation → drop the target and use 4.3/4.12 grounding; very low rating → the target may not be the right one [synthesis].

4.6 Distraction tasks

• Purpose / when: During every round, to load attention while touch continues.
• Steps: Use a different task each round [source: Thandi et al. 2015]. Documented tasks: (a) clear the mind or think of something pleasant; (b) imagine climbing a flight of stairs while counting aloud 1–20; (c) imagine skipping rope; (d) hum a simple familiar song such as a birthday song; (e) eye movements with the head still — left, right, down, the diagonals, circles [source: Thandi et al. 2015]. Other variants: counting backwards while picturing everyday actions (opening a door, walking to the kitchen, closing a cabinet); singing a simple song silently [source: ChoosingTherapy].
• Example language (illustrative): "Keep stroking your arms. Now picture yourself walking up some stairs, and count each step out loud, one to twenty."
• Watch for: If the client drifts back into the memory during the task, make the task more engaging (count aloud, louder, faster imagery) [synthesis].

4.7 Collarbone tapping with eye opening and eye movements

• Purpose / when: The opening component of each round in the Thandi et al. version; a further attention-loading sensory task [source: Thandi et al. 2015]. Not described in the other summaries, so it may be specific to that version or that period [uncertain].
• Steps: (1) Client taps both collarbones with both hands. (2) While tapping, opens and closes the eyes twice. (3) Continues tapping, keeps the head still and moves only the eyes: left, right, down, along the diagonals, then in circles [source: Thandi et al. 2015]. ChoosingTherapy describes a related step: eyes open, palms pressed together, then various eye movements [source: ChoosingTherapy].
• Example language (illustrative): "Tap gently on both collarbones. Close your eyes, open them, close, open. Keep tapping, keep your head still, and look to the left… to the right… down…"
• Watch for: Dizziness or eye strain → slow the movements or skip this step; for clients with seizure disorders or vestibular problems, check with their physician before using eye movements [synthesis].

4.8 The havening round (Event-Havening-style sequence)

• Purpose / when: The main processing unit for a specific distressing memory or emotion. Practitioner materials say Event Havening is the usual route for depotentiation because it is "comfortable and quick" [source: Robertson booklet]. Whether the official Event Havening protocol matches Thandi's exactly is [uncertain].
• Steps (paraphrasing Thandi et al. 2015): (1) Rate the target 1–10 (4.5). (2) Clear the mind or think of something pleasant. (3) Collarbone tapping with eye opening/closing (4.7). (4) Continue tapping with head-still eye movements (4.7). (5) Cross the arms over the chest, close the eyes, imagine climbing stairs and count aloud 1–20, while the arms are stroked by the facilitator (with consent) or by the client (4.3, 4.6). (6) Re-rate. (7) Repeat steps 2–5 with different imagery (e.g. skipping rope) and a different auditory task (e.g. humming a birthday song). (8) Proceed to the release round (4.9) and re-rate.
• Timing and dose [synthesis]: No timings were published in the sources. Keep each round to roughly one to two minutes, keep total time on any one target well inside the session (leave at least 10–15 minutes for closure), and do not exceed one major target per session for complex trauma.
• Example language (illustrative): "Good. Let that go and think of something pleasant… Now cross your arms, close your eyes, and as I (or you) stroke down your arms, picture walking up stairs and count out loud."
• Watch for: Falling ratings, yawning, softening, spontaneous comments that the memory feels "further away" suggest change [synthesis]. New memories or emotions surfacing are recorded as new targets for later, not chased [synthesis].

4.9 Release round

• Purpose / when: The final step of the sequence in Thandi et al. [source: Thandi et al. 2015].
• Steps: (1) Client lets the arms drop. (2) Moves the eyes in circles. (3) Closes the eyes and receives (or self-applies) arm strokes. (4) A spoken release phrase is said on the final stroke. (5) Re-rate [source: Thandi et al. 2015]. The exact release phrase is not given in the source [uncertain].
• Example language (illustrative): "Let your arms drop. Circle your eyes slowly. Close them… one more stroke — and let it go. Now, what's the number?"
• Watch for: A sharp drop is encouraging; a rebound upward means more rounds or a different target [synthesis].

4.10 Re-rating, looping and stopping rules

• Purpose / when: After each round, to decide whether to continue.
• Steps: (1) Re-rate the same word or phrase after each round [source: Thandi et al. 2015]. (2) Continue until the rating is 3 or below, or stops improving [source: Thandi et al. 2015]. ChoosingTherapy describes 2–4 cycles or until distress is 1 or lower [source: ChoosingTherapy; uncertain which reflects the current official protocol]. (3) If no improvement over two rounds, check the target: is it the right word, a different aspect, a more specific moment? [synthesis] (4) Before stopping, re-check the target from a different angle (picture, sound, body feeling) to see whether any charge remains [synthesis].
• Example language (illustrative): "When you think of that phrase now, what's the number? … And if you picture it, or notice your body, is anything still there?"
• Watch for: Ratings that fall within session but return by next session → note it; revisit with smaller, more specific targets [synthesis].

4.11 No-touch variant

• Purpose / when: When touch is unwanted, contraindicated or impractical. Sumich et al. ran sessions without touch (H−) alongside touch sessions (H+); distress fell in both, faster with touch [source: Sumich et al. 2022].
• Steps: Run the same sequence (4.5–4.10) with all distraction tasks but no stroking; or substitute self-chosen neutral sensory input such as holding a textured object [synthesis].
• Example language (illustrative): "We'll do it without the touch part. The rest of the steps stay the same."
• Watch for: Slower drop in ratings is expected; allow more rounds [source: Sumich et al. 2022; synthesis].

4.12 Grounding, closure and debrief

• Purpose / when: End of every event session, and immediately whenever a client becomes overwhelmed or dissociates [synthesis].
• Steps [synthesis]: (1) Stop the target work. (2) Orient: eyes open, name objects in the room, feet on the floor, date and place. (3) Self-Havening strokes with a calm image. (4) Final rating of the target and of current overall arousal. (5) Debrief: what changed, what surfaced, what new targets to note. (6) Warn that memories or dreams may stir in the following days and agree a plan (Self-Havening, grounding skill, contact route). Reported after-effects include increased emotion, numbness, and body aches or tightness [source: ChoosingTherapy].
• Example language (illustrative): "Let's come back to the room. Tell me three things you can see… What's different about that memory now? If anything stirs this week, use the strokes and note it down for next time."
• Watch for: Client leaves only when oriented and arousal is at or below the start of session [synthesis].

4.13 Other named Havening techniques (procedures not drawn on)

• What is known: A practitioner case-study booklet lists, alongside Havening Touch, the named techniques Event, Outcome, Role, Transpirational, Affirmational (spelled "Airmational" in the excerpt), Amplify, Hopeful and Informational Havening, and refers to the Primer, Guide and Protocol Sheets for their steps [source: Robertson booklet]. ChoosingTherapy links palm stroking to "affirmational", face stroking to "event" and arm stroking to "transpirational" havening; this mapping is inconsistent with the other sources and should not be relied on [source: ChoosingTherapy; uncertain].
• Steps: Not given in the sources. Do not improvise these techniques under their trademarked names; learn them from the official Primer or certified training [uncertain].
• Watch for: Any variant that adds suggestion or positive imagery should still follow the consent and memory rules in sections 3 and 5 [synthesis].

5. Handling problems

The sources give only one rule for difficulties: stop when ratings plateau [source: Thandi et al. 2015], plus a general caution that revisiting distressing experiences can be triggering and that trauma work is better done with a trained practitioner [source: ChoosingTherapy; Simply Psychology]. Everything else below is drawn from general trauma practice [synthesis].

• Ratings stuck (no fall over two rounds): Check the target is specific (one moment, one phrase); try another aspect (image, sound, body sensation, the worst moment); change the distraction task; check for a blocking belief ("if I stop feeling this, it means it didn't matter") and address it in ordinary talk therapy before going on. If still stuck, stop havening for that target and use your main trauma treatment [synthesis].
• Overwhelm or abreaction (rating jumps, crying hard, panic): Stop the target. Eyes open, orient to the room, slow breathing, Self-Havening strokes with a calm image (4.12). Do not resume the same target that session unless arousal is clearly back within tolerance; next time use a smaller target [synthesis].
• Dissociation (glazed, slow responses, "not here", numbness): Stop all touch immediately — a dissociated client cannot give consent. Ground through the senses (name objects, cold water, stand up, feet pressing). Resume only when the client is fully present; revisit readiness (4.1) and add stabilisation sessions [synthesis].
• Touch-related distress or rupture (client flinches, freezes, later says the touch felt intrusive): Stop, acknowledge, take responsibility without defensiveness, switch to self-applied or no-touch mode (4.11), and repair the relationship before further work; document the event [synthesis].
• New or "surprising" memories surfacing: Note them as the client's experience; do not probe, suggest or interpret them as recovered historical fact; do not use havening rounds to search for memories. Return to the agreed target or to grounding [synthesis].
• Scepticism or embarrassment ("this feels silly"): Be candid that the developers' neuro-mechanism is a hypothesis and the evidence is limited; offer it as an experiment and let the ratings speak; offer no-touch mode; do not oversell [source: havening.org says no guarantees; synthesis].
• Non-adherence with Self-Havening: Shrink the task (one minute, linked to a daily cue); practise in session; ask what got in the way [synthesis].
• Over-reliance or avoidance: If the client uses strokes to shut down all emotion or avoid needed trauma processing, name the pattern and plan graded work toward the avoided material [synthesis].
• Gains that do not last between sessions: Re-rate the original target at the start of each session; revisit with more specific aspects; consider whether ongoing stressors keep re-triggering it [synthesis].
• Complex trauma, current danger, or high risk: Event havening is not a substitute for safety planning, stabilisation or evidence-based PTSD treatment [source: Simply Psychology]. With suicidality or self-harm, follow your standard risk assessment and safety planning first [synthesis].
• Substance problems: ChoosingTherapy states havening is not effective for addictions; treat substance use through established care [source: ChoosingTherapy].
• Physical conditions: For eye-movement components, ask about seizure and vestibular conditions; for pain or medical symptoms, havening is not a medical treatment and is used only alongside medical care [synthesis].
• Remote sessions: Use self-applied touch only; agree a plan for what to do if the call drops mid-round [synthesis].
• Scope and documentation: Record consent mode, targets, ratings per round and any adverse reactions; describe the work in notes as an adjunctive technique; make sure your use of touch complies with your licensing body and insurer [synthesis].

Sources

Sources:

• Thandi, Tom, Gould, McKenna & Greenberg (2015) Impact of a single-session of Havening, Health Science Journal 9(5) — KCL repository PDF
• Sumich et al. (2022) The power of touch: the effects of havening touch… Psychology & Neuroscience 15(4) — NTU iRep record (abstract only)
• The Science & Research — Havening Techniques® (havening.org)
• Robertson, C. HT Case Study Reflections (practitioner booklet, Simplebooklet)
• Havening Techniques® — Georgia Tech ECE wellbeing programme
• Saxena, S. Havening (ChoosingTherapy)
• Simply Psychology Editorial (2026) Havening Techniques: What They Are and What the Research Shows
• Psychosensory therapy — Wikipedia
• EMF-Portal record: Harnessing electroceuticals to treat disorders arising from traumatic stress (Explore 2019) — citation only

Further reading (not drawn on) [uncertain]:

• Ruden, R. A. (2011). When the Past Is Always Present: Emotional Traumatization, Causes, and Cures. Routledge.
• Ruden, R. A. (2005). A neurological basis for the observed peripheral sensory modulation of emotional responses. Traumatology, 11(3), 145–158.
• Ruden, R. A. (2019). Harnessing electroceuticals to treat disorders arising from traumatic stress: theoretical considerations using a psychosensory model. Explore, 15(3), 222–229.
• Ruden, S. J., & Ruden, R. A. (2010). Treating the phobic and anxious dental patient: introduction to Havening therapy. Dentistry Today.
• Hodgson, K. L., et al. (2023). Augmenting resilience to trauma: a parallel-group controlled trial of a psychosensory intervention. PsyArXiv.
• Cousins, W. (2011). Mesmer's ghost: a new approach to treating trauma conjures up shades of history. PsycCRITIQUES, 56(25).
• Havening Techniques Primer, Guide and Protocol Sheets (Center for Havening Research and Training).