Unveiling the Havening Technique: A Psychosensory Approach to Anxiety and Trauma Relief

The podcast introduces the Havening Technique, a psychosensory therapy designed to address a range of distressful conditions including anxiety, fears, phobias, traumatic memories, grief, cravings, and chronic pain. Dr. Snipes explains that Havening, while newer and less studied than EMDR, shares similar principles and aims to help individuals decouple distressing memories from their emotional reactions. It's presented as a self-soothing method that can be applied for mild issues, though professional guidance is recommended for trauma-related concerns.

Havening is categorized under the umbrella of psychosensory therapies, alongside techniques like Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) or tapping, and EMDR. A key distinction highlighted is its mechanism of action: it involves specific types of touch (rubbing arms or face) combined with distraction techniques (counting backward, visualizing, or humming) to displace the stressful event from working memory. This process is intended to prevent the continuous activation of the amygdala, the brain's "fear button," and promote the release of calming neurotransmitters. The touch component specifically mimics innate self-soothing behaviors or caregiver responses.

The episode provides a step-by-step guide for practicing Havening. It begins with rating the level of distress, then shifting attention to a positive, safe image. This is followed by gentle self-touch (arm rubbing or face stroking) while simultaneously engaging in a cognitive distraction like counting backward from 20 with visualization, or humming a simple song. The importance of adapting the process, such as staring at a single point instead of closing eyes if dissociation is a risk, is emphasized. The recommendation is to repeat the cycle until the distress level significantly reduces, ideally to a one or zero.

The broader implication of Havening lies in its potential to offer a non-invasive, self-administered tool for emotional regulation and trauma processing. By repeatedly engaging in the technique, individuals can achieve desensitization and effectively "cut the rope" connecting a distressing memory to its intense emotional charge. While acknowledging its nascent research status compared to established therapies like EMDR, the podcast positions Havening as a promising new avenue for enhancing resilience and promoting a sense of safety and escapability from past events, ultimately helping individuals access their "wise mind" in moments of stress.

"havening is a really interesting new technique that may help people address anxiety"

"it is one technique that is falls under the umbrella of psychosensory therapy"

"havening can be used to address fears and phobias traumatic memories grief Cravings or even chronic pain"

"rate your level of distress whether it's physical or emotional then turn your attention to something positive where you feel safe and empowered"

"the rubbing mimics the feeling a child gets when their caregiver responds to distress"

"the purpose of a distraction displaces the recalled event the stressful event from working memory and prevents it from continually activating the amygdala"

"the havening touch when applied under therapeutic conditions tells the brain that we're safe and the event is escapable"

"repetitions of the process provide desensitization and decoupling of the memory with the emotional reaction"

"you're decoupling or if you think of it as the memory is tied to the amygdala with a rope and each time you do it you are cutting that rope sort of one strand at a time"

"havening is a new tool that's being studied to help people with a variety of issues causing them distress from physical pain to emotional pain"