Kamilla Motacki Certification Havening Techniques® Practitioner Training June 26 & 27 2025

Here is the translated text in English:

Havening – Psychosensory Therapy

Havening is a psychosensory therapy method that utilizes touch as a therapeutic tool. The name of this technique means "moving to a safe place" and is based on neurobiology. It was developed in 2001 in the USA by Dr. Ronald Ruden and his brother, Steven Ruden.

What is the Havening technique?

Havening is based on gentle touch that helps reduce stress. One of the key movements involves crossing the arms and stroking them from the shoulders to the elbows, which induces a state of self-soothing. Closing the eyes further supports introspection and helps shift focus away from negative emotions.

Dr. Ronald Ruden explains that specific touch, combined with visualization, stimulates delta waves in the amygdala, leading to deep relaxation. Other supporting techniques include touching the forehead, stroking the cheeks, or humming a favorite tune. All these actions help interrupt automatic negative reactions to stressful stimuli.

Does Havening require physical presence with a therapist?

Havening can be performed both in-person and online. The client, following the therapist's instructions, can apply self-touch techniques, making the method equally effective in remote settings. It is important that a certified Havening practitioner supervises the process to ensure its proper execution.

Benefits of Havening

This technique offers numerous psychological and emotional benefits, such as:

• reducing symptoms of trauma and PTSD,
• working through anxiety and phobias,
• alleviating negative emotions linked to painful memories,
• decreasing anger, frustration, and stress levels,
• reducing compulsive behaviors,
• enhancing self-esteem and confidence,
• coping with stress related to public speaking, exams, or job interviews.

Who can benefit from Havening?

Havening is applicable in various fields, including:

• therapy,
• coaching and counseling,
• personal development,
• sports,
• high-risk professions (e.g., police officers, firefighters, doctors, and other medical professionals).

It is an effective tool for individuals seeking ways to manage stress, improve emotional balance, and gain support in personal and professional challenges.

What does a Havening session look like?

A therapy session can be divided into three key stages:

1. Assessing stress and anxiety levels – The therapist asks the client to rate their stress level on the SUD scale (0-10) and recall difficult memories or situations.

2. Havening Touch® technique and distraction phase – The client performs specific touch movements while focusing on positive visualizations, such as walking on a beach, humming a melody, or counting backward. The goal is to weaken the emotional intensity of the memory and reduce amygdala activity, minimizing the likelihood of negative thoughts resurfacing.

3. Evaluating session effectiveness – The client recalls the traumatic event again and re-evaluates their stress level using the SUD scale. This step helps both the therapist and the client measure how much emotional tension has decreased.

Havening is a modern and effective method that enables individuals to release negative emotions and trauma, improving their quality of life and ability to cope with stress.