HAVENING TECHNIQUES
A gentle, touch-based approach to emotional wellbeing.
Havening combines gentle touch with focused attention and simple mental techniques, offering a supportive way to explore stress, difficult emotional responses and familiar patterns.
WHAT IS HAVENING?
Touch, attention and emotional processing.
Havening Techniques belong to a group of approaches sometimes described as psychosensory methods. They combine sensory input — particularly gentle touch — with attention, imagery and other mental exercises.
The touch used in Havening is simple and gentle and is generally applied to the hands, upper arms and face.
The practitioner can guide the process while you apply the touch yourself, so physical contact with Jo is not required.
A GENTLE APPROACH
You do not always have to explain everything.
For some people, repeatedly describing every detail of a difficult experience can feel uncomfortable or unnecessary.
Depending on what you are working with, Havening can sometimes be guided using the feeling, response or issue itself without requiring you to give Jo a detailed account of everything that happened.
You remain in control of what you choose to discuss throughout the session.
WHY MIGHT SOMEONE EXPLORE HAVENING?
Working with how something feels now.
●
Stress & overwhelm
Explore situations or thoughts that trigger a strong emotional response or leave you feeling repeatedly overwhelmed.
●
Past experiences
Work with emotional responses connected with experiences that still seem to carry an uncomfortable charge in the present.
●
Confidence & resilience
Use the process as part of exploring confidence, familiar self-doubt, performance pressure or the way you respond to challenging situations.
WHAT HAPPENS DURING A SESSION?
A process guided around you.
01
Talk
You begin by talking about what you would like support with and how you would like the session to feel.
02
Havening Touch
Gentle touch to the hands, arms or face is combined with guided attention and mental exercises. You can apply the touch yourself.
03
Reflect
There is time to notice what has changed, talk about your experience and consider what may be useful afterwards.
Touch is always your choice.
You do not have to be touched by Jo to take part in a Havening session. The techniques can be guided while you apply Havening Touch yourself.
If practitioner touch is considered, consent should be discussed first and you can change your mind at any time.
A complementary approach
Havening is an emerging complementary approach and its proposed mechanisms and effectiveness have not yet been fully established through mainstream academic and clinical research.
It should not be used as a replacement for medical or psychological assessment or treatment when those are needed.
If what you are experiencing involves severe trauma, significant psychological distress or another concern requiring specialist care, an appropriately qualified healthcare or mental-health professional may be more suitable.
Would you like to explore Havening?
If you are unsure whether Havening feels appropriate for what you are experiencing, you are welcome to ask Jo before deciding to book.