Havening Techniques

What is Havening?

The short answer is that it is a hands-on practice using light touch on the arms, hands and face, alongside some guided attention. You stay awake and in control the whole way through.

The longer answer is below, including the parts people do not usually put on their websites.

A large black koru spiral, cut from a single disc, hanging on the wall of the session room from a knotted rope. — The koru that hangs in the session room. It is the piece that inspired the Thrive Together logo.

Where it came from

Havening was developed by Dr Ronald Ruden, a medical doctor in New York, along with his brother Dr Steven Ruden. The name comes from the word haven. A place you go to be safe.

It has been taught to practitioners around the world since the early 2010s. I trained and certified in April 2026 and I use it exclusively in my practice.

What the touch is

Slow, light stroking down the upper arms, across the palms of the hands, and over the forehead. That is genuinely all it is. No pressure, nothing that hurts, nothing that would leave a mark.

I will show you before we start. If you would rather apply it yourself while I guide you, that is a completely normal way to work and a lot of people prefer it.

The idea behind it

The thinking is that this particular kind of touch, paired with where you put your attention, changes the electrical activity in the brain and shifts how a memory sits.

I want to be careful about how I put that. It is the proposed explanation, not a settled fact. It is what practitioners are taught and what the research is exploring. It is not something anyone has proven the way you would prove how a bone heals.

I would rather you knew that than have me sound more certain than I am.

What it is not

It is not hypnosis.: You stay fully awake and aware. You are not in a trance and you are not suggestible.
It is not massage.: The touch is light and specific, and it is not about muscles.
It is not counselling.: I am not a registered psychologist or psychotherapist, and Havening is not talk therapy. You will not be asked to narrate what happened to you.
It is not a replacement for medical care.: If you are under a doctor or a mental health professional, stay with them. Havening sits alongside that, not instead of it.

What the research says, honestly

Havening is still a relatively new practice. There is a growing body of study into it, and there are papers you can read. I have collected the ones I rate on theresources page.

There is also this, from Havening's own organisation: they state that Havening has not yet been fully researched by the academic, medical and psychological communities, that it may be considered experimental, and that the extent of its effectiveness along with its risks and benefits are not fully known. Their scope of practice says plainly that it is not a cure for mental health conditions.

That is their position, not mine, and I think it is worth repeating rather than burying.

So I cannot tell you what Havening will do for you. I can tell you what a session involves, what it costs, what I will and will not do, and that you can stop at any time. Anyone promising you more than that is guessing.

Who it is offered for

Havening is offered for people experiencing anxiety, stress, low self-esteem, relationship difficulties, or a shaken sense of self-belief.

I also see young people aged twelve and over, with a parent or caregiver involved. There is a separate page about that.

When it is not the right fit

Havening is not suitable for everyone. It can bring up uncomfortable feelings, and for some people that is more than they want to take on right now. We will talk about that before we begin.

There are also things that are outside what I am trained and certified to work with. If you bring me something that belongs with a registered professional, I will say so and help you find the right person. That is not me turning you away. It is me being useful.

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