Havening: An Evolving Approach to Trauma Healing

History shows us that health and healing doesn’t always start in a lab.

Farmers knew fresh air was good for health before air quality studies existed. Parents soothed children with gentle touch long before neuroscience confirmed its calming effect on the nervous system. Again and again, science eventually catches up to what our bodies and lived experience already teach us: sometimes the simplest approaches can change everything.

Havening's Early Steps in Trauma Care

In the early 2000s, Dr. Ronald Ruden began researching how engaging our senses (sight, touch, sound, etc.) and our mind (working memory) can result in powerful and positive results in reducing trauma. Being a scientiest at heart, Dr. Ruden (a medical doctor and PhD in organic chemistry) developed, tested, and revised mind-body techniques (Havening Techniques) that reduced, and in many cases, removed feelings of trauma from his patients.

Let me explain it this way... “The amygdala is a small part of the brain that links emotions to past memories and experiences. It’s designed to protect us, but sometimes it stays on high alert—like when a sound or smell is tied to a past danger. Even when there’s no real threat, this ‘stuck pattern’ can trigger fight, flight, or freeze before logic/thinking has a chance to step in. By soothing the amygdala through the Havening approach, Dr. Ronald Ruden discover that touch, could play an important role in creating emotional safety and activating neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to rewire itself.

Moving Beyond Traditional Methods

For decades, trauma treatment relied heavily on talk therapy or exposure-based techniques. While valuable for some, these methods often emphasized logic and language without fully addressing the nervous system’s automatic responses. Clients could end up retraumatized by repeated exposure to their stories, and practitioners sometimes felt the weight of vicarious trauma.

Over time, other approaches emerged that moved beyond words alone—methods such as: 

• Somatic Experiencing

• Sensorimotor Psychotherapy,

• Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT/tapping), and

• Body-based mindfulness practices like yoga and breathwork.

Each offered ways to safely reconnect with the body, regulate the nervous system, and reprocess traumatic experiences without overwhelming the client.

Interestingly, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) was one of the first widely accepted evidence-based approaches for trauma. By using sensory stimulation—such as eye movements, taps, or sounds—it helps the brain reprocess distressing memories with less retraumatization, though some clients find the process uncomfortable. What EMDR demonstrated, however, is the importance of working directly with the brain’s wiring rather than relying solely on cognitive processing.

Where We Are Today

Building on the benefits of evidence-informed approaches, Havening Techniques® add a safe, gentle, and easy-to-learn method that bridges the gap between talk therapy and somatic practices.

By calming the nervous system through touch and focused attention, Havening offers clients and practitioners an effective way to reduce distress while fostering resilience. Alongside this, today’s trauma-informed models emphasize safety and empowerment, integrating neuroscience with body-based practices to provide tools that are practical, adaptable, and deeply respectful of each person’s experience.

Havening Techniques involves gentle, soothing touch.

It's interesting that many of us naturally touch or rub our arms, face, and hands when we are stressed. Wringing your hands is often seen as a sign of worry, but Havening transforms these natural movements (gentle touch to the face, arms, and hands) into a neuroscience-based practice that becomes a pathway to calm, comfort, and healing. Check out the Havening Techniques website for more information and videos.

Moving Forward

The good news is that we now understand healing is possible at the level of the brain and body.

Whether through individual sessions, workshops, or professional training, modern approaches like Havening give both practitioners and clients options that are safe, effective, and grounded in research. The journey of trauma care is far from finished, but each advancement moves us closer to creating environments where resilience can thrive and people can rediscover a felt sense of safety and hope.

Have you or do you know someone who struggled to resolve trauma? Did this article spark interest? If you found this article interesting, please consider sharing it with a friend.

Until next time, take kind care of yourself!