Havening, is an[1] alternative therapy developed by Dr. Ronald Ruden MD Ph.D and his brother Dr. Steve Ruden; it relies on "amygdala depotentiation" that purportedly can help people with psychological problems, particularly those related to phobias, post-traumatic stress and anxiety.[2][3]
Havening involves eliciting delta brain waves with Havening Touch, proven to act directly on receptors in the brain where trauma is stored, to down regulate the emotional charge, mostly while the client is distracted. This means the client does not have to stay in, or talk about, upsetting events or feelings.[4] Havening shares features in common with another alternative therapy method, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing,[5][1][6] however does not require you to stay immersed in uncomfortable feelings.
Methodology
Havening works through a change agent, a brain delta wave, generated by a simple soothing touch on the palms, upper arms and forehead. This wave interacts with the voltage dependent calcium channel on a glutamate activated neuron in the lateral amygdala. This interaction produces an intracellular calcium oscillation activating a phosphatase which acts to remove a traumatically placed AMPA receptor. The selective activation of the amygdala neuron associated with the emotional component of the recalled memory from the traumatized event is critical to making that neuron susceptible to the change agent. It is this selectivity that allows us to target specific memories. In addition, as the client begins treatment immediately after recall, the distress of the client is minimized.[7]
Assessments of claims
The official "Havening" website includes a listing of testimonials about Havening's effectiveness,[8] however, the "Havening Research" page does not link to any research studies assessing the claim that Havening is an effective therapy for any of the disorders listed on the site.[9] Two studies have been published designed to assess that claim.[4] In the first, 27 participants completed self-report measures of depression, anxiety, and social adjustment before, and one week and two months after, a Havening intervention. Scores on the different measures were better after the intervention than before. The authors note that the study is limited by "its small sample size" and "lack of control group". Because of the lack of a control group, it cannot be confirmed that the change in scores on the self-report measures is a result of the Havening intervention, a placebo effect, or some other factor related to the passage of time.[6][5][1] The second study was published in September of 2020 in the Journal of Psychophysiology. This clinical trial examined the impact of Havening Techniques on trauma responses in 125 participants to measures of Type D (distressed) personality, biological stress markers and resilience. Type D personality encapsulates the stress links with trauma and is associated with predisposition to physical and psychological ill-health. In the treatment group, distress scores decreased significantly (to the extent that most participants no longer fulfilled the criteria for Type D).[10] This study also showed significant decreases in cortisol, diastolic blood pressure, and systolic blood pressure. The findings of this study support the hypothesis that Type D personality has somatic links with trauma and evidences the effectiveness of the Havening Techniques protocols in creating sustainable long-term decreases in biological markers of stress and trauma while encouraging psychophysiological resilience through endogenous reparation.[10][11][12]
Proponents claim that Havening "increases the levels of serotonin which can disrupt reconsolidation of the link between the traumatic memory of the event and the distress it causes."
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