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Havening is a gentle, neuroscience-informed approach that uses calming touch to support emotional wellbeing. The technique is designed to create a sense of safety, helping the mind and body settle during moments of stress or emotional intensity.

Havening touch involves soothing movements applied to arms, hands, or face, which many people find grounding and comforting. Clients often describe the experience as calming, supportive and helpful for creating a sense of ease.

If you are seeking support while navigating emotional challenges, you're welcome to get in touch to learn more about how Havening can be incorporated into your wellbeing journey.

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With decades of teaching experience across New Zealand and the UK, Susan brings broad experience of pedagogical practice, leadership, and innovation as an educator when providing for the needs of children. Her background includes roles as a classroom teacher, art therapist and teacher mentor.

It was during this time that she recognised that many children would benefit from additional support for anxiety, trauma, phobias, etc. To supplement her formal teaching abilities she gained additional skills to become an Art Therapist and Havening Techniques® practitioner.

Susan offers Havening to both adults and children and can also include Art Therapy techniques. Havening can work ‘content free’ so you or your child do not need to discuss the trauma experienced!

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The Science of Trauma

How Trauma Affects the Brain

When a person experiences a traumatic event, the Amygdala deep in the brain produces high frequency brain waves - gamma waves - as a fight, flight or freeze response.

These high frequency gamma waves stimulate a chemical reaction in brain nerve cells that creates a chemical ‘glue’ called glutamate. This forms a permanent bond at the synaptic nerve junction, effectively ‘hard wiring’ the automatic responses and the activation of powerful emotions and physical symptoms.

This is called encoding or potentiation.

A person can then be ‘triggered’ at a later date by memories of similar experiences. This re-activates the hard wiring or neural pathway. This causes ongoing emotional and physical responses such as anxiety, phobias, PTSD,

(Post Traumatic Stress) and other emotional neurological symptoms.

How Havening Works

Electroencephalogram (EEG) studies show that using sensory stimulation (touch) on certain areas of the body - face, arms and hands - creates low frequency brain waves called Delta waves.

These Delta waves (slow frequency we experience during deep sleep and relaxation causing healing) create a chemical reaction producing phosphatase in the brain nerve cells that ‘de-potentiates’ or dissolves the permanent bond.

This then disrupts the permanent neural pathway created during the traumatic event, so the automatic emotional and physical trauma responses can no longer occur.

Although a person will always remember the traumatic event, they will no longer have the encoded reactions to this memory.

Revolutionary New Science

Havening (Amygdala depotentiation) is a revolutionary new PSYCHO-SENSORY technique, a little like EMDR, developed over the last twenty years in New York (USA) by doctors, Dr Ronald Ruden - physician and neuroscientist, and Dr Steven Ruden.

Not only does Havening yield impressive results in trauma therapy, it is also widely used in many other areas of therapy and coaching – ranging from psychology, psychiatry, general medical, psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, NPL, social work, business and sports coaching.

See the Science papers for detailed scientific information.

Havening For Wellbeing

Modern neuroscience is making great changes to the way we help people to move past traumatic experiences and negative mind states than can significantly affect the quality of daily living.

Therapy using Havening Techniques is a safe, quick and compassionate way to heal many anxiety and trauma based disorders by using sensory touch, and without needing to talk about the traumatic event.

I had a Havening session with Susan to help me with the trauma of witnessing my child cross the road and get hit by a car. I had found that every time I saw a red car I was being triggered.

The process was very simple and non-threatening. I was amazed that straight after the Havening I looked out of the window and saw a red car and I was not affected at all.

Gregg

SCIENCE RESEARCH PAPERS

Psychosensory Therapy
A Brief Introduction

Origin, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Chronic Pain and Somatization disorders

The Limbic System

Introduction to Havening Techniques

Impact of a Single-session of Havening

Harnessing Electroceuticals to Treat Disorders Arising from Traumatic Stress

Providing Alternative Therapy Techniques

since 2016

HAVENING

ART THERAPY

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VISUAL NUTRITION CARDS

Read Artsoup's Latest Blogs

Artsoup, February 2026. Havening In Schools - Pilot Scheme

Based on the latest in neuroscience, Havening Techniques® is a self-managing tool that can strengthen the Zones of Regulation framework already used in classrooms. It supports students to recognise, regulate, and reset their emotions. Using gentle self-applied touch, Havening helps students shift out of Blue, Yellow and Red Zones by sending a ‘safety signal’ to the brain, - reducing stress, restoring calm, and bringing them back to the calm zone for learning. Havening touch c

Artsoup, December 2025 Havening In Schools

Havening touch or self Havening within the school setting is beneficial to both students and teachers. Artsoup offers teacher PD in Schools as a tool for self regulation and calm. Happy to answer any questions. Havening Reduces stress, and destresses Calms the mind Enhances existing positive states Aids memory and focus Activates desired states Helps students refocus during transitions Helps with academic anxiety and tests There are 3 places to apply Havening touch which soot

Artsoup, January 2025 Havening

We have moved away from facilitating art therapy group workshops. In 2023 a friend of mine introduced me to Havening, or finding a safe haven. This process has been life changing for myself and many others I have worked with. Here’s the story… My friend who was a midwife studying for her PHD, was interested in helping women who had a fear of natural childbirth. This many times resulted in an elective caesarean, which often had adverse long term effects for the mother and c

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