Havening Techniques: Mindful Touch to Change Your Brain with Dr. Kate Truitt
In this episode of the podcast, I have the honor of speaking with Dr. Kate Truitt about the Havening Techniques, which use mindful touch and intentional attention to change how your brain responds to stress.
Episode Details:
Dr. Kate Truitt is a licensed clinical psychologist, applied neuroscientist, and an internationally recognized expert in the neuroscience of trauma, stress, and resilience. She is the co-developer of the Havening Techniques and author of the book Healing In Your Hands: Self-Havening Practices to Harness Neuroplasticity, Heal Traumatic Stress, and Build Resilience.
What You’ll Learn About the Havening Techniques:
- The ways you can apply the Self-Havening mindful touch
- Befriending your amygdala, the ancient part of your brain that seeks to keep you safe, but can easily hijack you with fearful thoughts
- What happens in your brain when you combine touch, cognitive techniques, and breath regulation in a Havening exercise
- And how Havening can be used not only in difficult moments, but as a way to explore positive feelings that might initially feel like a stretch.
Dr. Truitt shares her own story of healing from traumatic grief and how Havening became such a big part of her work as a neuroscientist and clinical psychologist. We cover practical ways these tools can be used to shift the impact of a stressful event, and to decrease the likelihood of being triggered in a similar way in the future.
And, we also discuss how the intentional distractions and brain games in Havening help us redirect our attention away from overwhelming thoughts, and how this fits in with the mindfulness practice of non-avoidance, or turning towards whatever is coming up.
If Havening is new to you, this episode is a great place to start! Dr. Truitt shares so much information in this conversation, including tools you can put to use right away. Be sure to check the resources below to download the handouts that go with this episode.
Guest Bio:
Dr. Kate Truitt is a licensed clinical psychologist, applied neuroscientist, and holds a M.B.A. in Healthcare Administration. She is an internationally recognized expert in the neuroscience of trauma, stress, and resilience as well as the complex interplay amongst the three. She is regularly featured in global media outlets ranging from Oprah Today and Medium to the BBC and Today.
Dr. Kate is proud to be recognized as a co-Developer of the Havening Techniques. She is an international trainer and has spoken at the United Nations, the United States Department of Defense, PESI, amongst others. She has dedicated her life to advancing the treatment of trauma and stress-related disorders, eliminating the stigma surrounding mental health, and empowering wellness through the dissemination of psychoeducation and self-healing tools through her speaking engagements, books, blog, and social media presence.
Dr. Kate Truitt is the author of Healing in Your Hands: Self-Havening Exercises to Harness Neuroplasticity, Heal Traumatic Stress, and Build Resilience and Keep Breathing: A Healing Journey through the Science of Trauma, Grief, and Coming Home to Self (releasing in Fall, 2023).
Resources and Links from this episode:
- Download the CPR for the Amygdala Handout
- Download the Emotions Thermometer Handout
- Download the Creating Possibilities Protocol Handout
- Learn more about Dr. Kate Truitt’s book Healing in Your Hands: Self-Havening Exercises to Harness Neuroplasticity, Heal Traumatic Stress, and Build Resilience*
- Information on the August 2023 Self-Havening workshop mentioned in this episode can be found HERE.
Learn more about Havening Techniques and Mindful Touch:
Dr. Kate Truitt’s website
Follow her on social media: YouTube (lots of great resources here!), TikTok, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.
If you enjoyed this conversation, you might also like Episode 20: From the Military to Mental Health Yoga with Cindy Beers or Episode 25: Stress and Brain-Body Resilience with Jessica Patching-Bunch.
*The link to this book is to my Bookshop.org affiliate page. If you buy books through my link, I earn a small percentage (at no additional cost to you). And, every Bookshop.org purchase supports local independent bookstores!