Essentially, Hakomi is a powerful yet gentle method of somatic mindfulness-based and relational psychotherapy. The Hakomi principles, which are holistic in nature, will be immensely helpful to therapists who are interested in the application of embodied mindfulness, the body-mind integration of traumatic experiences and processing developmental trauma and attachment issues. The moment to moment unfolding of the process is a strength if the Hakomi method when developing new effective pathways for profound individual growth and change.

Essential to every trauma experience is a deep-rooted desire to belonging, being connected to self and others and to have restorative experiences. At the core of Hakomi is the fundamental belief that the body is the repository of internalized beliefs and somatic patterns that are unconscious and unprocessed. Hakomi differentiates itself from traditional psychotherapeutic talking techniques, by using embodied practices and safe exploratory techniques to discover the innate healing capacity in each of us.

Trained Hakomi therapists may use consensual safe and precise touch to encourage them to face their unpleasant feelings by being comforted while guiding their clients into accessing their bodies’ emerging wisdom. The method studies how we have internalized unconscious beliefs and biases and what protective strategies we have created to manage our trauma experience. To this objective, Hakomi method uses enhanced Body Awareness, co-regulating Therapeutic Awareness so as to re-negotiate traumatic experiences.

Current neuroscience research has further confirmed the many foundational aspects of Hakomi, reiterating the effectiveness of mindfulness, loving presence, empathic attunement, limbic resonance, and memory reconsolidation. Morevoer, Hakomi is flexible enough to be combined with a wide range of therapeutic approaches and its effective for both brief and long-term therapy offers it a wide spectrum of applications including work with individuals, couples and groups.

At this highly experiential and practical workshop which combines short talks, small group explorations and longer guided mindful-somatic experiential practices, Manuela Mischke-Reeds, the internationally renowned teacher and practitioner of the Hakomi method and trauma therapist expertly guides us to mindfully explore our clients’ associations and connections to trauma and the impediments that stand in the way of them returning to the loving presence within.

Over two evenings, we specifically explore:

• Loving presence as an overarching core principle that builds the foundation for the five key Hakomi principles. We delve deep into:
  • non-violence
  • body-mind integration
  • organicity
  • unity and
  • mindfulness

• We use the body as a roadmap to the reach the psyche to uncover implicit memories and reveal our unconscious beliefs. We then use mindfulness and somatic techniques to subtly uncover the core psychological beliefs and patterns that can bring about profound and lasting change
• We use the Hakomi principles to bring attention to unconscious attachment issues that create projections, conflict and hostility. Hakomi is particularly effective at bringing these issues to the conscious and so the clients can focus on bringing about transformation and re-alignment of their relationships and perceptions
• We evaluate how the inner state of loving presence is both innate and can be cultivated with somatic practices and experiential learning
• We understand how, as therapists, we can activate the powerful healing capacity of the Hakomi method, so as to allow our clients to build inner resilience and compassionate action for themselves and for others

The workshop is especially suitable for all practitioners, across modalities, who are interested in exploring this powerful and gentle method for themselves and for their healing work as practitioners, therapists, counsellors and spiritual seekers. What you need to attend is a willingness to be in somatic practices and mindful engagement. It will also be of interest to people interested in the applications of mindfulness, the body-mind interface, healing attachment issues and developmental trauma, and effective pathways for profound individual growth and change.

© nscience 2022 / 2023