"The most powerful thing the therapist does for us is provide a setting, a nourishing womb, in which our lives can unfold. Through the physical setting... a trustworthy place [is created] where all life is befriended through an affirmation of faith in our wisdom and creativity."
—Gregory Johanson, Ph.D., Hakomi Institute Co-Founder and Senior Trainer
For the past two years I have been passionately immersing myself in Hakomi training.
Just as I have integrated Nonviolent Communication into my therapeutic technique, I am excited to also harmonize the complementary discipline of Hakomi into my practice.
I am pleased to share here some background about this groundbreaking therapy.
Created in the 1970's by acclaimed psychotherapist Ron Kurtz, Hakomi Therapy harmonizes psychological and spiritual approaches to healing. In the ensuing decades, Hakomi grew to incorporate elements from such diverse therapeutic traditions as Psychomotor, Feldenkrais, Gestalt, Focusing, Ericksonian Hypnosis, and Neurolinguisitc Programming. Hakomi also draws on teachings from Buddhist and Taoist philosophy such as gentleness, empathy, nonviolence and being mindfully present.
At its core, Hakomi draws on the compassionate, conscious concepts of Mindfulness, Nonviolence, Organacity, and Unity to integrate the Body and the Mind in the course of therapy. Treating the Body and Mind holistically creates an environment where the student or the seeker can make a sincere and profound commitment to healing and continued growth beyond healing.
"Hakomi" is a Hopi word that in current usage translates as "who are you," but an archaic meaning is closer to "how do you stand in relation to these many realms." All of our memories, beliefs, actions and attitudes comprise the core material from which we develop our self-image, influencing how we relate to each other, to our society, and to the global community.
This core material expresses itself through all the habits and attitudes which make us individuals. Our feelings, actions and perceptions are continuously influenced by core material around major themes: safety and belonging; support, love and appreciation; freedom and responsibility; openness and honesty; control, power, sexuality, membership, and the social and cultural rules. These themes are the daily grist of therapeutic work.
--Ron Kurtz, Body-Centered Psychotherapy: The Hakomi Method, 1990
