Modality Paper

Modality Paper

The body therapy that most resonated with me was Hakomi. I particularly liked the integration of Eastern spirituality and western psychological thought. Another attractive feature of Hakomi is that it is a gentle, supportive modality that allows clients to work at their own pace without a timeline or agenda set by the therapist. Essentially, Hakomi uses mindfulness techniques to more easily access the body’s messages. Often times, teaching clients what mindfulness is and how to access it is the therapist’s first job in therapy. By using mindfulness or a state of receptive calm to access and release emotions that may be repressed or pent up, the client is completely aware of what is happening; the client can then control the pace and depth of work done. This client control of the pace of therapy and work being done may be less harmful than more forceful methods, which can be more confrontational.
Once a client has achieved a state of mindfulness, the therapist will use what are called probes, which are statements that are opposite of the client’s beliefs or models. Models are belief systems that a client has incorporated into his or her psyche, often these are negative beliefs based on some past trauma, the probes or statements often illicit bodily sensations that the therapist can observe and use to deduce possible areas to work on. With permission, the therapist may use touch to further access pain or trauma and alleviate it as much as possible by supplying a safe, supportive environment in which to explore the sensations and the core beliefs they may be attached to.
Hakomi practioners believe that most people form core beliefs, which are “habitual, automatic attitudes (both physical and psychological) by which we generate patterns of the world (p. 161, 1997). It is believed that these core beliefs are also accompanied by corresponding physical sensations. Hakomi uses mindful awareness to access and integrate these core areas into a more cohesive whole to enable clients to become more fully functioning in all areas. The core areas are, respectively (1) inner body sensation (2) 5 sense perceptions (3) movement (4) cognition (5) affect (p. 162, 1997). Hakomi therapists help the client use all five core areas in a balanced way as trauma or repetitive experiences will sometimes cause a person to utilize only some areas and ignore others.
Hakomi is a gentle modality which is ideal for victims of trauma because of the client controlled pace and depth of the work. A Hakomi therapist must create a safe, supportive environment; integral to that environment is the therapists own personality and non-judgmental attitude. This mindful modality can often bring quicker results than other methods simply because the client feels safe and accepted as they are. Another use for Hakomi is for the client that wishes to further their own growth and understanding of themselves, not necessarily to deal with trauma or psychosis of any kind.
I believe that Hakomi has many useful applications for healing. Because it is so gentle and non-confrontational, victims of severe trauma, such as abuse or rape, could access the emotional damage in a safe way by focusing first on the body sensations and then progressing to process the emotional damage at a pace set by client. Also, Hakomi has no timeframe, so the client can take as much time needed to work through the trauma in a safe, supportive, non-judgmental environment. This seems extremely effective and valuable. For those people who simply wish for greater self-knowledge and integration, Hakomi offers what is sometimes a rapid result. I think that Hakomi training would be a wonderful tool for a life coach to possess.
However, as useful as mindfulness training and Hakomi may be for some, the Eastern-based spiritual aspect may make Hakomi an unlikely choice for those who feel that therapy and spirituality are separate and should remain so. Also, for those people who are uncomfortable with being touched, Hakomi might be intimidating or repulsive. It would be difficult to use in treatment for teens because of the possibility of touch therapy being misconstrued as inappropriate and/or sexual. The legal liability alone would render it dangerous to include in such an environment.

Being a novice at mindfulness myself, I attempted to find a Hakomi practitioner to teach me in my area. There are none, but I found a doctor who uses meditation and mindfulness in his stress reduction clinic. I made an appointment for a session and spent an hour and a half with the doctor. It was a useful and informative session. The doctor spent most of the time talking to me as a student rather than a client. I came away from the session with an extensive reading list and numerous handouts, all of which are proving useful to me. We did a guided, mindful meditation the last twenty-five minutes of the session, and it was interesting. I went into the session in a great mood, feeling stable and interested but during the meditation tears started leaking out from under my eyelids. I am not sure if it was purely a physical reaction to my eyes being closed or if I was accessing an emotion I was unaware of. We did not process it because it was late, and I was out of time; however, that brief experience convinced me of the power of mindfulness and the possibility of healing through Hakomi.
For anyone interested in Hakomi, they need only go to the internet. There are thousands of sites on what Hakomi is, where one can get training, and CD’s one can listen to. Most online bookstores also carry a number of books on Hakomi. I would recommend the study to anyone interested in natural healing and life coaching. It appears to be a modality useful in its own right but also a wonderful supplement to other forms of help and healing.


Kurtz, R. & Minton, K. (1997). Essentials of Hakomi: body-centered psychotherapy. In
C. Caldwell (Ed.), Getting in touch: the guide to body-centered therapies. (pp. 45-59).
Wheaton, Il.: Quest books.
Ogden, P. (1993). Hakomi integrative somatics: hands-on psychotherapy. In C. Caldwell (Ed.)
Getting in touch: the guide to body-centered therapies. (pp. 153-78). Wheateon, Il:
Quest Books.