"Therapy is first about discovering. It’s about who you are and about what your deepest emotional attitudes are... That’s the flavor of psychotherapy, discovering yourself, discovering your real attitudes toward the most important pieces of your life."

—Ron Kurtz, Hakomi Founder.

What is Hakomi Therapy?

The word 'Hakomi' comes from an old Hopi language and translates as the ancient question of 'who are you in all these many realms'. This sentence describes the core of what Hakomi Therapy is: a method of assisted self discovery. We aim to uncover unconscious core beliefs that shape how you relate and experience the world in order to promote psychological growth, heal past hurts and trauma and resolve issues that affect your current life.

In the safe space created through the therapist’s loving presence — the state of mind of combined and constant presence and compassion — you will feel cared for, understood and heard, which in turn allows mindfulness and curious self exploration. The insights you gain will increase your self-awareness, improve your relationships and support your personal growth.

Originally founder Ron Kurtz called it a ‘Body-centered Psychotherapy’ because someone’s present experience and how someone is organizing experience is more accessible through nonverbal expression. Therefore, the therapist, with a non-judgmental, non-invasive, and loving presence, assists the client by using little experiments to evoke these experiences that can be explored in the present moment in a state of mindfulness, so limiting beliefs, habits or painful memories can reveal themselves.

What makes Hakomi special?

We work in a state of mindfulness — you stay present with your inner experience

It is non-violent and respectful -- you are never pushed but rather invited to be curious about your own experiences

It sees your body, mind, and emotions as deeply connected

It's about self-discovery, not just problem-solving

Hakomi is based on five principles — Nonviolence, Mindfulness, Mind-Body Holism, Unity, and Organicity. Read more about how Hakomi practices are based in these principles:

https://hakomiinstitute.com/about/hakomi-principles/

 What is Somatic Experiencing® (SE)?

Somatic Experiencing® (SE), developed by Dr. Peter Levine, is a body-oriented approach to healing trauma and stress-related disorders. It focuses on helping individuals tune into their bodily sensations to gently release stored tension and restore the nervous system’s natural balance. Rather than revisiting traumatic memories in detail, SE works through awareness of physical sensations to safely process and resolve trauma at a physiological level.

https://traumahealing.org/se-101/