The method

Donna Martin, Hakomi Trainer, says, “Hakomi is an experiential method of assisted self-discovery that uses “small experiments in mindful listening” to reveal how experience is organized by limiting habits, attitudes, and beliefs. Hakomi is also effective in everyday situations such as relationships, work, and parenting.”

In Hakomi we follow five guidelines:

  • We use mindfulness to create an inner state in which we can observe what is present in the moment.
  • We maintain an attitude of experimentation.
  • We focus on the experience of the present moment and are more interested in the storyteller than the story. We do not dwell on the past or the future, but on what is happening in the present moment.
  • We aim for what feels good by creating nourishing experiences to create new possibilities for life.

Hakomi is based on five principles:

  • Mindfulness, or the inner neutral observer of what is present now.
  • The body/mind whole, that is, the fact that everything that is experienced in the body is connected to what happens in the mind and vice versa.
  • Nonviolence, never forcing through a blockage, fear or resistance but rather supporting them so that they can be seen, heard, acknowledged, understood and dissolved into a loving and safe container.
  • Organicity, meaning that healing is a spontaneous process of an organic nature, and that all the resources are within the person and will emerge if the conditions are created that invite him or her to feel safe enough to show up, cooperate, and even guide the process.
  • Oneness, that we are all connected and everything one person does affects others.

The role of the Hakomi practitioner is to listen and follow rather than lead. Instead, they guide by following and connecting with the present moment experience while being in loving presence, a key skill taught in the method. Hakomi was created by the late Ron Kurtz who was influenced by BioEnergy, Feldenkrais, Gestalt, Buddhism, and Tao Te Ch’ing, among others. The use of mindfulness and the technique of taking charge are two of the innovative approaches created by Kurtz. The basics of the Hakomi method are learned in a three-year program and a person is certified only when they can demonstrate proficiency in the method supported by two trainers. Hakomi has been taught in several countries by the Hakomi Institute since the 1970s. The refined Method of Assisted Self-Discovery was later developed by Ron Kurtz. This refined method is taught by the Hakomi Educational Network (HEN), a network of teachers and trainers trained by Ron and his trainers.

How I integrate this method into my overall approach

Hakomi is completely integrated into my approach. I try to do everything “the Hakomi way” and I use it in part or throughout the session with my clients. Hakomi has taught me to really follow the present experience and to contact it so that the person can see that I am completely present and that I am what is unfolding. Hakomi has taught me to trust organicity and spontaneity and to follow the client rather than lead the session. It has also shown me to reach for what is nourishing and to support resistances rather than trying to break them down. Most importantly, Hakomi has allowed me to move from “doing” the work of support to “being” with my client. What needs to happen then emerges effortlessly and healing happens more quickly and organically. Since I am not a licensed psychotherapist and do not practice psychotherapy, I am guided by the principles of Hakomi and allow the method to inform, influence, and guide my practice to help clients mindfully study themselves and discover how their experience is organized by habits and beliefs. I focus on creating nourishing experiences to bring about well-being.

Books

See the books available on the method on the My Readings page

Internet links