The Hakomi Method

The Hakomi Method of Mindfulness-Centered Somatic Psychotherapy was developed in the late 1970s by Ron Kurtz in Ashland, Oregon.  It is a method of  that utilizes the foundational tools and theory from somatic psychotherapy including the work of Wilhelm Reich and Alexander Lowen.  It then synthesized this body-centered approach with Gestalt therapy and eastern mindfulness traditions such as Buddhism and Taoism.

The principles of Hakomi are ones that I hold with me throughout each and every session with my clients.  These are:

• Mindfulness - a tool used to help the client to study the organization of their experience of both themselves and the world.
• Non-Violence – a gentle, compassionate, non-intrusive way of being where the your "defenses" are acknowledged and supported, rather than viewed as something to overcome or "fix".
• Holism – the view that mind, body, and spirit are all a part of the same organized system, inseparable from each other.
• Unity – all of these inseparable parts are also a part of a much larger, interdependent system inclusive of the entirety of the your world.
• Organicity – you are a whole, organic person, and the only one capable of your own healing, a therapist can only assist you and help manage this process.

For more information about Hakomi, please visit the International Website of the Hakomi Institute and Portland's Mindful Experiential Therapy Approaches.