What is Hakomi?
Hakomi is a gentle yet powerful form of experiential psychotherapy that integrates mindfulness and somatic inquiry to help heal attachment wounds and developmental trauma.
The word Hakomi comes from the Hopi language and translates roughly as “Who are you?” or more richly, “How do you stand (literally!) in relation to these many realms?” This deeper translation speaks to a core insight of bodymind therapy: that our habitual postures, gestures, and tensions often reveal the unconscious beliefs we hold about ourselves and the world.
Developed in the mid-1970s by Ron Kurtz (1934–2011), Hakomi weaves together General Systems Theory, body-centred therapies, and a wide range of influences, including Reichian work, Gestalt, Feldenkrais, Bioenergetics, Ericksonian hypnosis, Focusing, NLP, and contemplative traditions such as Buddhism and Taoism.
At the heart of Hakomi are five foundational principles:
- Mindfulness – cultivating present-moment, nonjudgmental awareness
- Nonviolence – meeting defences with respect, not force
- Mind–Body Holism – recognizing that body and mind reflect one another
- Organicity – trusting the client’s innate healing intelligence
- Unity – honouring the interconnectedness of all experience
Rather than analysing the past, Hakomi invites you to slow down and notice how old emotional patterns live in the body right now: through tension, posture, breath, and feeling. With the therapist’s gentle presence, these unconscious patterns can surface and be met with curiosity, compassion, and new choices.
Although originally developed as a psychotherapy modality, Hakomi is now embraced by coaches, educators, and holistic health practitioners. The method continues to evolve alongside new discoveries in neuroscience, trauma theory, and attachment research, offering an integrative path toward healing and self-discovery.