Heart Assisted Therapy (HAT) is a dynamic, integrative, humanistic, and mindfulness-enhancing approach to psychotherapy that integrates energy science. HAT uses the influence of the heart-brain-hands connection in concert with cognition, emotion, sensation, and a stabilizing breathing treatment while overlapping hands are placed over the heart (“heart-breaths”). HAT is a holistic mind/body/energy approach that uses “Awareness Streaming” in concert with the body’s innate electro-physiology and respiration throughout the process.
The HAT approach merges traditional psychotherapy components involving thoughts, feelings, and sensations with a novel use of hands over the heart to facilitate shifts in emotions, beliefs, behavior, and physical comfort. HAT engages the physical energies of the heart-brain-hands connection to orchestrate and synthesize these shifts.
While this book is written primarily for mental health care providers, there are chapters devoted to the use of HAT, and the companion HAT self-regulation protocols (HAT-SR), by educators, physicians, nurses, dentists, and laypersons in general.
“In his long-awaited book, Dr. Diepold presents HAT in a clear, thorough, and concise manner that is intended to playfully spark curiosity, break new ground, and deepen clinical awareness. HAT complements any theoretical orientation, and can be employed throughout the diagnostic spectrum. HAT is a powerful, efficient, and gentle cutting-edge treatment that is easy to use and is both therapist and client friendly. It is also highly efficient for any type of performance enhancement and is appropriate for use with all ages. It is my belief that HAT will create a paradigm shift in how presenting issues are conceptualized and addressed. This is a book that the curious clinician may want to read more than once!”
Dr. Roger Poiré, Psychologist, Gilford, NH
“After studying this visionary book, I can emphatically report that I have come to the conclusion that this one-of-a-kind book deserves to be considered as required reading for anyone involved in psychotherapy applications and research, whether you are a seasoned practitioner and / or academic, or you are a student just learning the art and science of psychotherapy.
You will learn that HAT is a relatively simple – yet conceptually sophisticated – therapeutic technique that can be (1) integrated within a wide variety of psychotherapies, and (2) applied to a large variety of clinical conditions. The author not only provides details regarding the HAT procedures and its applications so that new as well as seasoned psychotherapists can learn to use the technique, but he also provides extensive clinical case examples that illustrate how HAT can assist and enhance success in therapy.
This book is both serious and fun. What a delightful combination of information and writing. My sense is that Heart Assisted Therapy is a seminal book, and it has the potential to become a classic. This is a book that cannot only change our minds, but it can change our hearts as well. My recommendation is, “be prepared to be enlightened….”
Dr. Gary E. Schwartz, professor of Psychology, Medicine, Neurology, Psychiatry and Surgery, and Director of the Laboratory for Advances in Consciousness and Health at the University of Arizona.
