The Hakomi Name

What is the origin of the Hakomi name and what does it mean?

In 1980 a group of people inspired by Ron Kurtz’ work were collaborating to evolve his method of body-centered psychotherapy into a teachable format. After months of searching for a name for their newly forming educational institute, one of the group’s members, David Winter, had a dream in which he handed Ron a piece of stationery that said “Hakomi Institute.”

After seeking the meaning of hakomi in several Eastern languages, David found the word in a Hopi lexicon and discovered that it meant “Where do I stand in relation to the many realms?” The group was struck by how deeply and poetically this phrase captured their work – a healing method devoted to transforming core beliefs adversely affecting peoples’ relationships with themselves, others and the world at large.

In 1981, David consulted his Hopi teacher, Grandfather David Monongye, the last of four designated Hopi prophets, to seek counsel on the dream and the word hakomi. The Hopi elder confirmed its meaning and gave his blessing for the newly forming institute to use the name.

Get the full story from founding trainers who were there when we first connected with Grandfather David about the word hakomi.

In recent years, concerns have arisen within our community about Hakomi’s name. Some people feel it has been culturally appropriated from the Hopi people. Others feel it was a sacred transmission that was given to us rather than appropriated. What is clear to our community is that we as non-Hopi people need to honor the Hopi people’s authority over their language and its use.

Find out what actions Hakomi Institute is taking to address this concern.

A gift - a wonderful experience that will shape the rest of my life.

—Kate Mazuy, M.A., L.P.C., Colorado

Learning the Hakomi Method has been one of the most personally and professionally enriching experiences of my career. I've gained tools to help my clients rapidly access and transform their pain and struggle, and found it profoundly effective across a wide range of individuals with a variety of long-term and challenging clinical and life problems. I can't recommend this training highly enough.

—Jeffrey Rutstein, Psy.D., Clinical Psychologist, New Jersey

The biggest attraction was seeing the change in people who had done the Hakomi training before me - they were more centred, more confident, more themselves. This was what I wanted for myself, too.

—S.T., Psychotherapist, Australia

I learned so much, thoroughly enjoyed the people and the process, and found the instructors awesome in the breadth and depth of their experience and knowledge.

—Pat Waterman, L.C.S.W., Vermont

There's no question that the Hakomi training is the best psychotherapy training I've ever done. The Hakomi trainers, without exception, embody and constantly demonstrate the Hakomi principle of loving presence towards all the students they train which powerfully facilitates the students' learning of the method.

—J.K., Psychotherapist, Australia

Excellent - rich and satisfying. It has expanded me as a person and as a therapist. The trainers were exceptional - all were superlative. The training enables you to deepen self-awareness, become more present, and learn to work with inner and outer challenges with ease, compassion and honesty - and then help others to do the same.

—Debra Babarsky, M.A., L.P.C., Virginia

Its experiential approach has been very nourishing, and as someone who has spent many years studying, it has been wonderful to engage in a learning process that did not involve the usual academic processes. I could relax into the learning, and learn without great effort or strain. I now have a deep appreciation for the wisdom inherent in such experiential teaching.

—K.V., Psychologist, Australia