“Once I discovered Focusing, burnout was no longer an issue.”
~ Steve Moscovitch, Winnipeg Therapist, Social Worker, and Grief Counsellor
Focusing - what is it?
Succulent leafing new life. Photo by Skylar Kang on Pexels
Focusing is a natural process
It brings change and growth,
touching into what is coming alive,
often physically felt and sensed.
It is a radical acceptance of present moment experiencing.
It is precise and potent.
Notice these three different kinds of body-knowing:
1. We can look into a mirror and see ourselves.
2. We can feel inside and sense our emotions.
3. And we can sense inside our whole situation, notice changes as they happen, often subtle and without words.
We have the capacity to sense inside our living connections.
This is called felt sensing.
It is precise and potent, because it is alive and specific to change in real time.
Every person has the capacity to sense into their situation,
into their unique relationships,
and from there to know which way forward will bring the most life.
Focusing was developed by Eugene Gendlin after he discovered that clients who had the most success in therapy were felt sensing. It was Gendlin who coined the term felt sense, and he was dedicated to learning and teaching Focusing. Now we have over 50 years of research showing its power in many different ways. It is widely used internationally—both therapeutically and as a stand-alone practice in self-care and growth.
Focusing is a powerful change agent. It can be learned. It grows with practice.
Learning Focusing
Few people learn Focusing alone. It is best experienced in partnerships. One of my greatest joys is to teach Focusing. I do this in groups, where a priceless benefit is the formation of long lasting peer focusing partnerships. They become a deepening source of growth. If you are interested in this,
Guided Focusing
A short series of guided focusing sessions can be helpful for those who want to engage their body wisdom regarding something specific. For example, when:
Making a decision
Exploring dreams (day time or nighttime)
Finding new perspective
Exploring support for injury or illness
Shifting a stuck place
Sensing into the heart of a matter.
Reflection in a frosted water droplet. Symbol of a hologram.
Photo by Skyler Ewing on Pexels.
Guided Focusing sessions are not the same as Counselling or Psychotherapy. I like to have an initial conversation before the first session to set up the parameters. If this interests you,
Choosing Focusing or Therapy?
There are different ways to engage Focusing.
One is to Focus with a partner (perhaps one who has also taken a Level One Focusing course).
Another is to seek Guided Focusing from a Focusing trainer or teacher.
Thirdly, you might find a Focusing Oriented Therapist.
Whatever is wanting change will recognize the right time, place and relationship.
I am happy to have a conversation with you about this.
And suddenly you know. It’s time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings.
Meister Eckhart