What in the world is Focusing anyway?

Felt senses can appear in many different ways, including:

•  Physical sensations, such as a heaviness over your heart, a gurgling in your belly or a feeling that something is near you (like when you "feel" someone walking up behind you before you hear or see them).
• Thoughts, images or colors.
• Memories and associations.
• Emotions.
• Connections with something in your life.
• Hopes and fears about the future.
• Gestures.

First, every session is unique.

There's not a right or wrong way to Focus and it's impossible to mess it up. I always invite you to come to each session as an observe to your process and to trust that it will unfold the way it needs to unfold.

As your guide, I will invite you to choose a topic to Focus with before your session.

Maybe you have a decision you're needing to make, a conflict (inner or interpersonal) you'd like to resolve, an upcoming event you're anticipating or feelings around something you'd like to explore deeper. You might not have anything in particular that you'd like to explore; in that case, you can simply invite what most wants your attention.

In Focusing, ALL are welcome. That means everything you're feeling and sensing, all the parts, are welcome.

In my personal Focusing practice, I find it helpful to imagine welcoming each part as I become aware of it. I like to welcome them to gather around an imaginary fire pit circled with Adirondack chairs. As each felt sense appears, I invite it to the circle. What I like about this image is that I can add more chairs if I need to, and I can put more space between chairs if something appears that needs more room, and parts can sit in a chair or stand or move. They are free to be just as they need to be.

Your experience will be unique, but how I companion with you will go something like this:

At the beginning of your session, I'll give you a lead in. A lead in has the feel of a short, guided meditation and it helps you to bring awareness into your body. The lead in includes an invitation for the felt senses relating to your topic to come forward and at the end of the lead in, I will invite you to begin describing any felt senses you're becoming aware of and welcoming them into your session.

As your guide, I do a lot of listening. When appropriate, I repeat, or reflect back to you, what you've described.

Along with reflections, I'll offer invitations to deepen your relationship with the felt senses. The process of describing the felt senses, hearing reflections, checking that the reflections fit and refining the description helps you to be fully present and to listen with interested curiosity as each part begins to communicate with you. This helps you to cultivate a deeper relationship with the felt sense and to have more clarity in your communication with it.

As your session comes to a close, I'll lead you out of the process.

Most importantly, your Focusing session is yours. You will lead the way and I will support you. All of my reflections and invitations come from what you're experiencing, and my job is to support you on your journey, not to take you on mine.

What if something comes up that feels too personal to share?

I will always honor our work together and hold it in the highest regard and in absolute confidentiality. Even so, in your Focusing session, something may come up that feels too vulnerable. In that case, you can share as much or as little as feels comfortable. You can share just enough for me to help you form a deeper relationship with it. If, during your communication with it, you understand the message it's giving you and you don't want to share with me, you can simply acknowledge "Oh, I know what that's about." 

Focusing was developed by Eugene Gendlin, an American philosopher and psychologist. He was adamant that Focusing be practiced in tandem (or crossed) with other modalities of self-exploration.

Focusing has been used in many areas, including:

•  working through personal problems.
• being combined with art, writing and movement.
• healthcare and wellness.
• psychotherapy.
• coaching and counseling.
• children and in education.
• managing and reducing stress, anxiety, tension and chronic pain.
• relationships.
• developing new ideas in philosophy, art and architecture.

The essence of Focusing is relationship-building. And ultimately, the benefit of Focusing is growth. 

• Focusing is a wonderful way to deepen the process and experience of Spiritual Direction (or coaching, counseling or psychotherapy).
• It helps to integrate body, mind and spirit.
• Focusing helps you understand what you're truly feeling or desiring.
• It leads to creative problem solving and helps us to navigate roadblocks and make decisions.
• Enables us to become more compassionate to ourselves and others.
• It can help alleviate stress, anxiety, tension and chronic pain.
• Focusing can help us to examine our relationships to belief systems (spiritual, religious, societal, political, philosophical among others).