Focusing
Focusing and is a process of listening to the wisdom of your body, what we are feeling, in a kind and gentle way. Any given moment can often feel very complex and many layered and there is often a sense that there is more to know about it. Focusing can not only help us understand ourselves, but also be with parts of ourselves in a way that can bring forward movement, relief and change.
Focusing is a mindful process that allows us to stay with and connect to our lived experiencing. It offers a gentle way of understanding what matters, directing us to what is at stake in fresh ways so that change can occur. It can be applied to a broad range of areas of self development: psychological, professional, social and spiritual.
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Fosters a kinder more curious way of being with thoughts and feelings
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Supports a way of being with our whole selves
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Deepens understanding of self and others
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Implies new steps to action
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Supports a kinder, gentle and curious ‘internal climate’
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Develops ways to manage self judgement and criticism
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Brings openness, grounded-ness and centre-ing
The History of Focusing
In 1952, the world renowned American psychologist and founder of person-centred therapy, Carl Rogers, commissioned some research into what makes therapy successful (based on the client feeling some positive change had taken place). Eugene Gendlin headed this large scale research study that lasted several years. He listened to hundreds of hours of recorded therapy sessions.
At first, he studied what the therapists were doing, thinking that successful therapy must be due to them, but he found that they were doing very similar things to one another, so he started looking into what the clients were doing. He found that some clients seemed to pause as they talked, almost as though they were also listening to what they themselves had just said and checking what they heard with themselves and then sometimes readjusted what they were saying. These were the clients who reported therapy as successful.
Gendlin and Rogers realised they needed to be able to teach this process, which was coming naturally to some people, to all clients and anyone else who wanted to understand themselves better. This process became known as Focusing.