Because this page is only meant for people who are participating in Focusing Level 1, you won't find a link to it in the navigation bar of my website. I suggest you bookmark it for easy access.
Practice sessions.
Focusing is a learned practice. Your practice sessions after the first two meetings will be about 30 minutes. Practice sessions will increase so that by the end of the course your sessions will last closer to 60 min.
Reading and additional material to read/watch before each meeting
Meeting 1, October 13, 4:30 pm central time.
Theme: Presence and Presence Language
The Focusing Student & Companion’s Manual, Part One
The Introduction, Pages i-iv
Additional Material
Focusing demo - level 1 exercise 1
Seven Rules for Care and Feeding of Your Focusing Partnerships article
Meeting 2, November 10, 4:30 pm central
Theme: The Felt Sense
The Focusing Student & Companion’s Manual, Part One
Section One: The Door Opens, Pages 1-6
Section Three: Partnership - Basic Principles, Pages 30, 31
Additional Materials
Focusing Demo - level 1 exercise 2
Practice crib sheet, Focuser - will be emailed a few days before we meeting
Practice crib sheet, Companion - will be emailed a few days before we meeting
Eugene Gendlin and Ann Weiser Cornell on the felt sense
Meeting 3, November 17, 4:30 pm central time.
Theme: The Role of the Focuser
The Focusing Student & Companion’s Manual, Part One
Section One: The Four Stages of Focusing, Pages 6-12
Focusing demo - level 1 exercise 3 - 1 of 2 demos for this class
- Please note: for the above demo, the Focuser shared her issue before the recording was turned on and preferred to keep her session contents confidential.
Focusing demo - level 1 exercise 3 - another demo for this class.
After Class: Awareness Exercise:
Meeting 4, December 22, 4:30 pm central time
Theme: The Role of the Companion
The Focusing Student & Companion’s Manual, Part One
Section Two: Finding Companions, Pages 13-26
Review pages 7-11: this is the essence of what the Focuser does
Additional Readings
The Primacy of Human Presence - Gendlin
Focusing demo - level 1 exercise 4
Please note: In this demo, the companion did not stick strictly to reflections using the presence language we have been learning. At the same time, the companion met the Focuser where she was in the present moment and did not get ahead or direct. When watching the demo, see if you can spot the 4 phases of Focusing
- coming in
- making contact
- deepening contact
- coming out
Meeting 5, December 29, 4:30 pm central time
Theme: Focusing Partnerships
The Focusing Student & Companion’s Manual, Part One
Section Three: Making Focusing Your Own, Pages 27-42
Additional Readings
Focusing demo - level 1 exercise 5
There are no additional readings this week
We will use the same crib cards that were used for meeting 4.
Meeting 6, February 23, 4:30 pm central time
Theme: Stages of a Focusing session
The Focusing Student & Companion’s Manual, Part One
Review pages 6-12
Review page 26
Review page 28
Short video
Ann speaks about The Felt Sense
Additional Reading
Transcript of a short Focusing session highlighting the stages of Focusing
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Meeting platform - Zoom
My online scheduler, Schedulista, will email the Zoom link to you in advance of our meetings.
- Presence - a foundational aspect of Focusing is familiarity with presence.
- The Felt Sense - getting in touch with a holistic, present-moment sense of a complex situation. This is the heart of Focusing
- The Role of the Focuser - learning to be empowered in the practice
- The Role of the Companion - learning to help the Focuser's process in an effective and relaxed way
- Focusing Partnerships - what works best, including agreements and safety
- Stages of a Focusing session - growing in understanding of the stages of a Focusing session facilitates ease in the practice.