FOCUSING ORIENTED PSYCHOTHERAPY

I am a trained Focusing Oriented Psychotherapist.

Focusing and Focusing Oriented Therapy (FOT) emerged from the work of Eugene Gendlin, a philosopher and psychologist.  He and colleagues, including Carl Rogers, were curious as to why some psychotherapy clients had successful outcomes while others did not.  What Gendlin and his colleagues discovered through their research suggested that what made clients improve had little to do with therapist technique or orientation or even the type of presenting problems.  What made a difference was how clients were able to check deep within themselves in a way that led to a whole bodily felt sense of something new to bring to their situation.  

Gendlin created focusing out of further research around the checking that successful clients engaged in and the emergence of what Gendlin called the “felt sense” of their situation.

As a focusing oriented psychotherapist I am trained to help my clients listen to themselves at this deep, bodily felt level.  In general, I incorporate focusing into many counselling situations in a way that may not always be apparent to the client.  In other situations it might be that clients wish to learn more about focusing and if so I may focus with clients more extensively during counselling sessions.

In all situations you can expect that I will be in touch with my own felt sense when working with my clients.  My job is to embrace a position of unknowing and non judgement towards my listening that will help you to feel heard and understood and most importantly to gently guide you to find your own felt sense of your current situation.

To learn more about focusing and focusing oriented psychotherapy please ask me or visit The Focusing Institute: http://www.focusing.org/psychotherapy.html