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"Less is More"
Online Children and Focusing Conference 2024
November 15 - 16 - 17, 2024
We welcome you to attend as much as you are able live
and enjoy recordings of all presentation for 5 months after the conference ends.
Sometimes the most special moments are also the simplest.
Children approach Focusing instinctively, the most important thing we can provide is simply our empathetic, listening presence. It can be challenging to stand back and let the child’s process unfold on its own.
Join us in sharing moments and practices that show, oftentimes less is more.
This conference is designed for anyone interested in learning and deepening their Focusing wisdom. Whether you are experienced with the crossing of Children and Focusing or are simply curious to learn what others are doing.
This conference welcomes professionals working with children of all ages, from toddlers to teenagers, and of course parents, grandparents, caregivers, and anyone interested in learning more about how Children & Focusing cross.
Tom Larkin, Dublin, Ireland. Tom is a psychotherapist in private practice in Dublin. He is a Certifying Focusing Coordinator, a ChildrenFocusing trainer and a Forest Therapy Guide.
A World in a grain of sand - Resourcing children’s resilience in these troubled times through Focusing with nature
Many recent studies indicate that children and young people, 8 -18, in technological societies spend a lot of time on screens and very little time
outdoors. At the same time this younger generation have been characterised as being generally anxious. I suspect there is a connection there. Many other studies have shown the benefits to children’s well-being of spending time outdoors in nature.
In this workshop I hope to point towards the ‘more-than-human-world’ in children’s locality as a potential place of calm and resourcefulness for them, particularly when entered into in a Focusing way. Drawing on a crossing of Focusing with the standard sequence of Forest Therapy and other ‘nature connection’ approaches we will explore ways of enhancing children’s relationship with the natural world around them.
Leonie Stewart, Sydney, Australia. Leonie provides counselling, coaching & focusing sessions. She enjoys working with individuals, couples
and also young people. Leonie believes we are all meant to belong and connect, to love ourselves and love others, and so to find meaning. She finds purpose in helping others find their own way forward to a happier and more hopeful life full of possibilities. www.hopeandpossibility.com.au
Using Felt Sensing (Focusing) Neuroscience & Parts theory to enable young people to unfold their ‘Big SELF’ and be beside whatever else is there. (And it works for you too.)
I believe everyone has a Big SELF (or Best SELF) and life is so much better when we can deliberately step into our Big SELF.
In this workshop, I will show you how to guide young people to get to know their 'BIG SELF' in a mind and body way or a left brain and right brain way. Their "implicit knowing" (right brain/body) will be integrated with their left brain knowing (mind/sense-making) using Focusing and neuroscience.
Once they know the ‘felt sense’ of their ‘Big SELF’ they can step into it and be beside whatever other part is also there. This process makes Focusing easier.
Joke Van Hoeck, Haacht, Belgium. has been a child psychologist and psychotherapist for more than 18 years. A mother of three children
(ages 7, 16 and 19), she can’t imagine a life without Focusing. She is a certified Focusing Professional and Focusing oriented therapist. Joke lives and works in Belgium and has a special interest in bringing Focusing to parents who are looking for a new way of dealing with the daily life struggles in raising children. Joke's podcast 'Ontspannen Opvoeden' can be found here: podfollow.com/ontspannen-opvoeden
Do Less, Be more
How many times have you been told as a child to shut up and listen to what the adults had to say?
How many times have you said or thought the same thing to your own child?
No wonder, because that is what you probably have learned from your own parents, teachers,… well society in general.
What if, in a difficult situation, you as a parent would stop talking and listen? Really listen to what you’ve just been saying to you child, listen to what is happening inside you, in your own mind and body?
After 20 years of working with children individually as a child psychologist and child psychotherapist I realised parents can do so much for their child and their own family than I can do in weekly 1h therapy sessions.
One of the ‘complaints’ that is mentioned a lot in my practice is: ‘my child doesn’t listen to me’. It brings parents a lot of stress, leads to a lot of discussions, anger, frustration, which is tyring in itself, and it sours the relationship between parent and child.
During my workshop I share with you one of my main very practical concepts that I use to help parents to understand the mechanism behind it and how focusing can help to change this disruptive cycle.
Afterwards you will understand why the answer is not some sort of parenting hack nor a straightforward answer to the question ‘what can I do so my child …..?’. It is much more about how to be with yourself and your child. Do less, be more.
PRESENTATIONS
Laura Bavalics, Hungary - On a Journey Together - Stories from a kindergarten
During the presentation story by story we will explore different situations from the day to day life of a kindergarten. We'll highlight the interaction between children and educators - Zooming in to look at the moments that could make a difference for the children, and zooming out to see how the educational environment can support the teachers too.
Laura is an early childhood educator, play mentor, and drama teacher. She is a Certified Focusing Professional and a Focusing-oriented educator, who has been working with young children, parents, and professionals for over twenty-five years. She is a professional director of the Pendula inclusive kindergarten program for children in foster care and with special needs at the Világszép Foundation in Hungary. She is also teaching at ELTE University, Hungary, in their College of Education. Laura is a member of the International Leadership Council and the Children's Focusing Advisory Group.
Jimena Camón, Argentina - Providing Space for the Child's Experience
In a world with so many stimuli, “being space” facilitates the possibility of encounter, so that the child can express himself. Listening to him with the Focusing attitudes, you notice how his life energy is released, how he becomes empowered and how he creates his only internal connection with what is happening to him, strengthening his inner and outer relationship by expressing from his authenticity, integrating the aspects that diminished their life energy and thus gave new and creative possibilities in their development and interactions.
In this meeting we will enable ourselves to give ourselves space to listen to ourselves, to listen and then to listen and achieve space in the meeting with the children and with others. She will share some experiences where you can see the change that being in Presence offers and relating to the Focusing attitude in life.
She will offer a brief presentation of cases of three children: integration in daily life, fears and spaciousness.
Jimena is the mother of a 20-year-old young man, with whom she discovers the importance of connection and the Focusing attitude for the relationship. She is a primary school teacher, for 10 years accompanying childhoods in Waldorf schools. She is a Counselor, Focusing-Oriented Therapist (FOT) and Trainer, and is a volunteer for the TIFI “Cafecitos” team; She currently lives in Bariloche, Argentina where she accompanies children, adolescents and adults in a therapeutic space based on Focusing.
Lilach Benjaminy-Coorsh, Israel - A Representation-based Focusing Practice for Crystallizing Carrying-Forward Steps, Working with Parents and/or Children
Sometimes, the connection to our deep knowledge is more accessible when using simple-everyday representations. It's easier to see and express, and even to accept and trust this knowledge when externalized. This also fosters a productive interaction with 'the situation,' one that is supportive, empathetic, and resourceful. Such Focusing sessions — whether for diagnosis or therapy — tend to be more playful (as befits parenting work) and optimistic, leaving a sense of capability.
This approach is beneficial for parents, children, and adolescents, especially at the start, end, or reflective points of processes.
The workshop will introduce representation-based practices through explanatory and experiential components, including discussions and 'live' learning from exercises.
Lilach is a therapist, Focusing teacher, and Systemic Constellations facilitator with 22 years of dedicated support for families and guidance for therapists. She conducts study groups and seminars for professionals and parents, aiming to contribute to support a healthier society.
Residing in a rural area with her partner and five children (plus two more of the heart), Lilach holds a Master of Music degree, and her diverse journey includes seven years as a software engineer, nineteen years of being a homeschooling mom, and twenty-nine years of chopping salad for family dinners.
Beyond her qualifications and experience as a doula, breastfeeding consultant, Birth-Oriented Therapy senior facilitator and instructor, Lilach is a passionate women's advocate.
She believes in life – and implicitly trusts its wisdom, power, and flow.
Heather Jensen, US - Just One Feeling at a Time: How understanding the early adolescent brain can help Focusing-minded parents
This presentation will make sense of why the brains of toddlers and early adolescents can only focus on one thing at a time. This lack of integrative functioning - holding two ideas at a time - can be maddening and lead us as adults to try to get them to see the other side of things or get them to do something we think is important when they simply cannot. We will explore how we can use our insights from Focusing to support the unfolding of those we love during their early adolescence.
Heather Jensen, CPCC, PCC is a Study Group Leader with the Neufeld Institute which is dedicated to understanding the way that Nature, in the context of nourishing relationship, unfolds the development of children. In addition to being a parent and homeschooler, Heather is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach and a Focusing Trainee.
Dinette Kooiman, Belgium - Connecting Playfully: Towards More Alignment and Refinement in Parenting and Raising Children
As a child therapist, I find guiding parents one of the most enjoyable challenges.Working with parents to find a more playful connection with their child feels like a fascinating and surprising quest to me, every time. Every parent has their own style of parenting and raising children. In this workshop, we will look very concretely at how you, as a therapist or counsellor (or as a parent), can connect to that style, but also search for more alignment with the individuality and needs of the child.
Dinette has been working intensively with children and parents for 35 years, 20 of which as a child psychologist and play therapist. I am a mother of 2 children aged 23 and 21. I work as a Children Focusing Trainer and as a Focusing-Oriented therapist. Playfulness, loving connection and authenticity are keywords in my life and work.
Bettina Markones, Germany - Less is More - How I Teach Children to Listen to Each Other in a Helpful Way
People often give advice or talk about their own experiences when someone shares something important to them. However, listening helpfully means setting aside judgments and not necessarily adding anything of your own.
I will demonstrate how to teach children to listen to each other in a helpful way. First, they practice exchanging content in the peer group. In this framework, every child can really be heard. Then they may continue to work on serious problems or talk about difficulties in the experience. With guidance and practice, the children acquire skills that help them to improve communication in the long term.
Bettina is a trainer specializing in Focusing with children. She studied special education and has been working with disabled and non-disabled children in different settings for more than 25 years. Focusing has always been the tool that has helped her to work with children and to find solutions.
Berta Poey, Guatemala - Focusing Oriented Art Therapy (FOAT) in Hogar (Hospice) AYUVI - Children and adolescents with cancer in palliative care
My graduation project for my FOAT certification explored how she has been taking advantage of Focusing and FOAT in recent years working in a hospice setting. Even though it is always a challenge to be a really effective companion for these kids, she now feels so much more confident and usually surprised at the way it works.
Focusing and expressive arts are of great help on managing physical, emotional and even spiritual needs. By “being present” she has been able to connect with each of them, learn how they feel, what is important and what they like. Combining art and play helps kids explore emotions and by expressing them in a piece of art they can put it aside and talk about what is bothering them.
For the little ones, it makes them forget they are in a hospital bed for a while; they are just kids expressing themselves through specific projects with colors, brushes, stickers and easy to handle art objects. It works out great for anger and frustration.
In her presentation she will go through some of their art and what they got out of it. She will share ideas of different activities depending on age, from 2-year-olds to adolescents and young adults. She hopes her presentation can be useful for anyone dealing with children and adolescents; especially if they are sick in a hospital bed.
Berta is an architect and volunteer for the project "Saving Kids with Cancer" spending years supporting children and families in need. With a postgraduate work in interventions using expressive arts and a specialization in FOAT, she currently visits children and adolescents n palliative care helping them find comfort through creative therapies.
Luiza Stefan, Romania - The Sandtray - A Safe Space for Children toTell the Inner Story
In this presentation Luiza will talk about how she sees the role of Focusing in Sandtray Therapy with Children. She will explain the main ideas about this approach and she will give from her practice several examples of how children can benefit. As a child therapist she often accompanies processes that children can't put in words in a personal story. But they wonderfully create in Sandtray symbolic stories of their difficulties and also they illustrate the next steps to change and the moving forward energy. As a therapist listening in silence and reading the images created by the children she has experienced many times that „less is more”. Focusing helps her to silently witness their felt sense, their inner movements and to hold the space for their bodily involved process. In this way, „Children talk with their hands” (Margaret Lowenfeld) and I „listen with my eyes” (Gary Landreth).
Luiza is a Focusing Coordinator in Training. She has worked with children and adults since 2007, as a psychologist, in schools and in private practice. She is also a person-centered psychotherapist, a sandplay practitioner and a Nonviolent Communication Certified Trainer.
Harriet Teeuw, Netherlands - The Art of Doing (Almost) "Nothing"
What happens when you truly follow a child’s energy, as well as their blockages? In this offering, Harriet will guide us through this delicate process, using video clips that show her working with children in the playroom. She will demonstrate how to support a child in connecting with their inner wanting and needs. Additionally, we will engage in a small experiential exercise, exploring our own wants and needs—even if we’re not yet sure how they connect to our lives in the here and now.
Harriet is a Focusing Coordinator, Focusing-Oriented Therapist (FOT), and Art Therapist, working with children, parents, and adults in her private practice in the Netherlands. After first discovering Focusing in 2000, she was inspired to live a more authentic life and began integrating it into her work. She now brings her extensive experience into teaching Children & Focusing programs and the Focusing International Online Certification Program for Focusing Practitioners and Trainers.
For more information, visit: https://www.childrenfocusing.org https://www.deruimte-info.nl/
René Veugelers, Netherlands - The Magic Touch! - Integrating Hands and Feet into the Focusing Process
In their early development, young children explore the world with their hands and feet. However, as they grow, many may lose this connection. Often, children don’t know how to go inward or where they experience their feelings. So, how can we create a more flexible and dynamic approach to their process? How can we fine-tune our awareness to the vibrant parts of their experience and (re)frame our language to resonate with their living process?
- We’ll explore fresh ways to connect with the felt qualities of our hands and feet.
- We’ll deepen our vocabulary and reflections to support this process.
- I’ll share several short clips demonstrating the use of hands and feet and how to reflect on these experiences in a unique way.
René is a Children Focusing coordinator, art therapist, psychiatric nurse, and group social worker, trained in Emerging Body Language (EBL). Based in the Netherlands, René teaches internationally and is an inspiring teacher who brings considerable experience, subtlety, and joy to every participant in his workshops or training sessions. For more information, visit www.childrenfocusing.org.
Language - the conference will be in English. Translation to Spanish will be offered in a separate audio channel. This means English speakers will hear only English and Spanish speakers will hear only Spanish.
Please print and post or share these posters below!
Thanks very much.
US letter size poster https://drive.google.com/file/d/1psjgUvin7YFiJY1Hs1KzjNS_Ss5HkQ1i/view?usp=sharing
A4 size poster https://drive.google.com/file/d/1m6Zi5knQpuKtiErTahsMaO9imcSNLxCF/view?usp=sharing
Registration Information and Price
Pricing
Tier 1 (Regular Price) $340 Tier 2 * Price $240 Tier 3 * Price $140
*Three tier pricing. We offer the regular price plus two lower prices. We welcome you to select the level right for you, while reminding you that if you have a reliable means of support and live in a country with a strong economy, we ask that you pay the regular price. By choosing the highest amount you are capable of paying you help make the sliding scale possible and make our scholarship dollars available to more people. Thank you!
DEI Scholarship. There are DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) Scholarship funds available for anyone in a group under-represented in TIFI's programs, including people aged 30 or younger, those in the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) community and others. For more about our DEI scholarship, please see focusing.org/board. To apply, email [email protected]. Please write DEI scholarship for Children Conference in the subject line.
General Scholarship. There are general scholarship funds for those for whom the Tier 3 price is not affordable. To inquire about a general scholarship please email with a brief sentence about your request To apply, email [email protected]. Please write General scholarship for Children Conference in the subject line.
Registration is open until 12:00 pm New York time on November 17, 2024.
Refunds A full refund minus a $25 administrative fee (regardless of the registration fee paid) for cancellations 14 days before the start date. Cancellations less than 14 days before the start date are nonrefundable.
Workstudy Opportunities
Administrative computer work (after the conference with attendance lists) - $100 off tuition
Zoom support - provide assistance during Living Rooms (see schedule) - $100 off
TIFI reserves the right to cancel, change and alter the program if necessary. Participants authorize TIFI to use their name, statements and likeness without charge, for promotional purposes in publications, advertising, video, web, new media, or other formats.
At many of our events, we will end class by taking a screenshot. All those who don't want to be included will have the chance to leave. Taking screenshots for sharing (such as on social media) are not allowed at other times during the class. Thanks for your cooperation.
By registering for this course with the Institute, and in consideration of the right and opportunity to participate in and contribute to the Institute’s classes, for the purposes of its control of all video and/or audio recordings thereof pertaining to uses serving our purposes and goals, in enrolling in this session you acknowledge and agree to the Institute’s ownership of all rights in such classes, including all rights under copyright therein. In no circumstance shall any portion or clip posted or displayed exceed 3 minutes in duration. If you plan to use, post or display any portion or clips of these recordings, including posting these to a website or to a social media platform or portal, you agree that you will seek and obtain the prior approval of the Institute.
*Three tier pricing. We offer the regular price plus two lower prices. We welcome you to select the level right for you, while reminding you that if you have a reliable means of support and live in a country with a strong economy, we ask that you pay the regular price. By choosing the highest amount you are capable of paying you help make the sliding scale possible and make our scholarship dollars available to more people. Thank you!
$ 340.00
Tier 1 (Regular Price)
$ 240.00
Tier 2 Price
$ 140.00
Tier 3 Price
Kontakt
Questions? Please email [email protected].
Registration Information and Price
Tier 1 (Regular Price) $340 Tier 2 * Price $240 Tier 3 * Price $140
*Three tier pricing. We offer the regular price plus two lower prices. We welcome you to select the level right for you, while reminding you that if you have a reliable means of support and live in a country with a strong economy, we ask that you pay the regular price. By choosing the highest amount you are capable of paying you help make the sliding scale possible and make our scholarship dollars available to more people. Thank you!