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Cultivating Compassion for Self and Others through Focusing-Oriented Expressive Arts (FOAT®)

Focusing Highlights is a series of interactive, online pay-what-you-can classes.

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Laury Rappaport

The International Focusing Institute - Laury Rappaport

Where & When

Online (Class will also be recorded)
Thursday, August 11, 5pm-7pm
Eastern (New York) Time

Online Joining Information

After registering, an email will be sent with the confirmation. If you don't see the email please check your Junk/Spam/Promotions folders.

Meeting Format
Zoom
Topic
Beginners
Intermediate/Advanced
The Focusing Institute (TIFI) Events

Thursday, August 11, 2022 from 5:00pm to 7:00pm New York time

convert to your time here

Class will be recorded for all registrants and available for viewing for one month.

Focusing-Oriented Expressive Arts (FOAT®) was developed over a period of 30 years, integrating Focusing with creative expression in a wide variety of settings (e.g. clinical, community, educational, health and wellness, spiritual, organizational), as well as for personal growth and for self-care.

This presentation will provide a brief overview of Focusing-oriented expressive arts (FOAT®), including its main approaches— Theme-Directed FOAT; Clearing a Space with Arts; FOAT Check-in and Working on an Issue.

We will do a Theme-Directed FOAT® exercise on Gene Gendlin’s central concept, the Focusing Attitude— being curious and “friendly” to all of one’s inner experiences, whether uplifting or painful and difficult. With practice and time, the Focusing Attitude evolves in greater self-compassion and compassion towards others. This experiential exercise includes user-friendly methods for expressing the felt sense through creative expression. Externalizing the felt sense symbol (word, phrase, image, gesture or sound) helps the Focuser to see clearly what is within, unfolds the felt meaning, and can be a continuing reminder of what is wanting to be carried forward.

Suggested Materials for the Experiential Exercise (simple is best as the experiential time for arts expression is brief):

  • Gingerbread figure (download available after registration), which you can use in a variety of ways:
    • Print out and use for the exercise
    • Print out, cut out the figure and trace onto colored paper
    • Just use it as an idea…and then draw onto something else
  • Paper: any kind, size, or color that you feel drawn for expressive arts expression 
  • Drawing materials: anything you like or have: markers, colored pencils, oil pastels, chalk pastels, crayons, watercolors, etc. Whatever you have is great!
  • Writing materials: pen, pencil, marker
  • Optional: Scissors, ribbon or yarn; magazine or collage image/word; glue sticks

Note: No experience needed in Focusing and/or arts.

We use Zoom videoconferencing for our online classes. In this webinar format, you will see the presenter and host, but you will not be seen. You will be able to ask questions during the webinar by typing them. Highlights presenters may at times invite a small number of participants to unmute or to join them onscreen during the webinar (optional).

You will need to have a computer/mobile device. Calling in by phone is also possible but not preferred. All registered participants will be sent a link to the video recording approximately two weeks following the class. So if you are unable to attend the live webinar, you will still be able to view it for one month.

Bio

Laury Rappaport, Ph.D., MFT, REAT, ATR-BC is a Certifying Coordinator, FOT and Trainer of The Focusing International Institute. She is the author of Focusing-Oriented Art Therapy: Accessing the Body’s Wisdom and Creative Intelligence, and editor/author of Mindfulness and the Arts Therapies: Theory and Practice. Laury has been on the faculties at Lesley University for over 40 years, as well as other universities. She is the founder/director of the Focusing and Expressive Arts Institute and is also a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (CA), Registered Expressive Arts Therapist (REAT)  and  Board Certified Art Therapist (ATR-BC).

Registration Details

Laury is offering this class to support The International Focusing Institute. This live online class is pay-what-you-can. The suggested payment for US residents is $30.

If you need to give less, that's fine, but we do require each participant to give something. Please give extra if you can! Thank you for supporting the Institute.

Refunds: A full refund minus a $15 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.

Registration Policies: 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. Please note that the class will be recorded and may be distributed to a wider audience. 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.

2022-06-21T12:00:00 - 2022-08-15T21:15:00

PLEASE NOTE: After registering, an email will be sent with the confirmation. If you don't see the email please check your Junk/Spam/Promotions folders.

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