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

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

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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).