June 3 - 7, 2026

Coordinators meeting June 2

Celebrating the centennial of
Eugene T. Gendlin's birth
in the city of Vienna

Europahaus Wien

Linzer Straße 429, 1140 Vienna, Austria
Location
Photos of the Venue
Venue Website

***NOTE: This event is now full!***
 

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CALL FOR PROPOSALS (AUSSCHREIBUNG FÜR WORKSHOP-VORSCHLÄGE)

Workshops are at the heart of this conference. The time to submit a proposal has passed. For reference, we are leaving up this page for with details.

To submit a proposal to lead a Changes Group (over the course of 3 days) or to offer an Interest Group (also over the course of 3 days), please click here.

CONFERENCE OVERVIEW

We warmly welcome you to an inspiring and enriching conference in honor of Gene Gendlin. The event is open to everyone - whether you are new to Focusing or deeply experienced in Gendlin's work. The heart of the conference will be the wide variety of workshops offered by you, the participants. (See the Call for Workshop Proposals above.) We expect the workshops to explore different topics. These include Focusing, Focusing-Oriented Therapy, Thinking at the Edge, and the Philosophy of the Implicit. There will be something for everyone!

We are organizing two exciting panel discussions: one featuring speakers from the DACH region (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland), and one with presenters from around the world. They will share insights gained through years of study, teaching, and practice.
   
We will publish the full workshop schedule as soon as it is ready. We expect this by December, 2025.

Gendlin Walk

The conference will include a self-guided walking tour through the neighborhood where Gene Gendlin spent his childhood. The tour will highlight the apartment building where he lived and the school he attended before he and his family had to flee the country. You can read about the 2018 ceremony held in his honor by the school at www.EugeneGendlin.com.

The Venue

The conference will take place at the beautiful Europahaus in Vienna. The venue can accommodate around 250 to 300 participants. Some rooms are available directly on-site, and we have also reserved additional accommodations at nearby hotels for your convenience.

PROGRAM

DACH PANEL

This panel will explore the history and development of Focusing in the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland). Topics will include Focusing-Oriented Psychotherapy, Thinking at the Edge, the Philosophy of the Implicit, and Gene Gendlin's broader legacy. The panelists will speak about the early beginnings, key phases of growth, and the importance of German as Gendlin's native  language - which allowed him to express his ideas fluently in German. They will also reflect on Gendlin’s connection to the region and how his work has been continued and further developed. In short, this panel will honor Gene's legacy in the DACH region and highlight the contributions of our panelists and others.

This discussion will be held in German, with English translation provided.

Teresa Dawson

Teresa is a long-time Focusing Coordinator based in Switzerland. She was one of the participants in the very first Thinking at the Edge (TAE) workshop, which she attended together with Gene Gendlin. She also co-organized several German-language TAE workshops in New York with him. She is a leading teacher and practitioner of the TAE steps, both in workshops and individual sessions. In recent years, she has made use of TAE, especially in the context of environmental psychology and climate change.

Lore Korbei, DSA, MSc (CE)

Lore Korbei is a psychotherapist and supervisor based in Vienna, with over 40 years of experience in Focusing and Person-Centered Psychotherapy. She is a long-time member and trainer at the ÖGwG and has led international training programs in Ukraine, Romania, and Russia. Lore also serves as the TIFI Coordinator for Austria. Her work combines body-oriented approaches, resonance, and a strong commitment to client-centered practice. She has received the ÖGwG Science Award and has published on Person-Centered Body Therapy, supervision, and the legacies of Carl Rogers and Eugene Gendlin.

Dieter Mueller

Dieter Mueller is a psychologist, psychotherapist, and experienced Focusing teacher. He co-founded the Focusing Center Karlsruhe with Hejo Feuerstein and has led workshops across Europe and North America. His involvement with Focusing began in 1979 and deepened after a 1983 interview with Eugene Gendlin for Psychologie Heute, which helped spark some of the first workshops in Germany. Together with Feuerstein, he organized four International Focusing Conferences, contributing to the growth of a vibrant global community. Dieter co-edited Focusing im Prozess and Focusing & Erlebensbezogene Psychologie, trained practitioners in Germany and Greece, and has maintained a private practice since 1986. As a Coordinator at the Focusing Institute in New York/Chicago, he integrates person-centered and behavioral approaches with decades of Focusing experience.

Johannes Wiltschko, Prof. Dr. phil

Johannes Wiltschko was born in Vienna in 1950. In 1979, Gene Gendlin personally asked him to start training people in Focusing in German-speaking countries. He later opened the IFN (International Focusing Network) office in Munich. He organized and led Focusing seminars in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland together with Agnes Wild-Missong and Friedhelm Köhne. In 1981, he co-founded the International Focusing Summer School with Friedhelm. In 1988, he helped establish the German Training Institute for Focusing and Focusing Therapy (DAF). In 2019, he co-founded the DAF ACADEMY. Its work centers on Focusing, Focusing Therapy, and Process Philosophy. Johannes was editor of the Focusing Journal and has published numerous books and articles as both author and editor.

INTERNATIONAL PANEL

The discussion will explore the history and development of Focusing, including Focusing-Oriented Psychotherapy, Thinking at the Edge and the Philosophy of the Implicit. The panelists will reflect on the early days of Focusing and discuss how it developed differently in various regions of the world. As we sense forward, we ask: What elements from the past are essential to carry with us? What is surprising or energizing about where we are now? Are there early ideas or practices worth revisiting? The panelists will address these and other questions as we look back and sense forward reflecting on Gendlin's legacy.

This discussion will take place in English, with translations provided.

Elena Frezza

Elena co-created "Holos," Argentina's first school of Counseling and Humanistic psychology based in Carl Roger's Person Centered Approach (PCA). She discovered Focusing via Ann Weiser Cornell, at an international PCA conference in Brazil in 1998, then continued her training in Chicago, where she met Eugene Gendlin, developing a warm relationship with him as a student and a dear friend.  She went on to become a Coordinator with The International Focusing Institute (TIFI) and introduced Focusing in Argentina and Uruguay, presenting workshops in South America, Europe, and the USA. Elena organized the first Focusing Latin American Conference in Argentina, and the International Focusing Conference there in 2012. She was a member of the Board of TIFI, named by Gene and Mary Hendricks for two years. She is the author of various articles on Focusing, and wrote a book, Focus IN. This book is used by students and general public. Thanks to her tireless work, Focusing is expanding all over Argentina by 3 generations of students, honoring Eugene Gendlin's vision.

Akira Ikemi
Certified Clinical Psychologist, Psychotherapist
Professor Emeritus, Kansai University

Akira’s lifelong involvement with Focusing began at the University of Chicago, where he studied under Professor Eugene Gendlin. He has practiced and explored Focusing in both clinical and corporate mental health contexts. Akira later taught full-time at several universities in Japan, retiring from from Kansai University in 2025. He served on the board of what was then called the Focusing Institute, and later participated in the International Leadership Council (ILC) and the Gendlin Center for Research in Experimental Psychology and Philosophy at TIFI. He is a co-founder and former president of the Japan Focusing Association. In 2019, he was honored as a "Living Luminary" by the Journal of Humanistic Counseling, and received the Humanistic Psychology Award  from the Japanese Association in 2020. Akira continues to teach Focusing actively, both online and in person around the world.

Robert Lee, Ph.D.
Psychologist and Leading International Focusing Teacher

Robert developed "Domain Focusing" a method that makes "Felt-Sensing" more accessible. His approach reintegrates thinking into the process and actively includes empathy, love, and compassion. He works on developing ways to make Focusing more accessible to people who are interested in personal growth and transpersonal practices. Robert also created "Changing the Unchangeable through Focusing", a method for resolving seemingly impossible dilemmas. This allows change without taking a long time or being too expensive. Additionally, he initiated the "Cross-Lingual Focusing Partnership Exchange", which enables Focusing in Partnership between people who speak different languages. This strengthens the global Focusing community and contributes to world peace.

Mia Leijssen

After completing her studies in Psychology (1969–1974), Mia specialized in Client-centered, Experiential, and Existential Psychotherapy through a postgraduate program (1975–1977) at Leuven University in Belgium. Her passion for Focusing was ignited in 1981 when Eugene Gendlin spent a month at Leuven as a visiting professor. While working as a psychotherapist, she completed a Ph.D. on Focusing microprocesses in Client-centered and Experiential Psychotherapy. In 1988, she was part of the organizing committee for the first International Conference on Client-centered and Experiential Psychotherapy at Leuven, with Gendlin as keynote speaker. Since then, a collegial friendship developed, and Gendlin became the most inspiring teacher and person she had ever met. Since 2016, Mia has been Professor Emeritus of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy at Leuven University. She has guided many students in learning about Focusing and about Client-centered, Experiential, and Existential Psychotherapy. Her online course Existential Well-being Counseling: A Person-centered Experiential Approach is the most widely followed academic MOOC from Leuven University worldwide. Currently, she is exploring Focusing as a path of deep awareness—from clearly observable experiences to more subtle life processes. Through this process, it is possible for Focusing to become an experience of pure consciousness beyond conventional human perspectives of time and space.

Ann Weiser Cornell

Ann Weiser Cornell learned Focusing from Gene Gendlin in 1972 as part of the original Changes group in Chicago. From 1980 to 1983, she assisted Gene with his Focusing workshops. Later, she moved to San Francisco and eventually became a full-time Focusing teacher. She published the first newsletter for the Focusing community (The Focusing Connection) and wrote the first manuals for teaching of Focusing. She has taught in more than 20 countries. Together with Barbara McGavin, she developed Inner Relationship Focusing (IRF) and Untangling - an approach that uses IRF to work with challenging life issues. From 2010 to 2017, she and Gene taught courses together by phone.

SEE SCHEDULE >

COORDINATORS MEETING 

TIFI Coordinators and Coordinators-in-Training are warmly invited to join this special day and a half ahead of the main conference. The "Coordinators’ meeting", organized by Coordinators for Coordinators, offers many opportunities to exchange ideas and visions - and to spend meaningful time with wonderful colleges. This event is always a great opportunity to connect more personally before the conference.

The detailed schedule for the "Coordinators’ Meeting" will be created by the Coordinators. The expected timetable is:

• Tuesday, June 2nd: 9am – 6pm
• Wednesday, June 3rd: 9am – 12pm

There will be an additional fee of $50 to cover the event space, lunch on Tuesday, and coffee breaks both days.

Please remember to book an extra night of accommodation.

ACCOMMODATION

We STRONGLY encourage you to book your accommodation early, as availability in Vienna is limited, especially during the summer months. All options listed below are within 30 minutes of the conference venue and vary in style and price to suit different preferences. You are also welcome to arrange your own accommodation elsewhere.

Please book your accommodation directly through each hotel’s website using the links provided below. Be sure to include the appropriate booking code when making your reservation.

Important: Each hotel has its own cancellation and refund policy. Please review these carefully before booking.

WhatsApp Group Chat for Finding Roommates

Join the WhatsApp group “Focusing Conference Vienna 2026 Finding Roommates” to connect with others who want to share accommodation at Hotel Klimt or other options such as Airbnb or hosting arrangements.

To join:

1. Join here via this like (best on mobile): https://chat.whatsapp.com/KLD6wdj18lQKe30DS8S2bb
2. Send an email to  [email protected] specifying your full name and your phone number you are joining with. This is to protect the security of the group and ensure that you are a conference participant.
3. Then, you will be allowed into the groupchat.

Europahaus Wien (SOLD OUT!)

Important: We are holding a very small number of rooms for those with physical disabilities. If you would like a room or to be added to the waiting list, please email us at [email protected]

This is the most convenient option, located directly at the conference venue. Europahaus offers 80 rooms and is ideal for guests with mobility needs. A limited number of accessible rooms are available. Please email us at [email protected] as soon as possible if you require one.

• Location: On-site at the conference venue
• Single Room: SOLD OUT! €120/night (including breakfast)
  • All single rooms at Europahaus are currently booked. If you are traveling with another person, you can book a double room together.
• Double Room: SOLD OUT! €184/night (price per room; shared by two people, including breakfast) 
  • If you do not yet have a roommate but would like to share a double room, we have created a WhatsApp chat group to help participants connect. Once you've found someone to share with, please contact Europahaus to make your booking.

How to Book: All participants are welcome to send their room requests by email to [email protected]. Please include the password "Focusing"

Important note: Europahaus does not manage a waiting list. Once rooms are full, we will keep a list ourselves. If you would like to be added, please email us at [email protected]

Parking: Europahaus offers around 100 parking spaces. The cost is €5 per day, payable at reception. Parking spaces cannot be reserved.

Austria Trend Parkhotel Schönbrunn

This elegant and historic hotel is located in Vienna’s idyllic 14th district, right next to Schönbrunn Palace and its gardens. It combines classic style with modern comfort and is ideal for sightseeing. This is a great option if you plan to arrive early, extend your stay, or bring a guest. The hotel has direct access to the U4 subway line, which connects to the city center and the 9th district—where Gene Gendlin once lived.

• Location: About 25 minutes by subway and bus to Europahaus Wien
• Single Room: €159/night (excluding breakfast)
• Double Room: €207/night (excluding breakfast, price per room)

How to Book: Visit this booking page (https://austria-trend.ihotelier.com/parkhotel-schoenbrunn/book/dates-of-stay?domain=portal.travelclick.com&groupID=4924738).

Hotel Klimt

Ideal for budget-conscious guests, Hotel Klimt is a small and charming family-run hotel. We have reserved the entire hotel for Focusing participants during the conference. You can save money by sharing a room with others—please see the note below about “Room Sharing Information.” See photos of the hotel here.

• Location: About 20 minutes by tram to Europahaus Wien
• Single Room: SOLD OUT! €80/night (including breakfast)
• Double Room: SOLD OUT! €110/night (including breakfast; €55/person)
• Triple Room: €135/night (including breakfast; €45/person)
• Quad Room: SOLD OUT! €160/night (including breakfast; €40/person)
• Family/Group Apartments (up to 6 or 8 people): €180-280/night (including breakfast; €30-35/person depending on group size and sleeping arrangements)

Important note: The price is for the ROOM, not per person. If you book a room, you will be responsible for the full cost - so please find roommates if you wish to share expenses. We've set up a WhatsApp chat group to help participants connect with others looking to share rooms.

Be aware that in some rooms, there are both “real” beds and pull-out couches.  Be sure to ask if any of the beds are really pull-out couches, and be sure that your roommates know if they’ll be sleeping on a pull-out couch, and that other roommates know that the room will be cramped.

How Room Sharing Works for Hotel Klimt

1. Find Roommates: Join the WhatsApp group “Focusing Conference Vienna 2026 Finding Roommates” to connect with others who want to share accommodation at Hotel Klimt or other options such as Airbnb or hosting arrangements.
   1. Join here (best via mobile): https://chat.whatsapp.com/KLD6wdj18lQKe30DS8S2bb
   2.  Send an email to [email protected] specifying your name and phone number which you will be joining the group chat with. This is to protect the security of the groupchat and ensure that you are a conference participant.
2. Form a Group
3. Make the Reservation
   1. After forming a group, your group should book directly with the hotel by emailing [email protected] using the code "Focusing" when making your reservation.

H2 Hotel Wien

This modern hotel near Schönbrunn offers simple, comfortable rooms and a generous breakfast buffet.

• Location: About 25 minutes by subway and bus to Europahaus Wien
• Single Room: €160/night (excluding breakfast)
• Double Room: €180/night (excluding breakfast, price per room)

How to Book: To book a room, please do so here: https://short.h-hotels.com/ak4935739en

Notes:

• The rooms can be booked up to 6 weeks before arrival.
• A cancellation free of charge of these individual bookings can be done up to 30 days before arrival

Hampton by Hilton Wien City West

A comfortable, international-style hotel in the 15th district with easy transit access and breakfast included.

• Location: About 25 minutes by subway and bus to Europahaus Wien
• Single Room: €125/night (excluding breakfast)
• Double Room: €135/night (excluding breakfast, price per room)

How to Book: To book a room, please go here: https://www.hilton.com/en/attend-my-event/viecwhx-91k-ba1e4e38-b0be-4958-86bc-ed89f11e8d93/

CONFERENCE FEES

Please note that prices are listed in euros. However, payment will be made in US dollars, and the dollar amount may change over time depending on the exchange rate. Current forecasts suggest that the dollar may weaken against the euro, which could result in an increase in the dollar price. We will update the dollar amount approximately every two weeks. The most recent update was on October 1, 2025.

*Conference fee is paid in dollars

Earliest Bird Price (until October 31st,11:59pm EST): €500 + €100 VAT = €600 ($705)

Early Bird Price (November 1st – December 15th, 2025): €541 + €109 VAT = €650 ($760)

Full Price: €575 + €115 VAT = €690 ($800)

The conference fee covers:

• Access to all workshops, panels, and events
• Dinner on Wednesday night
• Gala Dinner on Saturday
• Lunches (Thursday through Sunday)
• Two daily coffee breaks

The fee does NOT include:

• Accommodation*
• Breakfast
• Dinners on Thursday and Friday

*IMPORTANT NOTE: Accommodation is booked separately and paid in euros.

CANCELLATION POLICY

Cancellations made on or before April 30, 2026: Full refund, minus a $50 cancellation fee.

Cancellations made on or after May 1, 2026: No refunds will be issued.

NOTE: For accommodation, cancellations and refund policies are determined by each individual hotel.

SCHOLARSHIPS

A limited number of scholarships are available to help cover conference fees. Please note that scholarships do not cover accommodation or transportation costs. See this page for applications guidelines and deadlines.

VOLUNTEERING

For instructions on how to express interest in a position, please click on the links below.

Open positions

• Focusing Marketplace - Bookstore (Organizer) | Focusing Marktplatz - Buchhandel/Büchertisch (Organisation)

• Focusing Marketplace - Bookstore (Shift worker) | Focusing Marktplatz - Buchhandel/Büchertisch (Schichtbetrieb)

• Translator | Übersetzer:in

• Refreshments & Gala Committee (Organizer) | Erfrischungen- & Gala- Team (Organisation)

• Videography Editor/Director | Videoproduktion/Regie

• Videography Team | Videoproduktion-Team

• Photographers for the Event | Fotograf:innen für die Veranstaltung

• Audio/Visual (tech) team | Audio-/Video-Team (Technik)

MORE VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

For details about available volunteer opportunities and how to express interest, please click on the links below.

• Click here for English version (to read it in German, choose German in the translation dropdown)
• Hier klicken für die deutsche Version
   

TRANSLATION

We are committed to providing German/English translation for all plenary sessions, and we aim to offer translation for 100% of workshops as well. We are excited to collaborate with the universities of Graz and Vienna, which have programs for training professional translators. We hope to involve several students from these programs.

We are also committed to supporting translation into other languages as needed.

When you register, please indicate if you need translation into a language other than English or German.

We offer discounts to translators, starting at USD $200 off the registration fee. Additional discounts may be available depending on financial need and the number of hours you are able to translate.
If you are interested in translating, please write to us at [email protected], specifying the language, how many hours per day you are available, and the discount you are requesting.

VISA LETTER

A standard visa confirmation letter can be provided during registration if requested.

DONATIONS

We kindly invite your donations to support scholarships and special elements of the conference. Your generosity will help make the event accessible, international, and truly special in honor of Gene.

Housing Scholarship Participants

Do you have a spare room in your home in Vienna where a scholarship participant could stay? We would love to include this kind of support for those receiving financial assistance. If you are able to offer free or very low-cost accommodation, please write to us and let us know. We would also appreciate details such as any preferences (e.g. gender), accessibility for people with disabilities, and the distance from Europahaus. Before confirming any accommodation, we will contact you with the participant’s profile to ensure that the arrangement is a good fit.

QUESTIONS?

Feel free to write to us at [email protected]

MEDIA POLICY

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. By registering for this event, and in consideration of the right and opportunity to participate in and contribute to the event, 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.