| TABLE OF CONTENTS |
"Saying What We Mean"
Academic Symposium
on the work of Eugene T. Gendlin
Online - April 8-11, 2021
co-sponsored with Seattle University (Seattle, WA, USA)
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Dr. Eric Severson speaks on the upcoming Gendlin Symposium For full details please click here. |
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MILESTONES
We are pleased to congratulate the following new Coordinators (CC's) and Coordinators in Training (CiT's)
to the International Focusing Institute.
We wish them all the very best in their ongoing endeavors!
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Coordinator Hideki Kamimura, Japan 日本語 Mentoring Coordinator - Mieko Osawa Hideki Kamimura worked as a newspaper staff writer and editor for almost forty years. Now he is teaching Focusing at the culture school of the newspaper company. He has been interested in "Writing With Focusing Makes Society Better". He is planning workshops as a representative of the Sapporo Focusing Project. |
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Coordinator Akiko Sasada, Japan 日本語 Mentoring Coordinator - Mieko Osawa Akiko Sasada is a clinical psychologist and a school counselor of elementary schools and junior high schools. She is also teaching Focusing at a university in her psychology class. She has been working for Focusing Project with Mieko Osawa since 1997, teaching Focusing and offering workshops. She is a sub-representative of JCFA (Japan Child Focusing Associates). |
New Coordinators-in-Training
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Maaike Afschrift, Belgium
Dr. Chuen Yih Amos Cheung, Hong Kong
Karen DeHart, United States
Randi Love, United States
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Yuen-ling Ng, Hong Kong
Wing Yee Grace Chan, Hong Kong
Katherine Kwok, Hong Kong
Jose Ignacio Salazar
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Letter from Board President,
Nelle Moffett
This past month has been filled with a flurry of comments on the Coordinators’ online Listserv regarding the draft revision to the Diversity Statement. Some Coordinators have expressed appreciation, while others have expressed concern about the intentions of the Board. The Board is very interested to hear all of these comments and the various perspectives of the Coordinators, as well as all members of TIFI. The Board invites your feedback and welcomes all of these comments, specifically providing an email address so that your comments do not get lost ([email protected].) We will continue to encourage and listen to comments through July. As promised in our initial communication, the Board will not be making any decision on this issue until after July when we have had the opportunity to absorb a sense of the whole picture.
We are hearing that some of you are concerned about the sentence on certification, and we will take seriously the question of whether that sentence belongs in the statement at all. Some have expressed an impression that the Board has a plan to change certification. Actually, the ILC (International Leadership Council) is charged with looking at certification, and they have a long way to go before they might have suggestions. The Board’s policy is that TIFI will not make changes to certification without a lengthy consultation process with Coordinators, which the ILC has been doing over the last few years.
One thing that has become clear to me is that there is some misunderstanding about the role of the Board and, equally, about the role of the ILC. We will seek ways to communicate our roles better and more often. This lack of clarity may be due to the still-young formation of post-founder TIFI, as well as the fluid structure that is its hallmark. To explain it briefly, as a not-for-profit organization incorporated in the USA, we are required to have a board which has legal responsibility to ensure that the organization is operating with integrity to fulfill its mission. The International Leadership Council (as its name implies) was created by the Board in 2014 to ensure that leadership is truly international. Its work over the last 7 years or so has been primarily to look at the work of Coordinators and consider ways to make sure that certification in TIFI is fair, transparent and meaningful, while maintaining the value of diversity that we hold so dear. TIFI also has developed several committees and ways to be involved. The list of volunteers in our January newsletter will give you the range of ways that you can connect, provide input, and shape where we are going. We very much value your feedback and volunteer work. In fact, TIFI couldn’t survive without you!
ILC Update
The International Leadership Council has been talking for a long time about the need for a series of conversations to explore the role(s) of Coordinators in The International Focusing Institute. They've previously led conversations with Coordinators on several topics, such as the Pilot Program for a new way of naming Coordinators; the policy on how members of TIFI can bring concerns to the Institute's attention; and a clarification on long-existing policies relevant to Coordinators. These conversations have been well-received and useful.
On March 9, Coordinators and Coordinators-in-Training (CiTs) were invited to the ILC's regularly-scheduled meeting to begin such a series of conversations. The immediate impetus was the reaction that a number of Coordinators had to the Board's proposed changes to the Diversity Statement. There was a sense that that reaction pointed to a continuing lack of clarity on many of the questions listed in the Strategic Plan about what the proper relationship should be between Coordinators and TIFI. A felt sensing approach is needed in order to discern together what fits current realities as well as the ethos of Focusing and the mission of the Institute.
The meeting on March 9 was centered around these questions:
- How would you describe what you do as a Coordinator?
- How has the role of a Coordinator changed, and what would be desirable changes in the future?
- What should stay the same?
- What do you imagine as an ideal relationship between TIFI and Coordinators?
Twenty-four people attended, including all the members of the ILC, the Executive Director of TIFI, one member of the Board, and 16 Coordinators. The Coordinators hailed from Argentina, Austria, Canada, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and the USA. The spirit of the meeting was open, friendly and This meeting was in English, but future meetings will be planned, in the languages best suited to the Coordinators' needs. Members of the ILC speak Mandarin, Flemish, Spanish and Hungarian. Coordinators who speak other languages are asked to let the ILC know if they would like to lead these kinds of conversations in that language. You can always write the ILC for this or any other reason at [email protected]. They always appreciate hearing from you. Many thanks to the Coordinators and Coordinators-in-Training who have participated so far.
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VOLUNTEERING FOR TIFI!
Are you looking to be more connected with the wonderful Focusing community?
Do you feel comfortable with the hosting functions on Zoom?
Would you enjoy helping our teachers have success by assisting behind-the-scenes?
Do you want to do something good for the world while learning and being with great people?
Come to a meeting to learn about how to help our online classes run smoothly!
- You don't have to be an experienced Focuser. In fact, by being present in classes, you'll learn a lot!
- You do need to feel comfortable navigating Zoom as a host.
- You should be someone who enjoys doing your part on a team, being "behind-the-scenes," so that the teacher can have a seamless experience.
- English proficiency
- Proficiency in other languages is highly desirable but not required
WHAT WILL HAPPEN AT THE MEETING
At the meeting, Catherine, Melanie and Kamila will explain what kinds of needs we have and what kind of training we give. You can also ask questions about whether your skills and goals are a good match. If you can't make the meeting, write to us and we can set up a one-to-one chat.
COMMITMENT
Attending the meeting does not mean you are committing to volunteering. After the meeting, if it seems like a good fit, we will train you and have you observe before we put any real responsibilities in your hands.
MEETING DATES/TIMES
Monday, April 25 at 8am Eastern US time (for your time, click here)
Tuesday, April 26 at 8pm Eastern US time (for your time, click here)
If you would like to attend, or have other questions, please RSVP Here
OTHER VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
This meeting is specifically about helping with the Zoom aspects of our online offerings. Other ways to volunteer include translation/interpretation, interviewing people for our newsletter, and (for those who are TIFI certified) teaching classes. If you are interested in any of these other volunteer opportunities, please write to us at [email protected]
