Skip to main content

May 2022

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Remembering Gene
5 Years On

On the first anniversary of Gene Gendlin's passing, we held the Felt Sense Conference in his honor at Hebrew Union Seminary in New York City, where we had held his memorial service. A highlight of the conference was when Gene's son, Gerry, came to share recollections of his father with those gathered. We were all charmed and delighted by Gerry Gendlin and so, on this, the fifth anniversary of Gene's passing, we bring you the video of that talk. We hope that you enjoy it as much as we did.

 


 
An Interview with Florentina Sassoli
by Beatrice Blake
Una Entrevista con Florentina Sassoli por Beatrice Blake

Beatrice Blake recently spoke with Florentina Sassoli about her experiences with Focusing and her goals as a member of the TIFI Board. Their conversation follows.

Beatrice: It’s always good to start with the question, how did you come to Focusing?

Florentina: I found Focusing because I’m a counselor and, as you know, Gendlin and Rogers worked together for many years, so it’s impossible to separate the Rogerian influence from Focusing. That’s how I met Elena Frezza, with whom I studied in Argentina. I have had other teachers, but she was the first and the one who certified me. When you attend the Escuela de Counseling in Argentina, you keep hearing about Focusing. I first heard about Focusing while studying counseling.

B: So, in the counseling world in Argentina, you hear about Focusing.

F: Yes, then it starts to sound familiar.

B: What did Focusing bring to your life?

F: It brought something that no other discipline had brought to me. I had always been a seeker since I was a little girl. So although my path towards my personal development included many things, I never found any resource that could equal Focusing. For me, Focusing is unique in its ability to empower people. It is deep, and at the same time can bring changes very quickly. It’s also very, very loving, respectful and organic.

B: What is one of the most meaningful changes that you have experienced through Focusing?

F: One of the most significant moments in my personal life with Focusing was when I was diagnosed with cancer. I remember that a close friend asked me, “How is it that you are not scared to death?” She was surprised by my attitude. “Of course I’m scared,” I told her. But fear did not overtake me. I could make a loving relationship with my fear. Then, Focusing made it possible for me to be open and receptive to love. Love overcame the fear. I could receive the love because I remained open. So my fear didn’t have power over me. That’s the Focusing way.

Beatrice Blake specializes in Thinking at the Edge (TAE), and teaches Focusing in a way that makes TAE accessible. She loves to accompany experienced Focusers in the process of Trainer Certification with international online programs. She is a member of the Facilitation team at the Focusing Weeklong (October 16-21, 2022).

Find out more at: https://possibility-space.com
 


ニュースレターは日本語でお読みいただけます
Our Newsletter is Now Available in Japanese

これまで翻訳チームがニュースレターを日本語に翻訳してきたことをお知らせします!この翻訳チームのメンバーは、久羽康(まとめ役)、松尾秀寿、酒井久実代、 仁田公子 、日笠摩子、前田満寿美、榊原佐和子 でした。これからも、新チームでニュースレターの翻訳を続けます。4月からのメンバーは、酒井久実代(まとめ役)、 仁田公子 、日笠摩子、前田満寿美、榊原佐和子、岡村心平、土江正司、桜井多恵子.

皆様のご協力に感謝しま.

日本語版はこちらをクリックしてください

We are excited to tell you that a team of translators have recently translated our newsletters into Japanese! This translation team includes: Yasushi (manager), Hidetoshi, Kimiko, Kumiyo, Mako and Masumi. We will continue to have ongoing Japanese translations of our newsletter by a new team: Kumiyo (manager), Kimiko, Mako, Masumi, Sawako, Shimpei, Shoji and Taeko. We are grateful for their service, and pleased that this content is available to our Japanese speaking friends.

Click here to visit all of our newsletters.


 


 

TIFI Online Bookstore Now Open


We are delighted to announce our new and improved Online Bookstore. We are currently offering a small selection of books and will be adding more titles soon, as well as links to where you can buy books and products in many languages related to Focusing, Thinking at the Edge (TAE), the Philosophy of the Implicit and Gendlin. If there is a particular title or product which you would like to see offered or linked, please contact us at [email protected]. Click below to shop!


 

 

Anchor
"It Takes a Village ..."

Creating Online Connections at
The Children's Focusing Conference


In March, we held our Children & Focusing conference, “It Takes a Village… Creating Connections.” The conference was wonderful and inspiring, with about 150 participants from 30 different countries. Together we met, shared, and deepened our experience around Children and Focusing and, as an advisory team, want to take this opportunity to give our reflection on this unique event.

Our goal for the conference was to highlight the diversity and creativity in our Children's Focusing Community by exploring the many ways we can support children and each other through Focusing and connections.

Our topic for the conference was inspired by the saying, “It takes a village to raise a child.” Children are unique in many ways and have their own special ways of showing their emotions and expressing themselves. Often, we rely on our family, friends, and colleagues to share the joy and difficulties we encounter on our journey as a parent or professional in our relationship with a child. Throughout this conference, we wanted to show and explore the diversity and many ways to connect with children.

Often, we talk about Children’s Focusing as a community. And just as we can’t raise a child on our own, we can’t go on our Children’s Focusing way on our own. It could be difficult and lonely to go at it yourself. So, we hope this conference gave an opportunity for people to feel connected and create connections with others, and build relationships in our Children’s Focusing community.


 



 
本地受訓生命自覺從業員以聆聽行動
回應第五波疫情下 香港人的重重煩惱事

國際認証生命自覺受訓協調員 吳浣玲

Hong Kong Focusers Respond to Covid by Sandy Ng
 
Focusing Briefing Session

2022年3月上旬,香港第五波新冠疫情確診數字連創新高,死亡人數急劇上升、醫療系統超出負荷及瀕臨崩潰,我們整個城市也籠罩在恐慌之中。作為生於斯、長於斯、受訓生命自覺的一群本地從業員,回應著彼此的內在呼喚,啟動了兩個公益項目,回應這個人口 760 萬的城市的無聲叫喊。

兩個公益項目分別是:
1) 「凝聚生命韌力 」。這是為市民大眾提供的兩場公開、免費、以生命自覺為本的線上工作坊;
2)「重重煩惱事 誰訴? 3天聆聽行動」, 為受第五波疫情帶來心理困擾的市民,提供一對一線上會議聆聽機會,讓他們可以在一個安全的環境中騰出空間、聆聽自己內裡的聲音。

「凝聚生命韌力 」是以生命自覺為本的兩場工作坊,旨在教授參加者如何在疫症不由我、家人情緒不由我、環境不由我的情況下,如何善待自己的感受及提升心理質素。工作坊目標是首先讓個人找回內在安穩及生命韌力,繼而潤澤家庭關係。每場工作坊以 45 分鐘為基礎,包括短講、演示和在帶領下做練習共三部分。參加人數合共約 550 人。 回收的問卷結果顯示,幾乎所有參加者都表示個人空間增強了,緊張情緒得到舒緩,及內心恢復了平靜。

接近同一時段,58位受過不同生命自覺訓練(包括內在關係生命自覺、全身生命自覺、兒童生命自覺、藝術導向生命自覺療法和生命自覺六步法)的受訓生命自覺從業員,首次聯合起來,在 「重重煩惱事 誰訴? 3天聆聽行動」中為市民提供一對一線上聆聽機會。 合共有116 位市民登記參與行動, 其中一半出現在預先約定的線上會議室中。 每次聆聽時段結束後,聆聽者都即時寫下回饋。他們的記錄顯示: 大多數參加者感到「被傾聽」、「平靜下來」和「增強了自我了解」。不意外地,大部分參與行動的生命自覺從業員之後都表示有一種相互聯繫、精神煥發或重新充電的感覺。

圖一: 張包意琴博士於「凝聚生命韌力 」線上工作坊進行演示,如何把意識帶回到身 PPP

圖一: 張包意琴博士於
「凝聚生命韌力 」線上工作坊進行演示,
如何把意識帶回到身體。

 
 
 
 
 
圖三: 這是參與「重重煩惱事 誰訴? 3天聆聽行動」受訓生命自覺從業員在總結交流會上所描述的三個最大體會的總匯。
 
 

 




There are three different short-term volunteer opportunities to help TIFI with our website content!

1) Making sure our World Languages page is complete
2) Folio Project
3) Review of the Articles section

Your volunteer work in these areas will be a big help in making the massive amount of content on our website better organized. None of these three volunteer positions require any particular expertise with computers.

To apply for one of these positions, please write to [email protected] with:
  • Your name
  • Your contact info
  • Which position interests you
  • When you would be available to begin

 


 

AnchorMilestones

We are happy to congratulate the following new Coordinator-in-Training and Newly Certified Focusing Professionals (including Trainers and Focusing-Oriented Therapists). Congratulations to each of them on their achievement.

We wish them all the very best in their ongoing endeavors!

AnchorNew Coordinator-in-Training

Wei Li, China
Mentoring Coordinator: Lindsay Chang
with Li Ming and Joseph Sing

AnchorNew Certified Focusing Professionals
Yvette Aquila, Australia
Coordinator: Akira Ikemi

Dafna Arnoni, Israel
Coordinator: Yiscah Schumer

Myriam Baer, Israel
Coordinator: Annat Gal-on

Yael Bar-Lev, Israel
Coordinator: Dana Ganihar

Liza Ben Ziv, Israel
Coordinator: Yiscah Schumer

Michela Chiarini, Spain
Coordinator: Rosa Martinez Gonzalez

Galia Dasberg, Israel
Coordinator: Yiscah Schumer

Elan Frenkel, Israel
Coordinator: Dana Ganihar

Tamar Greenfeld, Israel
Coordinators: Liora Bar Natan

Michaël Hébert, Canada
Coordinator: Solange St.-Pierre

Dana Hercbergs, United States
Coordinator: Annat Gal-on

Michal Herzel, Israel
Coordinators: Ifat Eckstein
and Boaz Shavit Liat

Hubel Abas, Israel
Coordinators: Ifat Eckstein
and Boaz Shavit
Sharon Kwok, Hong Kong, China
Coordinator: Karen Whalen

Wai Man Lee, Hong Kong, China
Coordinator: Karen Whalen

Koon Ying Lui, Hong Kong, China
Coordinator: Karen Whalen

Pia McMahon, Switzerland
Coordinator: Tesesa Dawson

Marcilia Susana Nietto Villafañe, Costa Rica
Coordinators: Ceci Burgos and Eny Ottini

Mónica Quitón de Maric, Bolivia
Coordinator: Blanca Lebl

Smadar Sela, Israel
Coordinator: Dana Ganihar

Ruth Sokoloff, Israel
Coordinator: Liora Bar

Natan Dominic Stuart, United Kingdom
Coordinator: Charlotte Howorth

Atara Tsurel, Israel
Coordinator: Yiscah Schumer

Chin Chi Wu, Hong Kong, China
Coordinator: Karen Whalen

Selina Kai Lai Yuen, Hong Kong, China
Coordinator: Karen Whalen

Daniela Zane, Italy
Coordinator: Olga Pasquini

 



The International Focusing Institute | 15 N. Mill St., Suite 210, Nyack, NY 10960