This Tuesday, November 5, would have been Mary Hendricks-Gendlin's 80th birthday. We lost her too soon, in 2015, at the age of 71.
A skillful psychologist, she was a compassionate listener, passionate about the power of Focusing, and she especially loved supporting innovations which could bring it to communities where resources are scarce. She was the Director of the Focusing Institute for the last 10 years of her life and taught the Focusing-Oriented Psychotherapy course through the Institute for many years. She worked with her husband, Gene, to develop Thinking at the Edge based on his university course on theory building, and supervised the creation of the Gendlin Online Library.
At the recent Honoring Milestones online ceremony, Mary's best friend, Doralee Grindler Katonah, said of her: "This now worldwide movement, with many organizations and programs all over the world, would not be here today without Mary. Mary and Gene were partners in the vision." You can hear Doralee's beautiful tribute to Mary at this link. Watch Mary herself in this video which Nada Lou made for Mary's memorial.
Mary's best known writing is, "Focusing as a Force for Peace: the Revolutionary Pause," an important article for anyone who believes in the importance of making Focusing available to all. She opens the article with this memorable line: "Focusing is a force for peace because it frees people from being manipulated by external authority, cultural roles, ideologies and the internal oppression of self attacking and shame."
Please take some time to remember or get to know Mary on the page dedicated to her on our website.