Each month, TIFI’s Membership Committee meets to explore how to create new opportunities and programs that will enrich the benefits of being a TIFI member. One of the programs the Membership Committee has worked on over the years is the Partnership Network, which aims to foster Focusing partnerships and build community and connection among TIFI members around the globe.
The Network provides an accessible search engine through which members who have opted in can find others within the Network who are interested in partnering. Network participants can filter their searches by city, country, language and meeting format, and obtain more information about other potential partners’ interests to help them find a good fit.
The partnerships formed through the Network can be long- or short-term, and there is no limit on the number of partners a given Network participant can share exchanges with. This makes it a wonderful way to get to know TIFI members in your area or around the world.
The Network is open to members who are certified Focusing professionals or have earned the Proficiency in Focusing Partnership award. Currently, there are approximately 834 members who have opted into the Network. The Membership Committee would like to further spread the word about this great member benefit throughout the TIFI community. To that end, the Committee has created “Pop-Up Focusing Partnership” Zoom sessions where attendees can learn more about the Network and enjoy some “speed Focusing” exchanges.
The first Pop-Up Focusing Partnership Zoom session was held on December 9, 2024. The event was open to all TIFI members eligible to join the Network, including those who had not yet opted in. The event drew nearly 50 registrants from 20 countries - Argentina, Austria, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, Republic of Korea, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, Taiwan, Romania, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the USA.
During that session, Membership Committee members shared information about the Network and how to opt into it, and then the attendees enjoyed three short Focusing exchanges with other randomly chosen attendees. The group’s feedback was positive and several suggestions were made for how to fine-tune the Pop-Up Focusing Partnership Zoom sessions in the future.
Encouraged by this feedback, the Membership Committee plans to hold three additional Pop-Up Focusing Partnership Zoom sessions in 2025. The next Pop-Up events will take place on Tuesday April 22 at two alternate times to accommodate time zones. You can learn more and register for one of the April 22 sessions here:
Session 1: 12:00-1:30 pm New York (ET): https://focusing.org/event/pop-focusing-partnership
Session 2: 8:00-9:30 pm New York (ET): https://focusing.org/event/pop-focusing-partnership-2nd-section
The April 22 sessions will be specifically for members who have already opted into the Network. During the 90-minute session there will be an attunement, three 20-minute Focusing partnership dyad breakouts, and group discussion with feedback at the end.
Later in the year, the Committee will host a second introductory session open to all TIFI members who are eligible to opt into the Network. On another date it will host one more Pop-Up Focusing Partnership session for members who have already opted into in the Network. Dates for these two events will be announced later.
The Committee hopes that these Pop-Up Focusing Partnership Zoom sessions will be lots of fun, expand the Network, and help Network participants meet and find partners through the Network.
To learn more about the Partnership Network and to opt in, go to https://focusing.org/event/pop-focusing-partnership. Comments or questions can be referred to the Membership Committee at [email protected].