Mary Armstrong
September 10, 1938 – April 22, 2025
One of our pioneers of Focusing, Mary Armstrong, passed away on April 22nd at 4:00 pm surrounded by her loving family in Kingston, Ontario. Mary lived her life connected to her felt sense – she trusted this knowing and selected her time to leave this life. This was important to her. The day before her passing, she hosted a gathering for family and close friends where she had a chance to say her goodbyes.
Mary was one of the early pioneers in establishing the Focusing community, traveling to Chicago to meet with Gene Gendlin and others. Returning to Toronto, Canada, she realized she was missing a Focusing community. While she developed a unique way of Focusing alone, she began to offer classes and create a wonderful, thriving Focusing community in Toronto. Her Centre for Focusing operated throughout the 1990’s, where she taught Focusing to hundreds of participants and offered a training program to bring Focusing to professionals long before the creation of Focusing Oriented Therapy.
Mary was a gifted psychotherapist who made a significant impact in the lives of her clients, many of whom had experienced trauma and sexual abuse in childhood. Mary organized the most amazing retreats in Niagara Falls, where Gene and others from the international community attended.
In 1999, Mary headed the committee to host the 10th annual International Focusing Conference, which was held on Kempenfelt Bay near Barrie, Ontario. She gathered a committee from her Focusing community, where decisions were made from the felt sense – a truly unique organizational experience.
Mary created numerous resources for teaching Focusing which continue to be used and shared today. She also authored a book, Confessions of a Trauma Therapist. Her sessions at International Focusing conferences were always well attended as she developed long-lasting and meaningful relationships with so many Focusers and Coordinators around the world. I dare to say she is one of the most exquisite listeners in our Focusing community.
In 2000, Mary closed her Focusing Centre and passed the torch to Jan Winhall and Nancy Falls who continue Mary’s work in offering Focusing courses and training in Toronto.
Mary was a visionary, a teacher, a mentor, and a good friend – she will be missed.
As a Registered Psychotherapist in Ontario Canada for 25 years, Nancy works primarily with children and youth who have experienced trauma or sexual harming behaviors. She became a Certified Focusing Trainer in 1994 and was one of the trainers in Mary Armstrong's Focusing Center. Several years later, Nancy was the Chair of the 1999 International Focusing Conference in Kempenfelt Bay, Ontario. She is currently serving her second Term on the International Leadership Council (ILC).