EnglishEnglish
EnglishEnglishArabicArabicChinese (Simplified)Chinese (Simplified)Chinese (Traditional)Chinese (Traditional)DanishDanishDutchDutchFinnishFinnishFrenchFrenchGermanGermanGreekGreekHebrewHebrewHindiHindiHmongHmongHungarianHungarianItalianItalianJapaneseJapaneseKoreanKoreanPolishPolishPortuguesePortuguesePunjabiPunjabiRomanianRomanianRussianRussianSlovenianSlovenianSpanishSpanishSwahiliSwahiliSwedishSwedishThaiThaiTurkishTurkish

TAE Proficiency Award

TAE proficiency award

THINKING AT THE EDGE (TAE) PROFICIENCY AWARD

The International Focusing Institute (TIFI) is now offering a Thinking at the Edge (TAE) Proficiency Award.

This Award is a recognition of a certain level of achievement in the practice of TAE.  It indicates that the award recipient has sufficient understanding of the practice to competently go through the steps.  It also acknowledges that the recipient can be a companion to another person who is also experienced in TAE.

Those who receive the Award will have the option to become part of the TAE Partnership Network, which can help them find TAE partners for further practice.

Please note that this Award is not a teaching certificate.

TAE proficiency award

The first step in receiving the TAE Proficiency Award is to take a course by one of the TAE teachers who is able to offer the TAE Proficiency Award.  Their course will be listed on our Events listings page, and it will have the "TAE Proficiency Award Eligible" logo.  (Not all TAE courses necessarily lead to the Award; please check below for which teachers can offer the Award, and let them know you are interested in receiving the Award.) All the teachers who offer the Award are certified members of The International Focusing Institute and are known by us to be experienced and trustworthy teachers of TAE.  Upon completion of the course, your teacher may then recommend you for this Award, if they are satisfied that you have met the other requirements (see below the section entitled "To receive the award, the student must (as determined by the teacher)").

Sample courses are listed here.

A course which provides the TAE Proficiency Award will:

  • Be approved in advance by TIFI as a course which meets the requirements to offer the TAE Proficiency Award.  To find a course, go to focusing.org/events and choose TAE under "Search Options."  Look for the logo saying "TAE Proficiency Award Eligible" (see image above).
  • Be taught by one of the teachers listed below.  Each of them is certified in Focusing by The International Focusing Institute (TIFI), and has been vetted as having sufficient knowledge and experience to offer this Award.
  • Teach TAE through both theory and practice.  It will give the student plenty of opportunity to practice alone and with partners.
  • Cover the whole of the 14 steps, so that the student will know what those are, and what each step is meant to achieve.  Teachers have the freedom to teach TAE in their way.  Many emphasize the concepts found in the steps (such as crossing and patterns) rather than going through them in order 1-14. However, students will finish the course with an understanding of the steps as a common language for TAE, so that no matter who is your teacher, you will have the tools for partnering with other recipients of the TAE Award.
  • Have a minimum of 36 hours of instruction and practice, to take place over the course of at least 6 months.  (More hours and a longer time are encouraged, but these are the minimums.)


To receive the award, the student must (as determined by the teacher):

  • Have actively participated in all hours of instruction and done the required practice sessions.
  • Be able to give a reasonably good explanation of TAE.
  • Demonstrate a good capacity to find their felt sense and to work with it in a TAE way.
  • Demonstrate a good capacity for being with another TAE practitioner so as to support that other person’s process.

Recommendation Form for TAE Proficiency Award

Upon recommendation, in order to receive the Award from the office, the student must:

  • Become a member of TIFI if they are not one already
  • Pay the following administrative fee to TIFI


To remain a part of the TAE Partnership Network, you must remain a member of TIFI.


Please note: If you have studied TAE and feel that you already qualify for the TAE Proficiency Award, please contact one of the TAE teachers listed below to ask if they are willing to authorize you to receive the TAE Proficiency Award.

For further information, please contact us at [email protected].

TAE TEACHERS

The following teachers are approved by TIFI to offer the TAE Proficiency Award.  Those who have so chosen have sample courses listed on our TAE courses page.  To see what courses they are currently offering, you may contact them directly or go to our Events listing page and choose TAE under "Search Options."

Beatrice Blake (USA)
Teresa Dawson (Switzerland)
Heinke Deloch (Germany)
Evelyn Fendler-Lee (USA/Germany)
Hejo (Heinz-Joachim) Feuerstein (Germany)
Dana Ganihar (Israel)
Monika Lindner (Germany)
Nada Lou (Canada)
Hanspeter Muehlethaler (Switzerland)
Kye Nelson (USA)
Donata Schoeller (Switzerland)
Satoko Tokumaru (Japan)

Approved teachers: Click here for the instructions for how to have your event receive the TAE Proficiency Award Eligible logo.

If you believe that you have enough of a background in TAE to offer the TAE Proficiency Award, please contact us at [email protected] about receiving approval to do so.

Minimum requirements:
• You are certified by TIFI
• You have received the TAE Proficiency Award
• You are a member of TIFI
• You have substantial experience in working with TAE through all the steps.
• You have at least two years experience in being the lead or solo teacher of TAE which encompasses all the steps.
• You have a good understanding of Gendlin’s philosophy through your own reading as well as classes

To apply, write to the TAE Advisory Group at [email protected] with details about your experience in working with and teaching TAE, including who your teachers have been. Please also include the curriculum for the course you teach or plan to teach.

As this is all new, we do not have any pre-determined way to approve a teacher to be able to offer this award. We might want to have a conversation with you on Zoom to know you better.

This process is not intended in any way to restrict who teaches TAE, only who is able to offer the TAE Proficiency Award through TIFI.

For further information, please contact us at [email protected].