Somatic Therapy - Focusing

WITH PSYCHOLOGIST ISABEL ALFONSO

AT FRENCHS FOREST, IN SYDNEY’S NORTHERN BEACHES OR ONLINE

MEDICARE REBATES. NO WAIT LIST.

Gently connecting with your body’s wisdom so that you can find the way forward

Book now

What is somatic therapy?

Somatic therapy is a holistic approach to healing that focuses on the connection between the body and mind. It recognizes that emotional experiences can be stored in the body, leading to tension, pain, or other physical symptoms. Through a variety of techniques, somatic therapy helps individuals release stored trauma, manage stress, and improve overall well-being.

Traditional talk therapies engage only the mind, not the body, but in somatic therapy, the body is the starting point to achieve healing.

There are several modalities of somatic therapy. The approach I offer is called Focusing.

Make an appointment

Focusing: an evidence based somatic therapy

Focusing comes from the pioneering work of philosopher and psychotherapist Eugene Gendlin at the University of Chicago, where he collaborated with Carl Rogers. Gendlin studied why some clients improved in therapy while others did not.

He found that successful clients were regularly checking inside themselves for a whole bodily felt sense of their situation. Gendlin then developed a 6-step process he called Focusing to teach this skill to others.

Here is a free resource you can download with Gendlin’s 6 steps to Focusing.

Free resource with Eugene Gendlin's 6 steps to Focusing by Isabel Alfonso

What is focusing?

Focusing is the process of checking deep within ourselves for a bodily felt sense of an issue and allowing the felt sense to unfold and guide us towards the next best step. Because the insight that comes from the felt sense “feels right,” the body releases some tension.

How does Focusing work?

The resolution of problems usually happens in small steps of contacting the felt sense, waiting for it to bring something new to our situation, and feeling a little release of tension. Therapeutic change feels good in the body, even if the issue we are dealing with is really painful.

Who could benefit from Focusing?

This approach may be a good fit for you if:

  • You feel stuck, anxious or emotionally overwhelmed

  • You have tried talking things through, but something still feels unresolved

  • You notice body signals like tension, tightness, or unease, and want to explore them safely

  • You want to connect more deeply with your own sense of what is right or needed

  • You are looking for a therapy that is respectful, experiential, and paced at your rhythm

What happens in a Focusing session?

Sessions involve slowing down and gently tuning into what is happening in your body. This might include noticing sensations, emotions, images, or words that arise from within. You will be supported to stay with whatever shows up, not to fix it, but to listen and be with it, allowing meaning or shifts to emerge naturally over time.

Focusing can be combined with other therapeutic techniques to promote healing at a bodily level.

I am psychologist and a certified Focusing-Oriented Therapist and Trainer. I am also a member of the International Focusing Institute. Learn more about Isabel.

Book now