“Focusing is a dialogue between [the mind] and the body”
— Eugene Gendlin
Focusing comes from the 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 senseof their situation. Gendlin then developed a process he called Focusing to teach this skill to others.
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. 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. Therefore, therapeutic change feels good in the body, even if the issue we are dealing with is really painful.
When we try to think our way out of problems, we often find ourselves going in circles. By contacting the felt sense, something fresh can emerge. A Focusing-Oriented Therapist can teach you how to contact your felt sense. Once you learn this skill, you can use it for any aspect of your life, from reducing distress to making decisions or thinking creatively at work.
