What is Focusing?
Focusing was developed by Eugene (Gene) Gendlin following research that he and psychologist Carl Rogers did in the 1950s. They observed that people who did well in therapy had a natural ability to check-in with their bodily ‘felt-sense’ of their particular dilemma, and that this seemed key in enabling them to move forward. Gendlin wondered if this skill could be taught and set about developing a series of steps to guide and teach others to do it, calling it Focusing. It has since become a recognised and effective method of self-exploration.
In its essence, Focusing is a deep listening to what is present in our whole experience. It is an innate skill that we each have; however maybe it wasn’t fostered in us when we were young, or we’ve lost touch with it along the way. We may actually do it naturally but not recognize it as a valuable part of our experience. Wherever we are with it, it is possible to learn Focusing and be in touch with the inner knowing and wisdom that is already there in us.
When we listen to ourselves in this way, we get a much deeper, broader understanding of our lived experience or a particular problem we are facing; being in touch with our bodily felt knowing can bring new insight, compassion, clarity, and a natural unfolding of new possibilities.
Some of the benefits of learning Focusing
Focusing can be applied to many areas of your life including a specific life issue that needs your attention or to explore your creative expression or spiritual inquiry. But in essence, the greatest benefit is simply to reconnect with yourself in a deep and life-enriching way.
As you learn Focusing, you could expect to benefit from:
- fresh perspective about aspects of your life and clearer decision-making
- greater understanding of your emotions and compassion for yourself
- a trust of your inner knowing to support new possibility and forward steps
- feeling that you are more present, and living from your authentic being
“I have had weekly Focusing sessions with Julia for about a year now and I am still continually surprised and delighted to be reconnected with so many aspects of myself which have fallen from my awareness over the years. It has been the best practice I’ve found to follow my 'internal wisdom' and to experience myself becoming a more 'whole' human being. I would highly recommend this work to anyone.” RW
What is a Focusing session like?
We will start with an initial conversation, and if you are new to Focusing I will explain what we will be doing. Then I will invite you to settle and then you could either simply sense into what is there already, or you may wish to explore a particular problem. I will initially guide you through the process and then continue to support you with gentle reflections and suggestions that allow you to stay in touch with what you are experiencing and follow its natural direction.
Focusing is not like therapy and there will be no diagnosing, analysing or counselling involved. I will ask you what brings you to Focusing and what you would like to get out of it but you are free to share whatever details about your life you wish to, or not, and you will choose the frequency of the sessions. We can discuss together what you would like to get from learning Focusing and I can make some suggestions about how you can achieve that.
Once you have learned Focusing, you can focus alone or in focusing partnerships; you can also continue to focus with a practitioner or further your exploration on a training course.
“For me, Focusing has been very supportive at times of stress; it helps me make decisions and clarify my next steps, and gives me the confidence to listen to my body. It’s like a key to the whole experience of being me, and helps me to figure things out when things feel confusing. Julia is patient, supportive, caring, and creates a safe and open space for me to feel into what is there.” HL
Appointments and fees
I offer one to one Focusing sessions in-person in Chesham and online. Sessions outside are also possible, so please ask if you wish to explore that option. You are very welcome to try an initial session to get a sense if it's something you wish to continue learning.
60 minute session £50 (three sessions - £135)
90 minute session £80 (three sessions - £225)
Longer sessions may be agreed by discussion.
Cancellation policy: If you need to cancel your session, please give as much notice as possible to allow me to offer the slot to someone else, ideally more than 24 hours. I like to be flexible and understanding, though sessions cancelled at short notice may be subject to part-payment. Sessions missed with no prior notice will be charged at full price.
“Your body is not a machine, rather a wonderfully intricate interaction with everything around you, which is why it ‘knows’ so much just in being"
Gene Gendlin