IFT Blog

This article presents ideas to stimulate your reflection on what we do as Focusing-oriented therapists.

The following article is by Gregg Henriques (see bio below the article). Metaphysics is not a topic that comes up often in discussions about psychotherapy or scientific psychology. I think that is unfortunate because I think it is a concept psychologists and psychotherapists should be familiar with. Speaking for myself, even though I have long … Read more

The following is a point of view written by Leslie Ellis.  Needed: Recorded focusing sessions of about 20 minutes, ideally with transcripts Dear fellow focusing therapists and professionals, I am part of a team that has been meeting for more than a year to develop a simplified version of the Experiencing Scale both for research … Read more

The following is a point of view written (and drawn) by Catherine Flynn. My overall project is to illustrate the key concepts of focusing oriented therapy. So what are we actually doing as a ‘Focusing oriented therapist’ in the counselling room? One of the main themes involves being a kind of ‘experiencing detective’ and then … Read more

The following is a point of view written by Serge Prengel.  I am fascinated by how different therapists, may have different takes on the same situation. Imagine a whole bunch of us seeing the same client at the same time, in a fantasy scenario where we could do so without affecting the outcome, and afterward … Read more

The following is a 2-minute video featuring Jan Winhall and Stephen Porges.  What does it mean for a therapist to work “from the bottom up” as opposed to “top-down? “This short video provides a simple and practical definition. Posted by Jan Winhall

The body we are referring to is much more than just the physical body. It is the experience of the body from the inside.

The following is a point of view written by Bruce Gibbs as a guest writer for this blog (see bio at bottom of page). I had two major teachers in my earlier life. Len Schneider and Gene Gendlin. My work with them led me to feeling conflicted about my role as healer. Len had an … Read more

The Society for Humanistic Psychology, Division 32 of the American Psychological Association (APA) has unanimously voted to present Dr. Eugene Gendlin the 2020-2021 Memorial Award for Lifetime Achievement, given to an individual in recognition of distinguished lifetime contributions to humanistic psychology. The award will be given at an online event on Sunday, June 6, 2021. The … Read more

The following article is by David Allen (see bio below the article). My integrative model for understanding self-destructiveness looks at the nature of the relationship between the self and the system or collective; the core ideas are described below. The treatment model involves coaching clients to get past their parents’ formidable defenses to discuss and … Read more

The following is a point of view written by Kirk Schneider as part of a discussion on the big picture question of what is “optimal” human functioning, and what we therapists are “treating.” I (Serge) felt that it would be very relevant to this blog, and he gave me permission to post it here. This is … Read more

The following article is by Jack Ferrari (see bio below the article). I think a problem arises when we consider activities like DBT or EMDR as “techniques.” I had my gall bladder out a number of years ago, and the surgeon utilized laparoscopic surgery. That is a technique, a learned, skilled action, in the service … Read more

The following article, by Giancarlo Dimaggio, was originally published in the SEPI newsletter, “The Integrative Therapist”, Issue 6(4). Times are changing in the world of psychotherapy. Over the last 15 years, empirically supported treatments are more and more including experiential practices, which in the past were mostly confined to non-empirically supported orientations. If you had … Read more

The following is an excerpt from the first chapter of Leslie Ellis’s book which outlines some of the main reasons modern clinicians should consider working with dreams.  Why should therapists in clinical practice have a practical understanding of how to work with clients’ dreams? There are many good reasons, now more well-understood than ever, that … Read more

The following is a point of view written by Serge Prengel.  What is it that we aim to achieve in therapy? Often, but not always, the desired outcome is lasting sustainable change. For the purpose of this article, I will be assuming that this is the desired outcome. How do we accomplish that? I see … Read more

While cognition, intelligence, knowledge, and research are mandatory for a surgeon, it takes manual dexterity for surgery to be successful.

Our approach is integrative. The quality of integration manifests at several levels. Healing as the client’s ability to integrate experience: Much of the work we do in therapy has to do with dealing with the effects of experiences that are beyond our clients’ capacity to integrate. With this approach, the integration of experience is not … Read more