FOCUSING, developed by Eugene Gendlin in the 1960s, emerged from his research on psychotherapy outcomes at the University of Chicago. Gendlin, a philosopher and psychotherapist, noticed that successful therapy clients had a particular way of processing their emotions that differed from less successful clients. This process involved an intuitive, bodily sense that he called a "felt sense," which is a pre-verbal, internal awareness of an issue that can be accessed and explored. Gendlin found that clients who could connect with and articulate this felt sense were more likely to experience breakthroughs and lasting change.
From this insight, Gendlin formalized FOCUSING as a method that helps individuals tap into this bodily wisdom. It emphasizes the importance of pausing and listening to one's internal experience, even when words for it still need to be clarified. Over time, FOCUSING has been widely adopted within psychotherapy and as a personal growth tool, with Gendlin’s seminal 1978 book Focusing making the technique accessible to a broader audience. This approach has influenced various therapeutic modalities and enhances emotional processing, self-awareness, and problem-solving across many fields.
Six Steps of Focusing
The six steps of Focusing by Eugene Gendlin are designed to help people access and work through their internal experiences, particularly those that are felt in the body but may not be fully conscious or articulated. Here's a breakdown of the steps:
1. Clearing a Space
Purpose: To create a mental space that allows you to focus on a specific issue without being overwhelmed by other concerns.
Process: Sit quietly and take some time to relax. Then, mentally scan your body and notice any tensions, feelings, or concerns. Imagine setting them aside temporarily, like placing them on a shelf, to clear a space for focusing.
2. Felt Sense
Purpose: To identify and connect with the bodily sense related to the issue you want to focus on.
Process: After clearing a space, bring your attention to the issue. Notice how it feels in your body—a vague, unclear, or holistic sensation often called the "felt sense." It's not yet fully formed into words or thoughts.
3. Finding a Handle
Purpose: Find words, images, or phrases encapsulating the felt sense.
Process: Once you've identified the felt sense, allow a word, phrase, or image that represents it to come to mind. This "handle" helps you hold on to the felt sense as you work through it.
4. Resonating
Purpose: To ensure the handle accurately represents the felt sense.
Process: Go back and forth between the handle (the word, phrase, or image) and the felt sense to see if they resonate. If the handle feels right, there's a sense of relief or "click." If not, keep adjusting it until it feels like a good match.
5. Asking
Purpose: To explore the felt sense more deeply.
Process: Once the felt sense and handle are in sync, ask open-ended questions like, "What is it about this that makes me feel this way?" or "What does this feeling need?" Then, could you wait for an answer from the felt sense rather than logical thinking?
6. Receiving
Purpose: To accept and acknowledge whatever emerges from the process.
Process: Whatever comes up—whether an insight, a shift in feeling, or a new realization—accept it without judgment. Thank your body for what it has shown you, and gently transition from the focusing process.
These steps help individuals access deeper levels of awareness and resolve inner conflicts or challenges by listening to their body's wisdom.