Focusing (Gendlin)
An inner listening method developed by Eugene Gendlin, allowing access to the 'felt sense' — the implicit, pre-verbal knowledge the body holds about our life situations.
Presentation
Focusing is an inner exploration and psychotherapy method developed in the 1960s-1970s by Eugene Gendlin (1926–2017), an Austrian-born American philosopher and psychologist at the University of Chicago. A collaborator of Carl Rogers, Gendlin conducted pioneering research to understand why some patients progress in therapy and others do not.
His fundamental discovery: successful therapy patients are not those who talk best about their problems, but those who pause to listen to something still vague and undefined in their body — what he named the 'felt sense.' Focusing is the systematic method he developed to teach this natural skill to anyone.
Founder: Eugene Gendlin (1926–2017), philosopher and psychologist, University of Chicago
Core Principles
The felt sense: a global, vague and complex bodily perception linked to a specific situation or problem. It is neither a simple emotion nor an isolated physical sensation, but implicit knowledge the body holds about our experience.
The experiential process: effective therapy involves a living process where the client stays in contact with immediate, bodily experience rather than talking 'about' problems intellectually.
Carrying forward: when a felt sense is listened to attentively and named accurately, it 'moves forward' — unfolding, transforming and releasing new meanings.
The six steps: clearing a space, letting a felt sense form, finding a handle (word, image, gesture), resonating, asking, and receiving.
Main Indications
- Difficulty identifying and expressing emotions
- Blocks in therapeutic progress
- Chronic anxiety and stress
- Difficult decisions and existential dilemmas
- Creative blocks
- Personal development
- Chronic psychosomatic pain
Session Overview
45-60 minute individual sessions. The therapist guides the client through the Focusing steps: centering, clearing a space, allowing a felt sense to form, finding descriptive words, checking resonance, and receiving the body shift. Can be practiced alone, in peer partnerships, or integrated into existing psychotherapy.
Variations
- Classical six-step Focusing (Gendlin)
- Focusing-Oriented Therapy (FOT)
- Children's Focusing
- Thinking at the Edge (TAE)
- Partnership Focusing
Contraindications
- Active psychosis
- Severe dissociation
- Acute crisis requiring stabilization
Medical Disclaimer
The information presented in this article is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment prescription. If in doubt, always consult your physician or a qualified healthcare professional. The techniques described do not replace conventional medical treatment.