The Right Way to Wholeness is Made Up of Fateful Detours and Wrong Turnings
Carl Jung
Carl Jung
My Journey To Focusing
The path that led me to Focusing began over 30 years ago.
My exploration began when I started to try to gain understanding of a range of physical bodily symptoms for which I was assured there was no physiological cause. I wanted to understand what was happening, why it was happening and to find ways of relieving the physical feelings
My first encounter was with a Stress Management and Relaxation group. Here I learned about the Fight, Flight, Freeze response and how, what is an important system within our bodies, designed to keep us safe, can become triggered in situations where it is not needed.
I discovered this inappropriate triggering can cause us to experience sometimes quite intense and frightening physical symptoms. What a relief it was to know that.
With this knowledge, I started to understand the link between mind and body and the importance of taking a holistic approach to healing within ourselves. I successfully learned to use a wide range of relaxation and stress management techniques to help manage and reduce the physical symptoms I experienced
This led me to train as a Stress Management and Relaxation teacher and I started to run courses so I could share with others what I had learned, and found so helpful
During this time I was working as a manager and trainer. What I encountered in this work further raised my interest in how the mind works and how that influences people's actions. It was this that lead me to my next step which was to join an introduction to counselling skills course.
Here I was inspired by the power of empathic listening, this and other understanding that opened up to me in that course, led me to train as a counsellor. After qualifying I worked for over 10 years as a therapist in NHS primary care and the voluntary sector. As part of my training and on going professional development, over a number of years, I experienced talking therapies in many forms.
All of these were useful and brought greater insight and understanding, however I came to a point where I realised talking about things wouldn't take me any further. My head knew a great deal, but my body knew something that my head did not and I needed to find a way to access what my body wanted to be heard.
My next stage was exploration of several body therapy approaches. I had some interesting and useful experiences, yet despite everything I had learned and everything I had experienced I still felt there was something missing
My exploration began when I started to try to gain understanding of a range of physical bodily symptoms for which I was assured there was no physiological cause. I wanted to understand what was happening, why it was happening and to find ways of relieving the physical feelings
My first encounter was with a Stress Management and Relaxation group. Here I learned about the Fight, Flight, Freeze response and how, what is an important system within our bodies, designed to keep us safe, can become triggered in situations where it is not needed.
I discovered this inappropriate triggering can cause us to experience sometimes quite intense and frightening physical symptoms. What a relief it was to know that.
With this knowledge, I started to understand the link between mind and body and the importance of taking a holistic approach to healing within ourselves. I successfully learned to use a wide range of relaxation and stress management techniques to help manage and reduce the physical symptoms I experienced
This led me to train as a Stress Management and Relaxation teacher and I started to run courses so I could share with others what I had learned, and found so helpful
During this time I was working as a manager and trainer. What I encountered in this work further raised my interest in how the mind works and how that influences people's actions. It was this that lead me to my next step which was to join an introduction to counselling skills course.
Here I was inspired by the power of empathic listening, this and other understanding that opened up to me in that course, led me to train as a counsellor. After qualifying I worked for over 10 years as a therapist in NHS primary care and the voluntary sector. As part of my training and on going professional development, over a number of years, I experienced talking therapies in many forms.
All of these were useful and brought greater insight and understanding, however I came to a point where I realised talking about things wouldn't take me any further. My head knew a great deal, but my body knew something that my head did not and I needed to find a way to access what my body wanted to be heard.
My next stage was exploration of several body therapy approaches. I had some interesting and useful experiences, yet despite everything I had learned and everything I had experienced I still felt there was something missing
As Carl Jung observed - The Right Way to Wholeness is Made Up of Fateful Detours and Wrong Turnings
Well that was certainly true for me - I don't think there were many totally wrong turnings, but there had certainly been some fateful detours. However I take the view everything is useful in someway, even if it is learning about what definitely isn't right. Although I didn't always appreciate what I was learning from some of the experiences at the time I had them, their purpose often became clear later on.
I had come across Focusing a couple of times over the years, but hadn't stopped to explore it as each time my attention had been on something else. At the time I had decided to explore body approaches, I was talking with a friend who had recently come across Focusing and she asked me what I knew about. My answer was "not much", but it seemed like something was pointing me to Focusing and I started to explore it further.
When I read on page 8 of Gendlin's book Focusing the following
This crucial skill is not easy to explain. Many People can do it only after some practice. On the other hand it is very much easier that struggling for years with the old troubles, perhaps ending with a better self understanding but with no change, perhaps getting in touch with feeling but being unable to make them move or shift or resolve themselves.
I immediately knew Focusing was an approach I needed to learn more about and I needed to do so very soon.
I joined a Focusing skills course in September 2013 and quickly realised the possibilities Focusing offers.
I was astonished by the way it quickly yet safely allowed me to access, hear and work with hidden and vulnerable parts of myself. I was excited to learn that Focusing, unlike most other approaches, gave me a way to be with all of myself without the expectation of a requirement to change or indeed to "do" anything. All that was needed was to allow some parts of myself to be really heard, to tell their story about how things were from their point of view.
In this paradox of less being more, I found, what for me was the final piece of the jigsaw. I felt I had finally found the way to wholeness.
In May 2014, I joined a Whole Body Focusing workshop. At the end of a very interesting couple of days Focusing, I found myself exploring something about balance. I realised just how out of balance my life was, with work taking up the majority of my mental and physical resources.
With the clarity that Focusing had given me and by really listening to myself, the decision to leave formal employment in August 2014 was a straight forward one. What it did for me at that time was to allow me to safely hear something my body knew, but which my head had been trying not to acknowledge.
Generally Focusing doesn't lead people to make quite such life changing decisions. Usually we gain insights in small stages and we can integrate them into our way of being step by step.
I completed the British Focusing Association (BFA) Focusing Skills Certificate in June 2015. I qualified as a BFA Focusing Practitioner in April 2017 and as a BFA Trainer in June 2018.
See my Workshops page for details of events I am planning.
My aim is to work primarily with Focusing, however I am exploring how I can integrate my other areas of experience and expertise with Focusing where this might be helpful.
I had come across Focusing a couple of times over the years, but hadn't stopped to explore it as each time my attention had been on something else. At the time I had decided to explore body approaches, I was talking with a friend who had recently come across Focusing and she asked me what I knew about. My answer was "not much", but it seemed like something was pointing me to Focusing and I started to explore it further.
When I read on page 8 of Gendlin's book Focusing the following
This crucial skill is not easy to explain. Many People can do it only after some practice. On the other hand it is very much easier that struggling for years with the old troubles, perhaps ending with a better self understanding but with no change, perhaps getting in touch with feeling but being unable to make them move or shift or resolve themselves.
I immediately knew Focusing was an approach I needed to learn more about and I needed to do so very soon.
I joined a Focusing skills course in September 2013 and quickly realised the possibilities Focusing offers.
I was astonished by the way it quickly yet safely allowed me to access, hear and work with hidden and vulnerable parts of myself. I was excited to learn that Focusing, unlike most other approaches, gave me a way to be with all of myself without the expectation of a requirement to change or indeed to "do" anything. All that was needed was to allow some parts of myself to be really heard, to tell their story about how things were from their point of view.
In this paradox of less being more, I found, what for me was the final piece of the jigsaw. I felt I had finally found the way to wholeness.
In May 2014, I joined a Whole Body Focusing workshop. At the end of a very interesting couple of days Focusing, I found myself exploring something about balance. I realised just how out of balance my life was, with work taking up the majority of my mental and physical resources.
With the clarity that Focusing had given me and by really listening to myself, the decision to leave formal employment in August 2014 was a straight forward one. What it did for me at that time was to allow me to safely hear something my body knew, but which my head had been trying not to acknowledge.
Generally Focusing doesn't lead people to make quite such life changing decisions. Usually we gain insights in small stages and we can integrate them into our way of being step by step.
I completed the British Focusing Association (BFA) Focusing Skills Certificate in June 2015. I qualified as a BFA Focusing Practitioner in April 2017 and as a BFA Trainer in June 2018.
See my Workshops page for details of events I am planning.
My aim is to work primarily with Focusing, however I am exploring how I can integrate my other areas of experience and expertise with Focusing where this might be helpful.
My Background
I worked as a Manager and Trainer within the Public Sector. As a therapist within the NHS and voluntary sector and as a tutor delivering a range of Personal Development and Counselling Adult Education Courses at a Further Education College.
I retired from formal employment in 2014 and since then have enjoyed having the time to explore and learn about new things. Focusing has been a big part of that exploration. Further information about my background and experience.
As well as developing my Focusing work, I have taken the opportunity to explore and enjoy the Warwickshire countryside and have volunteered with local organisations in fund raising and teaching roles. I currently work in the local museum service as a volunteer guide.
Originally from Yorkshire, I studied in London and met my husband whilst working in Birmingham. I live in Kenilworth in Warwickshire and have a "bolt hole" in Purbeck in Dorset.
I retired from formal employment in 2014 and since then have enjoyed having the time to explore and learn about new things. Focusing has been a big part of that exploration. Further information about my background and experience.
As well as developing my Focusing work, I have taken the opportunity to explore and enjoy the Warwickshire countryside and have volunteered with local organisations in fund raising and teaching roles. I currently work in the local museum service as a volunteer guide.
Originally from Yorkshire, I studied in London and met my husband whilst working in Birmingham. I live in Kenilworth in Warwickshire and have a "bolt hole" in Purbeck in Dorset.
Find Out More
On the My Approach page - Find out more about One to One Focusing sessions and how I work
On the Workshops page - Find out more about the Focusing workshops I offer
On the Resources page there are links to videos where you can see examples of Focusing sessions, along with links to useful websites and details of suggested reading
On the Workshops page - Find out more about the Focusing workshops I offer
On the Resources page there are links to videos where you can see examples of Focusing sessions, along with links to useful websites and details of suggested reading
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