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About
Focusing by Eugene Gendlin (especially Children’s Focusing)
Short Description:
A body-centered method of inner awareness and emotional processing, adapted for children to support self-trust and emotional clarity.
About
Focusing is a therapeutic and self-awareness process developed by philosopher and psychologist Eugene Gendlin. It involves turning attention inward to notice subtle bodily sensations—called “felt senses”—and allowing them to unfold into meaning, emotion, and insight.
In Children’s Focusing, this process is adapted for young learners. It teaches children to pause, notice their inner experience, and find words, images, or gestures for what they feel. It helps build emotional literacy, reduce anxiety, and support self-trust—all without pushing or analyzing.
Children naturally “focus” when given the right environment. With gentle adult support, they learn to sense what's going on inside, name it, and befriend it—turning confusing feelings into grounded understanding.
This approach aligns beautifully with compassionate communication, mindfulness, and trauma-informed care. It invites presence without pressure and deepens a child’s ability to care for themselves from the inside out.
How It Shows Up in Practice
You might see Children’s Focusing in:
- Adults helping children pause and notice a feeling inside.
- Games and stories that help kids find metaphors for their emotions.
- One-on-one moments that honor emotion without judgment or fixing.
- Classrooms that center presence, permission, and slow noticing.
References
- Gendlin, E. (1981). Focusing
- Focusing with Children. Children and Focusing Resources
- Cornell, A.W. (2005). The Power of Focusing
Articles and Resources on This Site
A reflection on Maylie Scott’s teaching that “nothing is out of place,” exploring how loneliness can be met with mindful presence and compassion.
A poetic and provocative invitation into the sacred realm of human presence, I and Thou offers a relational metaphysics that challenges modern habits of detachment and objectification.
When attention softens, the forest responds. Birds, breath, and baseline become a mirror—not of self, but of tone, pressure, and the wake of thought.
External Links
