Continuing in the line of the previous entry, and closely related to her, is my appointment as a member of International Relations within the Board of Directors of the Spanish Institute of Focusing, one more element of the calls to action that have emerged from my participation in the International Conference on Focusing in Cambridge (United Kingdom) last july 2016.

As commented in that entrance, in the Focusing Spanish Institute we understand that, as well as the action of teaching and accompaniment with Focusing is mostly individual, each with his style and sensitivity, and always within the publicly agreed criteria and competencies, However, all organizational and participation action must come from collegiate structures.

Therefore, when they invited me to participate in the International Focusing Institute Membership Committee based in New York (The International Focusing Institute), I put this position at the disposal of the Spanish Institute of Focusing, to be occupied by anyone as representation from Spain. What would be my surprise when I was invited to assume a vowel linked to International Relations within the Board of Directors and to accept that same international position. I accepted the proposal, the appropriate steps contemplated in the statutes have been taken and I have recently been appointed a member.

I am very excited to be able to contribute to the Focusing community in Spain, from which I have received so much. Since the beginning of my training in 2009, the National Days, Summer School, the supervisions, the Diploma and titles of Certified Trainer and Certified Focusing Guided Psychotherapist and all contacts and growth contexts, I have definitely been set up as a Focusing professional (and as a person).

And in this series of invitations to action (as it says Isabel Gascón, my referral coordinator, the “seventh step” de Focusing: “And what does all this invite you to?”), It seems to me that it is time to also contribute from this position, as long as my work is useful and constructive. It is a challenge to work with and at the service of so many people I know, with riches inside that place me in a situation of humility and learning.

So also from this new position I am at your service, hoping to contribute to the international knowledge of the richness of the Focusing that we do around here, and also to contribute ideas and suggestions from other places that come from this condition of international relations.

F. Javier Romeo

As I already commented in another entry, have participated in the Focusing International Conference in Cambridge (United Kingdom) last july 2016 has meant many new openings, new ways, new ways to incorporate Focusing into my life and to share it. Consciousness, and also calls to action.

It has been very surprising for me to have been invited to be part of the Membership Committee (Membership Committee) of International Focusing Institute based in New York (The International Focusing Institute). This committee is a merely advisory body (does not make decisions) and basically made up of volunteers, that advises the governing bodies on all matters that have to do with being a member of the Institute: how to favor membership, how to make its value visible, how to facilitate participation between members. Their task is to look at the members and discover emerging needs and spaces for collaboration.. It is a very international committee, with videoconference meetings and specific work teams. It is such a new group that it still does not have its own section in the Institute website. And me, that I have enjoyed the benefits of membership since 2010, first as a Trainer in Training, and later as a Certified Trainer (2012) and as a Certified Focusing Guidance Psychotherapist (2014), I receive as an honor to be able to contribute to other people and to the structure of the Institute.

For me it is essential to follow the line of work of the Focusing Spanish Institute, in which we work in training, accompaniment or other fields of Focusing on an individual level, but in which relations with other groups and entities are decided collectively. Thus, I sent the invitation to the Board of Directors of the Instituto Español de Focusing and recently I have also been appointed vowel for International Relations, to be able to assume the position in the Membership Committee.

So that, I have already started reading the materials (a lot has been generated in just over a year of existence) and I have participated in a meeting. I hope to continue contributing to the world of Focusing in this way. And if you have recommendations or suggestions regarding membership of the International Institute of Focusing, I will be happy to hear them.

At your service in a new way,

F. Javier Romeo

This summer I had the pleasure of participating in the 27ª International Conference on Focusing of 2016 Cambridge (United Kingdom), organized by the British Focusing Association, and open to members of the International Focusing Institute (The International Focusing Institute) of all the world, an experience that has marked me for several reasons.

Overview of the International Conference on Focusing Photo Collection 2016. In general they include the most playful aspects, but they also reveal the moments of depth. And a magnificent photo appears that Blanca Ruiz has taken of me, from Spain, and that I have adopted for my profile (thanks, Blanca!).

To give some figures: we have been more than 250 participants of 30 countries at Robinson College, almost entirely dedicated to the Conference. Except in plenary meetings, where most of us were, during the workshop time we divided (each according to his choice) in more than fifteen simultaneous activities. And all orchestrated by a dedicated organizing team (of British Focusing Association,) what, before trying to solve my problems, first they listened to me, with typical focusing attention.

So the first experience has been to discover people and create community., in a very Focusing environment. I have met people who were participating for the first time in an international event like this, just like me. I have also put face, voice tone, relationship… to people I knew from references (their books, your articles, your web pages, your messages on the Focusing lists, the recommendations you had received…). Y, to my surprise, I have also been recognized by the Japanese psychotherapist Madoka Kawahara (Kawahara circle) who had read my article with great interest “Combining Focusing and Nonviolent Communication”, What a find! [And finally here it is translated into Japanese with the suggestive title Intersection of the focusing and the non-violent communication, thank you very much, Madoka!].

Anyway, what struck me the most was the kindness and fluidity of the treatment, both in group activities and in more individual interaction, at meals, in the breaks, in other activities. And the feeling of continuing to discover new and interesting people every time I began to have the feeling that “we had already seen everyone”. On a deeper level, now that a few weeks have passed, the first experience that I want to preserve is the sense of community within differences (And there were many differences, I assure!). Is to feel that we are working, doing research, suffering and enjoying to develop each our understanding of Focusing, and how to share it with other people.

The second experience, linked to the previous, has been experience creative connections with a lot of people. For our common interests. For understanding Focusing in a similar way or, Unlike, for understanding it in such different ways that they are complementary. For our areas of action. By simple connection personally. Now it's time to carry out the famous Aristotle quote, “the desire for friendship arises quickly, but friendship itself takes time”. I am already in contact with some people, I have others in my long list of pending contacts, but the intention to continue cultivating new ways for Focusing is there. It will be a bit like the relationships I already have in the Focusing community in Spain, but internationally.

The third experience has been an invitation to action. An invitation to action that arises both from within and without. Possible projects, collaborations to explore, new reading list, exercises to delve into, areas to discover… For the moment, things are lending to movement, and I'm flowing with them. I will talk about these and other things in other posts.

With the commitment to tell you more in future entries I leave you, with the recommendation that you visit the official website of the Conference while it is active, because it has many resources to explore (English).

Xavier

Upgrades (subsequent entries related to this):

Inside calls to action:

• My appointment to the Membership Committee of the International Institute of Focusing.
• And my appointment as a member for International Relations at the Spanish Institute of Focusing.

Other experiences:

• brush strokes (2) International Conference Focusing: the interest group Community Wellness Focusing.
• The Community Wellness Focusing Interest Group at the Focusing Conference in Cambridge (UK) 2016.