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November Archives “Is this violence? Naming violence as a form of political advocacy?” (November Archives “Is this violence? Naming violence as advocacy”) at the Third Conference on the Felt Sense (Third Felt Sense Conference), organized by the International Focusing Institute online this year 2021 with the focus on “An embodied release: the felt sense and Social Justice” (English “Embodied Liberation: the Felt Sense & Social Justice”). In my workshop I plan to make a cross between the Child Protection work that I develop from my consultancy, Spiral Consulting Children, and the inner dimension of Focusing. At the same time, I hope to offer elements of inner awareness that will be useful to anyone committed to Social Justice, not only with Child Protection.

Date: viernes, 3 December 2021, of 11:00 a 13:00 new york time (17:00-19:00 Madrid time, see other time slots here).

Place: online.

Language: English.

More information and registration: página web de Third Felt Sense Conference (2021).

[Original entry 24 November 2021, actualizada a 3 December 2021, date of the event].

Focusing has always had at its core the improvement of society, not just of individuals. Gendlin wrote extensively about the social and political dimension of Focusing, as the felt sense provides a better understanding of our inner life –and of external circumstances. Starting from deep personal work, Focusing invites us to step into interpersonal relationships and social structures with strength, flexibility and awareness and to start the changes we want to see in the world.

I am therefore very honoured to present my workshop “Is this violence? Naming violence as advocacy” at the Third Felt Sense Conference, organised by The International Focusing Institute online this year 2021 with the focus in “Embodied Liberation: the Felt Sense & Social Justice”. In my workshop I am planning to cross the work in Child Protection that I develop from my consultancy firm, Spiral Consulting Children, with the inner dimension of Focusing. However, I hope to offer inner awareness for every person that is committed with Social Justice, not just in Child Protection.

Date: Friday, December 3rd 2021, 11:00-13:00 New York time (17:00-19:00 Madrid time, check your time here).

Place: online.

Language: English.

More information and registration: website of the Third Felt Sense Conference (2021).

[Original post of November 24th 2021, updated December 3rd 2021, day of the event].

Online life has helped us create new virtual communities.

More than a year ago I received the invitation to be part of a reflection group on children in the protection system in Spain, coordinated by Alberto Rodriguez and Javier Múgica and in which we participate Antonio Ferrandis, mi partner of CI Spirals Pepa Horno, Marta Llauradó and my almost double namesake F. Javier Romeu Soriano. After these months of online meetings and multiple emails and drafts, last week we jointly published the founding document, Renewing from within. Seven challenges and proposals to improve the child protection system in Spain. The text speaks for itself, and can be downloaded from web page of “Renewing from within”.

Here I want to talk about something a little different: of the process itself. And I'll sum it up in three words: community, growth and awareness.

Community is what we have been creating. It has a part of chance, having met for child protection issues in different spaces. But it also has a part of intention. Make room for online meetings. Write each one their part of the document and revise the texts of the rest. share views, concerns and possible responses. Little by little we have been deepening our relationships, developing a common language that incorporates our different personalities and sensitivities. And we believe that part of the improvements in the protection system go precisely through creating community in many other spaces, with the kids, girls and adolescents and their families, within professional teams and intervention networks.

Further, we have advanced with a perspective of growth. Each person in our group has been collaborating and accompanying processes of the protection system for many years. That's why we can talk about the shortcomings, of the weak points that harm children, girls and adolescents and the families whom it is intended to protect. But we also remember the progress, the changes, sometimes very small, that make some aspects improve. That is why the document wants to collect both the challenges that we see in Spain and some proposals that we know, by personal or professional experience, that have worked before. And this process also makes us who reflect in a group grow.

Why, in the end, It is about developing the consciousness. when we have a “conscious gaze”, as my good friend says and partner at CI Spirals Pepa Horno, we see reality in a deeper way. We identify what happens in children, girls and adolescents and their families, but also in the professional teams and in the systems that would have to provide them with protection and support. And we also recognize what happens inside us, to channel intuitions and sensations towards concrete proposals that improve the lives of many people. We can't do this alone, we need a safe environment, community, help us move forward, to ask ourselves new questions and discover new answers.

From here I send my thanks to this magnificent team, and to life for making it possible.

And I invite you to read the document and pay attention to the following steps (we will be publishing monthly blog entries to continue delving into the different proposals). I see you on the website “Renewing from within”.

in celebration,

F. Javier Romeo

[Read this post in English]

It is a joy for me to be able to facilitate a workshop on “Finding the felt sense with objects: a way to interact with the inner parts” in the International Online Conference on Focusing Guided Therapy (International Focusing-Oriented Therapy Conference) that is planned to take place between the 21 and 25 October 2020 (between 22 and 26 in Asia and Oceania).

It will be an experiential workshop on Focusing Guided Psychotherapy (Focusing-Oriented Psychotherapy/Therapy, FOT / FOP), one of the lines of work that I follow when I accompany in psychotherapy both in person and by videoconference.

“Working with the inner parts in therapy can be challenging in many ways. We can facilitate a better understanding of the interior parts by using objects (figures, pencils, clay). The process of choosing one or more objects can help generate the felt sense without the need to explain excessively. In this way, we can help each client (from childhood to adulthood) listen to every part inside, so that you can see the movement of life forward in them and to establish a better relationship with them. This is going to be a practical workshop, so it is advisable to bring a few small objects that can be used in the consultation (a dozen colored pencils will do).

Key contents:

1) Five key ideas for working with interior parts with children, girls, adolescents and adults.

2) An example of a process of seeking felt sense with objects.

3) A little experience of working with objects so that everyone can develop their personal style.”

Date: viernes 23 October 2020, 09:00-11:00 on New York time (15:00-17:00 in Madrid time) (find the schedule here).

Place: online.

Language: the workshop will be in English with simultaneous translation into Spanish.

More information and registration: website of the International Conference on Focusing Guided Therapy (the International Focusing-Oriented Therapy Conference).

[Original entry 7 October 2020, actualizada a 20 October 2020, date of the event].

[Read this entry in Spanish].

I am very happy about being able to facilitate a workshop about “Felt-sensing with objects: a way to interacting with inner parts” at the online International Focusing-Oriented Therapy Conference that will take place online from October 21st. till the 25th. 2020 (October 22nd.-26th. in Asia and Australasia).

It will be an experiential workshop about Focusing-Oriented Psychotherapy.

“Working with inner parts in therapy can be challenging in many ways. Using objects (figurines, pencils, Plasticine) can allow for a better understanding of inner parts. The process of choosing one or more objects can foster felt-sensing without explaining in excess. In this way, we can help clients –children but also adults– to listen to each part, to see the life-forward drive in them and to establish a better relationship with them. This will be a practical workshop, so please bring some small objects that you can use in your therapy room (a dozen of colored pencils will be enough).

Takeaways:

1) Five key ideas for working with inner parts in therapy with children, adolescents and adults.

2) An example of a process of felt-sensing with objects.

3) A short experience of working with objects, to develop your personalized style.”

Date: Friday October 23rd 2020, 09:00-11:00 New York time (15:00-17:00 Madrid time) (your time here).

Place: online.

Language: the workshop will be in English with simultaneous translation into Spanish.

More information and registration: website of the International Focusing-Oriented Therapy Conference.

[Original post from October 7th 2020, updated on October 23rd 2020, day of the event].

Information about the Roundtable on Crossing Focusing and Nonviolent Communication (NVC) organized by The International Focusing Institute through its Membership Committee. As it is a past event the information is no longer available on TIFI’s website and has been edited accordingly.

“Discovery, Community and growth. Those are the words you choose my body to symbolize the full experience of the First National Meeting Focusing Open. Organized by the Spanish Institute Focusing and coordinated by the Sevillian team Experiential Space, The meeting took place 12 to the 15 October in the charming Andalusian city of Seville, in the south of Spain”.

So begins my article in which I describe my experience for the In-Focus, the newsletter of the International Institute Focusing November 2017. In the space acotaron I have tried to reflect the international community for focusing the activities that we have shared in the First National Open Meeting Focusing, while I also wanted to reflect, in the tradition of Focusing and Experiential Philosophy, what has been my experience. From here I want to express my appreciation to Focusing Spanish Institute for convening this fantastic event, to the Experiential Space team led by Francisco Sivianes by coordinate and each speaker and each participant has made it possible, It has been an unforgettable experience.

• Read article “Discovery, Community and Growth. The 1st Open National Focusing Conference in Seville” in the original English version.
• Read the article translated into Spanish with the title “Discovery, Community and growth: the First National Open Focusing in Seville, Spain”.

Presentando a Catherine Torpey, Executive Director of TIFI. Photo Francisco Sivianes.

I left for this blog more personal aspects, as I experienced the honor of Catherine Torpey able to present, who came to Seville to present the international dimension of International Focusing Institute (GIRLS) as Executive director of the same. For me, I collaborate with Committee Membership for more than a year ago, It is a satisfaction that community Focusing on Spain (also participants from other countries) you can see first hand to Catherine and all that makes the International Focusing Institute.

My workshop “Focusing for the prevention of violence”. Photo Francisco Sivianes.

It was also a privilege to provide my workshop “Focusing and experiential work with violence”, in which I could share with people from five different nationalities some of the keys to use bodily sensations and focusing process to identify violence in a more complete and create security in our lives, an introductory version of my workshop “Focusing, body and safety: Focusing for the prevention of violence”.

There are many more memories, as each of the workshops I attended, or general conference, or the people I met (new or deeper)… You can see more about the environment of the different moments in the photographs taken by Francisco Sivianes (Focusing trainer and director of Experiential Space): of Thursday 12 October, of viernes 13 October and sábado 14 October of 2017.

This presentation is also available by Rosa Galiano with photos of his, Francisco Sivianes and others and published in the International YouTube channel Focusing Institute:

He has been an inspiration and I hope that also inspire you.

F. Javier Romeo

It is my pleasure to offer my workshop “Focusing and experiential work with violence” inside of the First National Open Meeting Focusing organized by the Focusing Spanish Institute and practically coordinated by the team Experiential space of Sevilla. As shown in the presentation, “The first National Meeting Focusing Open to be held in Seville, the days 12, 13, 14 and 15 October 2017, and we invite you to participate, It is a space to encourage meeting between people who use Focusing in a professional field and personal life, or who want to know. A space that allows us to disseminate new experiences and applications in different fields Focusing: therapy, groups, educación ,Health, personal growth, spirituality etc.. A space, ultimately enabling exchange experiences and reflections on the experiential paradigm and Focusing”.

In therapeutic work, individual and group, in social work with different groups (especially children, adolescence and youth), we can see the effects of violence in their lives. This workshop's general objective is to work experientially the concept of violence in our lives as a first step to prevent, detect and intervene in situations of violence.

Date: sábado 14 October 2017, a las 16:30.

Place: Hotel NH Collection Sevilla
Avda. Diego Martinez Barrio, 8
41013 Sevilla

For more information and registration, Consult Open the website of the National Meeting Focusing in Seville 2017.

I hope that is of interest,

F. Javier Romeo

[Original entry 27 September 2017, actualizada a 14 October 2017, date of the workshop].

From the Gene Gendlin death, the “father” del Focusing, last 1 May 2017, Focusing community has expressed its appreciation to the work and life of this great man, and I have had the honor of participating in three of these tributes.

Homage in Madrid by the Spanish Institute Focusing

31 May 2017 a meeting of tribute to Gene Gendlin coordinated by took place Isabel Gascón Tomillo Open Center in, Focusing a historical place in Madrid and Spain, where several developments have made us. In a meeting with people from near and far, and the presence in the distance of many others, We share a time to remember Gene Gendlin and all that has given us.

As a final gesture, Isabel prepare a sapling planted later along with others around the world Focusing on the Sierra de Madrid, in the house for us so many memories of formations, Summer Schools and National Conference Focusing.

The tree, Photos of Gene Gendlin and his wife, Mary Hendricks-Gendlin, and Isabel Gascón, Tomeu Barcelo and others.

Tribute at the Garrison Institute in New York by the International Conference Focusing Oriented Therapy 2017

Yolanda Bernárdez, Trainer and Spanish FOP, in front of the tree dedicated to Gene Gendlin at the Garrison Institute.

22 de junio de 2017, as part of the opening ceremony IV International Conference Focusing Oriented Therapy 2017, held at the Garrison Institute (Garrison, New York), there was a space to remember Gene Gendlin. For me it was an honor to participate in the first international event was made after the death of Gene Gendlin, and hear directly what they shared many people who had known him for decades, with anecdotes, details, learning and memory in general, and that resonated within me.

Y, curiously, He had also prepared a sapling (larger than Madrid) to plant at the Garrison Institute, an emblematic place of many formations of the international community Focusing, and where Gene Gendlin taught many times. The tree also served to hang all cards with good wishes for the conference we write between all participants and attended the plenary hall until the end.

official homage of the International Focusing Institute in New York

And this Saturday 12 August 2017 It took place the official ceremony by the International Focusing Institute (The International Focusing Institute, GIRLS) in New York City, but broadcast live and official attention to the chat participants from around the world. Despite the distance and electronic media, full service and subsequent discussions are available in full online (It has previous times and breaks included, so the tribute itself begins the minute 16 video).

There have been many special moments. Among them I would highlight:

• The vision that gave Gerry Gendlin, the son of Gene Gendlin, his father's, next, human, and a promise he made to comply: remind us all that Gene was divorced from his first wife and smoking, so that we are always aware that it was a human being with flaws and limitations (from 1 hour 23 minute video).
• The eight shared by Ann Weiser Cornell times, that condense much of the attitude of Gendlin in many areas of thought and generally Focusing (available from 1 hour 07 Video minutes).
• The open space where many people have shared, present or sending texts (Available from 3 hours 2 minutes 30 seconds).

I invite you to take a look at the video and that you can somehow join the tribute to the life and work of Gene Gendlin. You can also read more on page tribute to Gene Gendlin: www.eugenegendlin.com.

In deep respect and celebration,

F. Javier Romeo

A few weeks ago I returned from the IV International Conference Focusing Oriented Therapy (The 2017 International Focusing-Oriented Therapy Conference) which it took place in Garrison, New York (U.S) of 21 to the 25 de junio de 2017.

It has been a very enriching experience, full of shared learning spaces and meetings professionally and personally, included a tribute to Gene Gendlin.

For me it was an opportunity to learn more about various approaches to psychotherapy Focusing Oriented applied to my personal practice and professional:

• I really enjoyed the workshop prior to the conference given by Laury Rappaport “Integrate artistic expression from an orientation Focusing your clinical practice” (“Integrating Focusing-Oriented Expressive Arts (FOAT®) into Your Clinical Practice”).

• I learned a lot from the study group led by Nancy morning Falls “'I am not my trauma!’ – Focusing Orientation therapy for children, girls and young people who have experienced trauma” (“‘I’m Not My Trauma!’ — FOT for Children and Youth Who Have Experienced Trauma”).

And then all have been shorter workshops (two or three every afternoon), spaces that have been exploring new prospects for the therapeutic use of Focusing in a shorter format, and all conversations and meetings at meals, breaks and closure activities each day.

Back with many ideas to further explore the use of Focusing in psychotherapy and various lines of work to investigate in my practice. We will comment later.

And I also bring the feeling of a community alive and growing Focusing, looking for new processes and new developments to continue “carrying life forward”.

Group photo of participants at the Conference FOT (credit: The International Focusing Institute).

I hope to continue to share everything I learned.

F. Javier Romeo Biedma