An Exploration Of Gene’s Thoughts
This Therapists’ Roundtable will draw from the chapter on “The Client-Therapist Relationship” in Gendlin’s book, "Focusing-Oriented Psychotherapy: A Manual of the Experiential Method" (1996). In this chapter, Gendlin offers a guiding vision for how therapists can create an effective therapeutic experience for their clients.
Presented by The International Focusing Institute - Mary Anne Schleinich, Julie Ramsey & Susan Lennox
Wednesday, March 30, 2022
This Therapists’ Roundtable will draw from the chapter on “The Client-Therapist Relationship” in Gendlin’s book, Focusing-Oriented Psychotherapy: A Manual of the Experiential Method (1996), pp.283-298.
In this chapter, Gendlin offers a guiding vision for how therapists can create an effective therapeutic experience for their clients. He states that, “Interpersonal interaction is the most important therapeutic avenue. Its quality affects all the other avenues because they all happen within the interaction.” (p 282) He succinctly states his key relational framework in therapy as “putting nothing between and sitting down with the person in there.” (p. 287)
Based on this simple but profound framework, Gendlin presents a number of concrete suggestions for the kinds of explicit and implicit interactions that are helpful --and harmful --to the therapy. He offers us wise guidance on a number of issues, including creating safety for the client, engaging the “deeper continuity” in the client, addressing interpersonal difficulties between the therapist and client, transference, when the therapist should express her or his personal feelings, and more.
At the Roundtable we will spend some time exploring our own reactions to the reading and how it relates to our work with clients. In addition, we might consider together some or all of the following questions:
What does it look like when we really act on the understanding that “interpersonal interaction is the most important therapeutic avenue”?
What does it mean to us to “put nothing between us and our clients and to “sitting down with the person in there”?
How can we create a therapeutic presence that not only meets the client but opens a space for the client to experience themselves differently than before, in a way that removes stoppages and brings life forward movement?
Mary Anne Schleinich, MPS, BScOT is a counselling body psychotherapist in private practice in Calgary and online. She is certified with the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association and The International Focusing Institute as a Focusing Oriented Therapist. She teaches Focusing and has worked with pain, anxiety and trauma for 20 years.
Julie Ramsey, LICSW, FOT, is a psychotherapist in private practice in Wellesley, MA. She works with adolescents and adults in individual and couples therapy. She also teaches Focusing in small groups and enjoys bringing Focusing to all aspects of her work and life. She is a Coordinator-in-Training.
Susan Lennox, PhD, CPC, is a psychotherapist and coach in private practice in Westminster, Colorado. She is a Focusing Coordinator and has been a Certified Focusing Professional since 2000. Susan integrates Focusing and a Focusing orientation into her work with her clients.
Wednesday, March 30, 2022 10am - 12pm PST
Location: Online (Zoom)
This program is free to members of TIFI.
Registration info: Contact The International Focusing Institute with any questions: Phone: (845) 480-5111 Email: elizabeth@focusing.org
Register
https://focusing.org/event/therapist-roundtable-client-therapist-relationship-exploration-genes-thoughts
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