MetaMinds
®
Small Steps, Big Shifts
Foundation of Inner Relationship Focusing, Part 1
6-Week, Live Online Course via Zoom
What’s getting in the way of living the life you want? What are you bumping up against?
Maybe it’s hard to know what you feel and want. Or, perhaps you know what you want but there’s a crowd of inner critics in your way or habits holding you back.
It might be you’re simply tired of feeling emptied out and overwhelmed by the demanding pace of every day life.
No matter where you are or what you're struggling with, change is possible! The key is developing a relationship with what you're feeling or experiencing so that the relief you want and the change you seek arise naturally.
Curious to learn more and how to actually do this?
Photo: Lauren Taub Cohen
Join me for a six week course where you'll learn an empowering, self-guided process which fosters a ready-to-go resilience from within so you can act with greater agency and meet what comes your way with more clarity, confidence and ease.
In The Body Keeps the Score, Bessel van der Kolk M.D. writes, "Neuroscience research shows that the only way we can change the way we feel is by becoming aware of our inner experience and learning to befriend what is going on inside ourselves."
Inner Relationship Focusing (IRF) is an empowering, body-oriented process rooted in just that - becoming aware of your inner experience and building a respectful, honoring and allowing kind of relationship with what you feel so that you can have your feelings without being them or being driven by them.
In other words, taking risks and being vulnerable won't feel as threatening, because you'll have a way of tending to whatever arises should you encounter surprising setbacks or disappointments. You'll feel less triggered and more steady when encountering unexpected change or challenges. You'll be able to trust yourself when making decisions because you'll have developed an inner sense of I-know-what-feels-right-and-what-doesn't. It's even possible for harmful habits and persistent patterns to begin untangling.
"American culture adulates people who project an unflaggingly positive, cheerful, 'can-do' spirit. But mental health doesn't mean being happy all the time. It's about being resilient, knowing how to heal and recover from losses and difficulties, being flexible rather than brittle. Allowing your feelings, not suppressing them, helps you do this."
- Helene G. Brenner, Ph.D., I Know I'm in There Somewhere
Over the course of the six weeks you’ll learn …
-
how to pause in the midst of stressful moments so you can find your footing before continuing
-
how to cultivate an inner environment that’s curious, respectful and welcoming of what comes into awareness
-
why trying to change or fix how you feel doesn’t work and what does
-
how to relate to inner critics who have your best interests at heart despite what they're saying (or screaming!)
-
what the research has to say in support of creating real, lasting change
What People Are Saying
"Before taking this course, I felt easily overwhelmed by my emotions and had a tendency to avoid them. As a result of taking this course, I now have language and strategies to help me identify sensations and emotions so I can be with them without pushing them away or being subsumed by them.
Focusing provides a safe space for me to be with what is coming up and to explore it at my own pace in a way that I can easily titrate and need only share what I want to share. Lauren is an excellent teacher who creates an environment that is conducive to doing this work and models the process with such openness for her students to learn. I was surprised to feel shifts after just a few classes. The process is simple yet the benefits have been profound."
- Carla, New York
Class Structure...
Each class will meet weekly for two hours over six weeks. This is an experiential course, which will involve a mix of teaching, brief reading assignments, Focusing exercises and Focusing partnerships. Since what we practice grows stronger, Focusing partnerships will help you exercise and strengthen this life-changing skill both inside and outside of class.
What’s a Focusing Partnership?
Each week in class and outside of class* you’ll practice that week’s resilience-building exercise with a peer from your class. It’s not a counseling session. You’re not trying to fix your partner, nor is your partner trying to fix you. There is no fixing, no advice giving, and no discussion of any content that emerged in your time together.
Inner Relationship Focusing provides a unique space where you can show up as you are and feel what you feel in the presence of someone who’s completely neutral and welcoming of what is true for you. There's something about feeling fully seen, heard and understood, which is transformational in and of itself.
* The time commitment for meeting outside of class with your partner is about 30 minutes each week. Typically, each person’s Focusing turn is 10-12 minutes but you and your partner may decide to have a longer session.
Course Details
*This is a LIVE online course*
Stay tuned for dates & times!
If you'd like to sign up for notifications when when registration opens up, CLICK HERE and scroll down.
Where: Zoom
Fee: $385*
Payment Options: Venmo, Zelle or PayPal
Class size: Approx. 6 - 12 people
To register for this course, click here or email me directly, lauren@metamindsnyc.com
*A sliding scale is available. Please reach out and we can discuss options.
What's included in this course?
-
A 50-minute, one-to-one Focusing session with me prior to the start of the course, which will be scheduled once you enroll
-
12 hours of class time
-
Carefully created exercise sheets to support you as you develop this new skill
-
Access to audio recordings of each class
-
Informative & supportive articles
-
Access to me should you have any questions and/or need support between class meetings.
What's not included in the course fee?
You will need to purchase your own pdf copy of The Focusing Student’s and Companion’s Manual, which costs $23. I’ll provide additional details on how to do that once you’re enrolled.
"[Focusing] will enable you to find and change where you are stuck, cramped, hemmed in, slowed down. And it will enable you to change - to live from a deeper place than just your thoughts and feelings."
- Eugene Gendlin, founder of Focusing
What if I can't make those times?
Unfortunately, this would not be the right course for you since this course includes working with Focusing partners.
Cancellations & Refunds
-
Up to 14 days before the first day of class: Just let me know and I'll refund your course fee.
-
If you've already had your one-to-one session with me your refund would include the course fee minus the cost of that session ($125)
-
-
Cancellations received 13 days or fewer before class begins: No refund
Money Back Guarantee
If you feel you didn't receive what you had hoped to receive AND you attended five out of six classes, then please let me know within 30 days after the course ends. My only ask is that you let me know specifically what didn't work for you so I can continue to improve my course offerings. Upon receiving your feedback, I'll gladly refund your course fee.
Still wondering if this course is right for you?
Then, let's schedule a 20-minute call where I can answer any questions you might have. Feel free to email me here or reach out directly, lauren@metamindsnyc.com