top of page

Small Steps, Big Shifts

Foundation of Inner Relationship Focusing, Part 2

 6-Week, Live Online Course via Zoom

There's even more to explore, experience and discover! 

Perhaps, since taking Part 1, you're noticing a greater capacity and ability to meet what comes your way without feeling as triggered and overwhelmed. Maybe you're feeling more ease and greater resilience... a kind of calm strength. No shift in the direction of growth is ever too small to acknowledge, savor and celebrate! And, in this upcoming course, we'll be exploring how to do just that ... soaking up and savoring the feel of what's pleasant and why it's important to do so. 

 

Of course, there may still be areas of life that feel stuck, feelings that feel un-shiftable and longings that want to be lived. In Focusing, the experience of having a problem is your body's way of communicating something is missing and something is needed so that you can live more freely and be more YOU. What's in the way guides the way!  

"The single felt sense of the situation incorporates the problem and the bodily known solution."

- Eugene Gendlin

In this course, you'll continue building upon those foundational IRF skills by learning how to ...

  • Stay with the felt sense of a problem so you feel more confident and clear when taking any next steps

​

  • Savor the feel of what's pleasant in an embodied way and why it's important to do so​​​

​

  • ​Deepen your relationship with inner critics and protectors so they no longer hold you back or weigh you down ​​

​

  • Get a felt sense of a story, habit or longing so that something new can emerge from what may feel repetitive and stuck​

​

  • Companion even more skillfully 

IMG_3160.jpeg

Photo: Lauren Taub Cohen

"[Focusing] is based on the very positive expectation of change. It doesn't envision a human being as a fixed structure whose shape can be analyzed once and for all. It envisions a person as a process, capable of continual change and forward movement. The 'problems' inside you are only those parts of the process that have been stopped, and the aim of focusing is to unstop them and get the process moving again. When you are focusing correctly, you not only expect change; you create it in the very act of focusing."

- Eugene Gendlin

Class Structure...

​

The class structure will be exactly the same as part one. Each class will meet weekly for two hours over six weeks. Since it's an experiential course, there will be a mix of teaching, brief reading assignments, Focusing exercises and Focusing partnerships.* 

​

* The time commitment for meeting outside of class with your partner will be about 30 minutes to an hour each week. Since you're learning additional skills, you may find it helpful to have sessions that are longer than 15 minutes, but that's entirely up to you and your partner. 

"Why are Focusing Partnerships so Important?"

​

I was recently asked that question, so I thought it might be helpful to share my answer here. Of course, there's no "right" answer, but here's what comes for me. Focusing Partnerships create a much needed space in my weekly schedule where I can show up as I am, tune in and name what's true for me in a way that allows me to exercise agency. When my Companion reflects something I said, I can meet that reflection with  “yes, that fits,” “no, that’s not quite right,” or “hold on there’s more." 

​

Prior to IRF, I had a chronic tendency to appease and please. I would meet just about everything with a friendly, reflexive"yes," even when I knew something didn't fit or feel right. The desire to stay connected often came at a great price ... abandoning myself. So, meeting routinely with Focusing partners and practicing this processes helped me develop the ability to actually speak up and voice my inner knowing ... and what I call my knowing no. This was one of many stuck patterns, which IRF helped me shift in such a life-changing, life-affirming way. 

​

I know from personal and professional experience that exercising agency within Focusing sessions/ partnerships can help us exercise agency outside of them. The more opportunities we have to practice agency, the more experiences we have of feeling and being empowered.

Course Details

*This is a LIVE online course*

Prerequisite:  Small Steps, Big Shifts Part 1

​

When: 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*

 

Class size: Approx. 6 - 12 people

        

Payment Options: Venmo, Zelle or PayPal

​

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, which can happen before or during the course. 

​

  • 12 hours of class time

​

  • Carefully created exercise sheets to support you as you  continue learning this process

​

  • 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 copy of The Focusing Student’s and Companion’s Manual PART 2, which costs $30.

 

You'll still need your manual from PART 1. 

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 taking PART 2 would be 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

bottom of page