FOAT® Trainings and Workshops
FOAT® Calendar
FOAT® Events 2021
Due to COVID-19 challenges, all events and trainings will be online until further notice.
General FOAT® Training
February 19, 2021 1:00 - 3:00 PM PST (click here for your time zone)
Cultivating Your Resilience through Focusing-Oriented Expressive Arts (FOAT®)
Offered though CoronaPlaza.Life and Focusing Initiatives International
Focusing-oriented expressive arts (FOAT®) helps us to find an inner place of stability—and to access our body’s knowing and creative wisdom. In this workshop, we will begin with a centering exercise to ground ourselves and connect with the larger community. Next we will do a Focusing exercise to access a “source of strength”—letting a felt sense emerge from it. Through a user-friendly approach, we will find a way to express our felt sense into a creative expression—which might come as a color, shape, image, word, phrase, gesture or sound. We will also identify a small step to carry this inner strength into our daily life.
As we bring into awareness a source of strength and externalize it through creative expression, our resilience becomes enhanced. Sharing in community supports and nourishes carrying this strength forward in our lives.
Note: No experience necessary in Focusing or the arts.
To register and for additional information: click here
General FOAT® Training
February 22 - March 15, 2021
FOAT® Tools I : Foundations for Enhancing Resilience
Faculty: Laury Rappaport, Ph.D., LMFT, REAT, ATR-BC | Doreen Meister, MA, LMFT | Grace Brillantes-Evangelista, Ph.D., RPsy, CSCLP | Lynn Pollock, MA, LMHC | Marise Lariviere, MA, LMFT, ATR
This course includes 4 weekly sessions. Our goal is to co-create a supportive group that will meet to practice specific FOAT® exercises to enhance resilience, cultivate self-compassion and compassion toward others. Each week will include one main Theme-based FOAT® integrating Focusing with user-friendly methods for arts expression. Through this weekly FOAT® practice group, small steps towards wellbeing, positive change and growth will be nourished and supported. Recordings will be available if you are unable to attend the live workshop. This group is open to people who are new to FOAT® as well as those with previous FOAT® experience. Click here for course information and registration.
Levels 3 + 4 FOAT® Training
March - April 2021
FOAT® Levels 3 and 4 in Hong Kong
Faculty: Laury Rappaport, Ph.D., MFT. REAT, ATR-BC; Grace Chan, MA, ATR-BC; Katherine Kwok, MMus, LTCL
The content of Level 3 includes refining the skills and competencies in presence, Focusing skills, Focusing Attitude, experiential listening, self-guiding, guiding others, the basic methods and three approaches of FOAT®. Level 4 includes clinical and non-clinical applications to the trainee’s interests (e.g. psychotherapy, coaching, body-work, spirituality, etc.). Trainees develop the application of FOAT® to their area of interests - designing a FOAT® plan for a population and presenting it for supervision and feedback. Training structure includes six group Zoom meetings, self-study, small group work, FOAT® partnerships, and two individual supervision sessions. For more information and registration, contact us.
Levels 1 + 2 FOAT® Training
May 2021
FOAT® Levels 3 and 4 at University of Guatemala
General FOAT® Workshop
June 14th, 2021 6:00 - 8:30 PM EST (click here for your time zone)
Focusing-Oriented Expressive Arts: The Felt Sense as a Doorway to Intermodal Expression
Offered by Expressive Arts Florida Institute
This workshop provides an overview of the history, foundational principles, and main approaches of FOAT®— and teaches how the felt sense is a doorway to all of the expressive arts modalities and intermodal expression. The workshop includes a theoretical overview along with experiential exercises to teach an introduction to Focusing-Oriented Expressive Arts (FOAT®) as an intermodal approach. Sign up link coming soon!
FOAT® Graduate Course
July - August 2021
Focusing-Oriented Expressive Arts Therapy Course at Lesley University, Expressive Therapies Program
This course introduces the theory and practices of Focusing-Oriented Expressive Arts (FOAT®). FOAT® is a mindfulness-based, somatic approach to the expressive arts rooted in psychologist and philosopher Eugene Gendlin’s evidence-based research on Focusing. In this course, you will learn: the history of Focusing and Focusing-Oriented Expressive Arts; the main concepts of Focusing; the main approaches of Focusing-Oriented Expressive Arts; and the application to a variety of clinical issues (e.g. trauma, severe mental illness; medical issues; anxiety, depression, and wellness) and populations (e.g. adults, adolescents, children, individuals and group). Registration link coming soon! If you have inquiries into this course please email us at office@focusingarts.com.
Levels 1 - 6 FOAT® Training
September 2021
FOAT® Levels 1 - 6 Training Program
We will be launching our NEW Online FOAT® Levels 1 - 6 Training Program. If you would like us to send you updates about this program, including content, registration and fees, please use fill out the form here.
General
TBD
Level 1 FOAT® Courses
The following courses + Introduction to Expressive Arts meet partial requirements toward a Level 1 FOAT® Certificate of Completion. Additional reading and practice required. Click here for the training overview.
Introduction to Focusing-Oriented Expressive Arts (Telecourse)
check with us for upcoming dates
This course provides an introduction to Focusing-oriented expressive arts (FOAT®) including: the history and development of FOAT®; a brief overview and evidence-based research of Eugene Gendlin’s Focusing; overview of expressive arts; introduction to core Focusing and FOAT® concepts: Foundational FOAT® principles; Focusing attitude; felt sense; symbol; felt shift; and the basic FOAT® step—accessing a felt sense and expressing it through the expressive arts.
Focusing Basics (Telecourse)
check with us for upcoming dates
May be waived with Focusing experience. This course teaches the fundamentals of Focusing: the development of Focusing by Eugene Gendlin; Focusing approaches; and main skills of presence, Focusing Attitude, felt sense, asking + receiving, and felt shift.
FOAT® Fundamentals and Approaches (Telecourse)
check with us for upcoming dates
Introduction to core FOAT® practices and skills; overview of the main FOAT® approaches: Basic FOAT® Step; Theme-Directed FOAT®; Clearing a Space with the Arts; Working on an Issue; Focusing-Oriented Psychotherapy Process. Didactic with experiential practice of Focusing and FOAT® Basic Step.
Theme-Directed FOAT® and Mindfulness (Telecourse)
check with us for upcoming dates
Applications of Theme-Directed FOAT®. This training will address the use of themes with groups, individuals, couples, and families, as well as for education, organizations, spiritual groups, etc. Mindfulness practice with FOAT® as a Theme-Directed approach will be included. Didactic and experiential.
Clearing a Space with Expressive Arts (Telecourse)
check with us for upcoming dates
The training introduces an exercise, "Clearing a Space with Expressive Arts". It provides many benefits including: stress reduction; accessing an inherent place within the self for well-being and emotion regulation. It can be used as a daily wellness practice.
Level 2 FOAT® Courses
The following courses meet partial requirements toward a Level 2 FOAT® Certificate of Completion. Additional reading and practice required. Click here for the training overview.
Note: Level 2 Telecourses require two additional meeting times per month (about 1 hour and 1/4) in addition to the telecourse. You will have one meeting with a FOAT® partner and one with a FOAT® coach.
FOAT® and Compassionate Listening (Telecourse)
check with us for upcoming dates
This training teaches the fundamental skill of pairing compassionate listening with Focusing and the expressive arts processes. Compassionate listening helps to cultivate safety, deeper understanding, and is essential for the moment-to-moment processing of working with Focusing and the expressive arts.
FOAT® Partnership with Practice I - FOAT® Check-in and Blocks to FOAT® (Telecourse)
check with us for upcoming dates
FOAT® Partnership Practice: This training teaches the fundamental skills and guidelines for FOAT® Partnership Practice. Focus is on FOAT® Check-in and blocks to Focusing.
FOAT® Partnership with Practice II - Working on an Issue (Telecourse)
check with us for upcoming dates
FOAT® Partnership Practice: This training teaches the fundamental skills and guidelines for FOAT® Partnership Practice relevant to "working on an issue."
FOAT® Partnership with Practice III - Inner Critic (Telecourse)
check with us for upcoming dates
FOAT® Partnership Practice: This training teaches the fundamental skills and guidelines for FOAT® Partnership Practice relevant to the "inner Critic."
Levels 3 + 4 FOAT® Courses
The following courses are taught together as a 5-day intensive in-person (location TBD). Click here for the training overview.
Level 3: Advanced Practice Skills and Supervision in FOAT®
check with us for upcoming dates
The content of Level 3 includes the development and competency in presence, Focusing skills, Focusing Attitude, experiential listening, self-guiding, guiding others, the basic methods and three approaches of FOAT®. Blocks to Focusing and the expressive arts are explored, including awareness and working with the “inner critic.” Participants work in partnerships and trios with FOAT® supervision and feedback for gaining competence.
Level 4: Applications of Focusing-Oriented Expressive Art
check with us for upcoming dates
The content of Level 4 includes applications to the trainee’s interests. Specialty needs are considered, such as working with trauma, addictions, severe mental health, chronic pain, health and healing, spiritual dimensions, etc. Training occurs with supervision and feedback as trainees begin applying FOAT® to their areas of interest.
Levels 5 + 6 FOAT® Advanced Practice and Certification
The following courses are all conducted by live teleconference monthly. Levels 5+6 require 2 additional meeting times per month with a FOAT® partner (about 1 hour and ¼) in addition to the teleconference. Click here for the training overview.
Level 5: Advanced FOAT® Training and Supervision
Dates TBD
Completion of Level 5 and successful evaluation of competence leads to Certification as FOAT® Practitioner or Facilitator granted by the Focusing and Expressive Arts Institute.
Level 6: Train-the-Trainer Course
Dates TBD
Completion of Level 6 and successful evaluation of competence leads to Certification as a Certified Focusing Trainer: Specialization in Focusing-Oriented Expressive Arts (FOAT®) (www.focusingarts.com) granted by The International Focusing Institute (www.focusing.org).
