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Upcoming FOAT Trainings, Workshops, and Events
FOAT® Training Program
10 Group Meetings • September 23, 2024 - February 24, 2025 3:00pm- 6:30pm PT / 6:00pm - 9:30pm ET / Click here for time zone
Level 3: Advanced FOAT Practice Skills and Applications
Facilitated by Laury Rappaport, Ph.D., LMFT, ATR-BC, REAT and FOAT Faculty
Prerequisite: Completion of Level 2 (or equivalent) and Competence Evaluation
Level 3 emphasizes:
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Deepening skillfulness in both individual and group facilitation
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Learning to apply FOAT to working with different populations and needs
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Exploring the trainee’s personal interests in applying FOAT (psychotherapy, community, coaching, wellness, creativity, self-growth, spirituality, etc.)
The training includes a variety of learning structures. To deepen FOAT facilitation skills, FOAT Trios (Focuser, Facilitator, Witness), FOAT Partnerships, and expressive arts methods are integrated into the training. FOAT as a trauma-informed approach is presented, along with applications to children, adolescents, adults, and groups. During Level 3, trainees explore their own interests in applying FOAT– creating a Learning Plan and designing a FOAT Project that can be applied in Level 4 as a Final Project for certification. The training includes didactic material, video, readings, demonstrations, experiential practice, peer support groups, FOAT coaching, and individual supervision.
FOAT® Series: Roots, Branches, and Wings
Thursday, October 17, 2024 11:00am - 1:00pm PDT / 2:00pm - 4:00pm EDT / Click here for your time zone
Dynamic Expressive Focusing: Being Seriously Playful
Presented by René Veugelers
Does it sometimes seem like a challenge to find words to fit your Felt Sense?
Wouldn't it be relaxing to invite your body to express itself in color and/or in movement, instead of words?
Nonverbal communication, bodily expression, creativity, and Focusing seem like four different categories. In René’s work as a Children Focusing Professional and Art Therapist, he combines and connects these four aspects into one integrated approach: Dynamic Expressive Focusing. This approach supports ‘the living forward energy’ to glow– to move and grow.
In this presentation, René will invite you to create your wondering space– an open, unconditional acceptance towards the unfolding felt sense and its expression through colors, images, gestures, sounds, and words. With a sense of surprise, this non-verbal attunement and communication supports your natural process and carries forward a new and unexpected dimension and depth to the Focusing process, accessing your bodily wisdom through interaction. This will be a Seriously Playful Focusing Journey– using Listening in three directions!
René will share examples of Dynamic Expressive Focusing with children and teenagers. Come and see with your eyes, feel with your hands, and create your inner wondering space for fresh discoveries!
Expressive Therapies VIRTUAL Summit 2024
Thursday, November 14, 2024 11:00am - 2:00pm PST / 2:00pm - 5:00pm EST / Click here for your time zone
Focusing-Oriented Expressive Arts (FOAT®): Introduction and Overview
Presented by Laury Rappaport, Ph.D., LMFT, ATR-BC, REAT and Doreen Meister, MA, LMFT
Focusing-Oriented Expressive Arts (FOAT®), is a mindfulness and somatic approach that integrates the felt sense and the body's wisdom with the expressive arts. It is based on Eugene Gendlin’s Focusing method, an evidence-based mind-body approach that leads to growth and change. This workshop provides an overview of Focusing-Oriented Expressive Arts (FOAT®) including its history and development, foundational principles, and main practice approaches. Experiential exercises will be presented to teach: 1) the main concepts of Focusing– Focusing Attitude, felt sense, and handle/symbol; and 2) a Theme-Directed FOAT exercise– “Focusing Attitude for You”– that teaches how to access a felt sense; symbolize it as an image, gesture, sound, word, or phrase; and express it through the arts. This FOAT exercise can be applied as a self-care practice for practitioners, as well as a method for working with others.
FOAT can be applied to all clinical contexts, as well as applications in nonclinical contexts (e.g education, coaching, health). This workshop is beneficial for all counselors and therapists, arts facilitators, educators, and coaches. Didactic, experiential, and case examples included.
Eligible for 3.0 Clock/Credit Hours: NBCC, ATCB; SWNYS, NY LMHC, NY LCAT, NY LMFT
Expressive Therapies VIRTUAL Summit 2024
Friday, November 15, 2024 7:00am - 10:00am PST / 10:00am - 1:00pm EST / Click here for your time zone
The Power of Using Expressive Arts with Focusing: Building Resilience with FOAT® and SoulCollage®
Presented by Marise Lariviere, MA, LMFT, ATR and Lynn Pollock, MA, LMHC, REAT
This introductory workshop combines Focusing-Oriented Expressive Arts (FOAT®) and SoulCollage® - two creative and insightful approaches to enhance our work as clinicians. In this workshop, participants will be introduced to FOAT® as a gentle and curious way to explore their inner experience and access the felt sense. Then they will learn the fun and powerful artistic process of SoulCollage® to strengthen emotional development by expressing their inner wisdom. Blending FOAT® with SoulCollage® fosters a profound experience, allowing our body to guide us to deeper self-knowledge.
To give participants a taste of this powerful medium, we will review the basics of FOAT® and SoulCollage®, create a card or two, and engage in an intermodal experience to deepen insight and self-discovery. Open to all counselors and therapists including people new to FOAT® as well as those with previous FOAT® experience!
Eligible for 3.0 Clock/Credit Hours: NBCC, ATCB; SWNYS, NY LMHC, NY LCAT, NY LMFT
Updates for FOAT® Training Program:
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Introduction to Focusing-Oriented Expressive Arts (FOAT®) Self-Study (3 CE) is available for those who would like to learn more about FOAT. Completion fulfills the prerequisite for Level 1.
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Level 1: Foundations and Approaches of Focusing-Oriented Expressive Arts (FOAT®): The current training group is now closed.
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Level 2: FOAT Facilitation and Partnership Skills: The current training group is now closed.
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Level 3: Advanced FOAT Practice Skills and Applications: Registration open for trainees who have completed FOAT Level 2!
FOAT® Training Program
We are excited to launch our newly updated FOAT® Training Program! The training includes all of the previous content but it is now streamlined into 5 levels instead of 6. There is additional supervision and FOAT Coaching to strengthen the online learning format. In addition, awards and Certifications can be earned after Levels 2, 4, and 5.
For more information, including course descriptions, costs, and dates, visit our FOAT® Training Program Page!
