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Upcoming FOAT Trainings, Workshops, and Events
FOAT® Training Program
10 Group Meetings • Mondays, January 29 - June 3, 2024
3:00pm- 6:30pm PT / 6:00pm - 9:30pm ET / Click here for your time zone
Level 2: FOAT Facilitation and Partnership Skills
Facilitated by Laury Rappaport, Ph.D., LMFT, ATR-BC, REAT and FOAT Faculty
Prerequisite: Completion of Level 1 FOAT course (or equivalent at educational institutions) or permission of Training Director.
Level 2 teaches the foundational skills for facilitating others in the main FOAT approaches learned in Level 1. Skills and methods include: FOAT Partnership, Compassionate Listening (Intermediate), Theme-Directed FOAT, FOAT Check-in, Clearing a Space with Arts, Inner Critic, FOAT with Steps, and Working on an Issue.
A core practice within Focusing and FOAT training programs is the Partnership. Trainees will rotate partners to practice facilitating the fundamental FOAT exercises learned in Level 1. Challenges and blocks to FOAT/Focusing will be addressed. The training includes didactic material, videos, readings, demonstrations, experiential practice, FOAT coaching and supervision.
FOAT® Series: Roots, Branches, and Wings
Friday, April 19, 2024 12:00pm - 2:00pm PDT / 3:00pm - 5:00pm EDT / Click here for your time zone
Introduction to Expressive Arts Focusing (ExAF) Hands-on Methods: Finding Ground in Experiential Arts
Presented by Freda Blob, Ed (Grad), CP (Grad), AT, PCT, FOT-FOAT, GDP
Expressive Arts Focusing (ExAF) is a body-focused approach rooted in the culture of European Focusing, along with Art and Design, using the creative and the expressive arts for facilitation and engagement. This presentation includes: An overview of Expressive Arts Focusing (ExAF) methods and their therapeutic understanding, along with a museum art-based exercise that provides an example of experiential best practice tools of ExAF. In addition, Eugene Gendlin’s concept of ‘the More’ will be introduced and explored through Expressive Arts Focusing (ExAF). Participants will gain insight in how to find meaning through artmaking from the body sense that is pointing beyond already known concepts of aesthetic impression (perception) and aesthetic expression (action). Stepping into aesthetics beyond social and cultural constructs, participants will find new ground in connecting to the open space of being-and-becoming.
FOAT® Series: Roots, Branches, and Wings
Monday, July 15, 2024 3:00pm - 5:00pm PDT / 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT / Click here for your time zone
The Marriage of Expressive Arts and Jungian Psychology
Presented by Kate Donohue, Ph.D., REAT
A natural kinship exists between expressive arts and Jungian Psychology. Both are image-based approaches to understanding and healing the psyche, highlighting the symbolic process in their own unique fashion. While the expressive arts emphasize the artmaking process and the phenomena of an image, Jungian Psychology places more emphasis on the symbolic process and meaning of our image.
This presentation weaves together the theory and practice of both approaches, creating a Jungian-oriented expressive arts healing tapestry of images, emotions, understanding, and transformation. We will explore the basic concepts of expressive arts and Jungian Psychology, along with how they compare and contrast. Jungian Theory has an expansive orientation exploring the personal, cultural, and collective unconscious as well as parallel complexes or wounding.
Learning will be through experiential process, creative discussions, and suggested readings.
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!
Updates for FOAT® Training Program:
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Introduction to Focusing-Oriented Expressive Arts (FOAT®) Self-Study 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!
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!
