Asia Focusing International Conference
2017, August 25-27
Kobe, Japan
Registration started
Concept
Focusing, Focusing-Oriented Therapy and Experiencing
Focusing and Focusing-Oriented Psychotherapy comes from the American philosopher Professor Eugene Gendlin (University of Chicago). Gendlin articulated about ‘experiencing’ which is how our lived bodily experience interacts with symbols, such as language, art, movements, and so forth and carries forward into novel meanings with which we understand situations, ourselves and others. Human experience is creative, where all of what we already know interacts (is processed) to ‘make sense’, forming a new understanding. Focusing is a phenomenological method which carries forward our experiencing. People use Focusing for self-understanding, the understanding of others, and the understanding of situations. Focusing-Oriented Psychotherapy is a ” viewpoint in psychotherapy, where experiencing is centrally featured in the interaction between the client and the therapist.
Focusing and Asia
Gendlin’s philosophy emphasizes how our experience as-it-is, is before language or concepts. The implicit dimension always functions in our experience. The Asian strange of philosophy and cultural practices have always richly valued, the implicit, experiences that are not yet in words or concepts. We believe that crossing Asian traditions and Focusing would enrich both Focusing and Asian cultures. This conference is the first attempt to promote such a rich crossing.
The Challenge: One Asia Focusers
Expressions such as “the Asian Strange” denoting a unified Asia is easier said than done. Some efforts are necessary to become one because there are challenges, the biggest among them language. The existence of a language barrier cannot be neglected. However, we are reminded that people from all of the major participating countries eat white rice with chopsticks, testifying that we already share a large portion of our everyday ways of living. If we put a translator between us and them, and depend on the translator, the gap between us and them cannot be overcome. Let us maximize Focusing, the experiencing before words, and step forward to reach out to the other, to become One Asia Focusers. We invite you to three days of challenge and transformation. This may be an impactful transformation of our personal lives, and may this change of world map of Focusing. To achieve this goal, we will be placing importance on HomeTime (small groups similar to a Home Room with participants from different countries).
