FAQ

Answer by Pavlos Zarogiannis:

There has been a lot of discussion about ‘our’ name, especially in Tübingen last year. There were some suggestions, one of them was European Focusing Networking and another one European Focusing Associating. But we ‘decided’ to call this initiation EFA, not because we are an Association, but we may be one someday in the future. I can’t recall any other technical or legal issue concerning our name.
It came out of felt sensing and sharing. I don’t think that’s a big problem, we can easily change it, if there is a need for it now.
And the issue of certification came out, if I remember well, when we talked about working and doing training together in Europe. An idea/ideal was, let’s say, to have a training in Focusing and do one part of the training in Italy and one in Germany, or something like this. The two collaborating partners/trainers and that means the two training programs (the Italian and the German) are independent and different and, at the same time, they (should) have something in common, so that the trainee at the end could have a certification that is acceptable in both, or more, European countries.
Another possibility is what Hejo already does with the European Coaching programm, which involves working together with teachers from different
European countries (Germany, Holland, …). But, of course, Hejo can tell you more about this issue.
For me the most important thing still is the idea or the wish to find ways to work together on different levels.

For some countries in Europe a European certification means really nothing, but for some other countries a European certification means at least something. So, if we can work together and do projects and trainings, a ‘common’, i.e a European certification wouldn’t be a bad idea.

It would be something the European Certificate of Counselling or the European Certificate of Psychotherapy. Both are certifications that you get after you’ve already completed an accredited training programm in your own country. We don’t need to do the same thing, but we can create our one ideas about common trainings and possible certifications.

But everything is open and all these are just ideas and suggestions.

And as more people are comming and participate to this project (EFA) the more intresting it gets, because that’s Europe for me, since centuries. A very difficult, but intresting project with a lot of similarities and a lot of diversity. So many languages, mentalities and religions – a living process with an implicit multiplicity/intricacy out from which sometimes an accurate explication/symbolazition occurs (EFA?) that can move this whole (Europe) and every part of it a little bit forward (my wishful thinking?)

I think it’s enough now. I have to stop.

Best wishes

Pavlos