What happens when we experience a group as a living organism, not just a collection of individuals? When people come together, something new begins to form—a living, evolving “Us” with its own atmosphere, rhythms, tensions, possibilities and implicit knowing. Focusing-Oriented Relating in Group Environments (FORGE) is an invitation to learn how to sense into and participate in that living process. We will pursue these goals through conceptual conversation and experiential group process.

In this first module of the FORGE Two-Year International Training Program, we will step into this intricate, mysterious world of group life. We’ll explore how facilitators can support the organic potential of groups to bring connection, growth and healing, while protecting participants from the pressures to “fit in.” This is the art of empowering authenticity and embodied presence in community, where no one has to leave their real experience behind to belong. This sense of belonging is one of the most powerful elements of wellbeing.

This module can be taken on its own without a commitment to the entire program. It will be helpful for both newcomers and for those with a background in Focusing and group work.

In this first module we will explore:

•      Cultivating a climate of openness, care and curiosity, which is the foundation of group facilitation.

•      Attuning to the “US” of the group—noticing and supporting its emerging

organismic life.

•      Balancing the needs of the individual and the group.

•      The radical nature of a Focusing perspective—what Gendlin meant by RELATING and how it differs from simply “fitting in” or “pouring out.”

•      Our heritage in group work—from Carl Rogers’s encounter groups to Gendlin’s distinctive understanding of community, individuality and genuine relating.

•      The group as a living system — learning to sense the group as more than the sum of its individual members.

•      Attuning to the I, the YOU, and the US—developing a multidimensional way of listening that includes ourselves, one another and the whole group.

•      The felt sense of the group as a living system— “reading the room” from an embodied, implicit knowing of what is happening and what might be needed next.

Section A: Tuesdays, will meet from 7:30am-9:30am, EST on

September 15, 29; October 13, 27; November 10, 24 2026

OR

Section B: Thursdays, will meet from 11:30am-1:30pm, EST on

September 17; October 1, 15, 29; November 12, Dec. 3 2026

PLEASE CHOOSE SECTION A OR B WHEN REGISTERING

All sessions will be on Zoom. All sessions will be recorded.

The suggested fee is $240. Contributions over $240 would be greatly appreciated, to help make this program affordable for everyone. Partial scholarships are available. To inquire about a scholarship, please send an email to FocusingPsychotherapy@gmail.com with the word SCHOLARSHIP in the subject.