EP00 Dialogue 02 - The Therapeutic Relationship - Albert Ellis, Ph.D., and Eugene Gendlin, Ph.D.
Given a topic, to become aware of the differing approaches to psychotherapy, and to identify the strengths and weaknesses in each approach.
Moderated by Ellyn Bader, Ph.D.
Supervision Panel 3 from the Evolution of Psychotherapy 2000
Featuring Eugene Gendlin, PhD, Harriet Lerner, PhD, and Salvador Minuchin, MD.
Moderated by Michael Yapko, PhD.
Topical Panel 12 from the Evolution of Psychotherapy 2000 - Research in Psychotherapy
Featuring Albert Bandura, PhD, Aaron Beck, MD, Eugene Gendlin, PhD, and Donald Meichenbaum, PhD.
Moderated by Camillo Loriedo, MD.
Dr. Gendlin will work with volunteers from the audience to show how to find “Focusing.” The physically felt body sense ofa problem is at first unclear and gradually opens and becomes clear. There will be discussion and demonstrations to show how Focusing is used in the context of psychotherapy.
In this experiential workshop, volunteers will be asked to describe a dream in detail and then to work on it with Dr. Gendlin. It is not necessary to tell everything; private space and silent meditation are essential. The use of Focusing will be demonstrated.
Educational Objectives:
To describe the use of focusing within a therapy hour, within relating and listening, and to describe when and how one would use it.
To describe how a step from focusing is likely to differ recognizably from other therapy events.
Focusing is bodily attention, not to mere sensations but to an at first unclear, implicitly complex bodily sense-of a situation, problem, or aspect of life. Therapy deepens immediately with many clients if asked what physical sense comes in the middle of the body in relation to what is being worked on. With half a minute of repeated direct attention, clients can assign a "quality-word," e.g., "heavy," "fluttery," or "tight." Then small steps come to say the crux of the problem. Each brings a slight (later large) "shift" and release, a direct sense of validity, although further steps may again change the whole problem.