.png)
Upcoming FOAT Trainings, Workshops, and Events
FOAT® Training Program
10 Group Meetings • September 23, 2024 - February 24, 2025 3:00pm- 6:30pm PT / 6:00pm - 9:30pm ET / Click here for time zone
Level 3: Advanced FOAT Practice Skills and Applications
Facilitated by Laury Rappaport, Ph.D., LMFT, ATR-BC, REAT and FOAT Faculty
Prerequisite: Completion of Level 2 (or equivalent) and Competence Evaluation
Level 3 emphasizes:
-
Deepening skillfulness in both individual and group facilitation
-
Learning to apply FOAT to working with different populations and needs
-
Exploring the trainee’s personal interests in applying FOAT (psychotherapy, community, coaching, wellness, creativity, self-growth, spirituality, etc.)
The training includes a variety of learning structures. To deepen FOAT facilitation skills, FOAT Trios (Focuser, Facilitator, Witness), FOAT Partnerships, and expressive arts methods are integrated into the training. FOAT as a trauma-informed approach is presented, along with applications to children, adolescents, adults, and groups. During Level 3, trainees explore their own interests in applying FOAT– creating a Learning Plan and designing a FOAT Project that can be applied in Level 4 as a Final Project for certification. The training includes didactic material, video, readings, demonstrations, experiential practice, peer support groups, FOAT coaching, and individual supervision.
Roots, Branches, and Wings Series
Friday, March 7, 2025 1:00 - 3:00pm PST / 4:00 - 7:00pm EST / Click here for your time zone
Community Wellness Focusing – Many Communities, Many Branches
Presented by Pat Omidian and Nina Joy Lawrence
Community Wellness Focusing is about sharing Focusing in a way that touches people and helps us all to bring this amazing body process into our everyday lives. What we discovered is that it's important to share what we learn immediately– not waiting to become any kind of ‘expert.’ Focusing crosses with every other practice when it is part of one’s life.
For community work we recognize that everyone brings their own expertise and shares it with the rest of us. We, as the Focusing teachers (and we use this term lightly), have one kind of expertise, but in this model we facilitate rather than teach. We are training individuals and groups in their own communities, who might work in any kind of capacity– whether participant, activist, teacher, or leader. Each person in the “room” is encouraged to ground what they learn in their own daily lives and work.
Not eligible for CE Hours
FOAT® Training Program
Wednesdays, March 19 - June 25, 2025 10:30am - 1:30pm PDT / 1:30 - 4:30pm EDT / Click here for your time zone
Level 1: Foundations and Approaches of Focusing-Oriented Expressive Arts (FOAT®)
Facilitated by Lynn Pollock, MA, LMHC, REAT and Assistant FOAT Faculty
Prerequisite: Completion of Introduction to FOAT (or equivalent)
Level 1 provides a solid foundation of Focusing-Oriented Expressive Arts (FOAT®) with an emphasis on deepening one’s embodied knowing of the main FOAT approaches– Focusing Attitude, Theme-Directed FOAT®, Clearing a Space with Arts, FOAT® Check-in, Working on an Issue, Self-Focusing, and Compassionate Listening. Trainees will also expand their understanding of the core concepts, skills and philosophy of Focusing, developed by Eugene Gendlin– felt sense, symbol/handle, felt shift, and life forward direction.
Learning FOAT and Focusing in Level 1 emphasizes learning the exercises for oneself– in order to understand deeply how the felt sense, creativity, and the body’s wisdom interacts and unfolds, while also being grounded in FOAT theories. The FOAT Partnership and small group practices during Level 1 open the doorway to learn about others’ processes and also provides a foundation for facilitation skills that are continued in Level 2. For information on our FOAT® Training Program, leading to certification, click here.
Updates for FOAT® Training Program:
-
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. Eligible for 3 CE Hours!
-
Level 1: Foundations and Approaches of Focusing-Oriented Expressive Arts (FOAT®): Registration open now. Eligible for 22 CE Hours!
-
Level 2: FOAT Facilitation and Partnership Skills: The current training group is now closed.
-
Level 3: Advanced FOAT Practice Skills and Applications: Registration open for trainees who have completed FOAT Level 2!
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!
