History of ExAF

Expressive Arts Focusing ExAF is rooted in European Focusing and its development within the person-centered and experiential approach

Contrary to other usage of the term 'Expressive Arts Focusing' (Rappaport, 2021) Expressive Arts Focusing ExAF encompasses more than spontaneous expressive arts activities without inner guidance than can or cannot lead to Focusing

Expressive Arts Focusing ExaF is intentional in ways of implying a guided process preparing the client for person-centered experiential arts expression. Intention set up is the client's doorway to be equal therapeutic partner

The client's intention set up might be non-specific like finding stress release and wellbeing or resilience. In all cases the intention set up implies to bodily slow down, get grounded and come to presence

FOCUSZART The Focusing Studio - ExAF History ©M. Languevin/Unsplash

Expressive Arts Focusing ExAF: Foundation in Intermodal Focusing Plus

Focusing Plus is a specific Focusing style of the German-Swiss Focusing Network FN, developed and designed for to explore and process structure-bound patterns

Focusing Plus uses the range of all modalities and implies energetic body work and person-centered body psychotherapy approaches

Focusing Plus is rooted in the work of early pioneers of the Focusing Network FN, formerly International Focusing Network IFN founded by Gendlin in 1980 with a German spreaking IFN branch in Munich. Focusing Coordinators from Germany, Switzerland and Austria published their Focusing Journal as early as 1981. Their ideas and practices have been extended and revised multiple times in different collaboration arrangements, and from 1988 on in collaboration with the GFK Institute for Body Therapy, Focusing and Person-centred Psychotherapy Zurich CH
   
Publications of the IFN and GFK founder Ernst Juchli, GFK co-founder Christiane Geiser, Hans-Ulrich Schlünder (FN) and other FN/GFK co-writers continued from the early days till today. Their articles, essays and creative writing projects resulted in two books published by the GFK Institute Zurich and the Swiss Association for Psychotherapy SGfK in 2017

Focusing Plus is embedded in more than 40 years of European Focusing tradition. It is the esssential training guideline for the Focusing we practice and teach since 1994 

Our approach of Expressive Arts Focusing ExAF has first been released through our previous website https://expressive-arts-focusing.jimdosite.com on August 7, 2019

Since then we are continuously redefining exercises, tools and applications to bring best practice to different audiences. We are excited to share this work-in-progress with you and ask your help to improve our standards by leaving a testimonial or comment if you have taken a workshop, session or a reading with us. Thank you!

FOCUSZART The Focusing Studio - Expressive Arts Focusing History ©Prithiviraj A/Unsplash

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FOCUSZART The Focusing Studio

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