REAF History

The Foundation of Receptive-Expressive Arts Focusing REAF is European Focusing and its development within the person-centered and experiential approach

The origins of REAF lie in the innovative Focusing trainings developed by Christiane Geiser and Hejo Feuerstein. They are renewed Person-Centered and Experiential Psychotherapists, TIFI Certifying Coordinators and the co-founders of the German-Swiss Focusing Network (FN) and the German Focusing Association (DFG), respectively. Christiane Geiser (FN) introduced the use of museum art representatives during her Focusing train-the-trainer seminar in 2003. In 2014, we learned about the guided Focusing exercises "The Gallery" and "Painting A Mural" from Hejo Feuerstein (DFG). We applied their teachings ever since

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The Receptive-Expressive Arts Focusing (REAF) program was developed from a person-centered and experiential standpoint. Originally called Expressive Arts Focusing (EXAF), the program evolved over five years to become what it is today

Unlike other uses of the term 'Expressive Arts Focusing' (Rappaport, 2021), the active element of REAF encompasses more than spontaneous expressive arts activities that lack inner guidance and may or may not lead to Focusing

The element of Expressive Arts Focusing is intentional, implying a guided process. A client's initial intention may be non-specific, such as finding stress relief, well-being, or resilience. In all cases, setting an intention implies slowing down, becoming grounded, and becoming present in order to shift from the receptive part of the process to active artistic expression

Receptive-Expressive Arts Focusing REAF: Foundation in European Focusing Plus

INFOBOX Focusing Plus

Focusing Plus is a specific style of Focusing developed by the German-Swiss Focusing Network FN for exploring and processing structure-bound patterns

Focusing Plus draws on a variety of modalities and incorporates energetic bodywork and person-centred body psychotherapy approaches

Focusing Plus is rooted in the work of the early pioneers of the Focusing Network FN, formerly the International Focusing Network IFN, which was founded by Eugene Gendlin in 1980 and had a German spreaking 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 through various collaboration arrangements, and from 1988 on through collaboration with the GFK Institute for Person-centered Psychotherapy, Body Therapy and Focusing Zurich CH
   
Publications by IFN and GFK founder Ernst Juchli, GFK co-founder Christiane Geiser, Hans-Ulrich Schlünder (FN) and other FN/GFK co-writers have been produced continuously since the early days. Their articles, essays and creative writing projects resulted in two books, which were published by the GFK Institute Zurich and the Swiss Association for Psychotherapy SGfK in 2017

Focusing Plus is rooted in 45 years of European Focusing tradition. It is the essential training guideline for the Focusing that we have been practicing and teaching since 1995 

REAF Public Release

Receptive-Expressive Arts Focusing , formerly known as 'Expressive Arts Focusing (EXAF)' (https://expressive-arts-focusing.jimdosite.com) was launched on our previous website on August 7, 2019.
Since then, we have continuously refined our exercises, tools, and applications in order to share this MAIF best practice program with different audiences

We are excited to share our work in progress with you and would be grateful if you could help us improve our standards by leaving a testimonial or comment if you have attended one of our workshops or sessions. Thank you very much!

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