What is Children’s Focusing?

Children’s Focusing acts as a bridge between a child’s inner and outer world. It is the job of the Focusing guide to give the child space to share what that bridge is as they connect to a ‘felt sense’, ‘the bodily sense of a situation, problem or creative project’ (The International Focusing Institute, New York).

Whereas an adult learning Focusing can express much with words and gesture, children often have a very different Focusing language, one that is unique to each child. For some, movement expresses their inner world, for others it is art, play, music or story. A child may be able to tell you all they need to through their sensory world, the softness of a leaf, the hard or smooth edges of a stone, the scrunch of tinfoil. Anything in their environment can act as that bridge of communication as long as the Focusing guide follows their process, rather than directing it.

What are the benefits of Children’s Focusing?

Children’s Focusing helps a child to:

• communicate their needs

• improve self expression

• develop self compassion

• feel empowered as they are listened to

• build inner resilience

• self regulate

• grow their emotional intelligence

• recognise healthy boundaries

• find their inner compass

• relate better to themselves and others

• improve concentration

• listen with empathy and solve conflicts themselves

• trust in their ability to affect the world

  I have had the privilege to see children heal from anxiety, anger, bullying, grief and trauma through Children’s Focusing. Often, they simply describe the process as ‘body magic’ - and to witness it is magic too.