From self-criticism, anxiety, feeling stuck…
Join Your Path to Lasting Change, a live online program
to help you build emotional resilience and live more peacefully.
Next Course Starts
February 18
Registration Closes
February 4
From self-criticism, anxiety, feeling stuck…
Join Your Path to Lasting Change,
a live online program
to help you build emotional resilience and live more peacefully.
Next Course Starts
February 18
Registration Closes
February 4
The Change You’ve Been Searching for…
Starts Here
It is so human to get stuck in cycles of self-criticism, stress, or unhelpful habits that make life harder than it needs to be.
Trying to push through difficult feelings or “fix” yourself often just adds more tension and frustration.
We understand how confusing and discouraging that can feel. You’re doing your best, but it seems like nothing truly changes.
What’s missing isn’t more effort…it’s a gentler way to be with yourself and your emotions.
At the heart of this training is a radical idea: nothing in you needs to be forced, fixed, or silenced.
Instead, every feeling has something to share when met with acceptance.
Our students say this gentle, “no-agenda” approach has transformed the way they relate to themselves and ripples out into every part of life.
At the heart of this training is a radical idea: nothing in you needs to be forced, fixed, or silenced.
Instead, every feeling has something to share when met with acceptance.
Our students say this gentle, “no-agenda” approach has transformed the way they relate to themselves and ripples out into every part of life.
The Key to Real Change: Self-Compassion
Your Path to Lasting Change teaches a simple, step-by-step process that helps you notice your feelings, listen to them with kindness, and respond to yourself with care.
You don’t need to have prior experience with emotional healing. This course guides you gently so you can practice at your own pace.
As you practice, the inner tension that once felt overwhelming begins to ease.
How The Inner Relationship Focusing Training Program will Improve Your Life
When Inner Critics Won’t Quit
Most of us know that harsh inner voice that says, “You should be better at this,” or “How could you mess that up again?”
In this course, your self-judgment softens and a quiet confidence begins to take its place.
Maybe your heart races before a tough conversation, or you replay interactions long after they’ve ended.
In this program, you’ll learn gentle skills to steady yourself in the moment, so anxiety doesn’t take over.
Whether it’s procrastinating, doom-scrolling, or reaching for that extra snack, we all have ways we try to avoid discomfort.
This program helps you tune in to what’s really needed underneath the urge so habits that once felt automatic begin to shift naturally.
Finally Experience the Change You’re Looking For
As you practice, you’ll feel:
Finally Experience the Change You’re Looking For
As you practice, you’ll feel:
If you want to learn a skill to bring more happiness, calm, and ease to your life, or to the lives of others, our Inner Relationship Focusing Training Program is for you!
You’re Committed to Helping Yourself
Whether you’re new to self-care or experienced, Your Path to Lasting Change will give you the skills to feel what it’s like to love and trust yourself.
You’re Committed to Helping Others
If you’re a therapist or a coach, our additional content for Healing Professionals will help you support clients when they’re stuck or emotionally overwhelmed. Find out more here.
You’re interested in Untangling®
Learning IRF is foundational to learning Untangling®. Here, you’ll practice key Untangling concepts. As a Path graduate, you’ll be eligible for Untangling courses and retreats with Ann Weiser Cornell and Barbara McGavin.
Don’t see a time that works? Click here to email Ann.
Does Inner Relationship Focusing Work?
Over 50 research studies have linked Focusing with positive outcomes in therapy including greater emotional regulation, more satisfying relationships, and increased self-acceptance, but you don’t need to be in therapy to benefit from the process!
Hear what some of our past students experienced in our program…
Manalapan, New Jersey
“I used to experience painful depressions that I felt I had little control over. I haven’t experienced depression since learning Focusing. I had trouble handling disagreement and differences of opinion. I listen to others with greater caring now, and am enjoying all my relationships more.
Before Focusing, my husband and I often had painful, confusing conflict. My marriage is now the joy that I want it to be. It used to be hard for me to know what I was feeling, because there was so much I was on the verge of knowing about myself that I was afraid to know. Now, I can turn toward all that.
I have the ability to notice feelings of all kinds, and relate to them in a friendly way that helps them relax and reveal what is important in them. I used to be very hard on myself, believing I had to be perfect, and berating myself for my failures. I now have a much more compassionate relationship with myself, owning (and cherishing) my own humanness and imperfectness.
At one point in my life, I truly thought there was something essentially defective about me. Now I feel so……well, human. And joined in that humanity by everyone else.”
“You always hear people say “love yourself,” but no one tells you how to actually do that.
Inner Relationship Focusing is the first practice I’ve encountered that has truly taught me how to love myself — just as I am, including the parts that aren’t always so loving.
Before the course, I rejected many parts of myself. Now, I know how to be with those parts — without trying to fix or change them. That alone is life-changing.
I looked in a lot of places that promised healing but didn’t really deliver the goods. Spiritual communities, therapeutic approaches — some helped temporarily, some were just band-aids. I’ve had powerful healing experiences, but Inner Relationship Focusing is different.
It’s gentle, patient, and gradual. And because of that, the change it brings is real. It grows quietly, and then it starts to build exponentially. The name “Path to Lasting Change” is no joke — if you take this course, there’s no way you won’t change.
I’ve been around the spiritual block, and there is truly nothing like Inner Relationship Focusing. It’s a very special teaching, a powerful practice, and a deeply kind and respectful community. I’m so grateful to be a part of it.”
“Before the course, I felt anxious, stressed, depressed, and unworthy. I had a hard time having a positive relationship with aspects of myself. Now, I’m much better able to accept myself — what’s there inside.
I got very comfortable with the Focusing process and built up a couple of amazing Focusing partnership relationships. I learned again and again that situations I find myself in are there to learn from. The barriers put up are inside me and can be transformed so I can find a real path forward. I’ve been able to solve things better, to let go of things more easily, to enjoy more.”
For the first time, with Focusing, I feel like I’m safe enough inside to feel all of my emotions. It’s so empowering for me to be able to learn how to hold myself with compassion and patience. In most practices, you need a therapist in order to get to this depth. I think one of the true strengths of Focusing is that after just a couple of courses, you have access to the process for yourself.
Since I started Focusing, my sense of continual hunger is gone! I’m down 10 lbs and still dropping. I’ve been able to restart my exercise routine. Even my media addictions are gone. And I’ve stopped buying stuff on Amazon and Ebay cold turkey.
In a recent Focusing session, hunger came up and I was able to sit with it. Until that moment, I hadn’t realized that buying was part of the hunger. What a cool thing to discover! I’m so grateful for my Focusing companions for their contribution to these significant changes in my life!!”
What’s special about Focusing is this radical belief that we already have within us the next right step.
Focusing helped me trust my process more and achieve the hoped-for results that always seemed out of reach with other programs. Now, with Focusing, I am able to reach deeper levels within myself and I trust my inner process more than before.
There IS something worthwhile that can be done to ease people’s suffering. Something that transforms the very fabric where people are stuck in their lives. It’s Focusing and it gives me practical hope for a better world.
For over 30 years I’ve been searching for effective ways to help myself and others maximize their unique potential and alleviate the distinctive suffering that manifests from living with a tricky and highly complex human mind and nervous system or more simply stated, from being human. Inner Relationship Focusing is THE most powerful, effective, and elegant human technology for individual and community well-being I’ve ever encountered. In the relatively short period of time, I’ve been engaged in Focusing both personally and in my work with clients, the shifts and openings that have occurred are astounding. My life is opening up, the well-being of my clients is expanding, and all in the context of a global pandemic. Amazing!
We often think that change has to be difficult or challenging, but Focusing has taught me it can be gentle and beautiful. The secret of Focusing is realizing you don’t have to change anything–you can just be with your emotions as they are. Before Path to Lasting Change, I didn’t have a way to teach my coaching clients how to move through uncomfortable emotions and that left me feeling impotent, pushy, and unprepared. Now, I have a method to show my clients the power of going inward in a safe, gentle way.
psychotherapist and life coach, New Brunswick, Canada
“Before the course, I felt anxious, stressed, depressed, and unworthy. I had a hard time having a positive relationship with aspects of myself. Now, I’m much better able to accept myself — what’s there inside. I got very comfortable with the Focusing process and built up a couple of amazing Focusing partnership relationships. I learned again
After just two courses of Focusing training I’ve discovered things about myself I’m really excited about, and I’m starting to be able to do things to move forward that I’ve always wanted to do. I have been working as a coach and therapist since 1988. I took what I was learning from the very first week of the course into to my client sessions, with amazing results. I deal a lot with clients who have anxiety issues…and after 30 minutes of Focusing my clients were saying, ‘Wow, what’s that?’
Even more important is how it’s helped me. I grew up as a little boy feeling anxious, waking up in the mornings not sure what I could count on in the world. What I’ve noticed from the Focusing training is, now I can be with that aspect of myself that feels anxious. I can be with it like an old friend.
I have to say that the decision to take this course ranks up there with the best decisions in my life.“
Many approaches to self-acceptance focus on “fixing” your thoughts, feelings, or behaviors. IRF takes a completely different approach: you don’t need fixing, you do need compassion.
The wise, capable person you hope to become is already inside you. You just need to learn how to connect with them through kindness, patience, and curiosity, not by forcing yourself to change.
This training teaches you exactly how to do that. When you slow down and trust your inner wisdom, those tight feelings (self-doubt, worry, fear) begin to ease naturally. You start seeing what YOU actually want, not what others expect from you.
Think of it like being a good friend to yourself. Curious and caring, not demanding or critical.
Students say this feels like coming home to themselves. They discover who they are right now is already enough. That’s where real growth begins.
What You’ll Get in Your Path to Lasting Change
This is Not Your Typical Online Class…
Live, Online Meetings
Each part of our two-part program includes nine 2-hour meetings.
You’ll meet live to connect with your teachers, learn and practice the process, and get your questions answered then and there (no waiting days for a response to an email). Between classes, our teachers and assistants are available by email or phone to support your progress.
Partnership + Connection
- Weekly practice with another student
- Take turns listening with empathy, no advice giving or fixing
- Consistent practice helps your learning truly take root
Downloadable Materials
- PDF copy of The Focusing Student’s and Companion’s Manual
- Unique, easy to follow Focusing Exercise Sheets for paired practice
Lifetime Access
- An online classroom you can access anytime from any device
- Audio recordings of live classes, plus video lessons
- Revisit lessons, practices, and homework whenever you want a refresher
What you’ll come away with:
Meet Your Teachers
Jinevra is an empathic teacher, dedicated to helping students unfold into their fullness, with authenticity, humor, directness, and love. Her lifelong interest in philosophy, spirituality and all aspects of human development led her to Inner Relationship Focusing. Her interests and influences include enneagram, mysticism, integral theory, neurobiology, nonviolent communication, phenomenology, literature, poetry, and music.
Ann Weiser Cornell, author of Focusing in Clinical Practice: The Essence of Change, The Power of Focusing, The Radical Acceptance of Everything, and Untangling: How You Can Transform What’s Impossibly Stuck has devoted her life to helping people learn Focusing easily. Ann learned Focusing from its originator, Eugene Gendlin, in 1972, and worked closely with him for years. Today Ann is internationally recognized as one of the leading innovators and theoreticians of Focusing. She has taught Focusing in over twenty countries, and her Focusing books and manuals have been translated into eleven other languages.
You’re Just Weeks Away From Living with Clarity and Peace
A 2-Part Program To Make Learning Easier
This is deep work, so we’ve divided it into two 9-week parts to make it easier to absorb. We provide a break between the courses to give you time to put your new skills into practice.
In Part One, you’ll learn a simple, powerful way to stay grounded and be kind to yourself, no matter what’s happening around (or inside) you.
In Part Two, you’ll deepen everything you’ve learned and start to feel a quiet confidence that comes from truly knowing how to meet whatever life brings.
Your Program Bonuses
As soon as you register, you’ll have instant access to 3 bonuses to get you started
Why Listening to Yourself Works
If you’ve ever tried to push your feelings away or “fix” yourself, you likely know it doesn’t work.
In this bonus, you’ll discover why, plus learn the simple, life-changing power of The Listening Response. Includes a guided exercise to help you make gentle, compassionate listening a daily habit.
When it’s Hard to Know What You Feel…
Being invited to “feel” can be complicated when you aren’t sure how.
This bonus helps you move past expectations about how you “should” feel and notice what’s really happening inside. With a guided exercise you can repeat anytime, you’ll grow your ability to sense what’s true for you in each moment
When Past Trauma Makes It Hard to Be Present
When hard things have happened to you in the past, connecting with your feelings might feel like too much.
This bonus gives you tips to adjust your Focusing practice so you feel safer and more supported. These small adjustments can make a huge difference in your experience.
For Coaches, Therapists, and Other Healing Professionals
When clients get stuck in old patterns or stay stuck in their heads, IRF helps them connect with what’s really going on beneath the surface.
In Your Path to Lasting Change, you’ll first experience Focusing yourself. Our Healing Professionals Track shows you how to bring this powerful, body-centered approach into your work – whether you’re a coach, therapist, bodyworker, or healer.
Embracing IRF isn’t just adding a new technique; it’s a journey of self-compassion that deepens your connection with yourself and helps you support real healing in others.
Add the Healing Professionals Track for $200 per part at checkout.
Would you like to give it a try?
The Missing Piece in Inner Work
Meet your teachers and get an immediate experience of how IRF can help you.
Would you like to give it a try?
The Missing Piece in Inner Work
Meet your teachers and get an immediate experience of how IRF can help you.
Scholarships
We’re committed to making this course as diverse and accessible as possible.
Are You Ready to Feel the Quiet Relief of Coming Home to Yourself?
We’ve been helping people change their lives since 1985.
We’d love to support you, too.
Upcoming Live Course Dates:
The Full Program:
February 18 to April 15, 2026
and
May 6 to July 1, 2026
18 Wednesdays
10:00 AM to 12:00 PM Pacific
Last Day to Register: February 4
Part One Only
February 18 to April 15, 2026
9 Wednesdays
10:00 AM to 12:00 PM Pacific
Last Day to Register: February 4
Part Two Only
May 6 to July 1, 2026
9 Wednesdays
10:00 AM to 12:00 PM Pacific
Last Day to Register: April 29
Sign up for The Full Program and Save $297
choose the plan that’s Right for youPayment plan selection available on the last page during checkout (includes processing fees).
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$1597
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$282.14
Registration is limited to 40 participants per course.
More About What People Are Saying
Skills I’ll use for the rest of my life…
“In The Path to Lasting Change, Parts 1 and 2, I learned skills that I will use for the rest of my life. One of the biggest takeaways for me has been the ability to learn how to easily access Self-in-Presence – that open, warm, spacious, nonjudgmental space within me. When I am in this place, everything is different. I feel calm, clear, peaceful, and joyful. I set boundaries much easier. I take better care of myself. I show up more fully for others. I am coming from the highest place within me. I feel free for the first time in my life! When I do get triggered, which does not happen as often as it used to, I have the tools to be with that trigger. I notice that when I am with something that is uncomfortable I eventually (sometimes in minutes, sometimes after several Focusing sessions), get to the point where it shifts. I then feel freer, lighter, more peaceful than ever before. I feel like this process is cleaning me from the inside out. Inner Relationship Focusing has profoundly transformed my life and I am so grateful!”
IRF is transformative
“Before the Path to Lasting Change, Part Two, I had a lot of anxiety and grief. It was difficult to get things done. Now, I have tools to help me process those feelings and move forward with my life and I feel less anxiety. Everything about IRF is transformative.”
If you take this course, there’s no way you won’t change
“You always hear people say “love yourself,” but no one tells you how to actually do that. Inner Relationship Focusing is the first practice I’ve encountered that has truly taught me how to love myself — just as I am, including the parts that aren’t always so loving.
Before the course, I rejected many parts of myself. Now, I know how to be with those parts — without trying to fix or change them. That alone is life-changing.
I looked in a lot of places that promised healing but didn’t really deliver the goods. Spiritual communities, therapeutic approaches — some helped temporarily, some were just band-aids. I’ve had powerful healing experiences, but Inner Relationship Focusing is different.
It’s gentle, patient, and gradual. And because of that, the change it brings is real. It grows quietly, and then it starts to build exponentially. The name “Path to Lasting Change” is no joke — if you take this course, there’s no way you won’t change.
I’ve been around the spiritual block, and there is truly nothing like Inner Relationship Focusing. It’s a very special teaching, a powerful practice, and a deeply kind and respectful community. I’m so grateful to be a part of it.”
Larger capacity to be with the big feelings
“Before Path To Lasting Change, Part Two I was facing a big life transition and I felt utterly alone and overwhelmed with grief. I was in a deep freeze state and felt angry with anyone who couldn’t understand what I was going through. I also had a hard time asking for what I really needed. Now after completing the courses, I have a much larger capacity to be with all the big feelings I have around these changes like fear, anger, and deep sadness.
I don’t feel like I need people to understand it because I understand it and can be with it. Simultaneously I am able to ask the people in my life who are close to me for what I need in a way that is vulnerable and inviting. I used to feel so frustrated and alone that those emotions would come out first and then people would be confused and feel distant from me.
Other surprising shifts include rediscovering my own writing voice after a couple years of trying to fit myself in a box that isn’t mine, my husband and I are having much deeper communications, and I am re-visioning my work life so I feel more nourished and less drained. I highly recommend this course to anyone who looking to have a deeper connection to themselves, their work and the people in their lives.”
Changed my life…
“Inner Relationship Focusing has changed my life in that it has given me a process by which I can meet myself and all there is; and shift long stuck habits of mind and body without pushing or fixing; and also models a somatic, peer-based learning approach that I find incredibly powerful–where individuals are learning to support themselves and be supportive of others, modeling reciprocity and inter-dependence.”
I’ve learned what it really means to love myself…
“Before Path to Lasting Change, my biggest challenge was intense emotions and nervous system freeze that I wouldn’t know what to do with. That left me feeling confused and helpless. Now, I feel like I’ve learned more about what it really means to love myself. I don’t need to know what love is or how to feel it, or even to know who I am. Instead, I can choose again and again to simply be with what’s arising in me right now with open curiosity, giving it the relational presence its needed to be able to change in its own miraculous way.”
…a whole new way of being
“Before Path to Lasting Change, Part One, my biggest challenge was feeling incompetent and that left me feeling anxious. Whatever anxiety I have around my own incompetence or inadequacies in any given moment is now manageable by bringing my awareness inward and saying hello. I get to be with the feeling not become the feeling.
At first, I presumed Focusing was a skill I would learn, a practice I might undertake. But now, I feel like it’s a whole new way of being. It has this continually transcending quality to it.”
I’ve found the best tool for myself (IRF)…
“Before Path to Lasting Change, Part One my biggest challenge was ruminating, feeling split (longing for closeness and not allowing it), and often feeling sad, stressed, and tense. That left me feeling both restless and frozen. Now, the challenges are still here and I have a tool to address them. I can’t say I’m in a better place than I was before taking the course. It feels like more and more suppressed feelings are showing up. More sadness and tension come as I do the process. Or, I am more aware of these feelings. Yet, at the same time, I feel calmer because I know I’ve found the best tool for myself (IRF) and I trust the process. I’m willing to continue practicing and being patient, loving, and empathetic with my parts and with the whole of me.”
‘I know who I am’ a little more
“Before Path to Lasting Change, my biggest challenges were maintaining boundaries in personal relationships and self-advocacy in situations where there was conflict. That left me feeling helpless and ashamed about feeling helpless. When I did manage to communicate what I need, I’d feel a kind of diffused panic that left me disoriented, like I needed to distract myself.
After the course, I have an increased sense that I deserve to have boundaries and I can still love others while maintaining them. I’ve had situations in the last few weeks where I needed to say ‘no’ to people close to me. I was able to do it more readily without that feeling of diffused panic. I’ve felt a mix of pride and hope, a sense that ‘I know who I am’ a little more.
I also needed to tell someone I’m very close to that some things she’d done and said had hurt me. I was able to do this with more clarity and less fear than usual. She noticed and appreciated this new strength. It felt very encouraging to be able to act more out of strength than fear and to feel that she also experienced me more fully as a result.
Path to Lasting Change was absolutely worth doing. It provides a new way of contacting yourself and connects you with people who can share in that process with you.”
Like the lights of acceptance, and peace have been switched on
“Your Path to Lasting Change created a shift in my goals as a therapist. The surprise was, this course also created a shift within me. I found an awareness of my Self-in-Presence and learned to say ‘hello’ to the ever-changing aspects of myself that I experience as my emotional life.
From the viewpoint of a therapist, before the course, I felt I had to be responsible for ‘fixing’ others. Now, being present within, I’m more often able to help others do the same — to connect to their own emotional wisdom which allows them a lifetime of self-compassion and greater calm.
Personally, Focusing gives me a feeling of being more alive, like the lights of awareness, acceptance, and peace have been switched on inside — so critical during this time of social upheaval, COVID19, and general life unrest.
I can’t say enough about the course, because it’s difficult to find the exact words to describe the experience of Focusing. Sometimes we just need to listen to something inside telling us to get off the fence and experience it for ourselves.”
I’m less reactive and better able to adapt
“Before the course, old anger and resentment kept rising to the surface where I tried to deflect it. I felt both toxic and deeply sad because I was becoming increasingly reactionary rather than responsive.
After the course, everything changed. I learned not to deny my anger and resentment — or even try to “fix” it — but to simply acknowledge it, sit with it, and listen to it. The change was transformative. The tensions of trying to keep a lid on toxic emotions disappeared. The anger and resentment dissipated dramatically. A gentle, soothing feeling of trust and open-heartedness began to build between me and all my parts. That feeling also expanded into my relationships. I’m less reactive and better able to adapt based on circumstances.
The compassion, curiosity, and loving-kindness at the heart of Focusing is a transformative gift that inspires the strength and courage to take the next step. We don’t have to complete the whole journey right now. Just the next step. And then the next… and the next…“
I am full of hope now
“Before the course, I’d get identified with a perspective or part and it left me feeling doubtful, defeated, ashamed, and hopeless. Now, I have an anchor for pausing when I feel confused. I can wonder, “what am I identified with?” It helps me feel a sense of hope and even trust in myself.
Here’s what that looks like in my life…
An inability to weather and recover from difficult emotional states were two things that simply felt like facts about me – things that could not or would not change. Yet, they’ve shifted. I am full of hope now that I can slow down and make healthier choices rather than reactive ones.”
I feel more dynamic and responsive
“Before the course, I was often caught in a fog—gripped by parts that felt paralysed, despairing, or convinced there was no way to navigate through. I didn’t know how to recognize what was really going on inside, or how to be with it without pushing it away.
Now, I feel more dynamic and responsive. I’m not always calm or present, but there’s more agency—like something in me truly knows, even if I often forget, that turning toward what’s here, rather than escaping it, is where freedom lives. Even in difficult states, there’s a growing confidence that I can follow some kind of guidance through the inner depths toward something essential and true.”
Feels like coming home
“Before the Path to Lasting Change program, I was stuck in a pattern that repeated itself over and over again. It was like I was on a merry-go-round. An experience would trigger me and I’d feel agitated and then want to “fix” it.
Now, when this comes up, I’m able to just be with it. I can let it be what it needs to be for as long as it needs to be. It’s not about fixing anymore. It’s a new way of developing a relationship with myself. It feels like coming home.”
IRF is the missing link…
“After Path to Lasting Change, I feel more alive because I’m acknowledging parts within me — allowing them life. I’m able to move forward in a number of areas of my life. I’m also learning what self-love is and discovering greater depths within myself. For me, Inner Relationship Focusing is the missing link that enables my other healing modalities to come alive. It’s such a unique opportunity to learn from experienced, caring, passionate teachers who put so much care and effort into crafting a course.”
Compassionate to things inside, even when they don’t seem to change
“Before the Path to Lasting Change, Part One course, I was struggling because it felt like even doing Focusing wasn’t bringing any palpable change. That left me feeling stuck. Now, I’m able to stay at the “edge”, where change is happening. Also, I’m more able to be Self-in-Presence, relating compassionately to the things inside, even when they don’t seem to change!”
Focusing is a game-changer
“Before the course, I was concerned about completing my doctoral degree. I felt trapped, unheard, hopeless — like I was in a deep dark hole screaming for help, but no one could hear me. Path to Lasting Change showed me how Focusing can dissolve boulder-sized problems into pebbles. I learned that while there might be lots of pessimistic chatty noise in my mind about a problem (i.e. the world is out to get me), Focusing gives me access to the root of concern which is often more grounded, pragmatic, and realistic (i.e. fear of rejection).
There are few moments in a person’s life when one simple decision changes everything for the better — choosing Focusing is one of those moments. If you want to learn how to tap into your body’s wisdom, improve your quality of life, creativity, and problem-solving, Focusing is a game-changer.”
Freed me from often feeling trapped in shame
“Before Path to Lasting Change, my biggest challenge was having Parts that self-attack when I feel strong emotions, express an opinion different from the group, or when I make I try to make financial decisions. That left me feeling ashamed, stupid, and incompetent.
Now, I’ve started learning a new language within myself to myself. And to my amazement, it is also understandable to other people. This has somehow freed me from often feeling trapped in desperate shamefulness. I’ve read a lot of theory, but the actual experience of repeatedly Focusing changes something in a way I can’t yet articulate. But it has the effect of feeling whole, in one piece, in a stable foundation in beingness.
Recently after a Focusing session, I was so moved by my inner parts willingness to communicate when given the chance and attention. Like they have been there all this time just waiting for me to listen. Isn’t it amazing that they didn’t give up decades ago?”
Learning there’s nothing in me to be afraid of…
“Before the course, I was aware of subtle anxious states I’d wake up with each day and how I’d quickly move those feelings aside or replace them with something more pleasant. Now I approach each morning’s sensation with curiosity, instead of the knee-jerk impulse to “get rid of it”.
I’m learning there’s nothing in me to be afraid of. I love the idea that there’s nothing in me that needs to be rejected…nothing to be gotten rid of!”
A powerful addition to my work
“I took this course to incorporate Focusing into my work with people as a life coach and spiritual director. I’ve been leading people in self-discovery for more than 20 years and Focusing is a powerful addition to my work.
The course offered me insights from actual experience about Focusing dynamics that were only concepts from the reading I’d done previously. The skills gained in both using Focusing for myself and in companioning others are invaluable.”
More calm and happy, even in difficult circumstances
“Before Path to Lasting Change Part Two, I had a lot of challenges due to trauma and tangled up areas of my life. This left me feeling alone, in pain, and constantly looking for a solution. Now, I feel something inside that’s slowly melting (something that was once frozen). I feel more calm and happy, even in difficult circumstances. I’m more grounded and present. It seems like there are parts inside that are still trying to look for solutions, but it’s like I’ve become bigger. There’s a sort of presence that’s become stronger, that can be with everything inside and outside, and keep it company in a compassionate way—without running away, controlling, or trying to change things.
My relationships are easier, more intimate, and peaceful. Communication has improved a lot. I’m better able to maintain healthy boundaries. I am still stuck in some areas of life, but also stronger and able to face situations calmly. And I’m not judging situations or people like I used to.”
Shifted my fear of public speaking…
“Path to Lasting Change, Part Two helped me with my fear of public speaking. That fear had left me feeling small, contracted, and irrelevant. Through the course, I became aware of the sensations in my body that had conditioned me to ‘do’ or ‘not do’ things. All that has changed. Now, those old sensations no longer dictate how I experience public speaking, or even how I think about it. Thank you!”
