Opening the “Focalizing Bistro”

In introducing Focalizing, my new service, I equate it to opening a fine restaurant. I imagine it as the Focalizing Bistro. For the past two years the process, structure and its web presence have been refining themselves. As a finishing touch, I’ve written and produced a 32-page booklet called: An Introduction to Focalizing: Organic Solutions to Real-Time Challenges. Although I’ve been testing the menu very successfully with local folks and others who come from across the country in preparation for the “opening;” this fall is the true unveiling. I have set aside special times for these sessions and, in one of these times, the first-ever Focalizing gift session was procured by someone for a friend in need. It was a rich, honoring experience for everyone.

One of the individuals who “met” me online came from the Northwest Territories to work with me in a real-time setting demonstrated amazing results. She was suffering from a long period of depressive immobilization (w/additional physical manifestations) ignited by post traumatic stress triggers and early life traumas. She made it perfectly clear for me that all the timing for Focalizing was mysteriously on-target and she was now ready to move on with her life in the months ahead. One statement this client shared about the results of our 2nd session was that “I feel a new integrity in my being.” She felt she was bringing together the body, mind and nature in a way that reminded her of a “house well-built with everything perfectly fitting together.” Her visit and our time working together was a gift for both of us.

I returned last week from presenting “Focalizing a Path to Sexual Health” at the 20thAnniversary conference of the Society for the Advancement of Sexual Health in Las Vegas, Nevada. Aside from having my presentation very well received, there were two other pearls of wisdom I received from colleagues. Patrick Carnes, a cofounder of the organization in 1987 and the man who first brought compassion to those suffering from sex addiction, spoke at the Gala about the original study group of practitioners who began to understand the special needs of this population (this population dumbfounded most practitioners at the time). He shared his grief about losing some of the original group who recently passing on and how, for him, this loss was a wake-up that he has little time for the frivolous; there are too many meaningful connections, loves and healing opportunities to enrich his existence to lose time to frivolity. This brought me back to my own experience in the mid-eighties when not only was I seriously ill, but all my friends who paved the courageous first gay coming out path with me were dying of AIDS. From that time on, the core of my being is always most focused on what matters to me and what I feel has meaning and connection with others. Focalizing is the latest manifestation of that commitment to making a difference.

The second pearl came from pioneering therapist Linda Hudson who shared about turning chaos and crisis into order and love. She even made the important leap in sharing how our soul speaks to us in such situations. Again, for me, it was another confirmation about my own healing journey and how the Focalizing distinction and process fits in the evolution of consciousness and healing.

Later this month, I’m off to the October 24-26 International Somatic Experiencing® Conference where I’ll be presenting: Focalizing: Organic Solutions to Real-Time Challenges to my international tribe of Somatic Experiencing practitioners in Berkeley, California. The theme of the Event is “Life Energy and the Emergent Therapeutic Paradigm: A Balanced Approach to Body, Mind and Nature.” Stay tuned for post conference notes.

New York Area Focalizing News:

In addition to individual focalizing sessions & consulting, there will be:

* Two bi-weekly evening Focalizing groups (7 participants each) beginning in early November ‘07. Designed for those who want to discover a new method of enriching their experience of life now and moving forward with exuberance.

* A weekend Focalizing Event in December, ‘07 or January, ‘08 (Dates TBA)

* The gifting of Focalizing

For more information: Contact frank@focalizing.com or 800-409-5713

Happy fall, Michael