Transform Your Life, Learn Focusing, Welcome the Way We Grow
Welcome!
We are delighted to offer these yummy resources for exploring Interactive Focusing! We look forward to adding more resources for future generations.
If you have any suggestions or requests for additions to this collection, please use our contact form to get in touch with us.
Developers
In the 1980s, Janet Klein was an experienced Focuser, on the road to becoming a PhD psychologist. She wanted to use Focusing to have a better relationship with people -- to become a good empathic listener. She set out to observe Focusing Partnership sessions that had a special quality of closeness, eventually writing her PhD Thesis on observations of the interactions of these partners. It was crucial to her that whatever process developed could be done by anyone, without needing experts.
One very unique aspect of Janet's work is the Relationship Check. This fulfills our nearly universal desire to know what others think of us. By forming the Relationship Check in two parts -- how am I with myself? And how am I with my partner? -- and applying the same equal turns as in Focusing, there is strong support for forward progress in the relationship between the two people. Most Relationship Checks are steeped in a deep appreciation of each other. Even those relationships that are troubled can benefit from pausing and assessing the whole relationship and its many benefits rather than one single instance of discord.
Janet Klein met Dr. Mary McGuire, PsyD, (and former Executive Director of The Focusing Institute), who became her mentor and helped in the development and teaching of IF all over the world. Dr. Janet Klein, PsyD, designated two Master Teachers of IF in Japan before her untimely passing. These are Masumi Maeda and Mieko Ito. There are a few other teachers of IF in the world, and a few more are in progress. That is why we are so excited to establish the “Exploring Interaction” project in the Smartview Community, to help assure this vital practice is sustainable.
Books by Dr. Janet Klein
Inside-Me Stories "Something is Happening Inside-Me!"
A valuable manual for children and teachers written by Janet Klein, co-developer of Interactive Focusing. Volumes One and Two of Inside-Me Stories teach children how to listen and talk from a place inside themselves called the bodysense, their inner knowing and wisdom. Once they learn the essentials, they can proceed to develop the skills and talents of empathy and compassion, deal with conflict peacefully, form healthy relationships, learn how to express inwardly felt experience, modulating its affect and many other skills. This manual has stories that can be read to children along with exercises and suggestions to teachers. There are 16 stories/exercises for Grades 3-5 meant to be read in a play format. There are 9 stories/exercises for Grades 1-2 easily organized to fit your situation. 100 pages total.
This pdf we offer does have yellow highlight from its previous owner. TIFI sells a paperback version for $20 HERE.
Janet Klein Psy.D. Teacher's combined edition. Volume One: Grades 3-5 and Volume Two: Grades 1-2 The Inside-People Press, 1998 (Revised Feb.2000)
Interactive Focusing Therapy: Healing Relationships
Learn to use the power of Focusing within the context of relationship.
Interactive Focusing is based on the premise that people who have a healing way of processing their differences have relationships that will grow and thrive. Conversely, those in relationship who don't have a healing way of processing differences will have a stuck relationship.
In this book, Janet describes the basics of Interactive Focusing Therapy. She has constructed dialogues that present what this therapy would look like with individuals, couples, families and groups.
She mentions that her most enjoyable chapter to write is "What I Value About You". She spends two chapters processing positives as she believes it is too often overlooked in therapeutic relationships.
200 pages, copyright 2001 Janet Klein
TIFI is sold out of the soft manual. We are not aware of another source other than our pdf copy above.
The Empathic Listening/ Focusing Manual
This workbook follows the teaching curriculum at the Focusing Institute in Chicago. The objectives are to be able to lead yourself and someone else through Gendlin's six steps of Focusing. The listener is trained in empathic felt sense listening for a partnership exchange or Interactive Focusing. It is recommended that all teaching be done experientially giving students a lot of practice.
Extremely helpful to those who want to learn and teach the process.
Section One: Empathic Felt Sense Listening and Focusing Description
Introduction
The Five Levels and Modules
Focusing and the Healthy Organism
Focusing as an Ongoing Process
A Felt Sense Exercise with a Partner
Why Do We Call It the Focusing Attitude?
Discerning Exercises from the Felt Sense
Focusing
Focusing: Gendlin's Six Steps in Brief
Listening
Empathic Felt Sense Listening for the 'More'
Process Suggestions
Teaching
The Coached Model
The Focuser-as-teacher Model
The Focuser-as teacher Exercise
Can the Focuser Teach the Listener to Listen Empathically?
Section Two: Interactive Focusing
Interactive Focusing (The Folio, Spring 1994)
Interactive Focusing and Empathic Felt Sense Listening (The Folio, Winter 1995)
Interactive Focusing and Empathic Felt Sense Listening: Article Outline
The Empathic Moment
Interactive Focusing: Group Format
Interactive Focusing in the Real World
Coaching Interactive Focusing
The Interactive Focusing Model Short Form
Section Three: Healing the Inner Critic and Strategies for Dealing with the Critic
Healing the Inner Child by Mary McGuire
The Inner Child and the Critic: How to Recognize Them
Listening to the Wounded and for the Healing
The Critic and Strategies for Dealing with It
The Critic: A compassionate Journaling
Outlines of the Critic Articles
TIFI sells a softcover manual of 105 pages for $35 HERE. Our pdf is 114 pages. 
Articles
A Brief History and Hallmarks of the Interactive
The Empathic Moment and the Empathic Response by Dr. Janet Klein
Janet Klein Interactive Focusing Seminar Addendum to Working Paper: The Story
Interactive Response, Your Own Story by Dr. Janet Klein
The Relationship Check Working Paper
YouTube Videos of the Developers
1 min. The Interactive Focusing Process with Dr. Mary McGuire and Dr. Janet Klein is incorporating Focusing into the building of relationships. Through the Interactive Focusing Process, we are able to develop empathy and compassion as well as self-empathy and self-compassion. This video is featured at the top of this page.
Introduction to Interactive Focusing with Janet Klein and Mary McGuire
Jun 18, 2009
6 min. Dr Janet Klein and Dr Mary McGuire introduce Interactive Focusing. From the dvd 'The Interactive Focusing Process' shot in 1997, with music by Goran Petrovic, and produced by Nada Lou.
4 min. The Interactive Focusing Process is a forward moving edge of Focusing, incorporating Focusing into the building of relationships. Through the Interactive Focusing Process, we are able to develop empathy and compassion as well as self-empathy and self-compassion. We finally have a "how to" teach empathy and compassion using the Interactive Focusing Process.
Interactive Focusing - Safety with Janet Klein and Mary McGuire
9 min. Dr Janet Klein and Dr Mary McGuire introduce and discuss Safety (1 of 4 Building Blocks) in Interactive Focusing. From the dvd 'The Interactive Focusing Process' shot in 1997, with music by Goran Petrovic, and produced by Nada Lou.
Interactive Focusing - Storyteller as teacher with Janet Klein and Mary McGuire
6 min. Dr Janet Klein and Dr Mary McGuire introduce and discuss Storyteller as Teacher (4 of 4 Building Blocks) in Interactive Focusing. From the dvd 'The Interactive Focusing Process' shot in 1997, with music by Goran Petrovic, and produced by Nada Lou.
The Interactive Focusing DVD - Clip
3 min. A clip from The Interactive Focusing Process created by Dr. Mary McGuire and Dr. Janet Klein. Excerpt from DVD 112 min produced by Nada Lou Focusing in Focus productions
Interactive Focusing: Interview with Mary McGuire, PsyD
March 25, 2024
33 min. "This interview is absolutely fabulous. Mary is so brilliant and consistent in describing how they came upon interactive Focusing. It is so clear that she lives gentleman's theory out of her body, and it just fits her like a glove as she talks about it." Dr. Kathy McGuire
On April 13, 2024, the International Focusing Institute's Membership Committee hosted the Roundtable of “The Interactive Focusing in Japanese. “ The host of the program was the Interactive Focusing Teachers' Committee in Japan (as of March 2024). Mary McGuire, who co-created Interactive Focusing with Janet Klein, was interviewed in advance, and a portion of the video was shown during the actual roundtable.
The Interactive Focusing DVD
1 DVD 112 minutes. The Interactive Focusing Process is a forward moving edge of Focusing, incorporating Focusing into the building of relationships. Through the Interactive Focusing Process, we are able to develop empathy and compassion as well as self-empathy and self-compassion. We finally have a "how to" teach empathy and compassion using the Interactive Focusing Process.
Available for Sale through Nada Lou.
Also available for rent at TIFI Video Lending Library.
Interactive Focusing Moves
Like Traditional Focusing, Interactive Focusing has two partners, each taking equal turns (Dr. Janet Klein called them two “Single Wings”, together forming a “Double Wing”.)
Each turn, or “wing”, includes the Focuser as Storyteller and Teacher, first telling some of the story, and then sensing inside for the bodysense of the story, expression to the Listener what is important to say.
Each Listener reflects what they hear as the Focuser (as Teacher) asks them to reflect. When the Focuser as Storyteller comes to a resting place, the Listener then begins the Double Empathic Moment, taking in the essence of how it is for the Focuser, holding that essence with their own bodysense, forming a symbol of thow that is inside the Listener, and sharing that symbol with the Focuser. Once the Focuser takes in the symbol and senses freshly how the whole thing is now for them, the Single Wing is complete.
With the Interactive Response, the Listener becomes the Focuser and the second turn or “wing” begins. The second wing is completed the same as the first wing, omitting only the Interactive Response at the end of the turn.
Once the two wings are complete, the partners begin the Relationship Check, taking turns in the same order as their Interactive Focusing turns, or “wings”. At the end of the Relationship Check, the Interactive Focusing session is complete.
These are the concepts that participants will learn and practice in the 8-week Course:
- Focuser as “Storyteller” sharing some of the background situation -- crucial to developing understanding between partners.
- “Focuser as Teacher” concept to encourage the Focuser to request exactly what is needed of listening, reflecting, empathizing.
- Double Empathic Moment, in which the Listener takes in how it is for the Focuser.
- Storyteller’s Essence, which is what the Listener takes in.
- Listener’s Bodysense, what the Listener checks as they hold the Focuser/Storyteller’s Essence.
- Symbolic Expression, what forms with the Listener’s Bodysense and the Listener gives to the Focuser/Storyteller.
- The Format of IF sessions is grounded in establishing and maintaining safety for both partners.
Exploring Interaction, Let's Do It!
We're ready for the great unknown here.
We look forward to meeting you somewhere 'out there' as we explore new frontiers in interaction.
