Focusing is a powerful way to access the wisdom of the body. It was identified by Eugene Gendlin in the 1950s and is widely used in therapy. In 2009 Alicia Danforth suggested that Focusing could be a valuable tool in psychedelic-assisted therapy, but João da Fonseca is one of the few people in the world who have explored this possibility. João is a Clinical Psychologist and Psychotherapist with 20 years of clinical experience. He’s qualified in a wide range of approaches, including Transpersonal, Existential, EMDR and Focusing-Oriented Therapy. João is at the forefront of psychedelic-assisted therapy and currently works at the ‘Liminal Minds’ ketamine clinic in Portugal. He is a contributor to the first book in Portuguese on psychedelic-assisted therapy, Psicadélicos em Saúde Mental (2023).

Episode outline:

João describes his work at Liminal Minds and sets out the principles of psychedelic-assisted therapy. He then explains what Focusing is, unpacking the way that it enables us to access the implicit wisdom of the body. We then turn to the question of how Focusing can be used to support psychedelic-assisted therapy. We consider the role of Focusing in the preparation stage, during dosing and in integration sessions. We then consider the importance of the inner healing guide and how Focusing relates to this fundamental aspect of psychedelic-assisted therapy. Focusing can also support the therapist or psychedelic guide: João explains how he uses Focusing during dosing sessions as a way of being fully with the participant. The insights he gains from this can be valuable in subsequent integration sessions, helping to bring more clarity to the participant's process.

It becomes apparent from our conversion that there are fundamental parallels between Focusing and psychedelic experience. That opens further questions about the nature of the embodied human psyche. We conclude that this is just the beginning of a much bigger conversation: Both Focusing and psychedelics " are openers of the mystery". Join us on our journey of exploration!

References:

Danforth, A., 2009. 'Focusing-oriented psychotherapy as a supplement to preparation for psychedelic therapy'. The Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, Vol. 41, No. 2.

Gendlin. E. 1981. Focusing. Bantam, New York.

Liminal Minds psychedelic-assisted therapy clinic: https://www.liminalminds.pt/en/