Our Past Year 2021-2022

During the past year we formally inaugurated the Irish Focusing Network with the aims of connecting Focusers in Ireland and promoting Focusing. At our first Annual Gathering, members adopted our constitution.

Our online focusing has continued through a 2nd year and now enters its 3rd year. Numbers are smaller, but there is a regular cohort for our weekly sessions.

Website:

A lot of energy went into the launch of our new website – focusing.ie – and we are indebted to Elaine Goggin and the brilliant group of volunteers who worked with her to get the website up and running. Catherine Torpey of the International Focusing Institute joined us for the launch and was delighted to connect with the Focusing Community in Ireland. 

The website has allowed us to create an online join/renew facility for members which has made the process of joining and renewing membership much easier for everybody. 

Promoting courses by Irish Teachers and Internationally. Several of our members are active Focusing Teachers or Focusing Professionals. We are delighted that the Network is able to support their work by promoting their courses through the website.

Connecting:

• A Children Focusing gathering explored ways of bringing focusing to work with young people.
  
  
• A teachers’ gathering brought together our Focusing Teachers to explore ways of supporting one another.
  
  
• Our Facebook group is a closed group (only administrators can admit people) which offers a space to share ideas and resources. We also post information about upcoming events and courses here. We currently have 42 members. If you haven’t already joined us, please know that you will be made very welcome.

Focusing Practice Group:

Some of our members expressed the need for further support in Focusing listening before joining the weekly online gathering. Kay McKinney, Jayne Goulding and Maggie Neary have worked with our online focusing practice group. As this need has surfaced again, the online “coaching group” will be launched again in the coming weeks.

IFN Focusing Conversations/Workshops:

Recently we had what we hope will be the first of many “focusing conversations”. We are grateful to Rennie Buenting for convening a discussion on different forms/styles of Focusing. This was held in March and was well attended.

Mary Jennings held a further workshop for members in April on “Saying More of What we Mean” which offered participants an opportunity to explore the use of small steps from the TAE process.

Our third members-only event will take place on May 18th when Therese Ryan will lead us in an exploration of Focusing and the Enneagram.

Marie McGuigan will also host a bi-monthly session on Focusing with poetry for all current or aspiring poetry lovers. Watch for further details on the website.

We invite all members to use the Network’s facilities if there is an area of Focusing which you are exploring and would like to share with others. Technical support is available.

Ideas arising from the Annual Gathering:

• To facilitate the emergence of local Focusing groups around the country
  
  
• To create an IFN Newsletter which would keep people up to date with what is happening in Ireland and Internationally.
  
  
• To hold an in-person event - The committee circulated a questionnaire to members following the Annual Gathering. This invited members to let us know if they are interested in helping to move some of these initiatives forward. We are grateful to all who replied and particularly to those who have expressed a willingness to support one or more of these new initiatives.
  
  
• Elaine Goggin and Kay McKinney have kindly undertaken to prepare this first newsletter. A meeting has been planned to bring together those who might carry this work forward. Watch for further news in relation to this.
  
  
• We will be preparing a directory of Focusers, which will be made available to members of the Network. Please watch for the invitation to have your name included – we will be in touch in the very near future.

It is our hope that we will be able to gather in person later in the year – plans are afoot! We look forward to the opportunity to meet in person. If you would like to offer a workshop at this first gathering of the Network, please get in touch – we would be delighted to hear from you.