Focusing grew out of research Eugene Gendlin conducted with Carl Rogers, aiming to understand why therapy was sometimes effective and other times not.
After reviewing thousands of recorded sessions, Gendlin discovered that the key to meaningful, lasting change wasn’t the therapist or the type of therapy—it was how the clients themselves engaged with their inner experience.
The clients who made lasting changes were not simply talking about their issues; they paused, turned inward, and tuned into a subtle, bodily knowing. Often, they used metaphors to communicate what they were sensing. For instance, a person discussing being bullied in school might pause and say, "I feel a tightness in my shoulders, like they want to rise up and cover my head like a turtle shell."
Gendlin named the process of tuning into one's experience in this way Focusing, and the underlying bodily awareness the felt sense.
The felt sense includes emotions and physical sensations, but it’s more than either—it’s a holistic, embodied awareness of a situation. For example, thinking about a difficult conversation might bring a vague tightness in the chest, a heaviness in the belly, or a fuzzy unease that’s hard to articulate. This embodied sense, which holds more meaning than we can consciously articulate, is the felt sense.
Focusing invites you to gently attend to it—without pressure, judgment, or analysis. As you stay with this inner sense, it gradually becomes clearer, revealing insights, meaning, and surprising next steps that can’t be forced by logic alone.
Why Focusing Helps People
Focusing is powerful because it bridges the gap between the mind and the body. Many people live primarily in their thoughts, disconnected from the subtle cues their bodies offer. Focusing teaches a slower, more compassionate way of listening inward, helping people:
Access clarity when they feel stuck or overwhelmed
Understand emotions that feel tangled, confusing, or contradictory
Reduce stress and tension by giving the body a safe way to speak
Make decisions from a deeper, more grounded place
Develop inner compassion, creating space for all parts of themselves
Instead of trying to “fix” or push away difficult feelings, Focusing helps people meet their inner experience with curiosity and respect. This often leads to spontaneous shifts—a sense of relief, a new understanding, or a small but meaningful next step. These subtle shifts provide the space for deeper healing. By reconnecting with the felt sense, people rediscover their natural capacity to heal, make decisions, and move toward what feels right for them.