{"id":241,"date":"2019-03-07T12:03:00","date_gmt":"2019-03-07T12:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adrianharris.org\/blog\/?p=241"},"modified":"2025-12-18T15:25:03","modified_gmt":"2025-12-18T15:25:03","slug":"focusing-and-the-cognitive-iceberg","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adrianharris.org\/blog\/2019\/03\/07\/focusing-and-the-cognitive-iceberg\/","title":{"rendered":"Focusing and the Experiential Iceberg"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Focusing is a simple technique that helps you to become aware of what\u2019s called a \u2018felt sense\u2019 \u2013 a feeling in the body that has a meaning. Focusing has myriad applications including personal growth, creativity and psychotherapy. I\u2019m nearly halfway thorough my two-year Focusing Oriented Therapist training and it\u2019s deepening my work in all kinds of ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, it\u2019s opening new insights into how the Experiential Iceberg model might be applied to psychotherapy. First, let me outline how the Experiential Iceberg can be used to illustrate the Focusing process. Gendlin, who first identified the felt sense, writes that it \u201ccomes between the usual conscious person and the deep, universal reaches of human nature, where we are no longer ourselves \u201d (Gendlin, 1984). On my Experiential Iceberg the felt sense is represented by the dotted area just below awareness. Focusing is the process that enables the felt sense to emerge into awareness, as illustrated by the vertical arrows.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Focusing
Focusing and the cognitive iceberg diagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Now, what happens when a client and therapist are working together? The therapist is paying careful attention to whole situation; the client\/therapist relationship, their own processes and what is going on for the client. A Focusing Oriented Therapist will be \u2018listening\u2019 with their whole body and be in touch with their felt sense.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Therapist
Therapist and client Focusing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The arrows on this diagram schematically illustrate something of the process \u2013 note that I haven\u2019t included the verbal exchanges which will also be going on. There is an exchange of \u2018information\u2019 between the therapist and client below awareness at the level I call the \u2018deep body\u2019. Both the client and therapist are also Focusing, becoming aware of material arising from felt senses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are many therapeutic processes going on here. The client will often be working through something difficult and the presence of the therapist can facilitate that: It\u2019s as if the feeling is shared between them and the therapist\u2019s embodied engagement processes some of the pain. Sometimes the therapist\u2019s felt sense will alert them to something going on for the client and their embodied empathy can help the client. It\u2019s also possible for the therapist to have a felt sense of something that comes from outside the client\u2019s awareness and, with care, they can help it emerge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve covered a lot in this short post and I hope it\u2019s reasonably clear. Please do ask me for clarification if not. I\u2019ll add that this is all very speculative, but I hope that\u2019s what makes this blog interesting!<\/p>\n\n\n\n