
I learned Focusing from Leslie Ellis, who is an incredible teacher and has deeply shaped my understanding of how trauma impacts our sense of safety. Through her guidance, I came to realize how trauma disrupts the body’s natural stability, often creating sensations of tightness, hypervigilance, or dissociation. Through her teachings, I gained a deeper understanding of how trauma impacts our sense of safety and how Focusing-Oriented Therapy (FOT) can gently help us reconnect with our bodies and heal.
Trauma often disrupts the body’s natural stability, leading to sensations like tightness, over-alertness, or dissociation. These feelings may not always be consciously understood, but they’re there, shaping our experience of ourselves. Leslie taught me that FOT offers a compassionate way to slow down and tune into these sensations, allowing us to process them and restore a grounded sense of safety.
One of the most profound insights from my Focusing training is how trauma creates a state of hypervigilance—where we are constantly on alert, even when there’s no immediate danger. FOT helps us explore the difference between past trauma and the present moment, guiding our bodies to shift out of that constant state of readiness and find a calmer, more secure presence. This is a practice of re-learning safety, in our bodies and in the world around us.
Leslie also helped me understand how trauma often leads to dissociation, where we feel detached or disconnected from our bodies as a way to protect ourselves. FOT works with this by gently re-establishing that connection—no rushing, no forcing. It’s about tuning in slowly and with care, allowing the body to find its way back to safety in its own time. Through this process, we can begin to feel more whole and present, restoring a deep sense of trust in ourselves.
Another key piece that Leslie taught me is the freeze response—where trauma leaves us feeling stuck, unable to move or move forward. FOT addresses this stuckness by focusing on the sensations that feel frozen or blocked. Instead of forcing movement, the process allows us to slowly release the tension that’s held in the body, helping us feel more fluid, free, and alive again.
Through Leslie's teachings, I’ve come to understand that the heart of FOT is about building safety through the felt sense. By learning to listen to our bodies with compassion and curiosity, we begin to trust our own inner wisdom. This practice of reconnecting with our bodies, processing past trauma, and rebuilding safety allows us to reclaim a sense of peace and stability, one step at a time. FOT, in its gentleness and depth, helps us return to ourselves, healing and growing at our own pace.
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