Focusing Initiatives International

With the right kind of attention, healing begins. We teach these skills. Culturally-specific strategies enhance the community’s ability to recover. To tap into this cultural wisdom, we identify those in the community who are already recovering and thriving. We learn from them, adopt and adapt strategies, and help them share their experiences with others in their community. Through our process, community members:
* find the resilience to address problems
* improve community connections
* change how they face the stresses of daily life
* overcome creative blocks
* explore spiritual connections in their inner lives
* discover how they can be part of positive changes in the world

To foster resilience and community engagement, Focusing International:
*Offers workshops on human development, including psychosocial wellness, healing from trauma, and coping with and reducing stress. We promote locally existing positive coping skills and wellness practices to create just and peaceful communities.
*Mentors trainers throughout the world in Focusing and other processes that aid in self-reflection, communication and greater listening skills, so that they can become more effective leaders and promote wellness, emotional safety, and human development in their own communities.
*Provides technical assistance to individuals and organizations to help them design, establish, fund, and operate local programs and projects to promote human development. Outcomes:
The success of our programs has been evaluated by two independent organizations and includes:
*Reduced violence in families and schools
*Improvements in wellbeing and physical health
*Reduced reliance on over-the-counter and illegal drugs and alcohol
*Increased capacity to facilitate peace and reconciliation