BFA Focusing Skills Certificate Course (60h)

A 5-Module Trauma-Informed & Neurodiversity-Affirming Journey

Dates: 15 Jan – 25 June 2026

Weekly Class: Thursdays, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm UK Time (11:00 am – 2:00 pm CET)

(Note: If these dates/times do not work for you, please contact me. I am considering opening a second group based on interest.)

Format: Online (Zoom)

Group Size: Limited to 5 Students (+ Facilitator)

Language: English

Certified by the British Focusing Association (BFA) & The International Focusing Institute (TIFI)

Stop Pushing Through. Start Listening In.

What if the deepest wisdom you need is already within you?

We often try to force change. We push through our anxiety, fight our procrastination, or try to silence our inner critic. But what if those aspects of us aren't enemies? What if they are simply waiting to be heard?

Focusing is a profound practice of inner listening, first developed by Eugene Gendlin, that honours the intelligence of your body. It is a natural way of paying attention to your felt knowing—the holistic way your body holds and understands situations, relationships, or even creative projects.

However, this isn't just about noticing your experience. It is about a specific quality of compassionate attention that allows your life energy to carry forward into its next natural step.

In this course, we learn to access our Larger Self—your innate, spacious, resourced presence—and from that place offer gentle company to every aspect of your experience. From this inner place, you will discover that your body already knows the way forward.

About This Approach

This is a full 60-hour BFA Focusing Skills Course, covering the complete foundational training required to receive the BFA Focusing Skills Certificate. However, it is uniquely designed with an emphasis on nervous system regulation and neurodiversity-affirming practices for those who would appreciate a gentler container.

Our Integrative Lineage

We take inspiration from Gendlin’s classic 6-step Focusing, Inner Relationship Focusing, Wholebody Focusing, Focusing-Oriented Expressive Arts (FOAT®), and Biospiritual Focusing. 

The Safety Container

Crucially, this curriculum is held within a framework of Polyvagal Theory (PVT), Somatic Experiencing® (SE), Organic Intelligence (OI), and Neurodiversity-affirming practices. We do not just "do" Focusing; we ensure your physiology is supported to receive it.

We emphasise:

• Nervous System First: We prioritise regulation and building a safe container. You will learn to establish a "Window of Enjoyment" and find a place of inner resourcefulness before exploring more challenging emotions and situations.

• Trauma-Informed: We map the inner landscape gently, focusing on developing inner relationships of respect, trust, and empathy, ensuring we never try to force your inner protectors to stop doing their job.

• Neurodiversity-Affirming: We honour your unique way of processing. Whether you "see" images, "feel" sensations, or just "know"; whether you need to move your body (stretch, pace, rock), keep your hands busy (fidget, doodle, knit), make sound (hum, sigh—with mic off), or turn your camera off—your needs are respected here.

• Self-Led: We practise anchoring in your own resourced presence (or "Larger Self"), helping you reclaim your capacity to be a gentle companion of your own internal world.

  
  

Structure & Schedule

This is a comprehensive 60-hour certification journey. We stay together as one intimate group for the entire 6 months, building deep trust and safety.

Weekly Class: Thursdays, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm UK Time (11:00 am – 2:00 pm CET)

Dates: 15 Jan – 25 June 2026

(Note: If these dates/times do not work for you, please contact me. I am considering opening a second group based on interest.)

Course Dates (2026) — include integration weeks to process learning and practise with partners.

• Module 1: 15, 22, 29 Jan; 5 Feb

  • (Break/Practice Week: 12 Feb)

• Module 2: 19, 26 Feb; 5, 12 Mar

  • (Break/Practice Week: 19 Mar)

• Module 3: 26 Mar; 2, 9, 16 Apr

  • (Break/Practice Week: 23 Apr)

• Module 4: 30 Apr; 7, 14, 21 May

  • (Break/Practice Week: 28 May)

• Module 5: 4, 11, 18, 25 Jun

  
  

Your Journey: Module by Module

Module 1: Nervous System Regulation

The Foundation. We begin by expanding on the intention behind Gendlin’s first step, "Clearing a Space." We explore how to find that "all-fine place", your Larger Self, using a wide repertoire of nervous-system tools. You will learn how to access resources, thaw freeze states, and discharge energy to establish a sturdy anchor in your resourced, larger Self.

Note: Although this module lays the foundation, the learning and integration of self-regulation tools will continue, in greater depth, throughout the entire course.

Module 2: The Language of the Inner World

The Flow. We explore the natural rhythm of Focusing, always led from a place of regulation and resourcefulness. You will learn to pay compassionate attention to the distinct channels of experience—external senses, sensation, emotion, behaviour, and the mind—as a doorway to access your deeper felt knowing. We then open the space to the channels of expression, discovering how words, sound, gesture, movement, and image can all describe this knowing, inviting your life-forward energy to find its next step.

Module 3: The Art of Gentle Companionship

The Connection. We begin by practising the art of Self-Guiding, cultivating a profound, non-judgmental presence toward your own experience. Building on this foundation, we then practise offering that same quality of companionship to a partner, learning the specific skills of reflective listening, presence language and gentle reminders.

Module 4: Supporting the Inner Flock

The Deep Work. Using the gentle "Inner Meadow" metaphor, we explore the landscape of trauma. We learn to respect our inner "Protectors" and safely offer presence to our "Exiled" aspects, waiting for trust to emerge naturally.

Module 5: Integration & Embodiment

The Life Practice. We broaden our scope to bring Focusing into daily life. We explore "The Bigger Space" (connecting to nature/spirit), using our felt knowing for decision-making, and "The Revolutionary Pause" to stay grounded in conversations.

Certification & Future Path

This course is fully accredited. Upon completion, you will receive:

1. The BFA Focusing Skills Certificate: Recognised by the British Focusing Association.

2. Eligibility for the Proficiency in Partnership Award (PFP): Recognised by The International Focusing Institute (TIFI).

   
   

This training enables you to:

• Use Focusing for your own emotional regulation and growth.

• Partner with Focusers worldwide for peer exchanges (including the TIFI Partnership Network and other communities).

• Start the BFA Practitioner Training or any TIFI-approved professional training.

  
  

Registration & Investment

Course Fee: £300 (approx. €340) — Special "Inaugural Cohort" Rate

Note: To celebrate the launch of this unique trauma-informed and neurodiversity-affirming curriculum, this cohort is being offered at a significantly reduced rate to ensure accessibility. Future trainings will be adjusted to standard professional certification rates.

Payment Plan Available: Deposit of £50 + 5 instalments of £50 (approx. €57), payable prior to the start of each module.

Important: To ensure personal attention and a safe container, the group is strictly limited to 5 participants (+ Facilitator).

Securing Your Spot: Due to the limited group size (5 participants), your place is formally confirmed only upon receipt of either the full course fee or the initial £50 deposit.

How to Apply:

Because Focusing is a relational process, a brief 20-minute discovery call (free of charge) is required prior to registration. This is not an interview, but a chance for us to meet. We will ensure the course feels right for where you are in your journey, confirming that we can work within your "window of enjoyment" without pushing past your resources.

1. Email to schedule: goncalo.moreira.phd@gmail.com

2. Meet: We ensure the course fits your needs and current resources.

3. Reserve: Following our chat, you will receive payment details to secure your place.

   
   

"Your physically felt body is in fact part of a gigantic system of here and other places, now and other times, you and other people – in fact the whole universe." — Eugene Gendlin

About the Facilitator: Gonçalo Moreira, PhD

My journey with Focusing began in 2008. While I initially sought it to solve problems, what I found was something deeper: the transformative experience of being truly listened to.

Over the years, particularly during the challenges of my PhD, Focusing became the compass to navigate my own "dark night of the soul" and clarify my next steps.

Today, my approach integrates this personal lived experience with academic precision and somatic sensitivity. I have a special interest in working with High Sensitivity and vulnerable parts, helping students anchor in their essence of peace and compassion. For me, attentive listening and a "beginner’s mind" are essential to support this non-linear process of flourishing.

Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in Music Pedagogy and Psychology (Dissertation on Focusing and Musical Creativity)

• TIFI Focusing Professional & BFA Focusing Practitioner

• Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP) – Trauma Institute

• M.A. in Music Education (Mindfulness and Flow)