Focusing and Psychosocial Well-Being
Developed by Dr. Patricia Omidian and Nina Lawrence
This is a series of courses designed for Afghans within an Islamic context in which the participants learn self-reflection and develop the ability to address conflict, communication, trauma, and stress and develop a vision for their future. Conducted in four intensives with follow up support groups this training begins to provide the people in this post-conflict country the language, skills and a framework for well being that is needed at all levels of Afghan society today.
"Violence permeates Afghan society. It is perpetuated at all levels of social interaction. This program targets some of the underlying issues that trigger violent reactions within Afghan society. For example, one problem identified by the women of Saeed Khail is that of intra-household conflict and violence, stemming from limited resources and the presence of co-wives. Studies from a number of different sectors verify that women have the greatest mental health and psychosocial problems. This, in turn, affects other members of their families and communities. Because violence and psychosocial problems have been identified in all sectors of society, a program to address individual and group needs is necessary."
— Dr. Omidian, medical anthropologist
In the first four years of the reconstruction of Afghanistan the international community has focused on health, economic, and education. It is now becoming apparent that the experience of the last 23 years of war, as well as living in one of the poorest countries of the world has taken its toll on the fabric of the Afghan society. This training conducted concurrently with other training or educational opportunities provides Afghan participants an opportunity to learn how to change the quality of their lives, and the uplifting experience provides an excellent foundation for all other learning.
"We are trying to provide a simple and locally recognized means of dealing with emotions, trauma and stressors of everyday life. This system, called Focusing, is not new and it is not Western. It taps into, what I think is, a very human process. And this way of tapping into one’s emotions has been documented throughout history by poets, philosophers and others. It is also safe, in that when one focuses, one trusts the body to protect and to move forward at the speed and the depth that the person is able to manage safely.
The reason Nina Lawrence and I first tried Focusing with staff of an Afghan agency, CHA, is because we understand that Afghans do not feel comfortable disclosing personal information, nor are they satisfied with talk therapy. Focusing allows the focuser to deal with emotions and reactions from emotions without ever having to tell anyone what is the cause of the emotion. All the details are privately held, not shared or exposed. This protects the focuser from potential social consequences of disclosing information. Yet it allows the individual in a group setting to address their reactions and emotions to find relief."
— Dr. Omidian, medical anthropologist
From the Manual by Dr. Patricia Omidian
What is Focusing?
- Focusing is a simple way of paying attention to the insides of ourselves, the place of wisdom and the places that hurt.
- It is not new; it is not from the west; it is a human process that has roots in Islam and was recorded by Sufi poets over 1000 years ago.
- We find similar processes in many cultures of the world.
- It was only recently discovered in the west.
It is through the Quran, the Hadeez and the poetry of Rumi and others that we come to understand just how old and how human this whole process is. The Prophets knew the inner place of Presence and light, the safe place.
The ability to pay attention to the inside place in ourselves brings us greater resiliency.
This we have now is not imagination.
This is not grief or joy.
Not a judging state, nor an elation nor sadness.
Those come and go
This is the Presence that doesn’t.
— Rumi
More on "Focusing" in Afghanistan can be found at:
http://www.focusing.org/afghan.asp
February 13, 2012
