This Approved FOAT® Training course includes:

  • 8 Group Meetings on Zoom (live), 3 hours each:
    • Large group meeting with a presentation of didactic material, examples and/or demonstration, and experiential practices
    • Smaller supervision groups for sharing, Q + A, FOAT Coaching, and experiential practice
    • Short break in each meeting
  • FOAT Partnership (meets every 2 weeks at a mutually convenient time)
  • Expressive You Online School: readings, videos, Guided FOAT® Audios, and other learning resources
  • 1 Individual Supervision/Coaching Session
  • Eligibility for 22 Continuing Education (CE) hours—NBCC

Course Information

Description

Level 1: Foundations and Approaches of Focusing-Oriented Expressive Arts (FOAT®) provides a solid foundation of Focusing-Oriented Expressive Arts (FOAT®) with an emphasis on deepening one’s embodied knowing of the main FOAT approaches– Focusing Attitude, Theme-Directed FOAT®, Clearing a Space with Arts, FOAT® Check-in, Working on an Issue, Self-Focusing, and Compassionate Listening. Trainees will also expand their understanding of the core concepts, skills and philosophy of Focusing, developed by Eugene Gendlin– felt sense, symbol/handle, felt shift, and life forward direction.

Learning FOAT and Focusing in Level 1 emphasizes learning the exercises for oneself– in order to understand deeply how the felt sense, creativity, and the body’s wisdom interacts and unfolds, while also being grounded in FOAT theories. The FOAT Partnership and small group practices during Level 1 open the doorway to learn about others’ processes and also provides a foundation for facilitation skills that are continued in Level 2. For information on the Focusing and Expressive Arts Institute's Levels 1 - 4 FOAT® Training Program, click here.

Prerequisite (complete by February 25, 2026)

Introductory level FOAT® course or workshop. Courses that fulfill this requirement include:

Meeting Dates and Times

In Level 1, all eight Group Meetings will be held via Zoom. For this training series, participants must attend 90% of the Group Meetings per level (exceptions may be made for extenuating circumstances with approval from Faculty). 

Dates: These dates are valid for the U.S.– please use the time zone converter to determine if the meeting dates will be the same for your timezone!

  • March 4, 18
  • April 1, 15, 29
  • May 13, 27
  • June 10


Time: 1:30pm - 4:30pm EST (Eastern Standard Time) / Time zone converter


Continuing Education Information

This course is approved for 22 NBCC CE Hours, sponsored by the Focusing and Expressive Arts Institute (ACEP#7596)! 

CEs purchased separately– click here for CE information and purchasing.

Registration

Cost

Partial scholarships are available based on financial need. If you are interested in applying, please contact [email protected] for an application by February 4, 2026. Applications will be reviewed on February 11, 2026.

Prices below shown in US Dollar (USD $)

Payment Options
Early Bird  ($100 off)
Until February 4 		Regular
After February 4
Pay in Full: $900, one-time payment
 Pay in Full: $1000, one-time payment
Monthly Payment Plan: $225/month for 4 months
 Monthly Payment Plan: $250/month for 4 months

Details

Registration deadline: February 25, 2026

After you register, you will receive a course welcome email. If you do not receive the welcome email within 24 hours of registration, please email Gaybi ([email protected]).

Faculty


Lynn Pollock, MA, LMHC, REAT, is an Expressive Arts Therapist in private practice in Massachusetts. Her clinical work includes over 14 years of experience working in community-based services with children and their families, and in her private practice she specializes in working with adults who struggle with mood, anxiety, trauma, and adjustment issues. Lynn received her Master’s degree from Lesley University in Cambridge, MA, and is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in MA. She is a Certified Focusing Trainer and FOT: Specialization in FOAT® (TIFI) and Certified FOAT® Practitioner (FOAT Institute). She is trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR) and is fascinated by the intersection between EMDR and focusing. She has also recently co-produced a series of training videos, Creative Inspirations from the Field: Staying Engaged with the Arts.


This course is offered by Lynn Pollock through the Expressive You Online School. It is an Approved FOAT® Training by the Focusing and Expressive Arts Institute.