Ann Weiser Cornell

Professional Life
Ann Weiser Cornell received her Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. While studying there, she met Eugene Gendlin, the founder of Focusing Therapy, and began working with him to develop his theories. She was briefly employed by Purdue University as a Linguistics professor, but in the early 1980’s Cornell joined Gendlin as a facilitator for his workshops. She eventually became a full-time Focusing teacher and is currently seen as one of the leading Focusing theoreticians. She has travelled the world teaching Focusing, and has written several manuals and books designed to help people learn her Focusing technique, Inner Relationship Focusing.

Cornell collaborated with Barbara McGavin to write Treasure Maps to the Soul, a book designed to apply Focusing for many different challenges including depression, obsessions, addiction, inner-critics, and life fulfillment. Cornell herself recovered from alcohol addiction with the use of Focusing. She has been teaching Focusing for nearly three decades, and is recognized as one of the most prominent Focusing teachers in the world.

Contribution to Psychology
Cornell’s Inner Relationship Focusing (IRF) is based on the ‘Self-in-Presence.’ This sense of being is one’s natural way of existing when their inner being is in harmony with their external experiences. A sense of being inquisitive, calm, involved, and balanced embodies the Self-in-Presence. A licensed therapist works with a client to create this feeling, regardless of whether it manifests itself in current situations or not. The therapist supports the idea that the client is in that state, and this allows the client the opportunity to recognize felt experiences. The client begins to identify areas of their inner self that are lacking compassion, comfort and validation, and those that are thriving. These are known as partial-selves.

IRF involves an emphasis on language, specifically “Presence Language.” The use of this type of language allows a client to acknowledge the existence of a feeling, and their relationship with that sense or feeling. Linguistics is an important part of IRF as well, and suggestions are used by the therapist, rather than questions. Additionally, feelings are referred to in a descriptive way, rather than being identified as nouns. For example, someone may not have ‘a fear,’ rather they may feel afraid of something. One of the core tenets of IRF is the acceptance of the client by the therapist. The therapist helps the client see their own partial-selves, and guides the client to accepting all of these partial selves while experiencing Self-in-Presence. When the client is able to embrace their inner selves, they develop a respect and understanding of their Self-in-Presence and can begin to facilitate change.

Dr. Weiser Cornell Featured on GoodTherapy.org

In July, 2010 Ann Weiser Cornell presented Inner Relationship and the Art of Facilitative Language, a GoodTherapy.org Web Conference available to clinicians for CE credits.