As one starting point for this blog, I feel called to share more about how I work and why I am drawn to Formative Psychology so future clients can get a sense for what a therapeutic relationship with me could be like. Also, I have experienced powerful transformation using Formative Psychology both personally and professionally, so I am excited to share my understanding with those who find this blog! Finally, even though I am excited by Formative Psychology, what matters most in therapy is the quality of the relationship between client and therapist. There is compelling research that suggests the modality is less important, while the therapeutic relationship is essential. My hope is that this introduction will support readers in learning more about me, Formative Psychology, and what might serve them in a therapeutic process. Now a bit more about Formative Psychology… 

Developed by Stanely Keleman, Formative Psychology is not just a theory or a therapeutic modality, it is a way to live that invites people to know themselves in new and deeper ways that draw them more fully into their living process. Gootnick (2007) framed Formative Psychology as “the application of Darwin’s principles of how shapes change over time. It is concerned with how individuals form themselves and their world. It teaches individuals how to influence their behavior and experience” (p. 25). Rather than focusing on healing, which implies there is something wrong or something to heal from, Formative Psychology offers an opportunity to influence people’s lives for a more satisfying existence. The practice supports individuals and systems (ie. couples and families) as they explore how they generate their experience through somatic-based patterns that contribute to what they believe about themselves, others, and the world. The practice brings attention to how people are doing certain behaviors and how those behaviors contribute to their identities (and vice versa). The practice offers interventions that support shifting or influencing these behaviors in small ways, which in turn promotes change to both behavior and identity. Within these small changes, people begin to experience profound transformation.

Formative Psychology is a good fit for people who: 

• Want to shift current behaviors and beliefs that no longer serve them. 
• Want to have more agency in their lives, promoting deeper satisfaction in all areas of life.
• Want to address their reactions to the world (ie. people who experience PTSD or other forms of trauma, including oppressive trauma). 
• Want to develop new ways of being that compassionately influence the world around them. 
• Want to form a better relationship with themselves, which in turn supports better relationships with others. 

Although this is just a brief introduction to Formative Psychology, I hope this post gives you a taste of the practice and how I work. If this framework piques your interest, please reach out to me to learn more. I also hope to share more posts about the practice in the future.  

References

Gootnick, A., (2007). Glossary of Formative Concepts 1996-2006. United States Association of Body Psychotherapy Journal, 6(1), 25-27.