A Houston Story of Focusing, Faith, and Community Care
Featuring Ascencion Amado, Director of Outreach, St. Ignatius of Loyola Catholic Church, Spring, Texas
In our Community Wellness Focusing Certification program, students come from many regions and professions—but they share a common purpose: to build deeper presence, compassion, and resilience within their communities. One of those students is Ascencion Amado, Director of Outreach at St. Ignatius of Loyola Catholic Church in Houston, Texas.
Every day, Ascencion accompanies parishioners and local families experiencing financial strain, loneliness, and emotional overwhelm. While her department provides essential material assistance, she increasingly sensed that many people needed more—something rooted not only in services, but in listening, presence, and genuine human connection.
This realization led Ascencion to rekindle her relationship with Focusing, a practice she first learned in graduate school, and eventually to join FII’s two-year Community Wellness Focusing Certification program.
To offer readers a window into her experience, Ascencion agreed to share her reflections.
Interview with Ascencion Amado
How did you first find your way to Focusing Initiatives International, and what inspired you to join the Community Wellness Focusing program?
I am the director of Outreach for a Catholic Church and we offer financial assistance for rent or utilities to the community. When I noticed that families who received this type of assistance still needed more support in the midst of their stress and loneliness, I knew something else needed to be offered through our department. I then remembered back in 1998 when I was doing my masters program in counseling psychology, I took a semester course on Focusing and thought this would be helpful to offer to people suffering from so much anxiety and depression. I had no idea what had been the direction of Focusing so I began to search on the web. When I found TIFI, I called and someone there directed me to Pat and Nina.
When you think back to the start of the course, what were you hoping to gain — and how has that changed along the way?
When I started this course, I thought I would review what I had learned back in 1998, which is basically the steps to Focusing and then practice, practice, practice or something like that. Instead, we have entered a totally unimaginable world of what I now understand is Focusing.
Can you share a moment from the training that really stayed with you — something that opened your eyes or touched you deeply?
There are way too many moments that have touched me deeply within our training sessions. There is no way I can pick one. I can remember the times when my classmates shared deep life experiences within their Focusing time and how I was so honored to witness it. Overall, every moment of respect and true connection—or rather presence—from every single classmate has truly touched my heart and equipped me with new tools and attitudes in the process of “helping others” in so many ways.
What have you noticed changing in how you listen or connect with others, whether in your personal life, work, or community?
This question touches on the most practical piece of this course that has truly, truly made a significant change in my life. Listening, pausing, believing, knowing, and loving is the new practice in many of my personal and professional relationships. At work, I like to say that nothing is personal and we listen, understand, and provide services. With my family, I believe everything is personal because these little ones belong to me, even though they are teenagers and young adults now. However, as I do acknowledge their unique identity and individual personalities, I have learned to be present with them in a whole different way.
Has being part of this international group influenced how you think about community or healing?
International community has taught me so much. And yes, it does include my view on healing and community. I was inspired to seek more understanding about my own culture based on my faith and tradition by reading what St. Ignatius of Loyola and St. Teresa of Avila have to say about these important skills and attitudes in our life with God. Focusing is an international and multicultural way of being with our own internal existence, and therefore wealth, all humankind.
For someone considering joining the next cohort, what would you tell them about the experience — or about what surprised you most?
For anyone considering taking this course, I would say that if you are the type of person who is able to work with a group that is true and honest in every interaction, then this is a group you can grow and learn with.
Where Ascencion’s Learning Is Leading Next
Ascencion’s reflections highlight what many students discover: Community Wellness Focusing is not simply a method to learn but a way of being that reshapes how we listen and accompany others. The program’s emphasis on presence, connection, and cultural awareness has inspired her to bring this work more intentionally into her Houston community.
Beginning this February, Ascencion will launch an in-person Psychological First Aid (PFA) course at St. Ignatius of Loyola. The course will be taught in English, while she and her team translate the PFA materials into Spanish so participants can share the content directly with Spanish-speaking families.
She is inviting a wide range of community partners, including:
- St. Ignatius Outreach volunteers
- Staff serving refugee communities through Catholic Charities
- Parish social service directors across Houston
- School personnel
- Local nonprofit staff and community organization leaders
Her hope is to create a shared space for building practical, culturally grounded skills in emotional support.
“This course should open the door to a deeper understanding of how any of us can be prepared to walk with those suffering the most from the current changes in our social and political climate.”
— Ascencion Amado
Registration for Ascencion’s PFA course is open now for those in the greater Houston area.
A Pathway for Those Wanting Deeper Training
Ascencion’s initiative shows the ripple effect of Community Wellness Focusing—how one person’s learning can strengthen families, parish communities, refugee support networks, and nonprofit systems across an entire city.
As she says,
“If you are the type of person who is able to work with a group that is true and honest in every interaction, then this is a group you can grow and learn with.”
Community Wellness Focusing: An Integrative Approach to MHPSS (Featuring PFA)(2026-2027)
Embark on your Community Wellness Focusing – integrative MHPSS journey! Whether you’re just starting out or looking to deepen your expertise, you’ll gain the skills to build personal resilience, strengthen your professional foundation, and enhance community well-being. Registration is open now