Curious about Thinking At the Edge (TAE)?

This Course is an Introduction and a Deep Dive into the TAE Method

Thinking at the Edge (TAE)  is a powerful creative practice grounded in E.T. Gendlin’s philosophy of the implicit. It helps you think and speak from a living edge of implicit knowing that is still more than you can already say.

By attending to this subtle, implicit knowing and articulating from it, fresh expressions, precise language, new insights, and deeper understanding can emerge. Gradually, what was initially vague can develop into distinct concepts, meaningful connections, and a coherent framework.

TAE’s structured learning steps support this process. They help you discover and articulate what is distinctive in your professional and personal experience. In this way, TAE strengthens your capacity to think creatively and develop an original voice.

"Precise steps are always for precise teaching so a new way can be shown and found. Then it soon becomes utterly various."  

Eugene T. Gendlin

The aim of this course is not only to teach you precise steps, but to help you understand TAE well enough to experiment with it, invent your own thinking movements, and use them across different projects and applications.

From Following the Steps to Understanding the Process

What the Course is About

This course takes you beneath the 14 steps of Thinking at the Edge to explore what the whole process is really about. Drawing more deeply on the underlying principles of Gendlin’s philosophy, it helps you understand the purpose, functions, and forms of logic that make TAE work.

The steps remain central, but they are approached as resources for deep thinking rather than as a fixed procedure. You will explore what each step is intended to accomplish, how the steps are interconnected, and how they can be adapted or organized differently to meet the needs of a particular project.

Alongside the questions that emerge from your own practice, we will consider questions such as:

  • What is the essential purpose of TAE?
  • What can TAE offer—and what does it not provide?
  • What function does each step serve?
  • How do the steps work together as parts of one unfolding process?
  • How can steps be varied, combined, or approached differently?
  • What kind of logic does TAE use, and why is this logic important for developing ideas that are coherent, alive, and grounded in your own experience?


TAE cannot be understood through explanation alone. You will experiment with the steps and with additional exercises that support the broader demands of pursuing a creative endeavor. By working with a small, manageable topic, you will experience a complete TAE journey without the pressure of having to complete a major project during the course.

Through a combination of understanding and practice, you will develop a clearer sense of both the potential and the limitations of TAE. You will also become better able to recognize what your own process needs and to use steps with greater flexibility and freedom in your future thinking and creative work.

Is this Course for You?

You may already have taken a TAE course or worked through some of the steps on your own. Perhaps you experienced moments of depth, unexpected insights, or a new direction in your thinking, yet were still left wondering: What is TAE really about?

You may now want to understand the purpose of the TAE method and the functions of the steps more clearly so that you can use TAE with greater confidence, adapt it to your own process, and continue working independently in your own way.

Or perhaps you have been curious about TAE but have hesitated because it seemed overwhelming, complicated, or difficult to grasp. You may be wondering whether TAE is right for you and would benefit from a clear overview and a direct experience with the method.

You may also be completely new to TAE. Perhaps you are interested in creative thinking, experiential approaches, or ways of developing ideas that are not yet fully formed. This course will give you an accessible introduction to the method and allow you to experience how TAE works through guided practice.

People learn new approaches differently. Some need to understand the underlying principles and the reasons behind the method before they can fully engage with it. Others need to experience the process first and allow their understanding to grow through practice. This course brings both ways of learning together.

Some familiarity with TAE may be helpful, but no previous experience is required.

Course Format and What is Included

This is what the course includes

  • 4 Live Online Classes (Zoom), 2.5 hours each

    The course consists of four live Zoom classes of 2.5 hours each. Every class combines explanation, demonstration, and practice. After exploring the purpose, function, and philosophical grounding of particular TAE steps, you will experiment with their movements through guided exercises and breakout-room partnerships while working with a small, manageable project.

  • Exercises for Each TAE Step and Beyond

    Alongside the original descriptions of the steps, you will receive additional exercises, alternative ways of approaching particular movements, and prompts for both partnership and individual practice.

  • Ongoing Partnership Practice

    Each class includes time for partnership practice. One person works with their project while the other listens and takes notes, and then the roles are reversed. Between classes—and after the final class—you are encouraged to continue meeting with a partner to deepen your experience and carry your project forward.

  • Permanant Access to the Learning Portal

    You will receive permanent access to a learning portal containing recordings of the live sessions and all course materials, exercises, and practice prompts.

  • Bonus Q&A and Integration Session

    In an additional live session, you can bring questions arising from your partnership practice and creative work, reflect on what you have discovered, and deepen your understanding of how to continue using TAE after the course.

Overview of the Four Classes

Class 1: Understanding the Whole TAE Process

We begin with the origins, development, and purpose of TAE. You will receive an overview of the complete process, its main phases, and the function of each step, with particular attention to the starting phase and the formation of a felt sense.

Class 2: Developing Fresh and Precise Language

We explore how new expressions can emerge directly from felt experience. You will experiment with different ways of using familiar words so that they carry fresh, precise meaning and express what has not yet been adequately said.

Class 3: Discovering Patterns and New Connections

We investigate how the complexity of lived experience can reveal patterns, connections, and insights that reach beyond a single situation. You will begin to recognize what is generalizable in your experience without losing its richness and specificity.

Class 4: Forming Concepts and Frameworks

We bring experiential and logical thinking together. You will explore how concepts can be formed from lived experience and how they can be connected into a coherent, meaningful, and workable framework.

What You Will Take Away

By the end of the course, you will have:

  • A clear overview of the complete TAE process, including its purpose, potential, and limitations.

  • A grounded understanding of the function of the individual steps, so that you can adapt them to your own process and to different contexts.

  • A clearer sense of how the steps are interconnected rather than functioning as separate procedures.

  • Practical ways to combine, vary, and reorganize the steps.

  • The experience of completing a small TAE journey and moving through the full arc of the process.

  • Greater confidence in applying TAE to future projects and creative endeavors.

  • The aim is not to begin and complete a complex project during these four classes. It is to understand and experience the process deeply enough to approach future projects with greater clarity, flexibility, and confidence—and to develop work that is more coherent, alive, and grounded in your own experience.

Dates and Times

All sessions take place on Fridays from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time (New York).

The four live Zoom classes are scheduled for: 

  • August, 28 2026
  • September 4, 2026
  • September 11, 2026
  • September 18, 2026


The bonus Q&A and integration session will take place on:

  • October 2, 2026 


Registration

Course Fees and Payment Options

What Happens After You Register

After clicking the Sign Up Now button, you will be taken to a secure checkout page. You will be asked to create an account or sign in to an existing account.

Once your registration is complete, you will receive:

  • A payment receipt
  • A registration confirmation
  • Access to the course learning portal
  • Further information about the live sessions and course preparation

Questions Before you Register?

You may find the answer in the FAQ below. You are also welcome to contact me directly. I am happy to answer questions and help you decide whether this course is the right fit for you.

Contact Me 

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What if I have to miss a live session?

    All live sessions will be recorded and made available in the learning portal. You can catch up by watching the recording and completing the accompanying exercises. Because the live classes include partnership practice and discussion, attending in person whenever possible is recommended.

  • Do I need to have a project to work on?

    TAE can only be learned through practice, but a small and manageable topic is enough. This might be an idea, question, experience, or area of interest that you would like to explore further. You do not need to arrive with a topic. You will receive prompts during the first class to help you identify a suitable topic.

  • Do I have to participate in the partnerships?

    Partnership practice is strongly recommended because it is an essential part of experiencing TAE. During the partnerships, one person works with their topic while the other listens and takes notes, and then the roles are reversed. These sessions also give you the opportunity to develop a way of working that you may continue with a partner after the course.

  • Do I need prior experience with TAE?

    No prior TAE experience is required. The course is designed as both an introduction for newcomers and a deeper exploration for people who have already encountered TAE but want to understand it more fully.

Hi, I am looking forward to going on this journey with you

Evelyn Fendler-Lee

Dr. Evelyn Fendler-Lee is a self-employed organizational psychologist, a certified person-centered counselor and coach, a Focusing trainer, and Certifying Coordinator (TIFI). She encourages deep and interactive thinking for original creation, profound change, and sustainable solutions. In her work with individuals and teams, she integrates her experience from her previous career as a researcher and project manager, as well as from teaching social and personal skills at universities.

With the Thetaland® Academy&Consultancy, she applies the principles and practices of Gendlin's philosophy of the implicit to innovation, teamwork, leadership, and personal growth.