Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

ACT is an action-oriented approach that stems from traditional behavior therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy. Clients learn to stop avoiding, denying, and struggling with their inner emotions and, instead, accept that these deeper feelings are appropriate responses to certain situations that should not prevent them from moving forward in their lives. With this understanding, clients begin to accept their issues and hardships and commit to making necessary changes in their behavior.

We live in a society that is constantly normalizing us to what we are "supposed to be" and what we are "supposed to feel". Much of the distress someone feels is their interpretation of an experience and labeling it as good or bad. When we do this, we go into fight, flight, or freeze. Acceptance and Commitment therapy can help you accept the good, the bad, and the ugly, lean into anxiety, and commit to living a life in line with your values.

ACT is a type of mindful psychotherapy that helps you to tay focused on the present moment and to accept thoughts and feelings without judgement. Being a yoga studio owner for 10 years, brings knowledge and experience in mindfulness. In addition to individual sessions, I offer weekly group therapy for anxiety that offers a unique setting including meditation, yoga and group processing which results in feeling more understood, and less isolated with what you are experiencing.

ACT is all about understanding what matters most to you and identifying when you veer away from these values and why. Ever stayed home from a party because you were anxious even though you'd really like to have some more friends? If so, you're a normal human! We often stray from what matters most because we don't like feeling uncomfortable. ACT uses mindfulness to help us create a more fulfilling life by pursuing the things we value even when it comes with some discomfort.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is a mindfulness-based therapy. It is about understanding our values so we can take values-driven actions despite thoughts and feelings that might slow us down. I find ACT to be widely effective for a variety of clients, especially neurodivergent clients.

The world and our lives can be overwhelming at times, but by recognizing our values and holding them close to us, we are able to live a more fulfilling life.

I began my training in ACT in 2019, and have completed over 40 hours of continuing education, and additional hours of consultation in this modality. ACT stresses the use of mindfulness and acceptance to assist individuals who want to experience psychological flexibility. Psychological flexibility is the ability to stay in contact with the present moment regardless of unpleasant thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations, while choosing one's behaviors based on the situation and personal values.

Acceptance and commitment therapy is an excellent therapeutic tool, which allows us to explore your values, set goals that are in line with your values, and work to commit to achieving your goals. ACT is particularly useful in addressing circumstances that cannot be changed, such as dealing with chronic pain, medical or developmental diagnoses, or experiencing a loss.

I have trained and practiced with ACT as my primary theoretical modality since 2006. I have been fortunate to train with the 3 founders of the approach and it has strong research support. ACT is useful in treating a variety of concerns focusing you on what is truly important to you as a North Star for growth. ACT also includes recognizing your areas of avoidance or developing presence and allowing space for you to cultivate a more values-based meaningful life.

I utilize Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help clients accept their thoughts and feelings without judgment. By cultivating mindfulness and self-acceptance, we can break free from unhelpful patterns and align our actions with our values. If you struggle with anxiety, negative thought cycles, and mood swing - ACT is for you. It's a powerful treatment that teaches you how to regulate your emotions, cope with stress, and live a more balanced life. ACT is full of hands-on tools and skills.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a contemporary form of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) that focuses on mindfulness, acceptance, and behavior change strategies to help individuals live more fully and in line with their values. Unlike traditional therapies that solely focus on symptom reduction, ACT encourages clients to embrace their thoughts and feelings without judgment and to commit to actions aligned with their values. This approach fosters psychological flexibility.

The goal is to help you live a rich, meaningful life by accepting what is outside your control and committing to actions that are in line with their values. By using these principles, ACT encourages you to stop fighting with your internal experiences and instead focus on living a value-driven life. I am your guide, helping you to navigate this process with compassion and support.

Dr. Parlor is an advocate for ACT to appreciate the things in life that were challenging and/or traumatic that lead to unhealthy behaviors. Healing requires accepting that these things happened but that they do not define who we are.

I incorporate elements of ACT, including mindfulness, acceptance, and values-based work.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a type of psychotherapy based on the principles of mindfulness and value-based living. It is an evidence-based form of psychological intervention used to treat a variety of mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and substance use disorders. ACT helps individuals to accept their thoughts, feelings, and sensations without judgement, and to commit to acting in accordance with values that are important to them.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is an action-oriented approach that stems from traditional Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. It utilizes acceptance and mindfulness strategies to help the client accept the difficulties that come with life. I highly recommend "The Illustrated Happiness Trap: How to Stop Struggling and Start Living" by Russ Harris. This is a graphic novel illustrating the principles of ACT Therapy, making it easy to understand and implement into your life.

I not only practice from a Acceptance-Commitment Therapeutic stance but I also provide individual supervision in, as well as trained fellow Clinicians in the application of Acceptance Commitment Therapy. Acceptance-Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a mindfulness-based therapy that incorporates elements of Buddhist mindfulness meditation and newer behavioral therapy techniques. Member of the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science - https://contextualscience.org/

The work I do is rooted in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), a mindfulness-based approach to helping people actively build lives that are meaningful to them. The focus of treatment is you or your adolescent, and the goals and hopes you or your adolescent bring to therapy. ACT will be the roadmaps we use to help facilitate growth and change. In ACT a life worth living is about doing the things we really want our lives to be about even if difficult feelings show up.