Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Acceptance is paramount in allowing us to move forward through difficult experiences both past and present while honoring the difficult feelings that come from those experiences. Settling into radical acceptance and staying in the present can allow or an openness and psychological flexibility we all need to navigate through life.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) encourages you to embrace your thoughts and feelings rather than fighting or feeling guilty for them. ACT develops psychological flexibility. It is a form of behavioral therapy that combines mindfulness skills with the practice of self-acceptance.

ACT is another mindfulness based therapy that is focused on bringing your daily actions into alignment with your values. ACT can help people reduce avoidant tendencies, reduce the influence of troublesome thoughts/urges, and become more aware of the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that can keep you feeling "stuck".

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.

ACT uses values as an underlying base and motivation for future action. The exploration of individual values is an incredibly important tool for self growth. This process also allows us to look for discrepancies between values you were raised with, and values that you personally feel are important to uphold. You are making a commitment to lean into the things that you care most about, while also accepting yourself as you are. I hope to model that acceptance for you through our work.

As a clinical psychologist with expertise in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), I help clients build psychological flexibility by integrating evidence-based strategies like defusion, values-based action, and mindfulness. My work emphasizes practical, compassionate tools that empower clients to navigate life’s challenges, reduce experiential avoidance, and cultivate meaningful change. I also specialize in adapting ACT to address sleep disruptions, enhancing its impact on well-being.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is one of the primary approaches I take in assisting clients and have complete training for using ACT with various populations. I specifically appreciate this modality for its simplicity and longevity after therapy has ended.

While CBT is a great building block, ACT has been more effective for me and my clients in navigating the stressors of daily life and of minority stress issues.

ACT is therapy model that originates from a combination of traditional behavioral therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy. This style works off of the belief that practicing acceptance and reducing judgment can promote emotional openness and reduce feelings of distress, thereby allowing us to live in a more mindful way and more in alignment with our personal values. For more info: www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapy-types/acceptance-and-commitment-therapy

Imagine your mind is like a bus, and sometimes it takes you on bumpy roads with difficult thoughts and feelings. ACT helps you learn to ride that bus, even when it's bumpy, instead of trying to control every turn. We'll explore what's truly important to you—your values—and take steps towards living that life, even when those tough feelings show up. It's about noticing your thoughts without getting tangled in them, like clouds passing in the sky. ACT helps you focus on what matters most.

I help clients build psychological flexibility by accepting difficult emotions while committing to values-driven actions. Through ACT, I guide individuals in reducing avoidance, increasing resilience, and fostering meaningful engagement in life. I specialize in using ACT to help veterans and victims of assault face their PTSD, anxiety, and depression through mindfulness, acceptance, and strategies to break free from unhelpful patterns.

Knowing what you value in life can be leveraged to create meaningful, lasting change. I have experience teaching individuals and groups the foundational skills of ACT that can be applied to an array of situations.

ACT is a type of Cognitive Behavior Therapy that focuses on being able to live a rich and meaningful life, with all the ups and downs that life throws at us. We focus on finding out what "makes you tick" and on becoming less constrained by the effects of anxiety, depression, and other unhelpful patterns, so you can do more of what makes you feel engaged with life. In ACT, we acknowledge that we aren't perfect, our lives aren't perfect, and we can find enjoyment and fulfillment despite this.

I want to guide you to implement self awareness and self compassion. Through Acceptance, we will work together to identify what no longer serves you, what to let go of, and what you do have control over.

While CBT tends to my first line of treatment for most clients, I will typically implement elements of ACT throughout therapy. CBT is great for helping clients with the things that they can change, but, admittedly, it falls a bit short when it comes to accepting and coping with the unchangeable. This is why I have found great success teaching clients not only mindfulness, including meditation practices, but also utilizing acceptance techniques to aid clients in living their best life.

I help clients process life's circumstances to avoid feeling stuck. I help clients move through experiences and grow from them.