Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an empirically based therapeutic approach that uses mindfulness strategies to increase psychological flexibility. One aspiration we hold for each of us is to experience more confident and conscious choice in each moment. ACT emphasizes helping you to identify your core values and goals and working together to align your behaviors with those values and goals.
The key component to this process is acceptance – even of the scary stuff. Often trying to change ourselves is counterproductive: the more we struggle to change, the more we remain stuck (as if caught in quicksand). Through engaging in ACT, you will learn how to make healthy contact with thoughts, feelings, memories, and physical sensations that have been previously feared or avoided.
Our implementation of ACT is informed by extensive study and practice of Buddhist wisdom traditions as well as principles from humanistic, gestalt, and psychodynamic psychology. We bring a sophisticated understanding of the functioning of the mind in both sanity and confusion. From a place of openness and non-judgment, we use a precise awareness of the present moment to work with you through obstacles to flourishing. This client-centered and relational approach facilitates uncovering and fostering trust in the wisdom and strength you already possess but may not always be able to access.
In our work together, we create a space of compassionate curiosity where authenticity and courage will grow at their own natural paces. In this environment, you are free to experiment and practice doing things differently with the opportunity for feedback when and if you so choose. We bring patience and playfulness to this brave exploration. This work is especially effective for those who are struggling with shame, self-criticism, self-doubt, and low self-esteem.
ACT has been proven to be effective for the treatment of depression, anxiety, stress, eating disorders, and, in some cases, borderline personality disorder and psychotic symptoms.
If you are specifically hoping to explore ACT, please be sure to mention this when you are scheduling.
