My approach
What is Acceptance Commitment Therapy?
Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT), is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy aimed at separating our understanding of ourselves from our behaviors, feelings, and thoughts about ourselves. ACT is “action-oriented” and helps individuals stop avoiding and battling with their emotions and instead, learn to accept that their feelings are valid and that emotions do not need to stand in the way of living life and reaching goals.
How do I make changes in my life:
ACT works to accept and be present with your broad range of experiences and emotions, distancing yourself from and changing the ways in which you react to difficult feelings and thoughts by broadening your understanding of yourself and your identity to be more than just your thoughts and feelings. This is done through identifying and connecting with your values, setting measurable and attainable goals, and engaging with committed action to make changes.
Pain + Acceptance = Pain • Pain + Avoidance = Suffering
How Do I Make Changes in My Life?
ACT works to accept and be present with your broad range of experiences and emotions, distancing yourself from and changing the ways in which you react to difficult feelings and thoughts, and broadening your understanding of yourself and your identity to be more than just your thoughts and feelings. This is done through identifying and connecting with your values, setting measurable and attainable goals, and engaging with committed action to make changes.
What is Dialectical Behavioral Therapy?
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) is a structured cognitive behavioral therapy that consists of four “modules” with specific skills to help improve your life. These modules are:
• Mindfulness
• Interpersonal Effectiveness
• Emotion Regulation
• Distress Tolerance
These evidence-based skills have been found to support change and healthy coping for individuals with a wide-range of psychological and social issues including substance use, anxiety, and personality disorders.
I am formally trained in DBT facilitation, have run DBT Skills Groups, and incorporate skills training into my work with all of my patients. I believe that a fundamental aspect of therapy should be learning how to better cope in concrete ways.