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Acceptance and
Commitment Therapy

ACT

“Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a unique and creative model for both therapy and coaching, based on the innovative use of mindfulness and values. The aim of ACT is to maximize human potential for living a rich, full and meaningful life.”

-Russ Harris

My Thoughts On Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

First and foremost, I am an ACT (pronounced like the word “act”) therapist. In my opinion, ACT, short for Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, isn’t just a type of therapy but a recipe for a rich, full, and meaningful life.

Through ACT, you will become accustomed to connecting with your “here and now,” not simply the words filling your head and the emotions washing over you, but also, all the things that you can see, hear, touch, taste, and smell. It may be simple, but it does not come naturally.

You will also learn how to unhook from unhelpful thoughts and open up to uncomfortable feelings, so that they can come and go without you fighting them and wasting your precious life, trying to control them.

Perhaps most importantly, we laser focus on who you want to be and how you want to move through the world. These “values,” as we call them in ACT, will help you to create small, achievable goals and make choices that are in alignment with the person you want to be. This process gives life great meaning.

Through deep listening, compassion, and understanding, utilizing the tools of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, I will help you connect to the richness of your here and now, instead of being completely caught up in unhelpful thoughts, feelings, and situations. We will work together to help you discover who you want to be and how you want to be in the world. In other words, we will get you unstuck and on the road to living your best life.

Catherine Saxton-Thompson

If you’re curious to learn more about Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Please check out my YouTube videos, some of which can be found on the Blogs page. I have two series about ACT: “Why I Love ACT” which is a series of longer videos about ACT, 4-8 minutes in length and “ACT Bytes/Bites” videos about ACT which are all around 2 minutes long.

AddItional Note:

When I say that I, or other therapists, only use Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, this is a bit misleading. All of a therapist’s training can be incorporated into the therapy they provide. ACT is the model that, in my experience, is the most helpful for people who really want change and believe that it is in their power to do so. In other words, it works best for my ideal client. This doesn’t mean other forms of therapy don’t come into play.

I realize that Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and possibly therapy in general, is new to you. In fact, I created my two video series on ACT in response to all of the questions, I was getting about ACT, though the videos were created mostly for other therapists. If you have questions about this or anything else, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

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