Acceptance and Commitment Therapy- Active Therapy

What to Expect From This Therapy Approach

The therapy I offer is different from traditional supportive therapy. While compassion and emotional support are part of our work together, this is an active, skills-based approach, based in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). We won’t just talk about your problems—we’ll work together as a team to help you build the kind of life you want to live.

Here are a few key things you should know about this approach:

It’s a very active form of therapy

Rather than just talking about your thoughts and feelings, we’ll focus on learning and practicing psychological skills that help you handle life more effectively. You’ll be invited to try things out between sessions—because just like learning to play guitar or drive a car, skills improve with practice.

We’ll collaborate on how to make these practices manageable for your life. If needed, we’ll break things down into smaller, achievable steps.

It’s about acceptance and action

The ACT model is grounded in two key ideas:

• Accept what is out of your personal control

• Commit to action that improves and enriches your life

This includes:

• Developing new ways to relate to difficult thoughts and emotions

• Identifying your core values—what matters most to you

• Taking meaningful action in alignment with those values, even when it's uncomfortable

It’s a team effort

Think of therapy as a collaboration. You and I are a team, working together toward your goals. I may occasionally check in and ask:

“Can I just check—are we still working as a team here? Does this feel helpful?”

If at any point you’re unsure about the process, we’ll talk about it. We’re in this together.

We may “press pause” during sessions

To support your growth, I may sometimes ask to “press pause” in a session. This simply means slowing down the moment so we can notice something important—either something that’s working well or something that might be getting in your way.

For example:

• I might ask you to stop, take a breath, and notice what’s happening inside—your thoughts, your body, your emotions.

• Then we can explore how that moment might relate to your everyday life and goals.

And of course, this goes both ways—you’re always welcome to press pause on me, too.

You are always in charge

You’ll never be forced to do anything that feels too overwhelming. I may invite you to try new things, or step outside your comfort zone, but everything is optional. You are always free to say “no” or “not right now.”

It’s about acceptance and action (and what that really means)

One of the foundations of ACT is the idea of acceptance—but this doesn’t mean approval, resignation, or giving up. Many people hear the word acceptance and assume it means “just put up with it” or “learn to like it.” That’s not what we’re doing here.

In this context, acceptance means making space for difficult thoughts and feelings rather than constantly fighting with them. It’s about dropping the struggle with pain that we can’t fully control, and instead learning how to live more freely, even when hard thoughts and feelings show up.

You can think of it like this:

• If you’re stuck in quicksand, struggling and thrashing around actually sinks you deeper.

• Acceptance is like stopping the struggle, and then learning a new way to move—so you can get unstuck and start heading in the direction you want to go.

So, in ACT:

• We accept what’s outside our control (like certain thoughts, emotions, or painful histories)

• And we commit to taking action on the things we can influence—our choices, behaviors, and values.

This allows you to build a life that’s not dictated by fear, avoidance, or struggle, but by what actually matters to you.

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Blog Post Title Three

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.

Blog Post Title Four

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.