Who tends to find it useful
People who have already tried to think their way out and found the argument endless. Also people in transition, where the real question is not 'how do I stop feeling this' but 'what am I building now'.
Approach: ACT
Move toward what matters and bring the anxiety with you.
Acceptance and commitment therapy stops treating uncomfortable feelings as a prerequisite to be cleared before life starts, and works instead on acting on your values while they are present.
The Moves
What ACT actually asks of you.
- Noticing a thought as a thought rather than as instruction
- Making room for a feeling instead of negotiating with it
- Getting specific about what you value, not what you should value
- Choosing one action that a value would recognize
- Spotting where control strategies cost more than the discomfort did
- Returning to the present when the mind time-travels
Acceptance is not resignation
Accepting a feeling does not mean accepting a situation. In practice, people usually become more willing to change circumstances once they stop spending the day managing the feeling about them.
More on ACT
Values, made specific
Values in ACT are not goals you finish. They are directions, such as being a present parent or doing honest work, that you can act on today in a small way. Part of the work is getting specific enough that you would recognize the action if you saw it.
When anxiety or doubt shows up, the question shifts from how to make it stop to what you would do next if it were allowed to come along.
What sessions tend to include
Short experiential exercises, a lot of plain conversation, and one agreed step to try before the next session. ACT is available in person in Coral Gables, Coconut Grove and Manhattan, and by video anywhere in Florida or New York.
The free 5 to 10 minute consultation is the place to ask whether this fits what you are dealing with. You do not need to explain everything on that call.
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Related pages
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