Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in Ohio & Kentucky
You’ve been struggling alone with your thoughts and feelings for too long.
You may have been struggling with your thoughts and feelings. You may be, unknowingly, moving away from behaviors that are important to you. You might be struggling with anxiety and depression. Or, even grief or anger. And you’re finding it difficult to live a meaningful life. All because your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are interfering.
When struggling with our thoughts and feelings, it can be hard to find what is important to us and move towards it. You might be avoiding what’s important to you. Or you might be behaving towards your loved ones in ways you might want to be different. You only know that something needs to change.
What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy?
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a type of therapy that can assist you in making the changes you want to see in your life. It allows you to learn to take a step back from your thoughts and feelings. Learning that you do not have to accept the negative circumstances in your life. Or like the feelings that come with them. It can also help you to gain the acceptance that you have little control over your thoughts and feelings.
Without awareness of your thoughts and feelings, you might behave in a different way. Often in ways inconsistent with your goals and our values. It can be a way to cope with thoughts and feelings. ACT can help you to learn different skills. Skills that might help manage and cope with your thoughts and feelings.
Our thoughts and feelings are like a puppeteer, controlling what we do.
This can allow you to move in the direction of your goals and values at the same time. So that you can live a life that is rich and meaningful. Even though you might still be struggling with complex thoughts and feelings.
By working with a therapist, you will learn to focus on what you can control. Such as your behaviors and your attention. By doing this, your thoughts and feelings become more “background noise” while our attention is on doing what matters to us.
Reasons Why Someone Might Seek Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
There are many reasons why someone might seek out Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. A few common reasons someone might seek out an ACT therapist include when they are:
- Avoiding things that are important to them
- Looking for support and skills to help them sit with difficult emotions
- Are ready to learn how to cope with complex thoughts more effectively
- Wanting to learn how to feel in control when feeling angry, depressed, or anxious
Struggling with your thoughts and feelings can make it hard to focus on what’s important to you. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy can help you learn how to become aware of your thoughts and feelings. By doing so, you can focus on what matters.
Kyle’s Approach to Counseling as an ACT Therapist in Kentucky and Ohio
One of the best things about ACT therapy is that it’s a therapy approach that can help people with a wide range of mental health concerns. As an ACT therapist, I like to incorporate a lot of ACT when I’m working with clients. This covers everything from coping with anxiety to grief, depression, or anger.
For example, when treating anxiety, I can help you work on accepting the thoughts and emotions causing the anxiety. And to commit to taking action despite the anxiety. This way you will learn to observe your thoughts and feelings. And to take a step back from the anxiety. Then, you can move in the direction of your values and goals.
For depression, using ACT, I can help you learn how to accept your thoughts and feelings without judgment. So that you can be more mindful of your actions and make sure they align with your values. Together we will then look at ways to help you be more intentional about how you react in situations. For example, we may talk about coping skills for strong emotions such as taking a brief timeout. Or, doing some assertiveness training in sessions.
When using ACT, I will help you learn how to be more mindful and present in life.
Then, you’ll be able to be more intentional about how you respond in various situations. You’ll be able to respond in the way that will be most effective and most consistent with your own values. In short, ACT helps us to cut the string that the puppeteer (our emotions) uses to control us. Then, we can control what we do with our arms and legs.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Begins with Mindfulness
ACT is a mindfulness-based approach. So, we often begin with helping you live more in the present moment. You’ll start to observe your thoughts and feelings instead of feeling so attached to them. Or, reacting automatically or letting those emotions dictate your actions.
We will work on helping you to become more aware of your thoughts and feelings. By doing so, you can learn to take a step back from them, and make more mindful choices about how to respond. From there, you can begin to move in the direction of your values and goals.
Acceptance Doesn’t Mean You’re Ok With Negative Emotions
A common misconception people have about ACT therapy is that acceptance means being okay with the negative circumstances in our lives or, liking the feelings. But, this is not what ACT is all about. We are not simply accepting negative circumstances when we use ACT therapy. You’re not going to suddenly be ok with the bad things happening in your life.
Rather, we are gaining the acceptance that we inherently have little control over our ability to control our emotions. So, instead of struggling with our emotions, we accept them. Then, we focus on what we can change: our behaviors and attention.
The “acceptance” in ACT is about learning to accept the things we cannot control. This in turn allows you to begin to focus on what matters and thus make true, meaningful change.
ACT Therapy Doesn’t Eliminate The Negative Emotions
None of this means you won’t feel your depression or grief or anxiety anymore. But, it means you will learn how to be more in touch with how you feel. You’ll be better able to tolerate the challenging emotions and change your relationship with these feelings. Through the support of online ACT therapy, you will be able to use your values and goals as a “compass” to guide you. Not the thoughts and reactions that have been holding you back this far.
With Online ACT Therapy in Kentucky and Ohio, I Can Help You
In my opinion as an ACT therapist, any individual can benefit from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. I have worked with many clients who felt like their thoughts and feelings were controlling their behaviors. Not their values and goals. That they were even moving away from the direction their values and goals lie.
But, through therapy, they learned to accept their thoughts and feelings. With my support, they learned to take a step back from them. They were able to focus on what was important to them and take actions that moved them in that direction.
You can move your life forward in the direction you choose
As a therapist practicing in Ohio and Kentucky, I have many clients that come to me for Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. This includes those that are grieving and those with difficulty controlling their behaviors when angry or depressed. Or those that avoid what makes them anxious.
I can help you to learn how to manage and cope with your thoughts and feelings. This way you can move towards your goals and values. But, also live a life that is rich and meaningful. You might be struggling with difficult thoughts and feelings. But, you can still move in any direction you want. You can move in any direction despite the thoughts and feelings still being there.
Begin Online ACT Therapy in Kentucky and Ohio
- Contact me to learn more about ACT therapy
- Learn more about me and the therapy process
- Begin regaining control of your emotions & life