Our Mission
Whether on this site, in therapy, or just in life, our mission is to disseminate these ancient traditions and teaching in a modernized way that is functional for you. Spreading the philosophy, we hope to connect with anyone open to exploration. With life often filled with pain and suffering, finding our place in the universe and making use of our time, in a meaningful way, often leaves people scared and confused. Through purposeful perspective on the ‘here and now,’ we can learn to face the challenges that human life throws us straight in the face with acceptance, curiosity, and strength.
Our Therapeutic Approach
The 2,500-year-old practice of mindfulness originates from the ancient Eastern teachings of Buddha. However, much of Western practices like mindfulness-based psychotherapies, meditation, and exercises are secular. The benefits remain the same.
Other mindfulness-based approaches we use include: Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Mindfulness-Based, Cognitive Therapy, Acceptance-Based Behavior Therapy, Compassion-Focused Therapy, Yoga, Qi-Gong, Meditation, and Hiking.
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Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (Hayes, Strosahl, & Wilson, 2012) is an experientially-embedded cognitive-behavioral approach. In short, we called it "ACT" (pronounced one word) because this behavioral approach is really about "doing" or "act"-ing. ACT is an empirically-based transdiagnostic psychological intervention that uses acceptance- and mindfulness-based behavioral techniques, strategies, and approaches to increase psychological flexibility and decrease experiential avoidance. ACT's foundation is built on Relational Frame Theory (RFT; Hayes, Barnes-Holmes, Roche, 2001). In intentionally, overly-simplistic terms, RFT is a theory about the double-edged sword of language and cognition, and how they relate to subjective human experience. It's all too often, that we get caught up and entangled with our inner experience. Because of this, changing the ways we see, relate, and experience our thoughts, feelings, memories, and physical sensations through openness and non-judgmental curiosity is at the core of this approach. Some of the ways we do this is through evocative, metaphors, paradoxes, meditations, and experiential exercises. Throughout the work with your practitioner, you will change that way you experience language, life, and it's stronghold. To learn more about ACT and it's processes Click Here
Check out this cool recent article in the Washington Post on ACT!
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Psychological flexibility is a dimensional construct, featuring several interconnected human processes that contribute to health and well-being (Hayes, Strosahl, & Wilson, 2012). It reflects one’s willingness to be open, centered, and engaged with the external and internal world. Working together, the open and centered processes of mindfulness and acceptance (i.e., acceptance, defusion, present moment, and self-as-context) interplay with commitment and behavioral engagement (values, committed action) to create psychological flexibility. Psychological flexibility, as a model for psychological health and well-being, captures “the dynamic, fluctuating, and contextually-specific behaviors that people deploy when navigating the challenges of daily life” (Kashdan & Rottenberg, 2010, pp. 866). Psychological flexibility has been empirically linked with a growing number of health-related outcomes, including mental and behavioral response shifts in self-regulation and balance among important life domains (Kashdan & Rottenberg, 2010). The psychological flexibility model proposes that pain and suffering is an inherent aspect of human life. With flexibility, humans are more able to adapt to ever-changing internal and external environments. It is with inflexibility and rigidity where behavioral restriction manifests.
