This week guests Michael Atkinson and Alison Affalter join to discuss Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).

The episode covers:

- ACT’s origins, key principles, and practical applications

- How clients can live a meaningful life aligned with personal values while accepting inevitable hardships

- ACT's six core principles aimed at enhancing psychological flexibility: acceptance, cognitive defusion, self as context, contact with the present moment, values, and committed action.

The guests share insights on applying ACT in therapy and personal life, and how it can be integrated with other therapeutic modalities to support clients dealing with various issues such as anxiety, depression, trauma, and life transitions.

OUR HOST:

Miranda Barker, MSW, LICSW, has been practicing as a therapist for several years. She previously worked as a child protection investigator, adoption social worker, case manager, and the Director of Brand Content at Ellie Mental Health. Follow her on⁠ LinkedIn.⁠

The Therapist Thrival Guide is a podcast by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ellie Mental Health⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. We want to move therapists beyond surviving and into the realm of thriving by covering all the things that graduate school didn't teach you! This mental health podcast is hosted by Miranda Barker, LICSW and a rotating cast of seasoned therapists. Each episode features a therapist speaking to their areas of expertise to help us learn how to thrive as therapists.⁠⁠

Ellie is a national mental health brand organized around community-based outpatient mental health clinics. It all began with a single office in St. Paul, Minnesota back in 2015, and has expanded to an explosive number of locations nationwide after franchising our model in 2021. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Introduction & Meet the Experts: Michael and Allison

01:25 Diving into ACT: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

03:30 Core Principles of ACT

17:54 Applying ACT in Therapy and Life

22:06 Therapist Tools and Initial Experiences

22:46 Integrating ACT with Other Modalities

25:21 Learning and Training in ACT

29:20 ACT for Various Diagnoses and Situations

34:16 Mindfulness Techniques in ACT

41:41 Final Thoughts and Resources

How to Waste Your Life (Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilych)