The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria

ACT and Clinical Behavior Analysis: Session 107 with Emily Sandoz

Jan 29, 2020

Dr. Emily Sandoz, a clinical behavior analyst and ACT practitioner, shares her insights into applying Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in talk therapy. She discusses the importance of functional analysis of verbal behavior during therapy sessions, creating evocative contexts to facilitate skill development, and the differences between aversive and appetitive control. Emily critiques mid-level terms in ACT and emphasizes the value of patient stories. Her fresh, behavior-analytic approach offers valuable connections for both therapists and supervisors.

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ANECDOTE

Early ABA Job Shaped Her Practice

Emily Sandoz described her first ABA job working in a 40-hour home program supporting a child with feeding and autism challenges.
She credited her supervisor Dr. Amita Patel for teaching both what to do and why, which shaped her early behavior-analytic practice.

INSIGHT

Behaviorism Then ACT Completed The Puzzle

Emily said behaviorism provided a unifying framework that let her translate diverse psychology topics into functional terms.
ACT then offered ways to address complex human experiences (grief, yearning) that early ABA didn't seem to capture.

ADVICE

Target In-Session Behavior First

Focus on the behavior emitted and evoked in-session and directly shape it rather than relying solely on out-of-session self-report.
Use language to create evocative contexts in the room so repertoire change can generalize to the client's life.

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Dr. Emily Sandoz joins me in Session 107 to talk about her work in ACT and Clinical Behavior Analysis. I found this conversation really fascinating as she shares how she helps people in talk-therapy contexts - a setting that most listeners do not practice in.

Going into this interview, I assumed we'd get deep into the ACT Hexaflex Processes, but we ended up dispensing with a lot of the common, "mid-level terms," of ACT, and instead focused on the functional analysis of verbal behavior in the context of a therapy session.

I think you'll find Emily's approach to ACT refreshingly direct and simple. And, even if you don't have an interest in the talk-therapy world, there are tons of connections that you're likely to make, especially in the area of supervision. How, you might ask? I can't spoil it here, so be sure to listen to the conversation in its entirety.

In broadcasting terms, we had a "hard-out" in terms of time. Otherwise this interview could have continued for much longer. So if this type of content interests you, go to the shownotes of this episode at behavioralobservations.com and let me know, as I'd love to have Emily back to chat some more.

We talked about a few books and other resources during the conversation, and I've linked them below:

Wilson and DuFrene (2009). Mindfulness for Two.
Wilson and DuFrene (2010). Things Might Go Terribly, Horribly Wrong: A Guide to Life Liberated from Anxiety. (not mentioned during the interview, but I had to add it to the links based on the title alone!).
BACB Fact Sheet on Clinical Behavior Analysis.
Clinical Behavior Analysis, edited by Dougher (2000).
Kanter and Woods (2009). Introduction to the Special Issue on Clinical Behavior Analysis of The Behavior Analyst.

Today's podcast is sponsored by The ACT BootCamp for Behavior Analysts that's taking place from March 19th-22nd in Reno, Nevada. This workshop is taught by a who’s who in the ACT and ABA world, including Drs. Evelyn Gould, Steve Hayes, Kendra Newsome, Mark Dixon to name just a few. Attendees will earn a total of 32 BACB Continuing Education units, including 4 ethics and 3 supervision CEU’s.

If this sounds like something you’re interested, check out https://praxiscet.com/bopod (or hit the show notes to this episode), and use the code BO50 to save on your registration!

HRIC Recruiting. If you're looking for your dream job, work directly with agency owner Barb Voss, and let her put her 30+ years of recruiting experience to work for you. Whether you're re-locating or just wondering what else is available, go to HRIColorado.com and schedule a confidential chat right away.

Lastly, I am honored to be part of this year's Verbal Behavior Conference that's being held on April 2nd and 3rd in Austin Texas. Come learn from VB experts such as Mark Sundberg, Anna Petursdottir, Ciao Miguel, Barbara Esch, and more! Click here for special registration prices for podcast listeners!