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.

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

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, MSW, LICSW and a rotating cast of seasoned therapists. Each episode features a therapist speaking to their areas of expertise, clinical interests, and personal experiences of being a therapist. This podcast will be covering topics like burn-out, self of therapist, cultural considerations, client retention, session structure, advancing clinical skills, innovations in therapy, and balancing professional relationships with our personal lives. Every now and then, we'll even cover the happenings of how therapists are portrayed in pop culture.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Miranda Barker⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, MSW, LICSW, has been practicing as a therapist for nearly three years. She previously worked as a child protection investigator, adoption social worker, and case manager. She's new to the therapy game and loves soaking up all of the knowledge from the expert therapists in her life. She's currently the Director of Content and Production at Ellie Mental Health's in-house creative agency and believes that creativity is an important aspect of mental health care.