Just ACT: Accept, Clarify, & Transform

Today's Metaphor Monday exploration is a quick 2 minutes to highlight the difference between talking & listening as it related to you and your perspective of yourself and who's experiencing. This metaphor was designed by Russ Harris (2009) and comes from the Big Book of ACT Metaphors. 

Today’s episode is specific to a growing edge about myself, my own label and how I’ve been reflecting in certain areas of my life.

In this episode, I will be speaking about my experience with veganism and my exploration of limitations based on my own food patterns. What I want to share is a specific perspective of exploration. If you are a fellow vegan, know I’m on your side with animal cruelty and I’m also exploring respecting my body in a way that may be a different definition of veganism. I will also talk a little about my own habits and behavior towards food, my body, and diet culture. I will also talk about disordered eating patterns. This may be triggering for you if this is something you yourself are exploring, so with compassion in mind, listen if it calls to you and pause and stop if needed.

Abbie Attwood

This metaphor is from the Big Book of ACT Metaphors - Boone, M (2011)

This is a metaphor focusing on how we remain stable amongst the every changing environment and interactions with others. 

Last episode we expanded on the topic of Self-As-Context (aka the labels we put on ourselves). Since recording that episode, I came up with a structure to sharing this information with each of you. Each pillar of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) will be shared in 4 parts. The first educational in nature. The second expanding the concept to a shared common experience. The third a personal reflection on my own growing edge related to the pillar. Lastly, the 4th part will be dedicated to an interview on the topic. At the end of each episode, I will offer some reflection points, so you can take this topic into your day to day.

So today I want to offer a perspective on self-as-content and a shared experience that most of us see in pop culture, social media, and other avenues. That topic is one of personality tests, quizzes, horoscopes, astrology, Human Design, Enneagram, attachment styles etc… Hopefully, I won’t alienate you as a listener, just by mentioning those tools whether you subscribe to them or not. I’ll ask you to listen and be aware (one of the parts of ACT) of your own reactions and to be open and willing to just listen.

Today's metaphor continues our exploration of the self and the varied perspectives of the self. This is an offering of a time to sit and reflect, on different viewpoints of yourself. To reflect on how we might focus on singular things, people, or tasks, how we might edit, judge, or critic ourselves, and how we might enjoy being present in the moment with the you we are. 

This is a guided visualization to support the concept of self perspective. 

In today’s episode we'll be diving more into the concept of the self, the perspectives of the self, and how these perspectives can limit your ability to be open, aware, and engaged in your life in a meaningful and fulfilling way. At the end of the episode I will offer a guided exercise, so if you are driving, pause the episode and come back to it. 

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Before building flexibility and remember I’m highlighting psychological flexibility, it’s important to understand what being inflexible looks like. For each process of ACT there is an opposite process that is linked with inflexible behaviors and routines. This episode will touch of the 6 core parts of what might add inflexibility to your daily routines.

Welcome to the Just ACT podcast, with Dr. Ashley Fiorilli (that’s me). This podcast is based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy aka ACT. Through this platform, I’ll share ways to Accept, Clarify, and Transform different aspects of your daily life. This podcast is for you if you are a seeker of information, seeker of self-reflection, and a seeker of creating positive change for yourself. The information shared here is a culmination of my years as a behavior analyst, a trauma-informed practitioner, a yoga teacher, a student, a teacher, and so much more. We all need varying levels of support in life. The information provided here is not a substitute for mental health services and support. The information provided in each episode is my hope to provide a different perspective in looking at daily challenges, struggles, and growth opportunities. This perspective is based in Psychological Flexibility or being able to make decisions based on the present moment, your values, and holding space for uncomfortable feelings along the way.  Welcome to the ACT Journey!