We have all encountered periods of despair so dire it feels like we'd prefer to be anyplace but the current moment. The costs of emotional avoidance might seem non-existent in the short term, but its consequences are profound. What are the reasons we flee pain and suffering? More importantly, what is the proper course of action in times of turbulence?

My therapist, Ben Rea, is here to try and provide some illumination to this question. Ben is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who practices in San Luis Obispo. While he incorporates myriad modalities in his work, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, is the framework that guides many of his sessions. This theory is predicated on the idea that when we accept ourselves for who we are in the here and now, we begin to have a better relationship with our current situation, however painful it might be. Radical, huh? 

Ben and I discuss how societal narratives surrounding achievement leave us feeling perpetually inadequate, how a therapist modeling vulnerability is the only way to achieve success with a client, and the transformational power self-acceptance can have on our ability to navigate life. This was an incredibly moving conversation for me that I hope you all find value in as well. Please turn on notifications for my podcast releases, feel free to leave feedback and connect with me on social media!

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