Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people become more psychologically adaptable. ACT encourages you to be more fully in the present. Accepting your deep emotions, traumas, or negative coping mechanisms is key in this therapeutic approach.
ACT maintains that to adapt and grow, a person must fully accept themselves as they are. Therapists practicing ACT believe that suppressing or ignoring painful emotions or experiences is counter-productive to growth and change.
You must investigate your current patterns of thinking to change. After examining these patterns, you can better understand the way your thinking impacts you. This acceptance of your patterns and habits helps you change your behaviors.
Trying to stop ways of thinking can be detrimental to ACT. Your therapist will help you understand how and why you think a certain way. Your ACT therapist will encourage you to accept yourself within a given moment. This acceptance is ultimately the catalyst for change.
After fostering the acceptance of the present moment, with all its thoughts, beliefs, and experiences, your ACT therapist will encourage you to develop a new, more compassionate relationship with your experience.
Individuals experiencing a wide range of psychological issues can benefit from ACT because it emphasizes their unique relationship with their problems.
Life is beautiful, but not always perfect. It can become challenging and difficult sometime. Dealing with life stress can be overwhelming, may cause feeling of being stuck/lost, or even leads to anxiety, depression, and relationship problems in your personal, family, or professional life. Seeking counseling is courageous and empowering way of positive coping. I believe therapy is a collaborativ...
I have experience working in both inpatient, outpatient and community based services with a variety of clients experiencing challenges including: alcoholism and drug addiction, eating disorders, anxiety, depression, domestic violence, grief/loss, trauma, marital issues, relationship issues, and parenting concerns etc. I utilize an eclectic approach tailoring the therapeutic process to the needs...
What does it mean to thrive? The heart of my practice is the very essence of equipping individuals and families to live a life where they thrive. To thrive is a means of growth, to flourish, revive, change-state or turn. I specialize in treating individuals with eating disorders, mood disorders and trauma. I have previousley worked at various levels of care including residential, partial...
Are you having difficultly putting all the current chaos in the world into perspective? Is everyone around you giving you information and you just don’t know what to believe? Do you find yourself questioning your judgment? You want to keep you and your family safe, but worrying about it is causing difficulty sleeping and focusing. You want to be able to see things clearly to make informed...
Taking the first step and reaching out for help can be the most difficult part of beginning professional counseling. Here at Open Doors we believe that an investment in yourself is always beneficial, and we hope to assist you on your journey of mental wellness. Open Doors Community Counseling is a program of Gateway Services, Inc. We opened our community counseling program in July 2017. We have...
When you are ready for change you are ready for Hope Hypnotherapy. Combining 8 years of experience as a counselor with extensive specialized training in hypnotherapy, Merrilee aims to teach you how to use your natural abilities to meet your goals. Most clients need only 3 to 6 sessions to address an issue. Clients have benefited from hypnotherapy for a variety of concerns such as: preparing for...
Too often the anxiety and stress of life, career, self-image and identity leave us feeling confused, unfulfilled, unhappy and stuck. Your life is busy, you have everything you need but still something is missing. The decision to engage in therapy is a bold one. You know that things could be better and you are ready to seek support in discovering how you can move forward in a way that is authent...
Feeling stuck, like you are not living your best life? I specialize in working with teens, adolescents, and adults who are struggling with emotional pain due to past traumatic experiences. I believe that a strong therapeutic alliance is essential to developing feelings of trust and a feeling of safety and genuine caring. Together, we will develop a plan to help you reach your goals and to...
I believe that human connection the most powerful force in our lives, and that it can be the source of much of our strength as well as much of our pain. The quality of the psychotherapeutic relationship forms the foundation for all growth and healing done within this context. The simple addition of a new, invested relationship to one's life can help provide room to move forward. Once this...
Life is challenging. Relationships can be difficult. Unexpected events happen. We fall off balance. We aren't sure of what to do and we feel stuck.... A caring therapeutic relationship provides the opportunity to reflect on your life in a safe and supportive environment. When you talk things out, you are able to clarify what you need and how to create the life you want and deserve. Together we...
Have you noticed that recently you are socially isolating yourself, are you avoiding people and activities, or not enjoying life like you used to? As we get older, life throws unexpected changes our direction. Sometimes our emotional responses can leave us feeling confused and out of sorts. If so, you might benefit from talking to someone who understands how emotions, thoughts and behavioral...
Have you noticed patterns that are preventing you from achieving personal goals and living life fully and joyfully? Do sensations of panic or pervasive critical thoughts hold you back? Do you miss out on what's happening in your life because you feel flooded with thoughts of "what if"? My goal is to provide you with a safe, nonjudgmental space where we can examine thought patterns or expectatio...
I welcome you if you are new to therapy or have a history of benefiting from it. I make it a priority that you feel safe to proceed in therapy at a pace that works for you. Life brings us frequent changes and I hope to guide you through these expected and unexpected adjustments. Me encantaría conocerlo/a si nunca ha tenido terapia or si ya tiene experiencia. Para mi, es muy importante que usted...
Being human isn't always easy. If you're reading this, then you know what I mean. Life can be really challenging and sometimes feel out of control. And we're expected to keep it all together and keeping pushing through. I know how hard it can be to deal with stress and overwhelm alone and I also know it is completely normal to need support at times. When your life starts to feel out of your...
Welcome! My name is Katherine Longley. I'm excited to work with you to build resources, develop skills, and assist you in taking any necessary steps toward achieving your goals. I work with teens and adults, and my style is relational, holistic, empathetic, and collaborative; I believe that you are the expert of your experience. I enjoy working to understand where you're coming from so that we ...
