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.
*Not currently accepting new clients* I believe that we are all wired for growth and that self-discovery is a life-long process. A warm and compassionate therapeutic relationship can go a long way towards helping you foster self-acceptance, increase understanding and make important changes. We'll work together to focus on goals that make sense to you and on taking actions that contribute to a r...
You wake up and think to yourself, “I just can't keep feeling this way.” Maybe it’s the anxiety or the stress. Maybe it’s depression. Perhaps it is the overwhelming feelings of low self-esteem when you look in the mirror. Whatever it is on that particular day, you just know that you cannot continue to live like this and feel this way. You want to wake up in the morning and feel hopeful, excited...
Modern life presents a number of challenges for adults and families. It can be difficult to balance all of the conflicting demands, especially if we are also trying to care for others or carrying the weight of past traumas or other unresolved issues. This can lead to increasing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and anger, and can interfere with the relationships we value and need. None of us are...
I am currently accepting new clients at my new location called Mental Shifts. "Seeing a Therapist Doesn't Mean Something Is Wrong With You". It can mean your seeking clarity, want to work through complex emotions, or to work through a traumatic experience, learn new techniques to cope with difficult situations, and focus on personal growth. I specialize in evidence-based treatment for anxiety,...
Allison Leonard is a Licensed Social Worker from Atlanta, Georgia who graduated from Loyola’s Master of Social Work program with a Mental Health Specialization. In both her graduate & undergraduate work, she studied abroad in Italy & Ireland to study mental health social policy & the psychology of terrorism. She chose this field because of the healing relationships it allows her to build with...
*Offering phone/ video sessions only. Currently not accepting insurance in Texas* Whether you are going through a transition, need tools to have better communication with yourself and with others, want help dissecting a relationship concern, or need help holding yourself accountable to get “unstuck”, I can assist you on that journey. My top priority in the therapeutic space is to help you take ...
Jessica “Jess” Krock is a licensed clinical social worker who received her Master of Social Work degree from Loyola after graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Applied Psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She understands what it means to come to therapy & knows therapy can work if you’re willing to do the work. Asking for help & getting to that first therapy session is brave a...
Dawnielle Gaskin is a Licensed Professional Counselor who received a master’s in Clinical Psychology with a concentration in Child & Family Studies from Roosevelt University after graduating with both a Bachelor of Arts in Clinical Psychology & a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology. In addition to her LPC, she is also a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional & holds a Domestic Violence Training...
Whether you are struggling with a life change (life-limiting diagnosis, divorce, a new phase of life), a loss (death, a relationship, job, sense of your own independence), feeling stuck (life isn't moving in the direction you had hoped, you want to feel different but just don't know where to start), or you are in pain (physical or emotional), I can be a non-biased sounding board and guide. I li...
Many times in life we find ourselves struggling with change. We feel burdened by changes that are out of our control, or discouraged by unsuccessful attempts at creating change. Ideas of who we should be and all of the ways we fall short can so easily conceal our path to contentment and self-love. So why go to therapy? Therapy gives you a non-judgmental space to explore needs, express feelings,...
What if you didn't HAVE to worry. At times like this, when life seems uncertain and out of control, worry doesn't seem like a choice. Many of us can find ourselves in an anxiety spiral leading to headaches, stomach aches, dizziness, and racing thoughts that destroy our concentration, keeping us focused on the worst case scenario, and not on what we have to accomplish in this moment and day. I h...
Is your child or adolescent experiencing difficulties at school or at home - maybe anxiety, depression, behavioral challenges or peer relationship difficulties? Do you wish you could help, but you do not know where to turn or what to do? Childhood and adolescence can be difficult and navigating the challenges that occur can become overwhelming. Through therapy, you and your child will learn...
What makes therapy work is trust and safety, in my experience. No matter what you're carrying, you can walk into my office and have a space to work through your stuff without criticism or judgement. I help people through all sorts of issues, and I have found that I work best with folks struggling with demons that they feel like they have to fight, who have aches in their chest. Whether this com...
One of my passions is working with others through life's challenges and help bring hope and healing from difficult circumstances. If you are going through troubled times, let's work through it together. There IS hope in resolving and moving through the situation you are in right now. I have many years of experience working with children, teens and young adults in foster care, as well as extensi...
I believe that the path to healing requires a safe, and trusting relationship between client and therapist. As a psychologist, my main goal is create a warm and welcoming space for clients to feel understood, heard, respected, and safe. I work collaboratively with my clients to help them better understand themselves and the challenges they have faced, improve interpersonal relationships, and...
