Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Mindfulness in NYC
and Throughout NY State
You may be feeling chronic tension in your body. You find it difficult to feel at peace. You never really feel calm in your body. You feel the need to respond to every thought and emotion as fact, making it difficult to stay present. You feel like your life is not your own because of the amount of space that OCD and Anxiety are taking up. You are so tired of not being able to live the life that is most meaningful to you.
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Mindfulness to help you be more present and feel more able to tolerate anxiety and doubts that arise without responding with compulsive or avoidant type behaviors, which only reinforce the anxiety feedback loop. Here, we will work together to integrate both the concepts.
ACT is defined as “A psychological intervention based modern behavioral psychology, including Relational Frame Theory (RFT), that applies mindfulness and acceptance processes and commitment and behavior change processes to the creation of psychological flexibility.” Dr. Steven Hayes
Mindfulness is an ancient meditative, Ayurvedic practice. However, the more Westernized-Modernized version of Mindfulness is “Awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally.” Jon Kabat-Zinn
Does this feel familiar?
You feel …like you continuously replay conversations, and worry about how you may have come across to others, constantly doubting yourself.
No matter what you do…you cannot stay present, like your life is passing you by while you’re too busy worrying or stuck in your head.
You want …to stop avoiding the things that are important to you by avoiding, procrastinating, or engaging in ruminations and compulsions.
You’re tired…of constantly judging yourself so harshly.
In our work together, we will help you feel more present. We will help you to live the life that feels most in line with who you are and is most meaningful to you.
I know you’re tired of feeling…
like you cannot trust yourself or your decisions. You’re tired of over thinking everything and getting stuck in loops of anxiety and self doubt. You’re tired of being your own worst critic. You’re tired of feeling disconnected to your values and what is most meaningful. You’re tired of missing out on opportunities because of fear. You’re exhausted by experiencing such intense reactions to your thoughts, that often times feel too overwhelming.
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy & Mindfulness in NYC
and throughout NY State
You might be here because you spend a significant amount of time trying to control, avoid, or make sense of distressing thoughts and feelings. You might be here because you “seem like you’re functioning well “ on the outside, but on the inside you’re often overwhelmed, anxious and feeling exhausted.
You may be the type of person that keeps waiting for things to feel completely certain or just right in order to make decisions. You feel like you avoid the things, or emotions that feel too uncomfortable. You’re exhausted by the constant, critical judgement of yourself. You don’t feel like you're able to be present and it is definitely affecting your work, your relationships and your day to day life.
ACT isn’t about getting completely rid of difficult thoughts and emotions, but about developing greater choice and flexibility in how you respond to them so that they don’t dictate your decisions. ACT teaches you that there is a different way! It teaches you to notice and observe thoughts and feelings while choosing with intention, how you want to respond to them.
In addition, Mindfulness meditation teaches us to bring attention and awareness to the present moment with curiosity and acceptance. It teaches us to notice and to allow ourselves to then let go without getting too attached to the thought or feeling that is coming up.
My Approach to ACT & Mindfulness in NYC
and throughout NY State
In our work together, we will introduce the concepts and principles of both ACT and Mindfulness. We will work to learn skills and implement both informal and formal mindfulness meditation practices to help you stay present and feel more grounded. We will work to help you then implement these behavioral changes in order to practice tolerating distressing emotions and acceptance of the presence of your thoughts, without having to respond to them with urgency.
You can learn that you no longer need to avoid the situations and things that feel too overwhelming and scary. You can learn that not every thought is fact and that you can choose your response with intention, rather than being reactive. You can learn to identify your values in terms of the very things that are the most meaningful to your life. You’ll learn to live in line with those values and live life on your own terms.
This is a collaborative process, where we check in regularly and go at your own pace. I integrate both ACT and Mindfulness meditation, along with Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) Therapy together, and have found this to be the most effective in treating OCD and Anxiety Disorders in my practice over the last 22 years. We will customize treatment to fit your specific needs and goals.
How to get started!
Step One
Schedule your complimentary 15-20 minute consultation call by clicking here!
Step Two
If it’s a good fit for your needs, then we will schedule an initial intake evaluation session.
Step Three
Start healing!
Your Questions About ACT & Mindfulness, Answered
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No, The goal of Acceptance & Commitment Therapy & Mindfulness is not to completely extinguish their anxiety or inturisve thougths, but to learn how to sit with your thoughts and difficult emotions, without responding with harsh judgement. Instead, you’ll learn to notice your thoughts and feelings and approach them with curiosity, compassion, and acceptance. You’ll learn to stay more present, but this does not mean that you’ll necessarily feel calm, you’ll instead learn to observe what your thinking and feeling without getting too attached to the outcome. Overtime, the very relationship you have with your OCD or Anxiety, will change, which can lead to experiencing less anxiety and more calm in the body.
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Yes, you’ll be asked to implement both formal (guided meditation) and informal meditation (noticing what thoughts are coming up while you’re riding the subway to work). We will initially practice mindfulness meditation in session until you feel comfortable with the process, and able to try it on your own. It is more of a way of thinking and being in the world that helps you come back to what is going in the present moment, without judgement.
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ACT & Mindfulness are different from other talk therapies in that there is a somatic component where we our observing what emotions “feel like” in the body. There is the component of Mindfulness in both. They both activate change through making shifts in behavior.
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Reach out a therapist in City, State today!
Let’s work together to… learn to relate differently to your thoughts and feelings so you can life the life you find most meangingful!