Acceptance and Commitment Therapy In-Person in Madison & Online Across Wisconsin

Learning to accept the negative

and commit to you.

Life is about accepting where you’re at and committing to where you want to be.

Maybe you’re feeling as though the best solution is to try and control your negative emotions or suppress them entirely because ‘you can’t feel that right now’. It is easy to file your emotions away and deal with them at a later time, but this often leads to more distress.

You might struggle with ‘black and white’ thinking. The full range of your emotions are clouded and you find that you aren’t fully aware of your thoughts or present in the moment. You may find this present in your relationships or work when you are presented with conflicting views or values that cause you distress. You find yourself in a pattern of avoidance simply looking for peace with your emotions.

MAYBE YOU’RE…

  • Feeling ‘stuck’

  • Feelings of anxiety (i.e., racing thoughts) 

  • Lack of values/challenges between values 

  • Challenges with acknowledging and acceptance the full range of thoughts and emotions, rather than denying them

  • Difficulties with defusion (separating yourself from your thoughts/emotions)/ identifying yourself too much with the problem

  • Psychological inflexibility (one’s inability to be in the present moment, fully aware of one’s thoughts, emotions, sensations, then accepting all of them including the distressing ones)

ACT can help you learn to accept thoughts, and feelings as they are.

Life can be more than avoiding your emotions. It’s possible to accept everything as it comes.

Emotion, particularly negative ones can be easier to avoid than to deal with. Choosing to distract yourself rather than face them is a quick fix, but it isn’t sustainable over time. As the pattern repeats you may notice that you don’t feel present in your life, almost like you’re stuck in place while life continues around you.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy can give you the tools to be present in your life and to give you control of your emotions.

When beginning ACT, like most therapy, we’ll take a look at your goals and learn more about your background. Together we’ll work on increasing your internal resources and strategies and establish control. Over time we’ll work on building up your psychological flexibility, allowing you to be more present and either change or persist in behaviors that serve your valued goals.

While you can’t control everything that happens in life, ACT can help you better accept life experiences as they come, without evaluating or trying to change them. Together we can build a new and more compassionate relationship with difficult experiences.

Acceptance and commitment therapy can help with…

  • Establishing and increasing acceptance of emotions and thoughts to its full capacity

  • Teaching techniques to navigate challenges with cognitive defusion

  • Establishing/choosing/reinforcing personal values and taking concrete steps to change

  • Increase understanding/awareness of the idea that a client is more than their thoughts, feelings and experiences

  • Increase mindfulness and presence within the current moment

  • Increasing psychological flexibility

Discover who you are beyond your emotions and thoughts.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Generally, sessions are 60 minutes, but the timelines can vary. ACT aims to increase psychological flexibility, allowing people to be more present and either change or persist in behaviors that serve their valued goals. It’s important to note that this process can look different for everybody and changes will mostly likely not occur overnight.

  • ACT is a good fit for those who find themselves struggling with "black and white" thinking and are ready make changes so they are more present in life. This therapy may not be a good fit for those who are currently in a situation where acceptance would be dangerous. It may also not be the right therapy for those who are not in a place to take actions and commit to change. Please don’t hesitate to reach out here for a consultation if you have more questions.