Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Cultivating psychologically flexible minds.

Research tells us there is a core source of all of human suffering - psychological rigidity. This is the tendency of our minds to become firm, reactive, and… well rigid. If you’ve ever had the experience of jumping to conclusions, or imagining a worst-case scenario and acting on it, you have experienced being in rigid state of mind. Multiplied over time and situations, we move through the world in a way that is reactive, fearful, and limited. We begin to believe the worst about others or ourselves, and life becomes more difficult to navigate.

The same research shows us the way out, cultivating a psychologically flexible mind. One of the healthiest frames of mind we can cultivate is one that is adaptive different situations, considerate of various perspectives, and rolls with the punches life may throw our way. A core belief in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is that when we accept what has happened and stop fighting against it, we are free to choose actions that move us into closer alignment with our values. In doing so, we experience freedom from the mental traps we often fall into and get back to the business of living.

Like clay on a potters wheel needs water to stay malleable, so does the mind need flexibility to be adaptable. When the clay dries out, it cracks. In a rigid mind we are also prone to cracks, hurting ourselves and our relationships along the way.

Acceptance does not mean we feel good about what happened or even necessarily feel gratitude towards it. It means we drop the unhelpful act of struggling against the challenges of life, and discover what it means to live fully in light of life’s challenges.