Acceptance & Commitment Therapy

Most of us were taught, directly or indirectly, that difficult feelings are problems to be solved. So we fight them — distracting, numbing, overworking, overexplaining, lying awake negotiating with our own minds. The fighting is exhausting, and it rarely works for long.

ACT offers a different move: allowing the feeling to be present without letting it run the show. This is not resignation, and it is not pretending to be fine. It is learning that a wave of grief or anxiety can be in the room without deciding what you do next. That shift sounds small. In practice, it changes everything.

The other half of the work is clarifying what you actually care about — not what you should care about, or what would look impressive, but what quietly matters to you. Values in ACT are directions, not destinations. You never finish being a loving parent or an honest friend; you can only move in that direction today.

From there, the question becomes practical and surprisingly gentle: given everything you are carrying, what is one step toward what matters? Action stops waiting for the right mood.

In my practice, ACT is woven together with psychodynamic and depth work, so a session is both reflective and practical. We might notice where a feeling lives in your body, get curious about the story your mind is telling, and then look at what the coming week is asking of you.

Sessions are 50 to 60 minutes, online, for adults located anywhere in California. If you are curious whether this approach fits what you are carrying, a free 15-minute consultation is the easiest place to start.