Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a mindfulness-based therapeutic practice that encourages clients to identify what values are personally important and to take action on those values. ACT encourages clients to accept and embrace what is out of their personal control, while developing a flexibility to alter the things they can. ACT generally applies six core principles (cognitive defusion, acceptance, contact with the present moment, observing the self, values, and committed action). Therapists practicing ACT help clients to commit to goals based on their personal values with the ultimate goal of bringing more meaning to life.

Local experts in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Teresa Zahariades, LCSW (she/her)

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

I have trained with Steven Hayes, Ph.D, the co-creator of ACT, attended ACT bootcamps and continue self-study daily with ACT principles.

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Cory Anton

Licensed Professional Counselor

Acceptance of the unknown can be daunting and overwhelming, but ultimately leads to freedom and relief. ACT is often a very helpful adjunct to ERP and CBT when treating OCD and anxiety.

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Elise Helms (She/Her)

Professional Counselor Associate

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Lisa Gascho (she/her)

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

LCSW

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John Coyle

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

LCSW

Helpful for anxiety, depression, and more.

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Dr. Chandra Mundon (she/her)

Clinical Psychologist

Psy.D.

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Kaia Stamiris (She/They)

Professional Counselor Associate

MA

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Joshua Bogart (He/Him/His)

Professional Counselor Associate

MA

ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) is a therapy approach that can guide you towards a more meaningful life. It's like having a trusted companion who can help you overcome life's obstacles with greater resilience and poise. Through ACT, you'll learn to release the things that limit you and concentrate on what truly counts. You'll discover how to be mindful of the present, acknowledge your thoughts and emotions, and take purposeful steps toward your objectives.

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Dawn Forrester (She/her)

Professional Counselor Associate

M.S., N.C.C.

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Jennifer Gray (she/her)

Licensed Professional Counselor

Licensed Professional Counselor

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a form of psychotherapy that uses mindfulness and behavioral strategies to help individuals engage in values-based actions. ACT encourages the acceptance of difficult thoughts and feelings, rather than trying to eliminate them, and promotes commitment to personal goals despite these challenges.

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Camille Keith (she/her)

Licensed Professional Counselor

MS, LPC, NCC

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps you focus on the parts of your life you can control. I can support you in getting clear about your values and help you make more intentional choices. You will learn grounding skills to help you cope with stress. We may use metaphors or mindfulness practices to help you understand where you are getting stuck and practice new ways of responding to difficult situations.

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Michael Ianello (he/him/his)

Licensed Professional Counselor

LPC

ACT has two basic principles for therapist and client to follow. One, accept that we have unwelcome thoughts sometimes and that these thoughts are out of our control. Two, commit to a life which is focused on core values defined by you. In other words, "Embrace your imperfections and learn how to trust that you know what's best." ACT is a research and evidence based approach which has been shown to assist with the following: Anxiety, Depression, Social Insecurity, Perfectionism, ADHD and more.

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Sprout Therapy PDX

Licensed Professional Counselor

LPC, LMFT, LCSW, Associates

We specialize in supporting clients with depression, whether it's situational, persistent, or associated with other mental health conditions. Drawing from a variety of therapeutic modalities such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), psychodynamic therapy, and mindfulness techniques, we collaborate with you to navigate through the complexities of depression to effectively manage and alleviate the symptoms of depression, fostering a path towards greater emotional well-being & resilience.

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Kevin Menasco (he/him)

Licensed Professional Counselor

LCSW

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Lisette Heidtke (She/Her)

Licensed Professional Counselor

MA, LPC

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Emily Fagan (she/her)

Licensed Professional Counselor

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) teaches mindfulness skills to help individuals live and behave in ways consistent with personal values while developing psychological flexibility.

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Luke Colbourn (he/him/his)

Licensed Professional Counselor

MA, LPC

ACT is a subtype of CBT which focuses more on noticing our thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and asking ourselves if they are 'workable'. Do my actions move me toward my values, and if not what can I learn to do differently to help them line up more closely in the future? The 'acceptance' in ACT is not about passively tolerating problems in the world, it's about our own internal experience: noticing it, acknowledging it, and being with it.

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Ryja (Rylan Jay) Testa (he/him)

Clinical Psychologist

PhD; Psychologist Licensed in OR and CA

Over the years I have received formal training in ACT through my initial doctoral internship and followed this with additional trainings in my post-doctoral years and beyond. I have consistently used ACT integrated into my therapeutic work since 2012 and consider it to be one of my primary treatment approaches.

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Becca Flatt (She/Her)

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

MSW, LCSW

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is an intervention that puts the focus of treatment on acceptance of thoughts, feelings, and emotions. It also focuses on values guided action which means actions that are based on the things that bring value and meaning to our lives. The way I often conceptualize ACT is the Serenity Prayer in action.

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Megan Bucknum (She/Her)

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

LCSW CADC I

ACT is an engaging form of therapy that includes processing/reflection, learning skills, practicing skills both inside and outside of sessions, and clarifying what matters to you. If you find you have tried everything to stop painful thoughts or feelings, but the struggle continues, this may be a helpful approach. I hope you leave our sessions with a plan of action— something you can take with you and do between sessions that will make a positive difference.

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Sam Wilson

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

LCSW, LCSW-C

Are you ready to commit to being the person you want to be? Are you ready to leave your reservations behind on your path to becoming your authentic self? Using ACT, I can help you chart that path, combining existential techniques with proven lessons from cognitive and behavioral research.

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James Whalen (He/Him)

Professional Counselor Associate

R7227

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy teaches us to learn how to sit with our distress and accept it, in order to help us relate to our thoughts and feelings in ways that don't increase the suffering that's natural to your situation. It helps us learn to live our lives according to our values, with the understanding that we have control of our behavior and not our thoughts. ACT is most helpful for clients with anxiety and depression.

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Josh Clark (he/him)

Clinical Psychologist

PhD, ABPP-CN

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, focuses on changing our relationship to our thoughts and feelings. With ACT, I will teach you how to generate more present moment awareness, get unglued from obsessive or depressive thoughts, and engage more in value-driven activities. ACT is very successful in treating depression, anxiety, chronic pain, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and psychosis.

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Deborah Nichols LPC, NCC (she/her)

Licensed Professional Counselor

LPC, NCC

Trained in part one and part two ACT training to work with our thoughts, how we respond to the situations and elements of our lives that we may not be able to change.

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Alissa Holmes (she/her)

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

LCSW

I have undergone multiple trainings in ACT, which incorporates many principles of CBT as well as mindfulness-based techniques. In ACT, we use acceptance and mindfulness techniques in combination with behavioral changes to help you live a meaningful life based on your personal values. ACT skills are designed to increase your psychological flexibility - meaning you become better able to deal with change while living fully in the present moment.

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Darin Bergen (he/him)

Clinical Psychologist

PsyD

My background in ACT shows up when I help people connect with what they value most and how to live those values in their daily life. I have participated in extensive training in ACT over the years. I am a past President of the Oregon chapter of the Association for Contextual and Behavioral Sciences (OACBS), the international organization for ACT practitioners.

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Forrest Pandit-Kerr

Professional Counselor Associate

MS, CRC

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is my most used therapy. It offers significant value by teaching individuals to accept their thoughts and emotions, develop mindfulness skills, clarify personal values, and take committed action towards living a meaningful life. Note that acceptance in this context does not mean saying "it's ok," but rather learning how to tolerate the experience so you can move forward. I believe it is a valuable tool for the aspects of life outside of our control.

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Rebecca Youssef (she/her)

Clinical Psychologist

PsyD

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Danielle Solari (she/her)

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

LCSW, PMH-C

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Vy Pham (she/her)

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

LCSW

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an approach that uses a person’s motivating values, mindfulness, and acceptance to help them move through difficult experiences. ACT liberates us from suppressing unwanted thoughts and emotions, and instead guides us towards acceptance and then action. It accepts that suffering is part of life however does not define it. Using ACT, we will explore what brings us joy and how to move towards the life we desire for ourselves.

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Jason Durtschi

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

I have completed multiple trainings on ACT and have been applying related skills and principles for over a decade of practice.

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Kelly Aldinger (she/her)

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

PMHNP-BC, MSW, RYT

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Trey Harrison (he/his/him)

Licensed Professional Counselor

MA LPC

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Katie Playfair, LPC (she/her)

Licensed Professional Counselor

LPC (OR and Tx) LMHC (WA)

I use both mindfulness and values interventions from ACT to help clients develop lifelong skills to live with their own brains (that are sometimes doing super unpleasant things) more effectively.

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Amanda Roberson (she/her)

Licensed Professional Counselor

ACT is an acceptance based model created by Steven Hayes that teaches about the importance of living in accordance with values and accepting what we cannot change. As a client participating in ACT therapy, you would be expected to identify values, discuss barriers that prevent living in accordance with values, practice acceptance of things outside of your control, and make lifestyle changes.

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Alma Hadzidedic (she/her)

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

LCSW

I completed multiple extensive training in ACT.

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Wes Harris (he, his, him)

Licensed Professional Counselor

LPC, CADC I

I have expertise in ACT and have spent a lot of time in ACT consultation groups and taking advanced trainings. I am passionate about this approach and working with clients who are open to learning more or putting their experiences with ACT into practice.

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Mikki Jordan

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

LCSW

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Kate Keating (she/her)

Professional Counselor Associate

MA, LPC-A

I have taken an post-graduate course on ACT and am drawn to the gentle, compassionate nature of the approach. I think you'll find it to be transformative.

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Stephanie Avery (she/her)

Professional Counselor Associate

M.Ed.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy focuses on reducing feelings of distress through mindfulness techniques, acceptance of what is both in our control and out of our control, and refocusing on the things that are most important to us so that we can live more fulfilling value-driven lives.

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Mark Yeung (He/him)

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

LCSW, MPH

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Lesley Smith (they/she)

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

LCSW

This is the primary modality I use. I took a course on ACT during my Master's program and an intensive training on 2018. I attend a monthly ACT consult group and continue to access books and other resources on ACT.

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Amy Beene (she/her/hers)

Licensed Professional Counselor

LPC

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Julio Iñiguez (he/him)

Licensed Marriage Family Therapist

LMFT, CGACII, CADCI

ACT helps us learn what is important to you by clarifying your values. We use your values to take committed action that helps you experience more satisfaction and integrity in your life. We get acquainted with your ways coping and the impact these have on your life without judgment. In this process you develop the psychological flexibility that will help you become more resilient and confident in you life, and help you gain clarity in what's important to you and how to go after it.

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Gabe Fields

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

ACT is a powerful and highly adaptable mindfulness-based treatment which guides us in releasing unhelpful control efforts and fostering what really matters in our lives. In my experience with groups and individuals, I have found that ACT offers a particularly wise and effective way to work with our mind and emotions, and to live with heart.

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Sakura Counseling (She/He/They)

Licensed Professional Counselor

LPC

Our clinic employs Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to guide clients in embracing their emotions, clarifying values, and committing to positive actions. Through mindfulness and acceptance techniques, clients learn to manage distress, cultivate psychological flexibility, and align their actions with their values, ultimately leading to improved well-being and a more fulfilling life journey.

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Elyse Beckman (she/her)

Licensed Professional Counselor

LPC, CADC, LMHC, SUDP

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Heather Lokteff

Licensed Professional Counselor

Acceptance & Commitment Therapy aims to become more cognitively flexible, more engaged in the present, take committed action steps towards change, and become more connected to your personal values. It centers around finding ways to live more intentionally in the moment and act in ways that are more helpful to yourself.

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Samantha Auclair (She/her)

Licensed Professional Counselor

LPC, CRC, NCC

ACT is an action-oriented approach that stems from CBT, but can be quite different than traditional CBT in practice. In a nutshell, it involves learning how to diffuse your thoughts, choosing to "lean in" to your emotions, identifying what is important to you (i.e., your values), and acting in commitment with your values.

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Paige Cameron (She/Her)

Licensed Professional Counselor

MA, LPC C6978

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Katie Clark, LMHC, LPC (she/her)

Licensed Professional Counselor

NCC

ACT is a mindfulness based method of treating anxiety and other disorders and challenges. It's empirically supported and proven to be effective.

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Neil Panchmatia (he/they)

Licensed Professional Counselor

MS, NCC, Licensed Professional Counselor

I use tenets of ACT in my work as it holistically encapsulates the essence of true healing: learning skills while being holistically congruent with oneself.

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Nateesh Noakes (she/her)

Professional Counselor Associate

MS, CRC, LPCA

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Sarah Connor (she/her)

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

LCSW

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is an action-oriented approach to psychotherapy that focused on dropping our struggle with challenging emotions and, instead, accepting hard feelings and not allowing them to get us stuck in places where we don't want to stay. ACT uses tools to help clients unhook from things that are holding them back, make touch with the here and now, and move forward with what really matters in life.

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Cayla Panitz (she/her)

Licensed Professional Counselor

LPC

I use ACT to inform my work with people across various areas of concern. I help people apply the principles of connecting with their current experiences, identifying the ways in which the relationships to our emotions and thoughts impact our lives and disconnect us from our values. I then help people change the relationships they have with their emotions and thoughts and move towards their values.

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Rebecca Garetz (she/her)

Licensed Professional Counselor

LPC, LMHC, CYT

I use ACT to practice bringing distance to our thoughts so that we can implement compassion and acceptance practices that align with our values in our daily lives.

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Bob Kleinjan (he/him)

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

LCSW

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an orientation rooted in mindfulness and exploring personal values to help guide you to a more enjoyable and meaningful life. I have many years of experience using ACT for a variety of issues including healing trauma, mood imbalances, anxiety, chronic pain, and personal growth. ACT can be highly personalized and focuses on "action" you can take to feel better and live your life in ways that bring fulfillment, meaning, and peace.

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Caroline Vetter (she/her)

Clinical Psychologist

Oregon license #3481 & California license #32615

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Nicole Falk (she/her)

Licensed Marriage Family Therapist

LMFT

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Julie Sliga (she/her)

Professional Counselor Associate

MS, CRC, CCC

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Majken Elek, MA

Licensed Professional Counselor

ACT is an evidence-based intervention that uses acceptance and mindfulness mixed in different ways with commitment and behavior-change strategies, to increase psychological flexibility. The goal is not to get rid of of difficult feelings; but allow them to be present and what life throws at us in order to move toward valued behavior.

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Megan Sapp (she/her)

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

PMHNP, CNM, FNP

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