Practising ACT empowers you to shape your own life story with intention and purpose.
ACT is a revolutionary way of seeing the human condition, considering how the mind works and the nature of interpersonal action.
It has been shown to be an effective therapy for a range of clinically defined mental and physical health problems. A 2014 meta-analysis of the efficacy of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy concluded …
“ … that ACT is more effective than treatment as usual or placebo and that ACT may be as effective in treating anxiety disorders, depression, addiction, and somatic health problems as established psychological interventions.”
A 2020 meta-study published in the Journal of Contextual Behavioural Science came to similar conclusions.
We have also found elements of ACT to be highly beneficial for people faced with:-
Common challenges we come across:-
Many practitioners refer to the approach simply as “ACT” rather than Acceptance Commitment “Therapy”.
A better word for you may be “training” or “coaching”.
Processes and practices from dramatic tradition and training are among many cultural traditions that have crossed over into ACT.
This is not simply because it is ancient or mystical but because empirical evidence now supports our lived experience; this stuff works!
The emphasis is on taking action guided by your values.
We help you:-
ACT with COUP can take the form of individual or team sessions. The nature of the sessions can be geared towards training or coaching.
The delivery experience will necessarily be customised; shaped by geographies, timetables, urgency and any number of variables.
We deliver sessions in person and online. Each modality has its strengths, and we find today’s environment demands flexibility.
Some Common Questions about Practicing ACT are answered below.
If you’re an HR professional that provides support and development to individual colleagues or teams and you’d like to hear how ACT supported interventions can stabilise, activate and optimise performance, click on this button and lets find a time to connect.
In sum, the work offers support for people leaders and professionals working in dynamic and changing environments:-
Some of the common questions are answered below.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) works by cultivating mindfulness to observe thoughts and feelings without judgment, to accept uncomfortable thoughts and emotions as natural, to use cognitive defusion skills to liberate yourself from unhelpful thoughts, to clarify personal values to guide decisions, and take committed action aligned with values to move towards the life you want to lead.
That’s a reasonably correct description, but it doesn’t describe how it’s going to work for you.
We refer to this as “Practicing ACT” rather than its longer name because this work is not going to be done to you. It’s going to be done with you.
It’s a bit like the relationship between actor and teacher/director. The performance that matters is yours. You own it.
We will engage in a process of exploration and experimentation to get really clear on where you want your performance – your life – to go.
We’ll talk about stuff. What’s working? What’s not working so well?
There is some learning about how the mind and nervous system work. This can be revelatory when we discover that we’re not the only ones who have certain thoughts and feelings, nor are we alone in how we sometimes try to avoid them. There is a great benefit to be had by simply sharing with someone who does not judge you.
However, this work focuses on developing skills, not just knowledge. We use the sessions to explore and experiment with ACT-related skills to find and reinforce the ones that work for you. If you want to do something different, to get something different, we help you find out what this means for you. It can be energising and encouraging to discover there are new ways to deal with persistent obstacles or inhibitors.
When we determine what works for you, you will test and practice using these skills in real life. You will collect feedback to be addressed in future sessions.
We don’t have any illusions about how hard it can be to learn new skills. You need to give your mind time to adapt and grow.
For individuals, we offer a six-session program and a 10-session program to private and corporate clients.
We will customise the program with you during a complementary online meeting, which you can book using this link.
For teams and learning groups, we offer a range of learning and skills development workshops, which we would also customise during a complementary online meeting or in response to a development brief.
Standard session are 50 minutes.
Extended sessions are 90 minutes.
The frequency of sessions will depend on what you need. It may be weekly, fortnightly, or something more customised.
We offer a standard six and ten week program, both of which can be customised.
Use this link to open our booking page.
Choose either Annie or David and follow the prompts to choose a suitable time. This will set-up an online meeting and the details will be sent to you. If you would prefer to meet in person, let us know and we’ll see what we can do.
All information disclosed during therapy sessions will be kept confidential, except in specific circumstances outlined by law (such as when there is risk of harm to the client or others).
Once we have discussed what you want to achieve, we will offer options:-
Standard Session – 50 minutes
Extended Session – 90 minutes
Note: prices are ex-GST
We find there are pros and cons to using both channels.
In-person conversations benefit from the super bandwidth of being present with someone.
Online conversations conquer the tyranny of distance and are easier to schedule.
We are familiar and comfortable working with clients outside of the Sydney metro area. We generally use zoom, but there’s no issue with using other platforms.
In-person sessions are offered to clients hw can travl to the EPS rooms in Chatswood.
For in-person sessions, we use the rooms of Ebert Psychological Services in Chatswood.
Suite 240, Level 4
813 Pacific Highway
Chatswood NSW 2067
(Entrance from Help Street, opposite Chatswood Toyota).