Acceptance Commitment Therapy Castle Rock Colorado
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) with Ashley Jangro, LPCC. Learn psychological flexibility, mindful acceptance, and values-based action for a meaningful life.
ACT Therapy
Accept what is, commit to what matters
What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy?
ACT is a mindfulness-based behavioral therapy that helps you develop psychological flexibility - the ability to stay present and take action guided by your values, even when difficult thoughts and feelings arise.
ACT Helps With
ACT Core Philosophy
Stop fighting difficult thoughts and feelings - make room for them
Identify what truly matters to you as your guide for action
Take steps toward your values even with discomfort present
The ACT Hexaflex: 6 Core Processes
ACT focuses on six interconnected processes that work together to build psychological flexibility and create a rich, full, and meaningful life.
Contact with Present Moment
Develop mindful awareness of the here and now rather than being caught in past or future
Acceptance
Learn to make room for difficult emotions and experiences without trying to change them
Cognitive Defusion
Change your relationship with thoughts - see them as mental events, not facts
Self-as-Context
Connect with the observing self that exists beyond thoughts, feelings, and roles
Values Clarification
Identify what truly matters to you and what you want your life to stand for
Committed Action
Take concrete steps toward your values, even when it feels difficult
Psychological Flexibility
The goal of ACT is to increase psychological flexibility - your ability to stay present with your experience and take action guided by your values, even when faced with difficult thoughts, feelings, or circumstances.
Psychological Rigidity:
- ❌ Avoiding difficult emotions
- ❌ Believing all your thoughts
- ❌ Living on autopilot
- ❌ Acting based on fear
- ❌ Disconnected from values
Psychological Flexibility:
- ✅ Making room for all emotions
- ✅ Observing thoughts without attachment
- ✅ Present-moment awareness
- ✅ Values-guided action
- ✅ Meaningful, engaged living
My ACT Therapy Approach
ACT therapy involves experiential exercises, mindfulness practices, metaphors, and behavioral interventions designed to increase your psychological flexibility.
Session Elements
ACT Therapeutic Style
Creative & Experiential
Uses exercises, metaphors, and experiences rather than just talking
Paradoxical
Sometimes we move toward discomfort to reduce suffering
Values-Focused
Always connected to what matters most to you personally
Compassionate
Gentle approach to difficult emotions and experiences
ACT in Action: Common Exercises
Leaves on a Stream:
Imagine your thoughts as leaves floating down a stream. Practice observing them without getting caught up in the current.
Passengers on the Bus:
You're the driver of your life bus. Difficult thoughts and feelings are passengers, but they don't control where you go.
Values Compass:
Identify your core values as your internal compass, guiding decisions even when the path feels difficult.
Tug of War with Monsters:
Stop pulling against anxiety and drop the rope. You can carry difficult feelings and still move toward what matters.