When we say that a treatment method is “evidence-based,” we mean that it is backed up by objective, scientific evidence that proves it is effective, so evidence-based methods keep us in the lineage of the scientific method. Basically, we can’t trust what we think is true or effective, so we must do real-world scientific testing to verify that the method being used is leading to the results we think we see.
Ellis Edmunds, PsyD, developed an acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) board game called the Mindful Bus. (The “passengers on the bus” is a well-used ACT metaphor, but we’ll get to that later.) The game can be played with therapists and their clients, with couples, with friends, or family. New Harbinger visited Ellis’ Oakland office to play the game and learn more about it.
I’d barely pulled out of the gas station into busy Friday afternoon traffic when the rental van stalled and wouldn’t restart. Cars honked their horns as I blocked a lane until finally someone helped push me to the side of the road.
Psychological flexibility represents the acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) model of health—it's the element we want to foster and grow in our clients while modelling it ourselves as mental health professionals.
Although teenagers may seem like they are totally absorbed in their video games, sports, or movies, they notice what’s going on around them. Teens are curious about the adult world, and are often eager to take steps toward it. During adolescence and puberty, anything related to sex is sure to catch their attention. Teens struggle with questions of identity and values and seek role models. Our culture and popular media provide endless opportunities to present issues surrounding sex, often in the form of celebrity gossip.
