Behavior Change

A Letter from Amy Johnson, PhD

‘Tis the season…to swear that next year will be different.

Everywhere you look, people are reflecting on last year and resolving to break old habits this year. But for all the stocktaking and intention-setting that takes place in January, most people will have fallen far short of their goals by February.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a powerful treatment that is based in the belief that the road to lasting happiness and well-being begins with accepting our thoughts, rather than trying to change them. For ACT practitioners, it may be easy to adopt the basic principles of ACT, but it generally takes at least two or three years of hard work and ongoing study and practice to become truly fluent in the model. During that time, you will most likely find yourself “stuck” at some point, and so will your clients.