Therapy Practice
Since 2001 I have maintained a busy clinical practice with Associates in Behavior and Child Development (ABCD), Inc., P.S. My practice Website is www.abcdseattle.com.
My practice is limited to work with children ages 3 through 12 and their parents. My areas of specialization are anxiety, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, social difficulties such as those found in children on the mild end of the autism spectrum (e.g., Asperger’s), Executive Skill building, and school-related organization issues.
My primary mode of treatment is a form of cognitive behavioral therapy called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, also known as ACT. My book for parents of anxious children is based on ACT.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy was conceived by Dr. Steven Hayes at the University of Nevada at Reno and I was privileged to study with him there when this treatment model was just being developed. ACT is one of several relatively recent developments in psychotherapy that share some common features. These “new” therapies are built on now 30 plus years of extensive clinical research and experience. This research has revealed how difficult it is to simply change one’s thoughts and feelings by force of will, logical argument, or relying on common sense. As my mother is fond of saying, “Common sense tells us the earth is flat”.
No, just trying to out-think your negative thoughts or medicate/distract yourself from negative emotions is rarely effective, at least in the long run. Fortunately, this “cognitive restructuring” that was the hallmark of traditional Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is as unnecessary as it is difficult to accomplish.
Instead of just providing a new way of struggling with thoughts and feelings, ACT and its therapy ‘cousins’ have two major goals: 1) We foster acceptance of what is, in the moment, including negative thoughts and feelings, so that 2) Action can be taken toward committed goals. In other words, “Keep your eye on the prize”. Experience shows us that this courageous approach makes for a better, more vital life than does trying to control or avoid the negative thoughts and feelings as a prerequisite for living.