Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is an approach that helps you relate more effectively to difficult thoughts and feelings so that you can be present in your life. Without those skills, we too often feel as though we are living in our heads or controlled by intense emotions. The goal of ACT is to help you find ways to live mindfully in the here and now so that you can do the things that move your life closer toward what you want it to be. With ACT, we examine what is most important to you, and use those values to create goals that lead you toward your purpose in life. We find out together what has been standing in the way of taking committed action toward your goals (in other words, having the life you want). In many ways, ACT is about cultivating the courage to do what is difficult in service of what is important to you: taking action when and where you need to most.
Experiencing anxiety is a natural part of being human. Even so, some of us have difficulty relating effectively to unpleasant emotions like anxiety, and some of us experience those emotions so intensely that they get in the way of having the lives we want. This might show up in what is classified as generalized anxiety disorder, or it may show up in specific ways like panic attacks, phobias, obsessions and/or compulsions, unwanted intrusive thoughts, or social anxiety. Depending on how you experience anxiety, you and your therapist will choose a therapy that best fits your needs, such as exposure therapy or ACT (see above).
We believe that trauma roots deeply in survivors of the experience, and all of our therapists are trained in trauma-informed care. Whether you want a therapist who uses a holistic approach involving support of the nervous system, or someone who has been trained in evidence-based CBT for trauma, we can help. Our therapists are trained in treatments endorsed by the VA and the National Center for PTSD for the treatment of PTSD, including prolonged exposure for trauma (PE) and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR).
Some folks find that trying to maintain control over certain (or several) aspects of their lives interferes with finding joy and meaning. These individuals often struggle with disorders such as anorexia nervosa, chronic depression, obsessive compulsive personality disorder, and perfectionism. Fortunately, there is a highly effective therapy for these types of struggles. An individual therapy that may incorporate group sessions for some clients, radically open dialectical behavioral therapy (RO DBT) was created to increase one's ability to be flexible, open up to experiences of connection, and cultivate inner peace.
Many clients come to therapy believing that they are either "good" or "bad" at relationships or communication, yet this is simply a thought our mind tells us. The truth is, we start learning these skills as children and we learn from other humans who are just as imperfect as we are. Therapy is a great place to learn how to be more skilled as a partner, a supervisor, a friend, a sibling, or any other relational being. The therapeutic approaches we use - ACT, RO DBT, and so on - have significant interpersonal components.
Coming soon with the addition of our Kalamazoo office, we will be offering psychological testing services. Please check back soon for more details.
While the body is designed to manage short bursts of acute stress, many of us are now grappling with long stretches of chronic stress. This can cause both immediate and long-term physical and psychological damage that we are sometimes unaware of. Your therapist will work with you to learn how to continue moving toward what is important to you while finding a kinder way of relating to the demands of your life, improving your overall health.
Just as substance use disorders take many forms, there are many pathways to recovery. If you are in recovery, struggling with substance use, or in a relationship with someone who is, it is important to have a therapist who understands this. The CAADC credential ensures that a mental health professional has had the experience and training to understand your needs and effectively join you in your journey.
We feel passionately about serving the community of individuals with SPMIs, such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder I with psychosis. We understand that clients with psychosis can benefit significantly from therapy and deserve more than just case management and medication check-ups. ACT is one of the few therapeutic models that continues to do ongoing research to improve services to this dynamic and heterogeneous population.
We see adults of all ages in our Portage and Kalamazoo offices. Our therapists specialize in a range of mental health and wellness areas to serve the needs of younger, middle-aged, and older adults.
While we are happy to work on relationship issues with you as an individual, we do not provide couples or marriage counseling. Our colleagues in the community specializing in that area best suited to provide that service.
We are proud to have excellent therapists with extensive experience and training seeing children and adolescents in our Kalamazoo office and via telehealth.
We are proud and honored to serve lesbian, gay, bi, pan, trans, nonbinary, genderfluid, genderqueer, queer, intersex, asexual, demisexual individuals, folks anywhere on the gender and sexuality spectrums, those who are questioning, and their allies. Our therapists have several years of experience with these populations.
Past and continuing education and training provides the context for us to enter into respectful and humble therapeutic relationships with individuals often marginalized due to race, immigration status, ethnicity, nontraditional relationships (e.g. polyamory), income, class, caste, ability, age, sexuality, gender identity, and/or gender.
We have therapist who have experience working with other therapists and behavioral health professionals. We know how difficult it can be for you to reach out for help of your own, and we are professional, understanding, discreet, and skilled in this area of mental health services.
Kalamazoo Act
5930 Lovers Lane Ste 1B Portage MI 49002 / 3503 Greenleaf Blvd Ste 201 Kalamazoo, MI 49008
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