When most people start therapy, they have one very understandable goal: “I want to stop feeling so bad.” Whether you are dealing with anxiety, depression, grief, or burnout, it is completely natural to want to get rid of painful thoughts and feelings. We are taught our whole lives that negative emotions are “bad” things to be eliminated, like a virus or a broken bone.
But what if the relentless struggle to get rid of your pain is actually what’s keeping you stuck?
At Liberated Mind Counseling, one of our primary approaches is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)—usually pronounced as the word “act,” not the letters A-C-T. The goal of ACT isn’t to magically erase your anxiety or delete your sadness. The goal is to help you create a rich, full, and meaningful life, while learning to effectively handle the pain and stress that inevitably come with it.
The Core Message of ACT
You can think of the traditional ACT model in three simple steps:
- Accept your thoughts and feelings, and be present.
- Choose a valued direction.
- Take action.
To help you get there, we work together to build Psychological Flexibility—the ability to be present, open up to what you are experiencing, and do what matters to you. Traditionally, we build this flexibility using six core skills:
- 1. Unhooking (Cognitive Defusion): Instead of arguing with negative thoughts, you learn to step back and watch them come and go like cars driving past your house, rather than jumping in front of traffic.
- 2. Opening Up (Acceptance): Dropping the struggle. It means making room for unpleasant feelings without trying to suppress them or let them control you.
- 3. Being Present (Connection): Dropping an anchor in the here and now, rather than dwelling on the past or worrying about the future.
- 4. The Observing Self: Recognizing that you are the sky, and your thoughts/feelings are just the weather. The sky is never damaged by the storm.
- 5. Knowing What Matters (Values): Identifying your core compass. How do you actually want to behave on an ongoing basis?
- 6. Doing What It Takes (Committed Action): Moving your feet and doing what matters, even when it is difficult.
The Evolution of ACT: Treating the Whole Person
ACT is a living, breathing science. Recently, the framework of ACT has evolved into something broader called Process-Based Therapy (PBT).
Researchers realized that you aren’t just a brain floating in a jar with six cognitive skills to master. You are a whole, complex human being. Instead of following a rigid, one-size-fits-all manual, modern ACT looks at your life through a wider, personalized lens known as the Extended Evolutionary Meta-Model.
In plain English, this means we look at how all the different dimensions of your life interact:
- Your Mind & Heart: How you think, feel, and where you direct your attention.
- Your Sense of Self: Who you are and the core values that motivate you.
- Your Body: Your physical health, sleep, and nutrition (the biophysiological dimension).
- Your World: Your relationships, culture, and environment (the sociocultural dimension).
To help you get unstuck across all these areas, we apply three common-sense principles of evolution to your daily habits:
- Variation (Trying New Things): When you are stuck, your behavior often becomes rigid. We help you try new ways of thinking, responding, and living.
- Selection (Finding What Works): We drop the labels of “good” or “bad.” Instead, we look at what is actually helpful in moving you toward the life you want.
- Retention (Building Habits): Once we find the tools, actions, and perspectives that work for you, we help you practice them until they become a natural part of your life.
How We Use Modern ACT at Liberated Mind
We use this evolved version of ACT as a highly adaptable toolkit to meet you exactly where you are.
Because we look at the whole picture, we don’t just talk about your thoughts. We ensure you have a solid foundation by evaluating your SDE (Sleep, Diet, and Exercise). It is incredibly difficult to build psychological flexibility if your physical foundation is crumbling.
Whether Dr. R.C. Morris is helping you navigate a massive existential shift or Julare Morris is helping you unhook from the exhaustion of profound burnout, ACT gives us a shared language. It is an active, compassionate, and deeply empowering therapy that teaches us one vital truth: while pain is a guaranteed part of the human experience, suffering doesn’t have to be.
Ready to Build a Meaningful Life?
You don’t have to stay stuck in a tug-of-war with your own mind. We can help you drop the rope.
Our Therapists
Our team is dedicated to providing individualized, modern care. We don’t rely on outdated scripts or one-size-fits-all models; instead, we utilize Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) as a dynamic, living science to help you build true psychological flexibility.
Dr. R.C. Morris, LCSW, PhD
Co-Founder, CEO & Psychotherapist
Dr. Morris is a recognized expert in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. As both a clinician and an active researcher and Clinical Professor at the University of Utah, R.C. is deeply immersed in the ongoing evolution of behavioral science. He views ACT not as a rigid manual, but as the natural, highly effective evolution of traditional Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).
While older CBT models often focused on arguing with or trying to “fix” your negative thoughts, R.C. uses modern ACT to help you fundamentally change your relationship with your mind. If you are exhausted by the constant internal tug-of-war, R.C. will help you drop the rope. Using his deep understanding of existential psychotherapy and behavioral science, he provides an active, rigorous framework to help you unhook from self-defeating thoughts, make room for difficult emotions, and take decisive action toward the life you actually want to live.
He is accepting new clients. → Learn more about R.C.
Julare Morris, LCSW
Co-Founder, COO & Clinical Director, Psychotherapist
As Clinical Director, Julare brings a profound depth of compassion and practical expertise to the application of ACT. She understands that because ACT is a living science, it requires treating the whole person—not just checking off a list of clinical symptoms.
Julare seamlessly integrates the principles of ACT with a psychodynamic understanding of human connection and a strict focus on the biological foundations of well-being (Sleep, Diet, Exercise). If you are feeling paralyzed by anxiety, navigating profound burnout, or struggling to maintain boundaries, Julare’s expert use of ACT provides a grounded path forward. She will help you silence the harsh inner critic, cultivate genuine self-compassion, and learn how to navigate the inevitable pain of life without losing your footing or your sense of self.
She is accepting new clients. → Learn more about Julare
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