In nearly every episode on our podcast, we describe how ACT-based concepts and principles help us heal from pain, make life-affirming choices, and build happiness. Join us for a conversation about a powerful therapeutic approach and general guide to living well, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). Dr. Jill Stoddard walks us through the principles of ACT, which have been shown to help individuals with anxiety, depression, chronic pain, relationship problems, and general stress improve their happiness and general well-being. Dr. Jill Stoddard explains the basics of ACT and how we can use ACT-based ideas and strategies to live more meaningfully.
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Listen and Learn:
- About psychological flexibility, the ability to stay in touch with present circumstances so that you can make choices to persist or cease behaviors in the service of your most important values
- How reframing emotional pain can allow you to make that pain work better for you
- Illuminating metaphors that bring to life the 6 core processes of ACT which help us to live more effectively
Resources:
- The Big Book of ACT Metaphors: A Practitioner’s Guide to Experiential Exercises and Metaphors in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy by Jill Stoddard
- Be Mighty: A Woman’s Guide to Liberation from Anxiety, Worry, and Stress Using Mindfulness and Acceptance by Jill Stoddard
- Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life: The New Acceptance and Commitment Therapy by Steven Hayes
- The Center for Stress and Anxiety Management, Director Jill Stoddard

About Dr. Jill Stoddard
Jill Stoddard, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist, the director of the Center for Stress & Anxiety Management in Carlsbad. She received her Ph.D. from the renowned Boston University Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders under the mentorship of David Barlow. Jill is an award winning teacher and peer-reviewed ACT trainer who has presented at local, national and international conferences and has co-authored articles on CBT, ACT, anxiety disorders, and cardiac and chronic pain. Her newest book, Be Mighty: A Woman’s Guide to Liberation from Anxiety, Worry, and Stress Using Mindfulness and Acceptance can be pre-ordered and will be released by New Harbinger next year.
Hi. I am a recently minted BCBA who personally battles with OCD and anxiety so I’ve been studying ACT as a personal journal but more for my work. I do behavioral consultation with a number of adolescents 13 plus. I thought during the episode you mentioned an actual curriculum which was based on ACT for this age group. Is it possible to let me know what that was called. Thanks so much. Love the podcast. Would love to see more psychological principals mixed with ABA in practice covered on the podcast. Thanks so much
Hi Jeanine, Thanks so much for listening and for this terrific question. We believe the materials you are looking for are about the DNA-V model described by Louise Hayes in her writing, and on her two guest appearances on our show. Check out:
https://offtheclockpsych.com/helping-adolescents-thrive/
https://offtheclockpsych.com/challenging-times-during-adolescence/
Wishing you so well! -The POTC Crew