Ep. 108: Dr. Steven C. Hayes — You Want to Feel All of It

My guest this week is none other than the creator of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (or ACT), Dr. Steve Hayes. I was excited for the opportunity to talk with Steve, and he certainly did not disappoint. We got into some really fascinating territory together, starting with the crucial importance of psychological flexibility. From there we ranged into comparisons of ACT and traditional cognitive behavioral therapy, and some of the potential pitfalls of a cognitive approach. Many of the ideas we talked about are described in his most recent book, A Liberated Mind, which is excellent. Toward the end of our discussion we explored Steve’s take on religion and spirituality, and how ACT fits with these deeply human areas. The beauty of ACT principles, as Steve says so clearly, is how widely they apply, really to all areas of human activity. So whether you’re dealing with overwhelming anxiety or panic, or your mind is constantly feeding you self-hating thoughts, or you want to live a fuller and richer life with less strain, I think there’s a lot you’ll find useful in this conversation.