ACT:Root to Fruit (Marcel Tassara, PhD)

I sit down with Utah State University Professor of Behavioral Analysis, past editor in chief of the Journal of Experimental Analysis of Behavior, Editor in Chief of APA Handbook of Behavioral Analysis, Greg Madden, PhD. We discuss behaviorism, behavioral analysis, and sweating...hope you enjoy!

https://www.marceltassara.com/

Music used w/ permission from https://wmse.org

Part II with Steve Hayes, PhD. We dive into thinking and conceptualizing functionally, psychological flexibility and health, the importance of history, and we get into a therapy demo around people pleasing.

Steve's website: https://stevenchayes.com/

my contact if interested in individual/group consultation: marcel@marceltassara.com

Report of ACBS task force: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212144721000302

subscribe, like, review

Joe Oliver joins me for episode #12, and gracefully guides me into the heart of ACT. We chat a bit about behavior-behavior relations and spend much more time swimming in a real-play and unpacking it afterwards.

Joe's website for training, consultation, etc: https://contextualconsulting.co.uk/team/joe-oliver

upcoming (Feb. 2021) training: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/act100-mindfulness-and-acceptance-for-self-esteem-tickets-123986628343

Steve Hayes Mentalism Article I mentioned: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2741891/pdf/behavan00063-0041.pdf

I’m joined by Dr. Mitch Fryling to discuss functional thinking and open the aperture a bit, from a causal way of interpretation, to a field perspective. Mitch is gifted at making Interbehavioral philosophy approachable and even fun. We dissect what “function” points at, public vs. private events, and problems with mentalistic thinking. 

Artilcles discussed:

Are Thoughts Private:

https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/593/59335812001.pdf

OVERCOMING THE PSEUDO-PROBLEM OF PRIVATE EVENTS IN THE ANALYSIS OF BEHAVIOR:

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mitch-Fryling/publication/272788235_Overcoming_the_pseudo-problem_of_private_events_in_the_analysis_of_behavior/links/54ee091c0cf25238f9397168/Overcoming-the-pseudo-problem-of-private-events-in-the-analysis-of-behavior.pdf

Emily Sandoz’ Interbehavior as a clinical focus in CBS: A response to Hayes and Fryling (2019) (full access available ACBS members) 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2212144720302015?dgcid=rss_sd_all

If interested in training groups: marcel@marceltassara.com

The man, the myth, the legend- Niklas Törneke, MD. He wrote the green RFT book is an ACBS Fellow and all around great guy. He graciously sits down with me for a chat and some experiential work. Niklas has an almost magical ability to simplify the complex (without dumbing it down) and shows off this ability in the experiential work we get into.

books: https://www.newharbinger.com/author/niklas-t%C3%B6rneke

contact for consultation: niklas.torneke@telia.com

I'm joined by my friend and Matrix Ninja Jacob Martinez. We explore how this geo-spatial tool can be added to your ACT stable house to help you and the client think functionally. Jacob is available for consultation and just started a weekly project to offer free training around the ACT Matrix.

Here are his websites:

actnaturally.net

theactmatrix.com

actmatrix.substack.com

If interested in a training group email me at marcel@marceltassara.com

Glenn Callaghan, PhD is in the house! Gifted with a wicked ability to put "fun" in functional analysis, Glenn guides me through some of the thickest parts of the forest. Expect to see him back to talk specifically about Interpersonal Behavioral Therapy (IBT).

On a side note, I'm über grateful to this beautiful man for his counsel and encouragement from the beginning of this project.

for consultation: glenn.callaghan@sjsu.edu

articles mentioned:

Callaghan, G.M., Follette, W.C. Interpersonal Behavior Therapy (IBT), Functional Assessment, and the Value of Principle-Driven Behavioral Case Conceptualizations. Psychol Rec (2020).

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs40732-020-00395-1

Callaghan, G. M., & Darrow, S. M. (2015). The role of functional assessment in third wave behavioral interventions: Foundations and future directions for a fourth wave. Current Opinion in Psychology, 2, 60-64.

https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/43603059/The_role_of_functional_assessment_in_thi20160310-2421-1nypa17.pdf?1457655245=&response-content-disposition=inline%3B+filename%3DThe_role_of_functional_assessment_in_thi.pdf&Expires=1599497800&Signature=JYQfTmF72FdzjNgx1OHGr1dLfk5oXzuX0QACDioA2sHX~L8GS2gGViO-0EQiQYQFC5BPNo9jvE7tjJvCGK4africnJyvARyr7FilO~hqRIubiPGi8t0MdE-ZVE4tep0mk9vKcAxCr~8vndKLcP5JTfy6thw8Gfs1C65iwkO5uw1Nu9fvK3e3HGjLWGGJd5~1Kg78e1Rqp4PvMXA~uQSjkZn-z1rNVHuwr0sfrDbjSQ0NuNgRI7aWNzL3mqLulHKkdU8UEQ6ZS5y47iKEnZ7QOIwCnyPPLkBWDU1y-0V4OhTT64uxGkRfMNfRKvgySutfjDdnB2W2pIZ9zkwUCpgCqw__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA

also, Glenn concurred w/ me afterwards that ABCs of Human Behavior is a great book to start with:

https://www.newharbinger.com/abcs-human-behavior

Big number 30 with ACT and OCD ninja, Lisa Coyne, PhD. We discuss screen, how to value and shape valuing, OCD/ERP, and how to pivot when your bid to do exposure work is rejected. 

Check out Lisa’s New England Center for OCD and Anxiety for training and consultation: https://www.newenglandocd.org/

If you are interested in group or individual consultation w/ me: marcel@marceltassara

I'm joined by Dr. Evelyn Gould, PhD, BCBA-D, to further dissect some of the roots of the contextual behavioral sciences. Dr. Evie is a Clinical Behavior Analyst and Research Associate at the McLean OCD Institute for Children and Adolescents at McLean Hospital, and Instructor at Harvard Medical School. She also works in private practice for New England Center for OCD and Anxiety (NECOA), and is a consultant for First Steps for Kids, Inc., in Los Angeles.

She is available for consultation: https://www.newenglandocd.org/necoa-losangeles-staff

Where it all begins. Joanne is my first guide and really sets the tone to my journey into the deep deep forest of the contextual behavioral sciences.

This is also a audio only podcast available on itunes and other places you can consume podcasts. Also on my website: marceltassara.com

Reach out to Joanne for consultation at:

http://www.joannesteinwachslcsw.com/

Subscribe for updates

#33 with Henry Whitfield. We discuss his recent publication (https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.727572/full), issues of self and content/process/context, and finish with a real-play demonstration of Henry leading me through a integration session.

Henry is a peer reviewed ACT trainer. He has written, co-written and edited training manuals for ACT, TIR and FAP. As a visiting research fellow at Regents University London, he focuses his research on the development of ACT-consistent models for psychedelic-assisted therapy. His psychedelic plant medicine path has changed how he does psychotherapy especially with self-concept issues.

Music:

robertotakiwaska@gmail.com

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK2zQsSa7ixMdPyi32nT-vg

Mural Artist: 

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077566398655

Henry’s 2022 in-person training:

https://psychflex.co.uk/product/expanded-act-for-psychedelic-assisted-therapy-integrated-trauma-focused-act-for-psychedelic-assisted-therapy-including-traumatic-incident-reduction-tir-and-parts-work/?fbclid=IwAR1w5sCEuecGCF5c0vZRXr0tSbtdM8Xe_egAdmrFCi4_XFZLnFsvjm6FzrA

my contact info:

Marcel@marceltassara.com

Do you like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and feel like your keep missing the nail? Want to: - Get grounded in the foundation stones? - See contingencies? - Add context? - Be a functional contextualist? (and know what that means) This is a new podcast that seeks to excavate the roots of the contextual behavioral sciences, so that the fruit that us clinician deliver is as pristine as possible. It's a sequential experience that takes non-congenital behaviorists beyond the 6 core processes, and just saying "milk, milk, milk". Many of us that come to ACT/CBS don’t get past the razzle and dazzle...Well, walk with me on this quest and lets play with the boring that the razzle dazzle is built on. - New episodes published weekly starting 7/20/2020 - Experiential work in (just about) every episode

The one and only Steve Hayes, PhD joins me to talk about how clinicians can get more precise with ACT by being more grounded in 4 areas: Behavioral principles, RFT, Evolutionary science principles, and Functional Contextualism.

Steve's website: https://stevenchayes.com/

please subscribe, like, review

my contact if interested in individual/group consultation: marcel@marceltassara.com

Excited to bring you episode #24 with Siri Ming, BCBA-D. She humbly flexes her PhD in RFT as we discuss RFT concepts underpinning psychological flexibility. We also discuss her upcoming upcoming book on RFT for BCBAs. 

Her website: 

http://siriming.com/

And

https://www.weareconstellations.com/ 

If interested in a training/consultation group, email me at:

marcel@marceltassara.com

Into the heart of ACT (and really therapy) with Robyn Walser, PhD. Robyn has been an integral part of the development and dissemination of ACT for several decades. We discuss what it means to work from the heart, with presence and authenticity. Robyn has a new on demand course through praxiscet: Healing Trauma with ACT. Robyn’s website: http://www.tlconsultationservices.com/index.html. 

To purchase the album of music on this podcast: https://zulenadueto.bandcamp.com/releases

If you are interested in joining my a group consultation with me, email me at marcel@marceltassara.com

From episode #32

From start to finish, this interview with Yash Bhambhani, PhD, is a palpable demonstration of mindfulness in action. Yash is a psychologist at an addiction treatment clinic at Montefiore Medical Center in New York, assistant professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. We discuss (and embody) how to go about appreciating in therapy.

contact info for Yash: yashnpbhambhani@gmail.com

https://ybhambha.wixsite.com/yashbhambhaniphd

my contact info: marcel@marceltassara.com

Part scientist / part sculptor, Dr. Emily Sandoz shapes together the dry earth (from which contextual behavioral technologies sprout) with the teary depth of the human condition. So grateful for her being her and sharing that radiance.

For consultation: Emily.sandoz@louisiana.edu

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/emily-kennison-sandoz-lafayette-la/176976

Intro to ACT syllabus:https://www.marceltassara.com/extras

What you know about your Self?

Join me as I mix it up with Dr. Louise McHugh to discuss this very important topic of The Self. She provides a friendly crash course in RFT and helps to show how RFT is useful in understanding different selfing repertoires. Dr. McHugh is associate professor of psychology at University College Dublin, a Fellow in the Association for Contextual Behavioral Sciences, and has contributed mightily to the contextual behavioral science view of the self. GO AND GET A COPY of her he book A Contextual Behavioral Guide to the Self: Theory and Practice. It's a must read for ACT clinicians.

She sometimes provides training through this org: https://actnow.co/

Mooji: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ui3vIvymDE&t=340s

i'm available for group and/or individual consultation: marcel@marceltassara.com

I'm joined by a TAPROOT of ACT and the contextual behavioral sciences, Dr. Linda Hayes. Her work and attention to the philosophy of science and behaviorism was a keystone in the archway of ACT. We sit down to discuss rule governance, Skinner and RFT, and problems with mentalistic thinking and causality.

So grateful to bring you the powerhouse that is Dr. Matthew Skinta. He has a gift for making the functional lexicon less aversive. We chat it up re: tips to think functionally, tacting, and swim in a therapy demonstration.

He is available for consultation:

http://www.drmatthewskinta.com/

If interested in a FAP consultation group email me at: Marcel@marceltassara.com

I'm joined by the delightful and brilliant Kate Kellum, PhD! Kate is the Associate Director of Institutional Research and Assessment and Assistant Professor at the University of Mississippi. We discuss contingencies, how to see 'em, and oh so tasty behaviorism!

Kate's Website:http://www.iseecontingencies.com/Home.html

clicker training/tag teach:

https://youtu.be/puYANVYxPys

https://youtu.be/5uPSa--Nlt4

Shamu article:

https://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/25/fashion/what-shamu-taught-me-about-a-happy-marriage.html

and the book: https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=87892614

Linda J. Parrott Hayes articles:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1350087/pdf/jeabehav00215-0281.pdf

and

Hayes, L. J. (1992). Equivalence as process. In S. C. Hayes & L. J. Hayes (Eds.), The International Institute on Verbal Relations. Understanding verbal relations (p. 97–108). Context Press.

I'm joined by ACBS Fellow and Texas wordsmith, Hank Robb, PhD. We take a stroll through the forest of functionalism (how to start to think functionally), how thoughts differ from beliefs, and Hanks approach to seriousness.

Hank is available for consultation: robbhb@pacificu.edu

Available as video podcast as well:https://www.marceltassara.com/actroottofruit

If Dr. Yvonne Barnes-Holmes had a rapper name, it would be "Dr. Truth". I hope you enjoy this discussion, Dr. Barnes-Holmes deftly issues a call to arms to clinicians, discusses rft, and more.

DJ Moran drops by to help me unpack Mentalism, Spirituality, and the act of meditation - all from a behavioral lens. DJ just straight up brings it! the science, the style, and all things in between. Check out some of his books here: https://www.newharbinger.com/author/daniel-j-moran.

He is available for corporate consulting, leadership innovation, safety and productivity consultation.

https://www.drdjmoran.com/

https://www.pickslyde.com/d-j-moran/

I'm joined by the marvelous Jennifer Kemp to discuss all things perfectionism. We discuss function over form, the utility of spotting the thread of perfectionism that sometimes connects many behaviors, and also get into a real play around these issues. We also discuss her soon to be published ACT workbook for perfectionism. I'll put a link once it is published.

She is available for consultation: jennifer@preciousminds.com.au

If interested in a training group and/or consultation w/ me: marcel@marceltassara.com

Also of note:

"Impressions" by John Coltrane

"Satisfied" from the musical Hamilton

To purchase the music and directly support the artists click here:

https://zulenadueto.bandcamp.com/album/luz-camino-y-gu-a

I am joined by the marvelous Temple Morris, LCSW-C. She is a therapist/consultant in private practice at True North in Bethesda, Maryland, USA. She is a mover and shaker in the ACT community especially in the psychedelic special interest group. In this episode we talk abut helping clients prepare for their plant medicine journeys, and to coach people to use ACT processes on these inner voyages. We talk about the entheogenic/psychedelic renaissance. Also, we discuss how our own explorations have informed our work and lives.

To purchase the music and directly support the artists click here:

https://zulenadueto.bandcamp.com/album/luz-camino-y-gu-a

To contact Temple:

https://truenorthact.com/staff/temple-morris-lcsw-c/

One River Book mentioned:

https://daviswade.com/book-one-river

My email: marcel@marceltassara.com

I'm joined today by a true clinician's clinician, Jennifer Gregg, PhD. Jen is a professor at San Jose State University, a clinician specializing in her work with cancer patients, peer reviewed ACT trainer, and ACBS superstar...amongst other things. I really enjoyed walking with her through the Contextual Behavioral Psychology jungle and picking things about from a functional perspective.

Jen's new book is available here:

https://www.newharbinger.com/stop-avoiding-stuff

So grateful to bring another of the roots of the contextual behavioral psychologies, one of the co-creators of ACT, Kirk Strosahl, PhD. Kirk is gifted with the ability to hit every note, gifting something to new comers to contextualism and dyed in the wool behaviorist in one fell swoop. We chop it up on mentalism, contextualism, and more.

also available as audio only podcast:https://www.marceltassara.com/actroottofruit

Kirks info:

https://heartmattersconsulting.com/

https://www.appi.org/Clinical_Manual_for_the_Assessment_and_Treatment_of_Suicidal_Patients_Second_Edition

praxis course:

https://www.praxiscet.com/focused-act-sneak-peek/

if interested in a joining a training group email me at marcel@marceltassara.com.

The honorable Jonathan Kanter, PhD pays a visit to discuss systemic racism and how a CBS stance can be useful for bellying up to these forces. We recorded this episode a few days after Jacob Blake was shot by police here in Kenosha, Wisconsin...and several hours before a baby faced 17 year old kid killed 2 protesters.

It's heavy, and we hope also useful.

https://colorofchange.org/

https://realjusticepac.org/

https://www.stirfryseminars.com/

this episode is also available as an audio only podcast.

I'm joined by ACBS Fellow Sonja Batten for a vivid discussion about the "ACT stance". Sonja eloquently frames what flexibility looks like, inside and out, by demonstrating how vulnerability can be used to model ACT processes as well as summon both clinician and client to more present moment aliveness.

Check out her website for consultation.

Books:

Essentials of ACT

Committed Action in Practice

The marvelous Miranda Morris PhD sits down to share her awesomely authentic self. She is currently the current President-Elect of ACBS, founder of True North Therapy and Training, co-founder of the Mid-Atlantic ACBS chapter, and a peer reviewed ACT trainer. We discuss function, peer consultation, and imposter syndrome.

She is available for consultation:

https://truenorthact.com/act-training-services/

Any ACBS members interested in a free peer consultation group: (https://contextualscience.org/online_act_peer_supervision_group_affiliate_of_acb):

Are you interested in connecting with other ACBS members online to learn together how to be more skilled with using ACT? Then Register for Drop-In Meeting Here or contact us by email: actpeersupervision@gmail.com

So happy to bring you Luisa Canon, PsyD, BCBA-D. We discuss her functional approach to therapy, the embodiment of the CBS approach, and learning to trust yourself as a clinician.

She is available for consultation:

https://www.acttothrivela.com/contact

I am also available for consultation, both individual and group: marcel@marceltassara.com

Excited to bring you Bartosz Kleszcz, a real mover and shaker within ACBS, whose values are on full display with the upcoming LAMIC conference he helped to create. This free 2-day conference features presenters from Low and Middle Income Countries, - May 16 & 23 2021, no registration required (http://uczesieact.pl/cbs-lamic-online-conference/ and https://fb.me/e/R9H2VvEb)

We discuss the conference, the utility of behavioral principles in helping us connect more with our clients, and how ROE can help clinicians thinking functionally.

I also am available for individual and/or group consultation, currently am running FAP training groups for therapists as well - marcel@marceltassara.com

I'm joined by Luc Vandenberghe. Luc has been working with contextual psychologies since the 80s, and is a master assessor of function. He is a professor Pontific University of Goias, and has published extensively on FAP Groups.

if you are interested in joining our online/virtual FAP training group (will meet Thursdays @3:30pm EST USA) email me: marcel@marceltassara.com

The training group is designed for therapists interested in learning and experiencing FAP. This intellectually and emotionally stimulating arena is an ideal place for therapists to see FAP in action. Group meets weekly and blends interpersonal with didactic focus. We ask for a 3 month commitment, cost is $50 per week.

Here is a sample of Luc's articles:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Pca08TzwE4LJtYi4j2pxlOuPmWsdt__r?usp=sharing

I'm joined by the world renowned primatologist Frans de Waal to discuss evolution, behaviorism, and primate culture. Frans is a Professor of Primate Behavior at Emory University, director of the Living Links Center at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center, and author of numerous books including Chimpanzee Politics and Our Inner Ape. His research centers on primate social behavior, including conflict resolution, cooperation, and inequity aversion. (FB:https://www.facebook.com/franspublic)

My other podcast: Honorable Evolution: available at https://www.marceltassara.com/

and:

https://www.facebook.com/Honorable-Evolution-107415934354276

The man, the myth, the legend Bill Follette, PhD, helps me to unpack functional vs. topographical, mid-level terms, and a sweeping tour of the principals that make CBS. Bill is a professor of psychology at University of Nevada at Reno: https://www.unr.edu/psychology/faculty/william-follette

Also available as a audio only podcast:

https://www.marceltassara.com/actroottofruit

Ole Ivar Lovaas work with children Autism:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZ7TiFJzZkM