Lindsay Lorson

When working with adolescents, I tend to use an action-based, values-driven approach with acceptance and mindfulness strategies to increase psychological flexibility, identify helpful & unhelpful behaviors, and improve self-esteem so they can live a life that is meaningful and fulfilling to them. Teens can use the skills learned from mindfulness, acceptance and commitment therapy to take charge of their destiny and face their problems head-on.

When working with children on the Autism Spectrum, I tailor the science of Applied Behavior Analysis to each client with goals of independence, enhanced social skills, and overall life satisfaction. I am passionate about preparing my clients for situations both inside of the home and in their daily lives. I start by assessing each child's unique needs, evaluating the child's skills and then customizing my interventions. I work closely with parents or guardian to detail the goals of treatment.

I adore working with youth and discovering their unique potential. Kids learn by doing. In sessions, I teach acceptance and commitment therapy skills to help children manage emotions and build resilience. This can be done by using activities to teach about feelings and coping skills. I may also teach mindfulness and breathing techniques as a way to self-regulate. Most importantly, I help kids the skills they learned by playing games or solving problems.

Mindfulness is a simple yet profound practice. Kabat-Zinn defined mindfulness as "the awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally to the unfolding of experience moment-to-moment." The focus of therapy is on increasing our awareness of the thoughts, feelings, and actions that hinder our progress. When we are better able to do that, we can engage with those aspects of ourselves, learn to tweak our language, and choose how to respond.

"The aim of ACT is help create a rich, full, and meaningful life, while accepting the pain that life inevitably brings." -Russ Harris ACT is an empirically based psychological intervention that uses acceptance and mindfulness strategies mixed in different ways with commitment and behavior-change strategies, to increase psychological flexibility. ACT gets in touch with what really matters to you and what you want to do with your brief time on this earth. It's about taking values-committed action.

Humanistic therapy looks at the whole person, not only from the therapist’s view but from the viewpoint of individuals observing their own behavior. The emphasis is on a person’s positive traits and behaviors, and the ability to use their personal instincts to find wisdom, growth, healing, and fulfillment within themselves.