So many of us have experienced trauma, depression, anxiety, and other painful feelings and events. But answer this:

When you have those experiences, do you tend to try to get rid of or avoid those painful feelings, or do you lean into them?

On this episode of the podcast, we have the pleasure of collaborating with Dr. Steven Hayes, founder of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and author of the book "A Liberated Mind: How to Pivot Toward What Matters."

Dr. Hayes has been deemed the 30th most influential psychologist in the world and one of the most cited scientists in the world. His therapeutic technique (ACT) is more effective than any other approach the field of Clinical Psychology has ever adopted, and now Dr. Hayes is expanding the reach of the practices of that approach to help people live better lives.

During this interview, Dr. Hayes gives us an overview of ACT and how it applies to our lives. In particular, he delves into pain and trauma and how we have better psychological outcomes if we lean into them, rather than trying to avoid them. 

Toward the end of this interview. Dr. Hayes leads us through one of the most profound exercises I have ever been a part of. This exercise was so impactful that it lead me to create this week's bonus episode. The accompanying bonus episode cuts to the chase and features only this exercise. If you don't have time to catch the entire episode this week, you owe it to yourself to catch the bonus episode so that you can experience this incredible exercise first-hand.

We are so grateful for the opportunity to speak with Dr. Hayes and present his powerful work to you in this episode.