Contextual Behavioral Science (ACT & RFT)
Our team utilizes Contextual Behavioral Science, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Relational Frame Theory (RFT). These approaches focus on building psychological flexibility and improving life satisfaction. Discover how ACT and RFT at Gorog Health can help you navigate challenges, enhance your well-being, and create meaningful change.
What is this Type of Therapy?
Contextual behavior science is the scientific and practical approach to analyzing human behavior that aims to predict and influence behavior across all domains and levels of analysis. At the root, CBS proposes that social, neurological, and behavioral factors influence behavior.
In the mental health field, contextual behavior science has led to the development of two approaches to psychotherapy that have gained popularity in recent years: Acceptance and Commitment Theory (ACT) and Relational Frame Theory (RFT).
Acceptance and Commitment Theory – Rooted in its philosophy is the idea of radical acceptance of one’s suppressed thoughts and feelings. As the saying goes, “What you resist, persists” is applicable here. When a patient can accept their thoughts and feelings without casting a negative judgment on the idea or emotion – they become more congruent in who they are and can take affirmative action.
Relational Frame Theory – RFT is a psychological theory that involves changing the relationship between a person and their thoughts. Instead of believing thoughts as literal truths, individuals learn to see them as mental events. For instance, someone with social anxiety might relate a joke as a personal attack – or, more primitively, as a failure on their part to socially calibrate. RFT helps identify these patterns, which is the first step to overcoming them.
Each approach is helpful for different purposes in therapy and can often be mixed. As tools for treating a patient, they are used interchangeably throughout the therapy process.
How does it work?
ACT works by allowing patients to fully accept their thoughts and feelings about an event or situation. This allows them to become more aligned and is a guide to clarifying life goals and values.
RFT works by clarifying whether “mental events” or subconscious associations they experience have merit or not.
How does it help?
ACT and RFT help patients to understand themselves better and to clarify values and goals. Here are some more benefits included in this approach:
- Greater awareness of their social anxiety triggers
- The ability to change the relationship between a person and their thoughts
- Acceptance of what anxious thoughts/feelings come up
- More clarified, meaningful goals that are aligned with their core values
What is it used for?
ACT and RFT can be used to treat different issues in a therapy setting:
- General Anxiety Disorder
- Mood Disorders
- OCD
- PTSD
- Eating Disorders
- Substance Abuse
- Stress Management
- Relationship Issues
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps individuals accept their thoughts and feelings by focusing on taking actions aligned with their values.
What Makes Us Qualified for This Type of Treatment?
Dr. Gorog spent two years obtaining her Master’s in Clinical Counseling and then went on to obtain her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, which is the highest level of preparation and training a mental health professional can complete to offer the most comprehensive mental health treatment and therapy. Her doctorate program included 5 years of full-time study involving coursework, research, a practicum, a dissertation, and one year on a doctoral internship. Currently, she has now over 12 years in experience and practice as a mental health professional.
What Can Patients Expect?
Patients, in general, can expect to be asked a lot of questions. As opposed to other psychotherapy models, ACT and RFT focus on a person holistically. As such, questions about their background, current situation, thoughts, and feelings are all valid and necessary.
What are the steps of this type of therapy?
While RFT is more of a framework for psychotherapy, the steps for ACT include:
- Acceptance: With a trained psychotherapist, learning to accept events, both past and possible future events, is the first step in undergoing contextual behavioral therapy.
- Mindfulness: By staying present with the emotions that come up, you’ll be able to acknowledge feelings without getting caught up in them.
- Values Clarification: At this stage, questions of values typically arise. At this juncture, a trained psychotherapist can ask you questions that allow you to reflect on what values you adhere to. Usually, these values are not chiseled, and a trained therapist helps you clarify them.
- Committed Action: Once this discovery is made, committed action is required. The final aspect of contextual behavioral therapy is having a therapist help you decide on what goals are meaningful to you and stick to them.
What Does A Timeline Look Like?
How long symptoms take to resolve depends on the severity of the psychological issue. For people who’ve suffered a near-death experience and suffer from PTSD might take longer than someone who faces social anxiety. It also depends on the individual’s willingness, to be honest and be flexible in the therapeutic process.
What our Client's Say
Adam and Cam Wells2024-05-30We recently had the pleasure of having sessions for our child with Dr. Gorog for help with anxiety and behavioral development, and I couldn't be more pleased with the results. Dr. Gorog is truly exceptional in her approach, skillfully addressing both the psychological and somatic aspects of anxiety. Her comprehensive method ensures that every facet of one's well-being is considered, not just the mental or emotional symptoms. From the very first session, Dr. Gorog made my kiddo feel understood and at ease. She has a remarkable ability to identify the physical and somatic manifestations of anxiety and provides practical strategies to alleviate these symptoms. Her holistic approach has helped ALL of us gain a deeper understanding of how the body and mind are interconnected, which has been incredibly empowering. Dr. Gorog's expertise in treating anxiety is evident in the personalized care she offers. She tailors her sessions to the patient's unique needs, and ensures that our child always feel supported and heard. With her guidance, our child has learned effective techniques to manage anxiety, and we as the parents have learned a great deal more about how to support their journey. I highly recommend Dr. Gorog to anyone struggling with anxiety, especially if you're looking for a provider who addresses both the mental and somatic dimensions of this condition. Her compassionate care and comprehensive treatment approach have made a significant difference in our family and our kiddo.
Linden Brooks2024-03-20Dr.Gorog is the best therapist I've ever seen. After struggling with my mental health for years and trying multiple therapist and approaches I was losing hope....until I walked into Dr.Gorogs office. She creates an environment of safety allowing you to be truly vulnerable, for me I was able to go deeper then ever before. This environment and trust allows her to guide patients in restructuring the meaning assigned to external factors and exploring how past events and traumas have wired our brains, which for me was a large cause of my mental distress. She helped me reframe my anxiety and view it in a positive light, an emotion/stimulus I no longer fight but embrace and explore with curiosity. Through our time, I've done some exploration of my mental health outside of traditional practices, she was supportive, encouraging, and provided valuable advice on how to approach a new therapy modality, which was solely effective because of the work we had previously done. Furthermore, she was important in the integration of the experience and holding me accountable to the discoveries. I would recommend Dr.Gorog to any and everyone whose looking to develop a deeper understanding of themselves and their emotions, overcome and cope with deep trauma, navigate a large life event, or simply improve your life to lessen your symptoms and be more fulfilled.
Gabe Casher2023-08-10As a fellow therapist, I highly recommend Dr. Gorog for psychotherapy services. She has a warm and down-to-earth presence, and uses an evidence-based, no nonsense approach with her clients. She is direct and gentle at the same time, which leads to great outcomes for clients. With Dr. Gorog, you are in good hands!
Efrain Lemus2022-04-12Best psychotherapy in Denver, I was having hard problems with anxiety and she gave me the tools to fight the anxiety and keep it controlled. Dr. Lauren I’ll definitely come back to you in the future when I feel the anxiety is getting out of control again.
Terrel Davis2021-07-07Dr. Gorog is a well-qualified and compassionate therapist, who provides a safe environment for self-growth and healing. Without hesitation, I recommend her highly to friends and family.
Amber “Amber B Shells”2020-12-19My experience with Dr. Gorog was extremely insightful. I have learned skills and knowledge that cause me to feel calmer, more secure in myself and gave me a deeper understanding to myself on a deeper level. I tend to be a sensitive person due to trauma and with my session with Dr. Gorog I gained a higher level of consciousness and was able to see how things effect my nervous system and heart rate. My session gave me the understanding of how things that appear as normal daily occurrence like my phone ringing effected my physiological make up and took me out of the present moment. Amber B. Shells
Marc Allan (Marc_Allen)2020-02-15I have made great progress with my anxiety and depression with Dr. Gorog’s help. Dr. Gorog is passionate about helping others and is one of the most compassionate people I’ve met. She has helped me look at life and myself in thoughtful and positive ways. I highly recommend Dr. Gorog.
Gorog Healh
In The News
Denver based Clinical Health Psychologist, Dr. Lauren Gorog, appears on the Kathie J Show from KCDO Local3 & Denver7 to speak about sleepwalking, night terrors, night terrors vs nightmares, and child sleepwalking vs adult sleepwalking.
Watch this interview of Dr. Gorog on the Kathie J show on Local3 Denver’s Hometown Station where they discuss all things insomnia, CBT-I (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia), and what insomnia treatment and help with sleep looks like in my practice.
Watch this interview of Dr. Gorog on the Kathie J show on Local3 Denver’s Hometown Station where they discuss all things insomnia, CBT-I (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia), and what insomnia treatment and help with sleep looks like in my practice. Click here to go to the article.
