How to Live Based on Values, Not Impulses: Russ Harris on PYP 547

Plant Yourself - Embracing a Plant-based Lifestyle

Russ Harris is one of the world's foremost practitioners and teachers of ACT, which is pronounced "act" and which stands for Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. His books The Happiness Trap and ACT Made Simple have popularized this methodology, which was created in the 1980s by Steven C Hayes and colleagues.
(You can check out my interview with Steven here: https://plantyourself.com/steven-c-hayes-on-pyp-425-how-to-liberate-our-minds/ )
In our conversation, Russ and I talk about the difference between ACT and other therapeutic models. In particular, we explore what it means that ACT is "skills-based," and how that feature makes it perfect for coaching for change.
We look at the central misconception of our modern society that causes so much misery: that the goal of life is a conditional happiness that depends on our continued pleasure or contentment.
And we explore a couple of the ACT processes, including creating distance between our awareness and the habitual thoughts our minds cook up, and identifying with the noticing self (as opposed to just being a body or a mind).
We discuss the "m-word" (mindfulness) and see how it's used in ACT that's quite different from many modern applications.
And we talk about Russ's work with ACT around the world, including a controlled study with South Sudanese female refugees of war who had escaped across the border into Uganda.
Enjoy!