by Steve Hayes | Nov 8, 2022 | ACT, Commitment, Human Beings
When you ask high achievers why they succeed where others fail, they often reply with what psychologists call “self-efficacy” – a belief in their ability to achieve their goals. Therapists are not much different. When you ask them what enables some clients to make...
by Steve Hayes | Apr 30, 2022 | Acceptance, Anxiety, Depression, Emotion, Happiness, Human Beings, Human Suffering, Pain, Relationships
Imagine you had a friend who is there for you whenever you need them. Someone who cares about you, who listens patiently, and who is kind, forgiving, and compassionate. It’s probably fair to say that we all would want a friend like this. And even more: We likely all...
by Steve Hayes | Sep 30, 2021 | Human Beings, Language and Cognition, Self-as-Context
In the fall of 2005, magician Derren Brown performed a peculiar experiment. He asked a group of volunteers for their birthdays, and subsequently gave each of them an individualized astrology reading. Without having ever met any of them, Brown would tell them the most...
by Steve Hayes | Aug 4, 2021 | Human Beings, psychological flexibility
Simone Biles is an exceptional athlete of unreal proportions. Now with 32 Olympic and World championship medals under her belt, she is widely considered to be one of the greatest gymnasts of all time. I think her performance at the Tokyo Olympics may leave a lasting...
by Steve Hayes | May 13, 2021 | Evidence-Based Psychotherapy, Human Beings
The world is in the middle of chaotic change. We all feel it. The normative concepts we have lived inside for over a century are breaking down, and we are less and less willing to twist ourselves into pretzels to make them fit. “Have it your way” might have started...
by Steve Hayes | Oct 6, 2014 | Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, ACT, Avoidance, Biographical Sketch, Clinicians, Cognitive Defusion, Evidence-Based Psychotherapy, Health, Human Beings, Human Suffering, Pain, Relationships, Uncategorized, Values
The West African Ebola crisis is holding up a mirror to the world, and what it is reflecting back is worrisome. I was listening to the news reporting yesterday with a mixture of interest and horror. The horror was not just about what is going on in these West African...