Trainers, behaviorists, and big businesses have embraced the liberal use of positive techniques, philosophies and equipment for decades. Accompanying this is the buzz about leadership, alpha statuses, along with advice on what we should or shouldnt feed our dogs, when to feed them, and how much to feed them. What if it is as simple as ABC and 123breathing, eating, playing and smiling? Awareness Centered Training (ACT) gives us permission to joyfully and easily train (JET) our dogs without fear of right or wrong mindfully shape natural behaviors with SAM (socialization and manners) quickly integrate training for a few minutes each day, playing Doggy Diner reduce sensory overload with ahha! moments of peace and stillness connect using body language, breathing, and the magic of your smile empower yourself and your dog with skills you can use anywhere creatively balance energy while enhancing well-being let go of what doesnt matter and go with the flow (wolf ) change life for the better with dogs as translators for learning and healing While you train with awareness, unhealthy patterns in your life can begin to vanish. This is not because of a book, social media, or life doing something to you. It is because you and your dog are doing something different together. Enjoy the journey.

“Trauma-Focused ACT is going to go down as one of the great contributions to the field of trauma-informed care.” —Kirk Strosahl PhD, cofounder of ACT Trauma-Focused ACT (TFACT) provides a flexible, comprehensive model for treating the entire spectrum of trauma-related issues, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), addiction, depression, anxiety disorders, moral injury, chronic pain, shame, suicidality, insomnia, complicated grief, attachment issues, sexual problems, and more. Written by internationally acclaimed ACT trainer, Russ Harris, this textbook is for practitioners at all levels of experience, and offers exclusive access to free downloadable resources—including scripts, videos, MP3s, handouts, and worksheets. Discover cutting-edge strategies for healing the past, living in the present, and building a new future. With this compassion-based, exposure-centered approach, you’ll learn how to help your clients: Find safety and security in their bodies Overcome hyperarousal and hypoarousal Break free from dissociation Shift from self-hatred to self-compassion Rapidly ground themselves and reengage in life Unhook from difficult cognitions and emotions Develop an integrated sense of self Resolve traumatic memories through flexible exposure Connect with and live by their values Experience post-traumatic growth

Relationships take work. In this much-anticipated book, best-selling author Matthew McKay and psychologist Avigail Lev present the ten most common relationship schemas, and provide an evidence-based acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) treatment protocol for professionals to help clients overcome the barriers that hold them back in their relationships. Romantic relationships are a huge challenge for many of us, as evidenced by our high divorce rates. But what is it that causes so much pain and discord in many relationships? In Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Couples, Matthew McKay and Avigail Lev provide the first ACT-based treatment protocol for couples that identifies the ten most common relationship schemas—and the coping behaviors they drive—to help you guide clients through their pain and toward solutions that reflect the needs and values of the couple. Rather than working to stop relationship schemas from being triggered or to reduce schema pain, you’ll be able to help your clients observe and name what triggers their rigid coping behaviors when their schemas are activated. And by learning new skills when they’re triggered, your clients will be able to replace avoidant and coping behaviors with values-based action for the betterment of the relationship. By making your clients’ avoidant behavior the target of treatment— as opposed to their thoughts and beliefs—this skills-based guide provides the tools you need to help your clients change how they respond to their partner.