Brooke Knowles

“Imagine having a similar conversation with yourself. “I can’t get my eating under control. It’s aggravating to me that I can’t resist tempting foods.” These thoughts are filled with self-doubt and diminish our hopes about making a change. A more helpful thought would be, “I’m feeling frustrated with my struggle to resist tempting foods, yet I can work on ways to overcome this challenge.”
― Angela Wood, The Motivational Interviewing Workbook: Exercises to Decide What You Want and How to Get There

“I’ll give you a preview of and introduce you to a quick and easy defusion technique, in which you thank your mind. When you notice your mind telling you things about yourself (that you are lazy or stupid, for example), you don’t have to buy into it, you can simply notice it, say “Thank you, mind,” and move on.”
― Carissa Gustafson PsyD, Reclaim Your Life: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in 7 Weeks

“Sadness indicates a kind of loss and helps people slow down in order to heal. Fear indicates some type of danger and helps people fight, flee, or freeze. Anger indicates that some type of boundary has been crossed (for example, someone is taking advantage of you) and helps you protect or advocate for yourself. Guilt, as unpleasant as it is, indicates that we have done something inconsistent with our values and can help us make repairs by apologizing.”
― Carissa Gustafson PsyD, Reclaim Your Life: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in 7 Weeks

“paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally.”
― Carissa Gustafson PsyD, Reclaim Your Life: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in 7 Weeks