Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Colorado Springs

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an action-oriented therapy  that focuses on helping people develop psychological flexibility. Put  another way, ACT focuses on helping people learn to stop unworkable  actions that, even with good intention, have kept them stuck in their  symptoms and instead learn to relate openly and willfully to their  thoughts and feelings and let their values dictate their actions.

ACT has a strong evidence base for many mental health  conditions, including depression, anxiety, stress, eating disorders,  obsessive-compulsive disorder, addiction, and chronic pain. Dr. Claypool  has been providing ACT for his clients since 2011.

As a sport psychologist with over 13 years of experience using  Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) with athletes, I've  seen how ACT goes far beyond traditional mental skills training. While  conventional approaches focus on controlling or changing thoughts and  emotions, ACT teaches you to change your relationship with them.

Traditional mental skills training for athletes typically focuses on replacing negative thoughts with positive ones, controlling or eliminating anxiety, concentrating on outcomes and perfection, and suppressing uncomfortable emotions. In contrast, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for athletes takes a fundamentally different approach by teaching athletes to accept thoughts without judgment rather than fight them, thereby reducing their psychological power. Instead of trying to control anxiety, ACT helps athletes learn to compete effectively even when anxiety is present, shifting focus from outcome-based thinking to values-driven, present-moment performance. Rather than suppressing uncomfortable emotions, ACT encourages athletes to process and accept these emotions as a natural and potentially beneficial part of peak performance, recognizing that emotional experiences can coexist with high-level athletic achievement.

The key difference: Instead of fighting anxious or perfectionist thoughts, ACT helps you perform exceptionally with them present, guided by what matters most to you as an athlete.

The goal isn't to eliminate anxiety, perfectionism, or difficult  emotions—it's to perform exceptionally with them along for the ride. ACT  helps you make room for uncomfortable thoughts and feelings instead of  spending precious mental energy fighting them.

With years of experience combining ACT therapy with sport psychology, I help athletes in Colorado Springs and beyond develop the  psychological flexibility needed for consistent peak performance. ACT  complements traditional mental skills beautifully, offering a deeper,  more sustainable approach to mental training.

Cognitive Defusion: Learn to see thoughts as just thoughts, not absolute  truths. When that voice says "I'm going to mess up," you'll learn to  thank your mind for the warning and refocus on execution.

Emotional Acceptance: Instead of fighting pre-competition nerves or  frustration after mistakes, you'll develop skills to acknowledge and  process these emotions without letting them derail your performance.

Mindfulness & Present-Moment Focus: Stay anchored in the now rather than ruminating about  past mistakes or future outcomes. Feel your feet hitting the track,  your grip on the bat, your breath before the serve.

Self-as-Context: Develop a stable sense of self that isn't defined by  wins, losses, or perfect performances. You are the observer of your  experiences, not just your athletic achievements.

Values Clarification: Reconnect with what truly matters to you—growth,  teamwork, courage, excellence. Let these values guide your actions  rather than perfectionist demands or external pressure.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is grounded in decades of  psychological research and has proven particularly effective for  performance-related anxiety, perfectionism, and psychological  flexibility—all crucial factors in athletic success. Unlike approaches  that focus solely on symptom reduction, ACT targets the underlying  psychological processes that enable sustained high performance.

Research consistently shows that psychological  flexibility—the ability to stay present and take values-based action  even in the presence of difficult thoughts and emotions—is a key  predictor of athletic performance, resilience, and overall well-being.

Perfectionism can be an athlete's greatest asset and biggest obstacle.  Through ACT, you'll learn to harness your high standards while freeing  yourself from the paralysis of never being "good enough." We work on  accepting imperfection as part of excellence, helping you compete with  fierce commitment to your values rather than flawless execution.

Rather than trying to eliminate pre-competition nerves to deal with competition anxiety, ACT teaches you  to compete effectively with anxiety present. You'll develop  psychological flexibility to perform your best when stakes are highest,  using mindfulness and defusion techniques to stay focused on what you  can control.

Whether you're a collegiate athlete dealing with performance pressure, a  professional managing career transitions, or a young athlete developing  mental resilience, ACT therapy provides practical tools for sustainable  peak performance.

Personalized one-on-one sessions tailored to your specific sport,  challenges, and goals. We'll work together to develop your psychological  flexibility and performance consistency using evidence-based ACT  interventions.

Personalized one-on-one sessions tailored to your specific sport,  challenges, and goals. We'll work together to develop your psychological  flexibility and performance consistency using evidence-based ACT  interventions.

Bring ACT principles to your entire team or organization. Team consultations focus on building collective psychological flexibility,  improving communication, and strengthening team culture through  values-based approaches.