The Physical Therapist’s Role in Behavioral and Mental Health: A Turning Point For the Profession and Opportunity to Promote Mental Wellbeing

The profession of physical therapy grew out of World War I (1914-1918) when ‘Reconstructive Aides’ were sent overseas and around the United States to help soldiers recover from physical injuries and battle neurosis. Battle neurosis is a type of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) associated with depression, anxiety and other traumatic symptoms. Since the dawn of the […]
Combining Yoga with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Mental Well Being and Psychological Flexibility

The college-age population is increasingly suffering from psychiatric and behavioral issues. In the United States alone, up to 25% of students have been diagnosed with or treated for some type of mental illness.1 Further, an estimated 37% of college students suffer from clinically significant levels of depression that can inhibit daily function. Although treatment for […]
Embracing the ACT Model for Pain: A Guide for Professionals

Pain neuroscience and evolutionary psychology tell us that if a person has pain they will most naturally want to avoid it or stop it. Historically, the treatment of pain leveraged the idea of sufficient pain control and depended on a direct relationship between an identifiable physical injury and a patient’s report of symptoms. The amount […]
Physical Therapists’ Perceptions of Learning and Implementing Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to Treat Chronic Pain: A Pilot Study on the Integrative Pain Science Institute Experience

Chronic pain presents a physical and psychological burden for millions of Americans, and is a global health pandemic. This burden has been worsened by the widespread emphasis placed on a biomedical approach that largely neglects to address the psychosocial components and processes of chronic pain. This omission has led to poorly managed pain, the chronification […]