Dr. Russ Harris | ACT: Past, Present, and Future

Mentally Flexible

My guest today is Dr. Russ Harris, author of the international best-selling self-help book ‘The Happiness Trap’, and a world-renowned trainer of Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT). Russ’s background is in medicine and now works in two different, yet complementary roles – as a therapist and as a coach. We discuss this life shift more in the episode.

Since 2005, Russ has run over 700 two-day workshops and provided ACT training for almost 50,000 health professionals. He has authored four ACT textbooks (ACT Made Simple, Trauma Focused ACT, Getting Unstuck in ACT, ACT Questions & Answers), and four ACT-based self-help books (The Happiness Trap, The Reality Slap, The Confidence Gap and ACT with Love). His best-known book, The Happiness Trap, has sold over one million copies worldwide, with translations into more than 30 languages.
Some of the areas we explore in this episode include:
- Russ’s early career in medicine and how his own suffering was the catalyst for change
-Some of the books and ideas that were influential during this transition
-Russ’s first introduction to ACT and how it led to writing ‘The Happiness Trap’
-His work with the WHO developing an ACT protocol for individuals in refugee camps
-We discuss how pain can be used for growth, the nature of trauma, and the danger of toxic positivity
-And we end by exploring some of Russ’s future goals within ACT and in other areas of life

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Russ’s website: https://www.actmindfully.com.au/

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