Patricia E. Zurita Ona, PsyD, is director of the East Bay
Behavior Therapy Center and adjunct professor at the Wright
Institute. Her clinical work started first as a school
psychologist, and then as a clinical psychologist. She has
significant experience working with children, adolescents, and
adults with mood, anxiety, and body-image concerns; particular
areas of expertise are obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Zurita Ona also provides
specialized services for individuals struggling with emotion
dysregulation problems, such as borderline personality disorder
(BPD), with or without self-harm and suicidal behaviors. She is
coauthor of Mind and Emotions, a universal protocol for emotional
disorders that has received a Self-Help Seal of Merit from the
Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT).
Zurita Ona serves on the board of directors for OCD SF Bay Area, an
affiliate of the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF), and is in
charge of the clinical symposium for the annual conference of the
Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA). In addition
to private practice, Zurita Ona is a clinical faculty member for
the Wright Institute, where she supervises and teaches doctoral
students.
"A large number of people are affected by emotion regulation
difficulties every day. Patricia Zurita Ona addresses the
challenges you may have as a therapist around the incredible
sensitivity of 'super-feelers, ' wrapped up in the effective
science of ACT. The book pays special attention on helping you
build ACT skills using examples, exercises, and teaching points.
Patricia expertly delineates a contextual understanding of emotion
regulation in an easily readable way, so much so that even beginner
therapists can benefit from this informative book. I can
confidently say that Patricia's book makes ACT more accessible and
approachable for therapists working with the BPD population."
--Sindhu BS, MS, founder and president of the ACBS India Chapter;
and therapist in private practice in Bangalore, India--Sindhu BS,
MS
"Addressing a highly important and transdiagnostic application,
Patricia Zurita Ona has successfully translated the nonlinear model
of ACT into a step-by-step approach for the treatment of emotion
regulation issues. Backed by scientific references--and complete
with creative exercises, worksheets, key teaching points,
act-in-action activities, and suggested weekly practices that can
be readily applied to group settings or modified for individual
use--practitioners will undoubtedly appreciate this practical and
comprehensive clinical volume. Programs specializing in the
treatment of BPD now have a ready-to-roll-out ACT-based
manual."
--Lou Lasprugato, MFT, peer-reviewed ACT trainer at Sutter Health
Institute for Health and Healing--Lou Lasprugato, MFT
"How do we help those who feel too much, too fast, and act in
self-defeating ways? This book by Patricia Zurita Ona provides the
essential guide to using ACT to help 'super-feelers' to strengthen
healthy awareness of their emotions, thoughts, and bodies--finding
the wisdom in feelings to skillfully connect with what matters. The
book is full of treasures: really useful metaphors and exercises;
pragmatic approaches to understanding and talking about emotion
regulation; engaging and effective modules to meet the needs of
'super-feelers'; and plenty of hard-won wisdom to recognize and
respond to common pitfalls in therapy. Written with terrific humor,
intelligence, and compassion, Dr. Z's manual is thoroughly
recommended."
--Eric Morris, PhD, senior lecturer and psychology clinic director
at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia; fellow of the
Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS); and coauthor
of ACT for Psychosis Recovery--Eric Morris, PhD
"In this powerful book, Patricia Zurita Ona guides us step by step
into a process-based and ACT-consistent intervention through the
challenges of emotion regulation. Patricia kindly and precisely
leads the reader to an intense paradigm shift in the way BPD is
conceptualized, highlighting the importance of emotion regulation
as a process beneath many diagnoses, and a main target for powerful
therapeutic interventions. The beauty of this book is that the
tools and strategies accurately described here will empower
interventions in a wide range of clinical demands."
--Desirée da Cruz Cassado, MsC, clinical psychologist, ACT
therapist, teacher, and process-based intervention enthusiast
committed to developing strategies to increase emotional awareness
in groups and individuals--Desirée da Cruz Cassado, MsC
"Patricia presents a long overdue book about applying acceptance
and commitment therapy (ACT) and psychological flexibility
principles to one of the most needing populations in
psychotherapy--challenging some myths about working with borderline
personality disorder (BPD). Attention-gripping exercises utilizing
an array of experiential and didactic avenues for learning
important life knowledge and skills will benefit any practitioner
that struggles with BPD clients. Additional 'nerdy comments' and an
ample theoretical introduction integrates ACT with useful
perspectives on BPD and emotion regulation--broadening the
therapist repertoire not only practically, but also
conceptually."
--Bartosz Kleszcz, MA, ACT therapist and researcher in
Poland--Bartosz Kleszcz, MA
"Patricia provides an accessible, nuanced deconstruction of emotion
regulation, and how ACT promotes psychological flexibility with
individuals who experience emotions deeply and intensely.
Occupational therapists in particular will find this resource
invaluable, as it moves away from diagnostic labeling while
clarifying how to make room for all internal experiences, and
engage in meaningful actions that promote new skills for a life
well lived. This lighthearted manual is flexible in nature with new
and engaging content, while also inviting the facilitator to
explore their own experiences as a part of the process. This makes
it a brilliant asset not only for people who are accessing
services, but also to embrace therapists who consider themselves
'super-feelers.'"
--Louise Sanguine, occupational therapist for the adolescent
addictions and mental health outpatient program at the Alberta
Health Services South Health Campus in Calgary, AB, Canada; and
consultant occupational therapist for Imagine Psychological
Services in Calgary--Louise Sanguine
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