Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in OT Practice through Jen's Personal and Professional Experience
What happens when an occupational therapist who supports others with mental health challenges experiences their own mental health crisis? In this episode, Jen Anderson-Frost shares their journey through perinatal OCD and how Acceptance and Commitment Therapy transformed both their recovery and their practice.
If you're an occupational therapist curious about ACT, working with clients experiencing intrusive thoughts, or supporting parents with perinatal mental health challenges, this conversation offers practical insights alongside vulnerable, lived experience. Jen talks openly about the difference between traditional CBT approaches and ACT, why understanding that ego-dystonic thoughts are part of OCD mattered, and how creating space for difficult experiences, rather than fighting them, opens up new possibilities for recovery.
This episode is particularly valuable for OTs interested in trauma-informed, neurodivergent-affirming approaches to mental health support.
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IN THIS EPISODE, WE DISCUSS:
- What perinatal OCD looks like and why it's often misunderstood
- The concept of ego-dystonic thoughts and why this reframe matters
- How traditional CBT exposure therapy can be traumatizing without nervous system consideration
- The difference between CBT thought-challenging and ACT's approach to difficult thoughts
- Why Acceptance and Commitment Therapy was more effective in Jen's recovery
- How ACT fits naturally into occupational therapy practice across all settings
- Using ACT with clients who appear "stuck" or "non-compliant"
- Inference-based CBT (ICBT) as a neurodivergent-affirming approach to OCD treatment
- Why professionals often hold themselves to impossible standards during their own struggles
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ABOUT JEN ANDERSON-FROST
Jen Anderson-Frost (she/they) is an occupational therapist and intuitive living coach based in the UK. Drawing on both professional training and lived experience as a queer, neurodivergent parent and perinatal OCD survivor, Jen supports queer and neurodivergent parents with perinatal mental health challenges and burnout. Jen also works as a pediatric OT supporting neurodivergent children and families, and hosts the Intuitive Living with OT Intuition Podcast focused on perinatal mental health.
Connect with Jen: LINK TO LINKTREE
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RESOURCES MENTIONED
Books:
- Overcoming Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts by Sally Winston and Martin Seif
- Break Free From OCD by Dr. Fiona Challacombe
Podcasts:
- Your Anxiety Toolkit with Kimberly Quinlan
- OCD Stories podcast
Additional Resources:
- Inference-based CBT (ICBT) for OCD treatment
- Research on intrusive thoughts in university students
- OCD Action (UK support organization)
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LEARN MORE ABOUT PRACTICAL ACT FOR OTS COURSE
Registration is open NOW for the February 2026 cohort!
The Practical ACT for OTs course gives occupational therapists practical tools and confidence to integrate Acceptance and Commitment Therapy into practice, regardless of your setting or specialty.
What you get:
- 4.5 hours of recorded learning modules (lifetime access)
- Comprehensive resource library with handouts, worksheets, and references
- 4 months of support including live Q&A calls
- Online community forum for ongoing discussion
- No certification required—ACT is designed to be accessible
Enroll now: https://www.balanceworks.online/act-for-ots
Registration closes soon for the February 1, 2026 start date.
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ABOUT THE BRAVE OT PODCAST
The BRAVE OT Podcast features occupational therapists doing innovative work and navigating the challenges of building sustainable, meaningful practices. Host Carlyn Neek, BA, BScOT, provides coaching, mentorship, and community support for OT practice owners and clinicians who want to thrive without the hustle.
Connect with Carlyn:
- Website: https://www.balanceworks.online/contact-links
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