Inspiration

Acta Non Verba

Transition Out Of Care Consulting and Counselling (TOCC) focuses on the client’s present and future. It identifies existing skills and those that need further development. Relationship-building with the client and collaboration with all service providers takes centre-stage. The approach is reality-based, pragmatic, and inspired by insights from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). 

Humans choose to (1) avoid what is uncomfortable or they choose to (2) pursue a path towards what they value. When a person predominantly engages in ‘avoidance behaviors’ (running away from what is uncomfortable), they get ‘stuck’ and can’t move forward in their lives. Example: A person decides not to leave their apartment. When they try to leave the apartment, their anxiety becomes so intense that it paralyses them. The person then decides that it is best not to leave the apartment to reduce or eliminate anxiety. The person is ‘stuck’ and can’t move forward. They can’t do things they value: visiting family, having a job, engaging with nature, getting involved with recreational activities. Instead, getting rid of anxiety, or lessening it, becomes life’s meaning. 

The goal of avoidance behaviors is to reduce or eliminate unwanted thoughts, feelings, and sensations.  Substances, self-harm, isolation, lashing out, avoidance of age-appropriate tasks temporarily reduce or eliminate uncomfortable feelings, thoughts, and sensations, but at the cost or remaining ‘stuck’. 

Transition Out Of Care Consulting and Counselling normalizes avoidance behaviors, accepts them, and, at the same time, works with the client on developing ‘towards behaviors’; behaviors that move the client ‘towards what is important and valuable’ in their lives. ‘Getting unstuck’ and ‘moving forward’ are THE goals. Small changes following one another over a lengthy period of time can lead to major positive life changes. 

Transition Out Of Care Consulting and Counselling is committed to moving towards what is important and of value, and towards change no matter how small. 

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