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Emerson Hardebeck, PsyD, is a 2023 graduate of the PsyD Program in Clinical Psychology at Antioch University, Seattle.

Dissertation Committee

Melissa Kennedy, PhD, Committee Chair

Mavis Tsai, PhD, Committee Member

Michael Toohey, PhD, Committee Member

Keywords

college students, undergraduates, university campus, loneliness, cognitive-behavioral therapy, functional analytic psychotherapy, acceptance and commitment therapy

Document Type

Dissertation

Publication Date

2023

Abstract

Accessing mental healthcare is difficult and has become more so as demand escalated during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In an attempt to address this problem, an established behavior therapy, Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP), has recently been adapted into a group-based format called Living with Awareness, Courage, and Love (ACL), which can be disseminated inexpensively and quickly due to its reliance on laypeople, rather than clinicians, as facilitators. This randomized-controlled trial evaluated the effects of a six-week ACL group on participants’ well-being across several domains. Compared to participants in the control group, those in the ACL intervention formed a significantly closer bond with their group and experienced greater improvements in their self-compassion, although there were no significant changes in their anxiety, depression, or psychological flexibility. These results indicate that ACL groups may be a promising new way to improve interpersonal connection and self-compassion when there are barriers to traditional treatments for these struggles.

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Emerson J Hardebeck, PsyD, 2023

ORCID Scholar ID# 0000-0001-7561-6377

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