WEST PALM BEACH, FL · ACT-INFORMED PSYCHIATRIC CARE
ACT Therapy in West Palm Beach
ACT-Integrated Adult Psychiatric Medication Management
ACT-informed psychiatric care at Mental Health West Palm Beach – Trustpsychiatry — ACT skills woven into adult medication management visits, paired with FDA-approved medication for anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and life transitions.
- ✓ACT principles integrated into adult med-mgmt visits
- ✓Not standalone weekly ACT therapy — that is a different service
- ✓Values-based action, psychological flexibility, cognitive defusion
- ✓Paired with medication for anxiety, depression, chronic pain, life transitions
Serving West Palm Beach · Lake Worth · Wellington · Palm Beach · Greenacres · Riviera Beach · Statewide Florida telepsychiatry
WHAT TO EXPECT
What ACT Therapy looks like inside a med-mgmt visit at Mental Health West Palm Beach – Trustpsychiatry.
Four anchors define the cadence. ACT skills sit inside the prescriber visit and the weeks between, not in a separate weekly therapy slot.
| Anchor | Duration | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Initial evaluation | 60 Min | DSM-5-TR diagnostic interview, ACT-fit assessment, and values clarification — what matters, where action has stalled. |
| ACT integration cadence | 20–45 Min | Med-mgmt visits with ACT skills practiced in-session and assigned for the weeks between visits. |
| Visit frequency | 4–12 wks | Cadence shifts with the condition and the stability of the response — tighter early, monthly once settled. |
| Skills focus | 6 processes | Defusion, present-moment awareness, values clarification, committed action, self-as-context, acceptance. |
ACCESS & AVAILABILITY
✓Same-day when available · ✓Evening hours · ✓Weekend by appointment · ✓Statewide Florida telepsychiatry
Insurance benefits verified before your first visit at Mental Health West Palm Beach – Trustpsychiatry.
WHAT WE DELIVER
Six ACT skill anchors, integrated into the med-mgmt visit.
Six clinical anchors. Each is practiced in the prescriber visit and assigned for the weeks between — medication chart and skills work in one file.
Cognitive defusion skills
See a worry thought as a thought — not a fact, not an order. Defusion loosens the grip of anxious content so behavior need not obey it.
Present-moment awareness
Mindful-breath and grounding exercises practiced in the visit, then reused between visits as a portable down-regulation tool when the day spikes.
Values clarification & committed action
Identify what matters across work, relationships, health, self; build small committed-action steps so behavior moves toward values, not away from discomfort.
Acceptance of difficult thoughts and feelings
Willingness to feel anxiety, sadness, or pain without suppressing or fighting it. Acceptance opens room for medication to do its work.
Integrated with the same prescriber
Medication adjustments and ACT skill work happen in the same chart, with the same prescriber. The skills plan and the medication plan talk to each other instead of around each other.
Between-visit ACT skill assignments
Specific defusion, mindfulness, or values-action assignments leave each visit. The next visit reviews the assignment as data, not homework.
WHO WE SERVE
When ACT Therapy fits the person in your chair.
ACT Therapy lands well when the medication plan needs a skills partner but a full weekly ACT therapy hour is not what the patient is buying.
| Archetype | Why ACT-informed fits |
|---|---|
| The anxiety patient | Learning defusion from worry thoughts and willingness alongside SSRI or SNRI. |
| The depression patient | Identifying values and activating committed action while the medication works. |
| The chronic pain patient | Building acceptance of physical symptoms so life is not on hold until the pain resolves. |
| The patient in life transition | Career, relationship, or identity shifts where values clarification organizes the next move. |
| The integration-only seeker | Wants ACT integration without committing to weekly standalone ACT therapy. |
| The behavioral-adjunct seeker | Wants an evidence-based behavioral adjunct to medication, not medication alone. |
OUR PROCESS
How ACT Therapy unfolds across visits.
Three steps from first call to ongoing care. ACT skills practiced in-room, assigned between visits, reviewed as data at the next visit.
Initial Evaluation (60 Min)
DSM-5-TR diagnostic interview, ACT-fit assessment, values clarification, and a first read on which ACT processes match the presentation — defusion-heavy for anxiety, values and committed action for depression, acceptance for chronic pain.
Med-Mgmt + ACT Integration (20–45 Min)
Medication adjustment with ACT skill practice in the room: defusion exercises, mindful-breath, values-action mapping. Specific between-visit ACT assignments leave each appointment so the work continues across the weeks.
Ongoing measurement-based care
PHQ-9, GAD-7, and a values-action review tracked across visits. Visit cadence shifts with response — every 4 weeks while titrating, every 8–12 weeks once settled. Telepsychiatry follow-ups across Florida.
WHAT THE EVIDENCE SAYS
Three things worth knowing about ACT integrated with medication.
Acceptance and commitment therapy carries a robust evidence base across anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and substance use. Brief ACT integration inside prescriber visits is feasible — and combined medication plus ACT principles outperforms medication alone for many presentations.
“Acceptance and commitment therapy has a robust evidence base across anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and substance use, with meta-analyses showing effect sizes comparable to traditional CBT.”
Mechanism: psychological flexibility — the capacity to stay open, aware, and engaged in valued action even in the presence of difficult thoughts and feelings.
“Brief ACT integration delivered within prescriber visits is feasible and clinically meaningful — defusion, values clarification, and committed action translate to 15–30 minute formats without losing fidelity.”
Mechanism: ACT processes are skill-based, not session-length dependent — the work scales to the format when the prescriber holds the protocol.
“Combined medication plus behavioral therapy informed by ACT principles outperforms medication alone across many presentations of anxiety, depression, and chronic pain.”
Mechanism: medication reduces symptom intensity; ACT skills reduce avoidance and rebuild values-aligned behavior — the combination addresses both axes.
Ready to put the evidence to work? Schedule an ACT-informed evaluation →
SCOPE — STRAIGHT
What ACT Therapy delivers — and what it is not.
ACT Therapy at Mental Health West Palm Beach – Trustpsychiatry means ACT PRINCIPLES integrated into adult psychiatric medication management visits — defusion, values, committed action, present-moment awareness, and acceptance woven into 20–45 minute prescriber visits, with skills assigned for the weeks between. The medication chart and the skills work sit in the same file, under the same prescriber.
Out of scope: standalone weekly ACT therapy (a different service), pediatric care, inpatient or higher-level care, formal manualized ACT protocols, and ACT-only treatment without medication. When a patient wants a full weekly ACT therapy slot, a community ACT-trained psychologist is the right pairing — the medication chart stays here.
Other Services at Mental Health West Palm Beach
More services at Mental Health West Palm Beach – Trustpsychiatry
Medication Management · Psychiatric Evaluation · Telepsychiatry Florida · Prescription Refills · MAT/Suboxone · Supportive Psychotherapy · TOVA Cognitive Testing
YOUR PRESCRIBER
Who you’ll see for ACT Therapy.
Josie Desmarais, PMHNP-BC, ANCC board-certified, sole prescriber at Mental Health West Palm Beach – Trustpsychiatry. 16+ years at Bay Pines VA Healthcare System (2007–2023) where ACT and other third-wave behavioral therapies were part of the integrated care model. Same-day available, ACT-informed medication management, telepsychiatry across Florida.
Read Josie’s full bio →OUR LOCATION
Visit us in Haverhill, West Palm Beach.
Off I-95 at Belvedere Rd · 7 minutes from Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) · In Haverhill, West Palm Beach FL 33415
Adults across Lake Worth · Wellington · Palm Beach · Greenacres · Riviera Beach · statewide Florida via secure telepsychiatry.
Mental Health West Palm Beach – Trustpsychiatry
4500 Belvedere Rd, Suite D
West Palm Beach, FL 33415
Hours
Mon–Fri: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Sat: By appointment
Sun: Closed
Related Conditions
Conditions we treat alongside ACT Therapy
Depression Treatment · Anxiety Treatment · ADHD Treatment · PTSD Treatment · OCD Treatment · Bipolar Disorder Treatment · Mood Disorder Treatment · Insomnia Treatment · CBT Therapy · DBT Therapy · Mindfulness Therapy · Substance Use Disorder Treatment
FREQUENTLY ASKED
Common questions about ACT Therapy.
What is ACT Therapy versus standalone ACT therapy? ▸
ACT Therapy means acceptance and commitment therapy PRINCIPLES are integrated into your adult psychiatric medication management visits — defusion, values, committed action, and present-moment awareness woven into 20–45 minute prescriber appointments. Standalone ACT therapy is a separate, weekly 50-minute behavioral therapy service delivered by an ACT-trained psychologist or counselor. The two pair well, but they are different products.
How are ACT skills used during a med-mgmt visit? ▸
A typical 20–45 minute visit holds the medication review, a values-action check (what mattered, what moved, what stalled), and a focused ACT skill block — defusion, present-moment grounding, or a values-action plan. Each visit closes with a between-visit ACT assignment the next visit reviews as data.
Will ACT Therapy replace medication? ▸
No. ACT Therapy here is paired with FDA-approved medication for anxiety, depression, chronic pain co-management, and life-transition presentations. ACT skills reduce avoidance and rebuild values-aligned behavior; medication addresses symptom intensity. The two axes work together. ACT-only treatment without medication falls outside the scope of this service.
What if I want full weekly ACT therapy instead? ▸
That is a valid choice — and a different service. A community ACT-trained psychologist or counselor delivers weekly 50-minute manualized ACT protocols. We coordinate readily: the medication chart stays with Mental Health West Palm Beach – Trustpsychiatry, the therapy work sits with the ACT provider, and the two plans talk to each other across visits.
Can I do ACT Therapy via telepsychiatry? ▸
Yes. Defusion, values clarification, mindful-breath, and committed-action work translate cleanly to secure video visits. ACT-informed med-mgmt visits run by telepsychiatry across Florida for follow-ups; the initial 60-minute evaluation may be in-office or video depending on the presentation.
How is ACT different from CBT or DBT? ▸
CBT changes the content of thoughts (restructuring distortions); ACT changes the relationship to thoughts (defusion) and aligns behavior with values regardless of internal state. DBT centers emotion regulation and distress tolerance for high-intensity presentations; ACT centers psychological flexibility and values-based action. All three are evidence-based; the fit depends on the presentation and what the medication plan needs as a partner.
READY WHEN YOU ARE
Start with the ACT-informed evaluation.
In-network with twelve major Florida plans. 60-minute initial evaluation with DSM-5-TR diagnostic interview, ACT-fit assessment, and values clarification — followed by ACT-integrated medication management visits across Florida.
In crisis? Call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, 24/7). For medical emergency, call 911.