Introducing Act and Ascend Blog

Act and Ascend was born from years of dreaming about starting my own psychology-based outdoor business—and a conversation with my husband on a long car journey. At one point, I just said, “I’m going to do it—let’s brainstorm some names!” (It was a great way to pass the time.)

This business is all about progression, breaking unhelpful cycles, and helping people grow in confidence and self-worth. My approach draws heavily on Russ Harris’s ‘Acceptance and Commitment Therapy’ model, which aligns perfectly with my philosophy of ‘more doing, less saying’. 

I truly believe that with enough motivation, commitment, and tenacity, a person can achieve almost anything. I say “almost” not to be negative, but to be realistic. Some goals may seem far-fetched—“What do you mean I won’t be able to become a famous singer like Celine Dion?” I hear my younger self say. Other goals may simply require extra effort, time, and navigation. Imagine the feeling when you achieve them. I’m not just talking about career or academic goals—I mean health goals too, both mental and physical. Imagine managing anxiety so it doesn’t hold you back. Imagine going from struggling to leave the house to summitting a mountain or kayaking across the channel. These aren’t impossible—they just take hard work and persistence.

Working in mental health services, I often see people stuck in a cycle of seeking more talking therapy, hoping it will change their circumstances. While I deeply value and encourage anyone struggling with their mental health to seek therapy—trust me, it taught me a lot—we also need to consider: what’s next? We’ve explored the past and understood our current behaviours, but what about the future? What do you want to do, and what’s holding you back from achieving your goals and ambitions?

This is what Act and Ascend is truly about. If you have watched any of my videos so far, you will also notice that I say, “into the now”. This simply means being more present. As intelligent beings, we can get held in the past by our thoughts and memories, which can make us feel unsafe, unhappy and prevent us from thriving in the present and future.

Of course we had to quote Master Oogway from Kung Fu Panda here!

By defining our values, taking action, and learning to overcome our obstacles, we can achieve our goals and ascend into the now.

Keep an eye on our social media pages and website for more videos, posts and blogs.

At Act and Ascend we try to provide evidence based content, however as research continuously evolves, some information may become outdated over time. Act and Ascend accepts no responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or relevance of information once it has become outdated following the time of posting.