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About Me
I spend most of my time writing, speaking, teaching, doing research, and training mental health professionals and the public in the use of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and practices (e.g., mindfulness, loving kindness, and self-compassion) to promote healing and wellness. My abiding passion, if you can call it that, is to discover and share effective ways to alleviate human suffering, awaken the human spirit, and to nurture psychological health and vitality. I've been at this for over 20 years, and have seen the enormous impact that ACT can have in the lives of many, including my life too. My intention is to share my personal journey and experience, balanced with practical insights grounded in scientific evidence, to those wishing to find a path out of suffering and into wholeness. You can get a glimpse of that in my May 2018 TEDx talk. I am also a Professor of Psychology and Director the Anxiety Disorders Research Program at the University at Albany, SUNY in Upstate New York. This is a job that I absolutely love. But I also wear many other hats. I'm a licensed clinical psychologist in New York, with expertise in the use and application of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for several forms of psychological and emotional suffering. I am also an active researcher, teacher, and consultant and serve as a senior editor of the ACT book series with New Harbinger Publications. I also travel quite a bit, offering talks and co-leading ACT workshops with my wife for the public and mental health professionals in the United States and abroad. My wife and I regularly offer week long retreat-style ACT workshops at The Omega Institute for Holistic Studies in Rhinebeck, NY, The Esalen Institute, Big Sur, CA, The Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, Stockbridge, MA, and The Cape Cod Institute, Eastham, MA, where we also serve as members of the teaching faculty. In truth, I love what I do. I bring a good deal of energy, humility and compassion to my work, and and am grateful that our down-to earth workshops are consistently praised for their clarity, depth and utility. Apart from work, my wife and I do our best to practice what we preach, including mediation and yoga. We’re also students of energy healing and completing our training as Reiki Masters. I also absolutely love being away from it all, unplugged - the mountains are my cathedral and nature my sanctuary! |
Expanded Biosketch
JOHN P. FORSYTH is Professor of Psychology at the University at Albany, SUNY, and Director of the Anxiety Disorders Research Program (ADRP) in Albany, NY. He is also a licensed clinical psychologist in New York, with expertise in the use and application of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for several forms of psychological and emotional suffering. You can see his 2018 TEDx talk about the challenges we all face as human beings here.
He received his B.A. in psychology from Providence College and his M.A. and Ph.D. in clinical psychology from West Virginia University. He did his pre-doctoral internship training at the University of Mississippi Medical Center Jackson VAMC Consortium, where he served as Chief Psychology Resident within the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior.
He has received several national and international awards for his scholarly work in the areas of behavior analysis and therapy, anxiety disorders, and experimental psychopathology. In 2000 he received the B. F. Skinner New Researcher Award from Division 25 of the American Psychological Association for innovative and important behavioral research by a new investigator. In 1999, he was the recipient of the Dissertation Award from the Society for a Science for Clinical Psychology for excellence in research. In 1996 he was awarded the Outstanding Dissertation Award from the Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy. Upon completion of his graduate training, West Virginia University recognized his scholarly contributions to behavioral science with the Don Hake Award.
He has served as Associate Editor for the Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, the Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, and the Behavior Therapist. He serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, Journal of Anxiety Disorders, Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, Cognitive & Behavioral Practice, the European Journal of Behavior Analysis, and the Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy. He functioned as a contributing Editor of a two-part special anniversary issue of the journal Behavior Therapy titled Thirty Years of Behavior Therapy: Promises Kept, Promises Unfulfilled (vol 28, 3; 28, 4).
He has authored and co-authored over 90 articles, five books (many of which appear also in Dutch, German, Korean, Japanese, Polish), several book chapters, routinely leads professional workshops on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy across the United States and abroad, and has presented hundreds of talks at professional meetings.
He is co-author of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Anxiety Disorders: A Practitioner's Treatment Guide to Using Mindfulness, Acceptance, and Value-Based Behavior Change Strategies, a guide for professionals using ACT with their anxious clients. He is also the co-author of three popular self-help books, The Mindfulness & Acceptance Workbook for Anxiety: A Guide to Breaking Free from Anxiety, Phobias & Worry Using Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, ACT on Life, Not on Anger: The New Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Approach to Problem Anger, and Your Life on Purpose: How to Find What Matters and Create the Life You Want. He just completed the 2nd edition of The Mindfulness & Acceptance Workbook. His latest books, Anxiety Happens and the Anxiety Happens Guided Journal, are for anyone who gets tripped up now and then by anxiety, stress, and fear.
Dr. Forsyth's research, some of which has been funded by NIMH and the Department of Defense, focuses on restoring lives that are not working by getting at the root of human suffering. His research program, spanning basic experimental psychopathology and treatment-oriented research, aims to shed light on processes that move people from a normal to a disordered experience of anxiety and fear and how to alter such processes in therapy. He and his lab group are doing this work from a contextual, behavioral perspective, with an eye on how emotion regulation feeds and maintains suffering. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Relational Frame Theory are approaches that we think offer a way to unpack forms of human suffering and help people move forward on the path toward creating a more vital life.
John teaches Abnormal Psychology and Introductory Psychology (undergraduate level), Introduction to Clinical Psychology: The Scientist-Practitioner (graduate level), Adult Psychopathology (Graduate Level), and provides clinical supervision at the University at Albany's Psychological Services Center. In 2006, Dr. Forsyth was recognized for his teaching with two awards -- the University at Albany Excellence in Teaching Award and the State University of New York Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Dr. Forsyth also serves as a senior consulting Editor for the ACT book series with New Harbinger and is a member of the teaching faculty at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck NY, The Esalen Institute in Big Sur, CA, 1440 Multiversity, Scotts Valley, CA, and The Cape Cod Institute, Eastham, MA. John is also a highly sought after ACT trainer and regularly offers professional workshops and training in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.
John also maintains a small private practice and regularly offers clinical consultation and supervision to mental health professionals in the use and application of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.
In his free time, John enjoys writing, the outdoors hiking and camping, Telemark skiing (though not often enough), and fly fishing. He also enjoys playing guitar and Irish fiddle, and spending quality time with his wife and children.
Collectively, his work has helped foster growing interest in acceptance and mindfulness in psychology, mental health, medicine, and society.
JOHN P. FORSYTH is Professor of Psychology at the University at Albany, SUNY, and Director of the Anxiety Disorders Research Program (ADRP) in Albany, NY. He is also a licensed clinical psychologist in New York, with expertise in the use and application of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for several forms of psychological and emotional suffering. You can see his 2018 TEDx talk about the challenges we all face as human beings here.
He received his B.A. in psychology from Providence College and his M.A. and Ph.D. in clinical psychology from West Virginia University. He did his pre-doctoral internship training at the University of Mississippi Medical Center Jackson VAMC Consortium, where he served as Chief Psychology Resident within the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior.
He has received several national and international awards for his scholarly work in the areas of behavior analysis and therapy, anxiety disorders, and experimental psychopathology. In 2000 he received the B. F. Skinner New Researcher Award from Division 25 of the American Psychological Association for innovative and important behavioral research by a new investigator. In 1999, he was the recipient of the Dissertation Award from the Society for a Science for Clinical Psychology for excellence in research. In 1996 he was awarded the Outstanding Dissertation Award from the Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy. Upon completion of his graduate training, West Virginia University recognized his scholarly contributions to behavioral science with the Don Hake Award.
He has served as Associate Editor for the Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, the Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, and the Behavior Therapist. He serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, Journal of Anxiety Disorders, Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, Cognitive & Behavioral Practice, the European Journal of Behavior Analysis, and the Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy. He functioned as a contributing Editor of a two-part special anniversary issue of the journal Behavior Therapy titled Thirty Years of Behavior Therapy: Promises Kept, Promises Unfulfilled (vol 28, 3; 28, 4).
He has authored and co-authored over 90 articles, five books (many of which appear also in Dutch, German, Korean, Japanese, Polish), several book chapters, routinely leads professional workshops on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy across the United States and abroad, and has presented hundreds of talks at professional meetings.
He is co-author of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Anxiety Disorders: A Practitioner's Treatment Guide to Using Mindfulness, Acceptance, and Value-Based Behavior Change Strategies, a guide for professionals using ACT with their anxious clients. He is also the co-author of three popular self-help books, The Mindfulness & Acceptance Workbook for Anxiety: A Guide to Breaking Free from Anxiety, Phobias & Worry Using Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, ACT on Life, Not on Anger: The New Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Approach to Problem Anger, and Your Life on Purpose: How to Find What Matters and Create the Life You Want. He just completed the 2nd edition of The Mindfulness & Acceptance Workbook. His latest books, Anxiety Happens and the Anxiety Happens Guided Journal, are for anyone who gets tripped up now and then by anxiety, stress, and fear.
Dr. Forsyth's research, some of which has been funded by NIMH and the Department of Defense, focuses on restoring lives that are not working by getting at the root of human suffering. His research program, spanning basic experimental psychopathology and treatment-oriented research, aims to shed light on processes that move people from a normal to a disordered experience of anxiety and fear and how to alter such processes in therapy. He and his lab group are doing this work from a contextual, behavioral perspective, with an eye on how emotion regulation feeds and maintains suffering. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Relational Frame Theory are approaches that we think offer a way to unpack forms of human suffering and help people move forward on the path toward creating a more vital life.
John teaches Abnormal Psychology and Introductory Psychology (undergraduate level), Introduction to Clinical Psychology: The Scientist-Practitioner (graduate level), Adult Psychopathology (Graduate Level), and provides clinical supervision at the University at Albany's Psychological Services Center. In 2006, Dr. Forsyth was recognized for his teaching with two awards -- the University at Albany Excellence in Teaching Award and the State University of New York Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Dr. Forsyth also serves as a senior consulting Editor for the ACT book series with New Harbinger and is a member of the teaching faculty at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck NY, The Esalen Institute in Big Sur, CA, 1440 Multiversity, Scotts Valley, CA, and The Cape Cod Institute, Eastham, MA. John is also a highly sought after ACT trainer and regularly offers professional workshops and training in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.
John also maintains a small private practice and regularly offers clinical consultation and supervision to mental health professionals in the use and application of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.
In his free time, John enjoys writing, the outdoors hiking and camping, Telemark skiing (though not often enough), and fly fishing. He also enjoys playing guitar and Irish fiddle, and spending quality time with his wife and children.
Collectively, his work has helped foster growing interest in acceptance and mindfulness in psychology, mental health, medicine, and society.
