Lou Lasprugato
Psychotherapist, Peer-Reviewed ACT Trainer
Blacksburg, Virginia
United States
Highest Degree Held: MA
Specialties: anxiety, depression, trauma, matrix, therapeutic relationship
Languages spoken: English
Licensures/Certifications: MFT
ACT/CBS Background and Training: I happened upon ACT in 2010 while reviewing the literature for therapeutic approaches that employed mindfulness-based interventions. I recall immediately feeling like I had a found a "home" in the ACT model upon familiarizing myself with the Hexaflex and its core processes of suffering and vitality, which soon after began informing my clinical work and personal development. Upon noticing the profound effects that psychological flexibility skills were having on both my clients and my own well-being, I became more deeply invested in my studies, looking into training opportunities. I subsequently attended a dozen or so trainings starting in 2011, including the following: ACT Boot Camp 4-day intensive training in Reno; 2-day Advanced ACT workshop with Steve Hayes; 2-day Mastering ACT workshop with Robyn Walser; 2-day ACT workshop with D.J Moran; ACT for Anxiety workshop with John Forsythe and George Eifert; ACT for Eating Disorders with Jason Lillis; and several intensive online trainings, including ACT for Advanced Practitioners with Russ Harris, The Essential Workshop for the ACT Matrix with Kevin Polk and Tim Gordon; and Advanced Clinical RFT with Matthieu Villatte, which has transformed the way that I approach therapy and facilitate training workshops.
In 2012, I developed the first ACT Skills group series for patients within the North Valley at Kaiser Permanente, which served as a training forum for colleagues and model for other ACT group offerings. I've been actively providing ACT (and Clinical RFT) trainings for colleagues, students, and other health professionals since 2014, including several 2-day workshops and multi-session online events for Praxis Continuing Education & Training, as well as workshops at WorldCon 2019-2022. I also provide individual supervision and consultation on ACT, in addition to maintaining a private practice, which is the heart of my work. The most exciting part of my career development was passing the peer-review trainer application process with the ACBS in 2016, which while a great honor, has also had a profoundly humbling effect on me. I see myself as a lifetime student of health, psychology, and the human condition.
In June 2022, I was appointed as chair of the ACBS Training Committee, a role in which I'm honored to serve.
Training page: https://contextualscience.org/lou_lasprugatos_training_page
In 2012, I developed the first ACT Skills group series for patients within the North Valley at Kaiser Permanente, which served as a training forum for colleagues and model for other ACT group offerings. I've been actively providing ACT (and Clinical RFT) trainings for colleagues, students, and other health professionals since 2014, including several 2-day workshops and multi-session online events for Praxis Continuing Education & Training, as well as workshops at WorldCon 2019-2022. I also provide individual supervision and consultation on ACT, in addition to maintaining a private practice, which is the heart of my work. The most exciting part of my career development was passing the peer-review trainer application process with the ACBS in 2016, which while a great honor, has also had a profoundly humbling effect on me. I see myself as a lifetime student of health, psychology, and the human condition.
In June 2022, I was appointed as chair of the ACBS Training Committee, a role in which I'm honored to serve.
Training page: https://contextualscience.org/lou_lasprugatos_training_page
ACT/CBS Experience: Peer-Reviewed ACT Trainer since 2016
Additional Information: Educational background: Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology with a focus in Holistic and Humanistic Studies. In addition to ACT and RFT, I've had specialized training in mindfulness-based approaches, nutritional psychology, addiction, and heart-rate variability biofeedback. I've worked in a variety of settings over the years, including hospital and community-based health care, integrative medicine, crisis, intensive outpatient, and private practice.