Acceptance and Commitment (ACT) Therapists in Ann Arbor, MI

I am passionate about creating a safe and collaborative space in counseling in which individuals can harness their inner strengths, develop coping strategies, and cultivate the lives they want to live. I strive to help my clients to change critical thought patterns, develop positive behaviors, and cultivate nonjudgmental acceptance of emotions. I am committed to providing diversity affirming care and strive to cultivate an environment predicated on respect for each individual’s unique life experiences.

I am a fully licensed clinical psychologist with specialized training in the modern behavior therapies including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy ( ACT ) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). I completed my Ph.D. at the University of Nevada - Reno, where I was clinically trained by the developers of ACT and DBT. I currently work as a clinician and as a university professor and researcher; therefore, I am well-versed in empirical research regarding the effectiveness of existing treatment interventions. Furthermore, I continue to pursue training and research in new treatment interventions so that I can bring the highest level of quality care to my clients.

I believe in your resiliency and your capacity for change and growth. I know that there is more to life than suffering and despair. I will meet you where you are at emotionally, offering non-judgmental support, encouragement, and skill-building through cognitive behavioral, mindfulness based cognitive therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and dialectical behavior therapy. I look forward to partnering with you to help you achieve your goals.

You strive for perfection in everything you do, but the pressure inside is building up. You act so strong like you have it all together, yet internally you overanalyze everything. It’s difficult for you to take breaks and struggle to ask for help. You fear failure and don’t want to let other people down. You prioritize taking care of everyone else and neglect your own needs. It is time for a change. It’s time to learn how to listen to your inner voice. You are ready to live a life free of self-criticism, workaholism, and perfectionism.

Dr. Devaraj is passionate about working with clients with addictions, including eating disorders. She has done extensive postgraduate training in counseling, eating disorders and addictions through a series of courses, institutes, research, workshops, and seminars. She has become an advocate for maternal mental health and hopes to help people better understand postpartum depression.

It is a hard time to be a human being on this planet. We didn't choose our brains, our bodies, our upbringings; we can't control how other people behave; and yet we are still responsible for ourselves and our own emotions. If you're struggling to make sense of your emotions and behaviors, I provide a safe space to explore and understand your patterns while also finding ways to act more effectively, in alignment with your values.

You’re a little different. You’re seeking more out of life than mainstream society implies is possible. Perhaps you’ve always felt that there’s some piece missing but you can’t put your finger on it, or that you have a calling that you haven’t discovered yet. You feel things strongly. You may have been told that you feel things too much, or that you are too much. Maybe you’re looking for a better way to live with anxiety, depression, a trauma history, or an illness you can’t make sense of. Maybe you’re not sure what’s wrong, but you know things aren’t quite right. You wonder if there’s anyone else like you. I’m so glad you're here.

I specialize in working with a variety of disorders, including mood, anxiety, eating disorders, ADHD and relationship issues. My experience allows me to provide effective treatment to build necessary skills to cope and manage mild and severe symptoms. I often use DBT and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as well as Mindfulness. I am also skilled in CBT.

I provide individual therapy to adolescents and adults dealing with a range of mental health concerns and life stressors, including: anxiety disorders; mood disorders; relationship concerns; academic and job concerns; LGBTQIA+ and multicultural concerns; grief and loss; and concerns related to life transitions and adjustments. I specialize in perinatal mental health and am particularly passionate about supporting new parents as they adjust to the demands of parenthood. I also specialize in working with young adults and college/graduate students.

My practice specializes in the application of evidence-based therapy for a range of behavioral, emotional and relational concerns. I am an integrative practitioner, which means that I commonly work by combining a number of evidence-based therapeutic approaches which are tailored to an individual’s specific needs. My work primarily draws from Cognitive-behavioral Therapy (CBT) which is an approach to therapy supported by research and has been shown to be effective for a number of problems, including depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), insomnia, and relationship problems.