Address Explores Student Counseling Approach

The University’s student counseling director explored the advantages of a relatively new behavioral therapy system in a keynote address at the annual meeting of the Texas University and College Counseling Center Director’s Association.

Dr. James Cannici says the technique, called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), has proved effective in a wide range of clinical settings, including with college students.

ACT challenges some of the ground rules of Western psychology. The approach does not have symptom reduction as a goal, asserting that ongoing attempts to avoid anxieties and other psychological problems often only create more problems and disorders. Instead, ACT seeks to help patients create rich and meaningful lives while accepting the inevitability of some kinds of difficulties.

Cannici is the director of the UT Dallas Student Counseling Center. He is a licensed psychologist and chemical dependency counselor.

The Texas University and College Counseling Center Director’s Association includes counseling center directors from colleges and universities across the state. Members share information regarding the problems and challenges confronting counseling centers and their directors.

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