I like to interview other professionals and advocates so often because we don’t all share the same experiences; there is something that can be learned from each of my guests. My next guest, Board-Certified Behavior Analyst and author Matt Cicoria, is no exception. We’ll be talking about acceptance and commitment therapy, BCBA supervision and school consultations.
When it comes to background, Matt took a different route than any other guest I’ve interviewed thus far. He was fascinated by psychology and the study of the mind, and that opened the door to behavior analysis and it’s applications. He was fortunate enough to get a work-study job in a pigeon lab, and then did some work at Auburn University with mine-detecting dogs. These experiences gave him a unique understanding of the mind, and he applies that understanding to his practices today.
Lately, I’ve been talking more about self-care and how important it is and Matt shares some great information about ACT: acceptance and commitment therapy. He explains what ACT is and how you can apply it to your own life, as well as some books to read if you’re interested in learning more about ACT.
Matt is also a member of the podcast club. He’s been hosting his own podcast, Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria, for three years now and has over one million downloads!
As Matt will tell you, it’s so important to take care of ourselves so that we, in turn, can be there for those who need us the most. If we’re at our best, then we can help children and adults with autism lead their happiest, safest lives; that is the goal, after all.