ACT to Thrive:

Build Calm, Clarity, and Confidence with Skills That Stick

Untangle the constant knots of stress—quiet your racing mind, release the tension in your body, and step into calm that actually lasts.

A self-paced course designed for busy-brained high achievers who want practical, lasting skills.

Pair it with Walk & Talk Support Groups to turn your learning into lived practice—your real-life lab for stress relief and connection.

Skills That Fit Your Life—One Step at a Time

Life can feel like one endless cycle of striving—teaching, leading, parenting, managing—all while the invisible weight of overthinking and people-pleasing quietly builds.

I know that cycle well. As both a former school leader and now a therapist, I’ve lived the reality of giving everything to everyone else while quietly running on fumes. And here’s what shifted my own healing—and what research confirms: the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) model isn’t just another “stress hack.” It’s a framework that changes how you relate to your mind, your habits, and your life—so the change actually sticks.

That’s why I created ACT to Thrive. It’s not fluff, it’s not theory you’ll never use—it’s real skills designed for women who can’t afford to hit pause on their lives.

Instead of overwhelming you with hours of content, this course fits into the pockets of time you already have:

  • 🎧 Discover → Listen to short audio lessons while you walk, commute, or sip your coffee.

  • 👣 Grow → Reflect with journal-style prompts—or deepen the experience in Walk & Talk Support Groups.

  • ✍️ Integrate → Practice the skills in your real life, then return to the prompts to refine and strengthen new habits.

With ACT to Thrive, you don’t have to stop your life to learn—you build while you live.

And for Colorado teachers, the course is CEU-eligible. Because your personal growth shouldn’t be something extra you squeeze in—it should count toward the professional renewal you’re already working for.

This course matters to me because I know what it’s like to invest everything into your work while neglecting yourself. Creating ACT to Thrive is my way of giving you a different option—a sustainable one.

👉 You don’t need to push harder.

👉 You don’t need to “fix” yourself.

👉 You just need simple, steady steps—skills that fit your real life and keep working long after the course ends.

ACT to Thrive: Skills that fit your life. Strength that lasts.

Learn more about Emily & The Red Door Therapy & Wellness Solutions!

You don’t need more tips or motivational quotes…

You need something that actually meets you where you are—something that speaks to the parts of life that feel heavy, frustrating, or just plain exhausting. That’s what this course is here for.

Here are five places where stress, burnout, and self-doubt are likely showing up for you right now. If these sound familiar, you’re in the right place:

✔️🎯 “Even when I achieve something big, it’s like I can’t enjoy it—I’m already onto the next thing, chasing some moving target of ‘enough.’”

✔️🌀 “My brain never shuts off. I’m either overthinking what already happened or stressing about what’s next, and I just want to feel present without spiraling.”

✔️🤹 “I feel like I’m carrying everyone else’s needs and emotions on top of my own, and it’s exhausting. I want to stop people-pleasing without feeling selfish.”

✔️⚖️ “I say yes when I don’t want to, then feel resentful and drained. Boundaries sound good in theory, but in the moment, guilt always wins.”

✔️🔄 “I’ve tried all the hacks—habit trackers, self-care routines, motivational podcasts—but nothing seems to stick. I need something deeper than another quick fix.”

There’s a Different Way Through

What if—instead of spinning in guilt, exhaustion, or overwhelm—you had a space to slow down and learn skills that actually fit into your real life?

A place where:

✨ You don’t have to pretend you’ve got it all together—you can show up as you are, without over-explaining.

✨ The overthinking and second-guessing start to loosen their grip, giving you breathing room.

✨ You walk away with tools that help you feel steadier, not just in the moment, but in the middle of everyday chaos.

✨ You’re not left doing it all alone, but guided step by step, with space to practice and support to keep going.

This course won’t erase the stress or the pressure you’re under. But it will give you a framework to handle it differently—so you can show up with more energy, more clarity, and less guilt.

And here’s the hope: change doesn’t have to come from overhauling everything or “fixing” yourself overnight. It comes from small, intentional steps—like learning to pause before reacting, noticing where your energy is going, and choosing what actually matters. As you practice, you’ll build confidence in your ability to navigate the hard stuff and create a rhythm of consistency that truly lasts.

Real skills. Lasting change. A framework you can count on.

ACT—short for Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (and pronounced just like the word act)—isn’t about theory you’ll forget or inspiration that fades after a hard day. It’s about learning how to be intentional about how you act and behave in the moments that matter most.

Unlike other wellness hacks that come and go, ACT offers a practical framework built on six core processes—each linked to simple, tangible microskills you can start using right away. This course isn’t therapy—it’s a self-guided resource designed to help you build skills you can use on your own, in conjunction with Walk & Talk groups, or alongside individual or group therapy.

These skills help you:

  • Unhook from unhelpful thoughts (defusion)

  • Make space for emotions without being overwhelmed (acceptance)

  • Stay rooted in what matters right now (present moment awareness)

  • See yourself beyond self-criticism or labels (self-as-context)

  • Clarify what you truly care about (values)

  • Take steps toward the life you want (committed action)

With more than 1,000 research studies backing its effectiveness, ACT is one of the most evidence-based and empowering models available. And the best part? These aren’t just coping tricks. They’re lasting skills you can return to, practice, and strengthen—like mental muscles—through every stage of life.

Why ACT (and why this course)

What Makes This Course Different

This isn’t another overwhelming program that leaves you with a pile of worksheets and no real change. It’s a course built for real life—crafted with the same care, intention, and evidence-based strategies I use every day with my therapy clients.

Here’s what sets it apart:

✨ Grounded in ACT, Backed by Research

Every lesson draws from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)—an evidence-based model proven to reduce stress, anxiety, and burnout while increasing resilience and psychological flexibility.

✨ Designed for Busy, High-Achieving Women

I specialize in working with women who give endlessly to others while running on empty themselves. This course speaks directly to your lived experience of overthinking, perfectionism, and pressure to hold it all together.

✨ Rooted in How Adults Actually Learn

With my background as both a school leader and a therapist, I understand how to make complex ideas digestible. Lessons are designed in a journal-like format—so you’re not just learning, but actively reflecting, applying, and integrating the tools into your daily life.

✨ Discover + Grow + Integrate™ Framework

The course follows my signature DGI framework, guiding you from awareness to skill-building to real-life integration—so change isn’t just a good idea, it becomes a lived reality.

✨ Flexible, Accessible Learning

Lessons are designed to be listened to while you walk—so instead of adding another task to your list, you can pair learning with movement, helping both your body and mind reset.

✨ Optional Walk & Talk Add-On

Want extra support? You can pair the course with a small-group Walk & Talk Support experience, where you’ll practice the skills in real time with community and accountability.

✨ Professional Growth with CEU Credit (Colorado Educators): If you’re a teacher in Colorado, this course is CEU-eligible. That means the time you invest here can count toward your professional development requirements—while also giving you personal tools to reduce stress and burnout.

From Stressed & Stuck

→ To ACT to Thrive

Right now, it feels like you’re always running behind, juggling too many plates, and bracing for the next wave of demands. You give so much—yet rarely feel like you’re actually living. You’re holding out for breaks, hoping a long weekend will fix the exhaustion, only to find yourself right back in the same cycle.

This course was designed to break that cycle.

As a result of this course, you’ll be able to:

🌱 Step off the hamster wheel of “always behind.” No more waking up already tense, already listing everything you didn’t get to yesterday. You’ll learn how to catch that spiral before it takes over—so you can breathe without the guilt of “never enough.”

🌱 Release the weight you’ve been carrying in your body. The stiff neck, the tight shoulders, the way you clench your jaw through the day—those aren’t random aches. They’re stress living in your body. Together we’ll practice small shifts that let your nervous system unclench, so your body isn’t screaming at you every night.

🌱 Stop snapping at the people you love. You know those moments when you’re so fried that one small ask from your partner, your kids, or a coworker tips you over the edge? You’ll learn how to pause and respond from a steadier place—so you don’t have to keep apologizing later for being “short” when you’re just exhausted.

🌱 Find your way back to you. The version of you that remembers what it’s like to enjoy things without rushing through them. The you that laughs at little things. The you that isn’t always on edge, waiting for the next ball to drop. She’s still here—and this course helps you bring her forward, even when life doesn’t slow down.

✨ ACT to Thrive means this: you’ll stop pouring from an empty cup, and start living with more vitality, freedom, and ease—without needing to quit your job, abandon your commitments, or pretend life isn’t hard sometimes.

*Course Participant

“For years, I thought self-care meant squeezing in another thing on my to-do list. What ACT to Thrive taught me is that caring for myself is about shifting how I relate to stress, not adding more. Now I can set boundaries without guilt and respond with more compassion — to myself and to others.”

*Course Participant

“I used to get stuck overthinking everything, replaying mistakes, or trying to plan every detail. In ACT to Thriv,e I learned how to unhook from those spirals and focus on what actually matters to me. It feels like I have more mental space — more room to breathe and actually live my life.”

*Course Participant

“I didn’t realize how much I was running on autopilot until this class slowed me down. ACT to Thrive gave me tools to notice my stress without letting it run the show. I feel more present with my students — and with myself — and that’s something I didn’t think was possible during the school year.”

Questions?

What you’ll want to know

  • Absolutely. You’ll start with a strong foundation, then move through the six ACT core processes, each paired with six bite-sized microskills. Together, they create a toolkit you can carry with you in every season of life.

  • This course is designed for real life—not for piling more onto your already full plate. Each lesson is built in small, digestible steps you can practice while you walk, reflect on during your day, and capture with simple journal prompts. Think of it less like a heavy lift and more like weaving new skills into the rhythm of your life.

  • Once you enroll, the course is yours. You’ll have lifetime access to revisit, replay, or refresh whenever you need it. Growth isn’t linear—you can circle back anytime life throws something new your way.

  • Because this is a digital, self-paced course with immediate access, there are no refunds. I encourage you to read through the course outline and FAQ to make sure it feels like the right fit for you before enrolling.

  • They’re designed to pair beautifully. The course gives you the framework and skills, while Walk & Talk groups give you real-time practice and community support. When you combine them, you’re not just learning—you’re living the skills. Plus, participating in both may make you eligible for additional CEUs.

  • In Colorado, teachers submit professional development directly to the state for CEU approval. At the start of the course, you’ll have the option to select CEU tracking. If you’re also participating in Walk & Talk sessions alongside the course, you can qualify for additional CEUs based on your attendance.

Almost ready, just not 100% sure?

Use this form for any lingering questions. I’ll help you sort it out so you can decide if ACT to Thrive is right for you.

Want to explore more? You can also visit The Red Door Therapy & Wellness Solutions to learn about other offerings and inquire about individual or group therapy.