#16: Season 2, Ep 5: ACT and Recovery with Dr. Thomas Szabo

ACT in Perspective - A prosocial podcast using behavioral science to address human suffering

Welcome everyone to another episode of ACT in Perspective podcast. I’m your host Hugh Simonich.

Today we’re talking with Dr. Thomas Szabo.

Tom is an internationally recognized ACT trainer, a practicing Board Certified Behavior Analyst, and a graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno. Over the last 10 years, Tom has focused his practice on teaching people ways to ignite behavioral flexibility in their personal lives and with others in clinical practice, schools, board rooms, shop floors, and community centers. He is particularly interested in teaching people ways to use ACT to support individuals with high functioning autism and their families.

Today Tom gives us a personal journey into his experience with recovery from alcohol. He provides us deep insights into the behavior analysis of recovery and what it means to him. We discuss his personal struggles, the power of the recovery group, prayer and his naturalistic explanation of a higher power. We discuss connections with ACT Training and the recovery program, and what the steps to recovery actually mean in behavior analytic language among other things.

We open with his journey when he was in grad school and how that led to his bottom and ultimate recovery. Please help welcome Dr. Tom Szabo.