This week, our featured woman in STEM is Dr. Ann D. Rost. Dr. Rost is an associate professor of psychology who works with cancer patients, helping them cope with their health conditions and improve their quality of life.
Rost became interested in ACT her last year in graduate school at the University of Kansas, when she was working with patients with cancer and chronic pain conditions. The traditional therapy at the time focused on patient behavior and changing the content of thoughts.
“There was nothing to change about their thoughts, as they were being realistic in their fears and concerns about their health conditions,” she noted. “Telling them to think differently about their situation felt like it invalidated their whole experience.”
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