Mindfulness techniques are taught to experience the observing self firsthand, whether they bring awareness to each of the five senses, thoughts, or emotions. The values clarification is a key component to ACT.īeing present means being in direct contact with the present moment, rather than drifting off into automatic pilot, and getting in touch with the observing self, the part that is aware of, but seperate from, the thinking self. ACT does not attempt to directly change or stop unwanted thoughts or feelings (as in cognitive behavioral therapy), but to develop a new mindful relationship with these experiences that can free a person up to be open to take action that is consistent with their chosen values. Acceptance (not the same as approval) of how things are, without evaluation or attempts to change it, is a skill that is developed through mindfulness exercises in and out of session. Psychological flexibility can be defined simply as “the ability to be present, open up, and do what matters.” What is the Aim of ACT? The aim of ACT is to experience the fullness and vitality of life, which includes a wide spectrum of human experience, including the pain that inevitably goes with it. All six of these processes are introduced and developed experientially over the course of therapy. These six processes are not separate, but overlapping and interconnected. Values: Discovering what is most important to one’s true self.Ĭommitted Action: Setting goals according to values and carrying them out responsibly. ![]() The Observing Self: Awareness of what we’re thinking and feeling, not the thinking self (thoughts, beliefs, judgements, fantasies). As a simple way to summarize the model, ACT views the core of many problems to be due to the concepts represented by the acronym, FEAR:Ī ccept your reactions and feelings and be presentĬore Principles: ACT commonly employs six core principles to help clients develop psychological flexibility:ĭefusion: Learning methods to reduce the tendency to make thoughts and emotions real.Īcceptance: Allowing thoughts and feelings to come and go without struggling with them.Ĭonnection with the present moment: Awareness of the here and now, experienced not with judging but with openness, interest and receptiveness. The core conception of ACT is that psychological suffering is usually caused by experiential avoidance, thought entanglement, and resulting in psychological rigidity that leads to a failure to take needed behavioral steps in accord with core values. ACT aims to help people clarify their personal values and to take action on them, and increase psychological flexibility. An ACT counselor does not see people as damaged or flawed, and does not define unwanted experiences as “symptoms” or “problems,” but resolves to define the function and context of behavior in order to determine its “workability,” for the purposes of creating rich and meaningful lives and increasing their psychological flexibility. ACT helps the individual get in contact with a sense of self known as “self-as-context” – the you that is always there observing and experiencing. ![]() ![]() Rather than trying to teach people to better control their distress, uncomfortable, or unpleasant thoughts and feelings, ACT (pronounced “act,” not by its initials A-C-T) teaches people to “just notice,” accept, and embrace those thoughts and feelings, especially the unwanted ones. ![]() ACCEPTANCE COMMITMENT THERAPY (ACT) uses mindfulness skills to develop psychological flexibility and helps clarify and direct values-guided behavior.
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