About ACT
"Acceptance, mindfulness, and values are key psychological tools needed for that transformative shift." – Steve Hayes
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy or “ACT” was developed was developed by Steven C. Hayes, Kelly G. Wilson, and Kirk Strosahl in the late 1980s. ACT focuses on helping people develop psychological flexibility. This means being open to experiencing difficult thoughts and emotions while still committing to actions that are aligned with our values and goals.
The six processes of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
The overall goal of ACT is to increase psychological flexibility – the ability to contact the present moment more fully, and to choose to change, or continue with, a behaviour when doing so is in line with our values. Psychological flexibility is established through six core ACT processes. Each of these is an opportunity to move towards the life we want to live by developing a positive psychological skill and wellbeing, not just a way of avoiding psychological ill health.
Mindfulness
Being deliberately aware of the present moment enables us to more accurately see what is happening in that moment, instead of purely what our mind says is happening. From here we can make choices to continue doing what we are doing (if it’s helpful and in line with what is important to us) or choose to change what we are doing (if it is unhelpful, destructive, taking us away from our values). Without being aware, we do not have choice to change.
Acceptance
Acceptance is an alternative to avoidance. Acceptance involves contacting internal private experiences (such as emotions, urges, memories) directly without our usual attempts to change or stop them in some way. For example, people with anxiety are taught to feel anxiety, as a feeling, without defence; pain patients are given methods that encourage them to let go of a struggle with pain, and so on. This can seem scary at first, however, acceptance of uncomfortable experiences makes space for increasing action in our lives that is in line with our personal values, and typically results in less distress, struggle, and negative impact of these experiences.
Defusion
Defusion, (AKA getting ‘unhooked’ or ‘unstuck’) aims to reduce how much influence our mind has over what we do. These strategies help us to see thoughts for what they are – thoughts! Not a literal, factual interpretation of ourselves and the world around us. This process and associated skills can help us to act in chosen ways, more independently of unhelpful thinking and not be dictated and controlled by our mind. This can reduce how much time and energy we spend caught up in our, at times, unhelpful thinking world
The Noticing Self
There is a part of ourselves that can always notice or observe. Regardless of experiences in the mind or the body, or what is happening around us, we always have that part of us that can notice and observe. Being in the ‘noticer’ or ’observer’ (or whatever you want to call it) seat can help with getting unhooked from our thoughts and accepting our difficult experiences. With time and practice we learn that everything that we can notice is transient. In this work we can develop a transcendental sense of self, that we are more than simply the content of our moment-to-moment experiences. This aids us with resilience and flexibility in the face of adversity. The observing self is accessed through mindfulness exercises, metaphors, and other experiential practices.
Values
Values are chosen life directions. They show us the life we truly want and can provide us with direction and guidance and enable deliberate action to stay on the path that we choose and want. Values are not what others want for us or what was taught to us in childhood, but a personal, freely chosen direction. Learning and practicing the previous processes makes more resources available to move towards a more rich and values-guided life.
Overall, ACT aims to help individuals create a rich, meaningful life by developing psychological flexibility and resilience in the face of life's many and varied challenges.
Committed Action
Change will be limited if we do not do things in new and different ways. Committed action is a commitment to making change. We set personal goals, tasks, skills, practices that we will work on in the spirit of getting you towards where you want to go. These are typically guided by the session content, our values, and what is important to us.