What Is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)?
What Is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)?
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a type of psychotherapy that helps individuals deal with their negative thoughts and feelings in a more productive and healthier way. This therapy is founded on the idea that suffering is a natural and unavoidable part of human life. The primary goal of ACT is to assist individuals in creating a rich and fulfilling life by accepting these inevitable hardships and committing to actions that align with their personal values.
Understanding The Basis Of ACT
The premise of ACT is not to eliminate or suppress negative experiences. Instead, it teaches individuals to be psychologically flexible and to move forward in life by focusing on what they value most, even in the face of negative thoughts and emotions. ACT is grounded in the belief that it's counterproductive to attempt to control painful emotions or psychological experiences. Instead, it offers alternatives like mindfulness, attention to personal values, and commitment to action.
What Is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)?
The Core Processes Of ACT
ACT is based on six core processes that help individuals develop psychological flexibility:
Acceptance: This involves acknowledging and embracing the full range of thoughts and emotions rather than trying to avoid, deny, or alter them.
Cognitive Defusion: This requires distancing oneself from and changing the way one reacts to distressing thoughts and feelings, thereby reducing their harmful effects.
Being Present: This involves being mindful in the present moment and observing thoughts and feelings without judging them or trying to change them.
Self as Context: This is an idea that expands the notion of self and identity. It suggests that people are more than their thoughts, feelings, and experiences.
Values: This involves choosing personal values in different domains and striving to live according to those principles.
Committed Action: This involves taking concrete steps to incorporate changes that align with values and lead to positive change.
These principles are psychological skills that can be enhanced in any domain of life with regard to unwanted internal experiences or symptoms.
The Role Of Mindfulness In ACT
Mindfulness plays a significant role in ACT. It provides a way for individuals to ground themselves in the present moment by paying attention to their feelings, physical sensations, and the environment around them. Mindfulness exercises and techniques can help support ACT practice by developing nonjudgmental acceptance of thoughts and feelings.
ACT As A Transdiagnostic Approach
ACT is referred to as a 'transdiagnostic' approach because it is applicable to more than one condition. Rather than focusing on a specific symptom or disorder, ACT aims to promote greater flexibility with regard to a set of six interrelated and overarching psychological processes. This makes ACT broadly applicable, extending beyond any single mental or physical health condition.
How ACT Can Help With Chronic Pain
Research has shown that ACT is particularly beneficial for individuals dealing with chronic pain symptoms and conditions such as migraines and fibromyalgia. ACT helps patients notice the differences between the physical sensations of pain and their reactions to them. It encourages patients to adopt more adaptive responses, which ultimately leads to improvements in pain intensity, pain-related disability, and overall quality of life.
The Flexibility And Adaptability Of ACT
One of the benefits of ACT is its flexibility and adaptability. It can be effectively implemented in various treatment-delivery formats and settings, making it a versatile tool for mental health care. ACT has been delivered in a variety of formats, including one-day group workshops, online and smartphone applications, and telehealth. This flexibility in delivery format and duration allows it to be tailored to meet the needs of different patient populations and ensure treatment adherence.
The Empirical Support For ACT
ACT is recognized by the American Psychological Association as an empirically supported treatment for depression, mixed anxiety disorders, psychosis, chronic pain, and obsessive–compulsive disorder. Numerous studies have shown that ACT is effective for treating patients with a wide variety of problems, with generally medium effect sizes compared to treatment as usual.
To conclude, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) represents a promising therapeutic approach that can help individuals deal with a wide range of mental and physical conditions. By fostering psychological flexibility and encouraging individuals to live according to their values, ACT has the potential to significantly improve quality of life and overall mental health.
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Sources:
Dindo, Lilian, et al. “Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: A Transdiagnostic Behavioral Intervention for Mental Health and Medical Conditions.” Neurotherapeutics, vol. 14, no. 3, 7 Mar. 2017, pp. 546–553, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5509623/, https://doi.org/10.1007/s13311-017-0521-3.
Harris, Russell. “Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): An Overview.” Psychotherapy.net, 2011, www.psychotherapy.net/article/Acceptance-and-Commitment-Therapy-ACT.WebMD. “What Is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy?”
WebMD, 9 Apr. 2021, www.webmd.com/mental-health/what-is-acceptance-and-commitment-therapy.
