ACT Therapy in a Nutshell

Benifits

At Mindful Health Counselling, the therapy style I favour is ACT Therapy.  I find it to be effective for most, if not all presenting issues, such as depression, anxiety, stress, anger, relationship conflict and life transitioning.  Here are details about this modern therapy style, taken from the wonderful Russ Harris book ACT made Simple.

What is ACT?  It is Acceptance & Commitment Therapy – a behavioural therapy, at its core.  It is action or behaviour that is guided by your true values  as a human.  Behaviour that stimulates your values and aligns with the person you want to be. It is focusing on what really matters to you, deep in your heart, the bigger picture in your life, how you want to be treated and how you want to treat others.  It is also about ‘mindful’ action.  Being aware of your experience as it is happening, being open, curious and engaged in whatever you are doing. 

AIM of ACT

The aim of ACT Therapy is to develop psychological flexibility, and be able to use your inner skills and strengths to minimise the impact of unwanted thoughts/emotions/feelings and the pain that inevitably goes with being human.  

It teaches skills and techniques that allow you to explore your emotions and feelings with curiosity and kindness, be with them as they arise, instead of avoiding them by investing in unhealthy or unsustainable strategies (isolation, substance abuse, negative thoughts, unhealthy eating).  These skills are life enhancing and maximise your potential for a rich and meaningful life. 

It sounds simple and obvious doesn’t it?  

Change is not always easy. However, it becomes easier when you understand what is truly important and meaningful to you. Knowing you core values intimately and exploring ways to stimulate them through action/behaviour. Using this to then guide, inspire and motivate you to do the things that bring you joy and enhance your life. 

ACT teaches psychological skills (thought defusion, acceptance, presence) that enable you to handle difficult thoughts and feelings effectively, and engage fully in whatever you are doing to appreciate the fulfilling aspects of your life. 

The Six Core Therapeutic Processes of ACT

  1. Contact with the present moment – Paying attention to your experience in the moment.  Sustaining your focus on what you are doing, without allowing thoughts to dictate or change your behaviour. Being present is one of the most powerful and intriguing skills taught in ACT. 
  2. Defusion – Separating or detaching from thoughts, images or memories.  Learning to watch and observe thoughts for what they are (just thoughts) instead of getting tangled up in them and being controlled by them.  Holding them lightly instead of clutching them tightly. 
  3. Acceptance – Opening up and making room for unwanted thoughts, feelings, emotions, stories, memories, urges, impulses.  Instead of fighting them, resisting them, avoiding them, running from them. Tolerance is not a sustainable strategy. 
  4. Self as context – The noticing self or the observing self. Understanding there is someone (you) who is aware of whatever we are thinking, feeling and sensing. The part of you that notices.   If I am noticing a negative thought or judgement, I can’t be it. 
  5. Values – What do you want to stand for in life. How do you want to treat yourself and those around you? Values describe how you want to behave on an ongoing basis. 
  6. Committed action – Taking effective action, guided by your values. This includes physical action and psychological action. Knowing your values is not enough.  It is only through putting them into action that life becomes meaningful and stimulating. 

So, that’s ACT in a nutshell. I teach and practice these life skills at Mindful Health Counselling.  If you are experiencing anxiety, depression or stress, and have tried other modalities (medication, psychology, avoidance) I encourage you to explore the healing powers of ACT Therapy.  

Anthony Grace





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